5 baits for fall bass fishing
- Topwater: Until the water gets below 55, I love to throw a buzzbait to find those scattered fish.
- Lipless bait: The fall fish like to school up on bait, and no matter where you go in the country, they like to get on flats out in the middle on isolated cover like stumps, brush piles, grass clumps.
Maximize your time on the water this fall by using our favorite 5 fall baits.
- Best Fall Bass Baits: Crankbaits. Shop Crankbaits!
- Best Fall Bass Baits: Jigs. Shop Jigs!
- Best Fall Bass Baits: Spinnerbait. Shop Spinnerbaits!
- Best Fall Bass Baits: Jerkbaits. Shop Jerkbaits!
- Best Fall Bass Baits: Finesse Worm. Shop Finesse Worms!
The fall season is a decent time for bass fishing, with slowing activity but a major feeding before they head into the winter. They will be looking for bait fish including shads and shiners. Spinnerbaits and swimbaits work well in the fall wind, with jerkbaits and crankbaits also attracting attention.
Keep an eye out for fishing boats.In areas like Harpswell, where there a quite a few menhaden right now, you'll likely see boats in the morning looking for and catching fish. If they are in the area, there are likely schools of fish around.
In both cases, the game fish and their primary food source threadfin shad will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition).
Most freshwater fish spawn in the spring, although salmon, char, and some trout spawn in the fall. Water temperature is a key trigger to timing, although other factors, like day length, are likely involved. Where fish lay eggs, however, depends on the species.
Where to Catch Fall Muskies
- Remaining Foliage. Most areas of the country experience a semi to full weed kill as the water cools off.
- Main Lake Structure and Points.
- Bait Schools.
- Sunrise/Sunset.
- Moonrise/Moonset & Underfoot/Overhead.
- New Moon/Full Moon.
- Big Baits = Big Fish.
- Jerkbaits.
Bass use the fall shad migration as a means to fatten up for the winter. This time of year bait choices are nearly unlimited. Bass aggressively feed and eat anything that resembles a shad. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and top-water baits all allow you to cover a lot of water and draw violent strikes from bass.
Look for docks, timber and brush piles; these spots tend to congregate baitfish and if they're around, the bass won't be far behind. As those water temperatures continue to drop down to 50 degrees or colder, the fish tend to move deeper and become harder to locate.
Crankbaits are moneymakers in the fall, when bass are constantly feeding on shad to pack their tummies before the winter. Lipless crankbaits with a tight wobble like the River2Sea Ruckus are the best of the best when bass are up feeding.
September Bass Fishing Tips
- Locate the Baitfish. When the water begins to cool and the fall rains wash in nutrients, shad and other baitfish move from the main lake back into creeks and coves.
- Locate the Aggressive Bass.
- Catch the Fish You've Found.
- And most of all, have fun and be safe!
What's a Crankbait? Any fish that routinely eats smaller fish can be targeted with crankbaits. A lure with a plastic lip that causes a bait to dive underwater can be classified as a crankbait. The depth ranges vary from just below the surface down to 20 feet or even deeper.
October Fish for Nothern Hemisphere
| Name | Sell Price |
|---|
| 21 | Yellow Perch | 300 |
| 22 | Black Bass | 400 |
| 23 | Tilapia | 800 |
| 24 | Pike | 1800 |
Available in October
| Name | Price | Time |
|---|
| Bluegill | 180 | 9am - 4pm |
| Yellow perch | 300 | All day |
| Black bass | 400 | All day |
| Tilapia | 800 | All day |
Come fall, lake water temperatures cool, and big pike are no longer controlled by the temperature, so they roam. They head into the shallows to hunt bait fish and those they like to feed on are pretty big by fall. Start off by casting big topwater baits in the shallows near a weedline or a sharp break off a point.
Inshore: Spanish Mackerel, Pompano, Ladyfish Mangrove Snapper, Seatrouts, Jack Crevalle, Bluefish, Snook and Redfish are all here and biting.
Coast to coast, fall offers ample opportunities to catch a variety of gamefish, as cooling water temperatures spark hot bites for everything from catfish and crappies to bass, sunfish and walleyes. To help you reap the autumn harvest, we offer the following tips to help you catch more fish and have more fun.
Early in the fall, before the lake turns over, bass will move back into the same shallow areas where they were feeding before the spawn.
Do not give up on bass too early next fall. Some of the best bass fishing of the year is still to come. Shallow cranks, spinner baits and traps will fill the bass fishing bill before turnover. After deep cranks and jig-n-pig combos will be what take the bass later into the late fall season.
November Fishing Forecast. November is about flounder, redfish, trout, and mullet. Some of the best flounder fishing of the year happens this month in the bays and the near shore reefs and wrecks. Trout are strong on the flats taking topwater lures.
Eat salmon, Pollock and other fish species that are in season in fall and winter.
Fall Fishing For Trout: 10 Tips You Need To Know
- 10) Match The Fall Hatch.
- 9) Bugs Before The Freeze.
- 8) Look For Strongest Flow.
- 7) Tie On Light Line.
- 6) Stealth Tactics For Clear Water.
- 5) Find Shade.
- 4) Brown Trout Run.
- 3) Big Baits, Big Fish.
