When the calendar turns to fall, bass across the country shift into high gear. Whether you’re chasing northern smallmouth as they bulk up for winter or southern largemouth following schools of shad into the creeks, this season is all about food—and the fishing can be electric.
Northern Waters: Main Lake and Offshore Bites
In northern fisheries, cooling water pushes fish off the bank and onto main-lake structure. Electronics become your best friend as bass transition to feeding heavily on baitfish instead of craws and invertebrates. If you’re dropping a finesse bait like a Ned rig or minnow on a jighead, sensitivity is everything.
Ned Rig:
Minnow Bait:
RB S 713 for the smaller heads or the RB S 733 or the heavier heads
Moving Baits and Reaction Strikes
Of course, fall isn’t only about spinning gear. When bass are chasing bait on points, in grass, or around current, reaction baits are hard to beat—jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, crankbaits, and topwaters all come into play.
A 7’3” Medium Heavy for chatterbaits, or a crisper 7’0″ Medium for jerkbaits, puts the odds in your favor when bass are feeding up.
Chatterbait:
RB C 735-1 or RB C 766 for heavier application (3/4 and 1 oz chatterbaits)
Jerkbait:
Southern Patterns: Creeks, Grass, and Frogs
Down south, fall means cooler nights and shad pushing into creek arms. It’s prime time to burn a spinnerbait along grass edges or throw a frog over matted vegetation. These bites are visual, explosive, and unforgettable.
Keep it Simple: Follow the Food
On southern lakes, fall is all about the bait, too. Instead of stacking up in the main basin, bass often push schools of shad back into the creek arms. They’ll also use shallow grass and vegetation, creating some of the best opportunities of the year to flip or throw a frog. Few bites are more exciting, and in these areas, bass are just as likely to be feeding on bluegill or other panfish as they are chasing shad.
Frog:
RB C 746-1 or RB C 726-1 depending on preference for length
Flipping:
RB C 766 for braided or braided-to-fluoro leader, or RB C 746 for closer situations where accuracy is key; use either braid or fluoro, depending on conditions.
Fall bass fishing is as good as it gets. Bundle up if you have to, but don’t miss it. Fall bass fishing is as good as it gets.
