Fall Bass Strategies
Jim Manolakos

Ahhh... the fall, a time of change, falling temperatures, animal migrations awesome colours and a time for giant bass. This is truly the time where you can connect with the biggest bass in a particular system and in numbers too, but there are some key points to remember because, these fish group up and that leaves a lot of unproductive water you can waste your time on. Let's take a look at some productive areas.

Green Weeds
Green weeds attract bass in the fall. No doubt about that fact in my books. Most articles will tell you to look for this. They offer oxygen and baitfish which are two things the bass are looking for at this time. Okay, so weeds are a definite fish holder. Now, what if your lake has no green weeds, or at least you can't find any? Well you could drive around searching all day or ask fellow anglers where the green weeds are.. this might work and if it does, more power to you. It doesn't work for me and I don't like to waste time driving around looking for green weeds and I certainly don't like moving into spots that other anglers have been beating to death. It's time to find secondary areas other than green weeds.

Rocks
First off there's rocks. Remember, in the fall the water cools down and a bass' metabolism experiences changes with it. Rocks hold heat better than other structure, so the bass will be holding to the rocks for a slightly warmer temp. and they also provide cover. Baitfish like rocks for the same reason and where there's baitfish there's.......... how'd ya guess....yep bass!!.

Another key, and often overlooked forage fish for Bass in Ontario are rock bass, Where are rock bass found? .. of course... ROCKS! Rip-rap, boulders, rock walls, cement break walls, piers... any of these areas can and usually will hold bass during the fall. In river situations, rock piles or boulders also can act as current breaks which make an even more obvious spot to catch bass from! If you see baitfish boiling on the surface near a rip-rap bank, don't hesitate to throw topwater baits! This can be some very exciting fall fishing! If you find rock, weed mix all the better.This combined with a close proximity to deep water can be the mother load area.

Wood
Another good area to look for bass, is wood. Logs, laydowns, brush, boat docks, stumps and standing timber. All of the obvious spots can hold good populations of bass. For me, fall means dock fishing, particularly in the early part of fall. Find docks with a transition from shallow to deep water, or with rip-rap at the bank or healthy weeds out front and you have found a hotspot!!

A big mistake fishermen make in the fall (or any season) is catching one bass off a piece of cover, then moving on to the next. Remember that bass school up in the fall to hunt. Sometimes you can pull 5 or 6 bass, possibly more, off of one dock (or other wood structure). The reason I choose docks for the most part in the fall is because although bass are generally not buried in shade for temperature reasons, wood structure can provide a perfect place to hunt while the sun is beating down on the water. This is why docks are particularly productive on sunny days in the fall.

Relation to Structure
As for structural areas in the fall, this can vary beyond belief. This is where "looking for the baitfish" is particularly important. Typically for myself, rivers, river mouths, creek channels, points and canals have been productive in fall times. Later in the season, they will concentrate even more in these areas. A good quality depth finder can be a valuable asset at this time. Look for baitfish or even the bass themselves on potential fish holding structure. Even when fishing shallow water (8ft or less) it is a good idea to be looking at the depth finder for schools of baitfish. When you find these baitfish schools, mark the area.   It's always important to have some marker buoys on board. I also like to take notes on which structure, cover, lure, etc. I've caught bass on, and refer to them next fall.

One of the most important things to remember at this time is the biggest bass will be using points, flats and weedlines that are closest to deep water, these bruisers didn't get big by accident and the feeding areas with the deepest water nearby provides a safe zone big fish demand. This is true through the summer months as well, but especially true in the fall when weather swings can vary dramatically.

Lure Choices
Basically, try to use lures to match the baitfish in the area you're fishing. If you aren't sure of the baitfish, then chrome or white coloured lures are usually a good bet. If the water is stained or muddy, gold, chartreuse, orange or red coloured lures can be the bait of choice.

In the fall, bass are ready to chase down baits under most situations, but it should look like the food they are feeding on.  

Cover water effectively. Rat L Traps, suspending jerkbaits, buzzbaits, poppers and even in-line spinners are also good bets during the early stages of fall. For fishing heavy cover or weedlines, I like to fish a flippin' Jig with a pork trailer as well as a tube jig.

Jigs and tubes are also good baits for fishing docks. Vary the weight of your jig based on water depth and cover, let the bass tell you what type of presentation they want that day, because it can change as the day warms.

I've found jigs are very productive on sunny bright days and suspending jerkbaits rule on overcast days. The key with any presentation in the fall is too slow down as the water gets colder.

Remember a bass' vision actually improves as the water gets colder( yes it's true!!) so as the water cools, lighter lines and more natural looking presentations and colours are what you need to fool that trophy bass.

So next fall don't put those rods away too soon, follow these points and remember to bring a camera because your gonna need it!!