Pre-spawn smallmouth bass has yet to arrive but the weather is breaking enough to hit the water. When fly fishing in mid to late fall, consider fishing with a sinktip or a 250 grain full sinking line in the deeper riffles and pools on our larger rivers. I’ve talked with a lot of anglers who say their biggest fall fishing problem is getting a proper hook set. For Coty, he didn't love bass fishing at first cast. “I use the wind and current to move the boat, and only use the trolling motor with small bursts to help stay on course. In northern Wisconsin, smallmouth bass tend to set up in their wintering locations by end of September. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Add in potential exploitation of the heavily concentrated schools of fish and there is a legitimate, serious argument against the practice of live bait fishing and targeting wintering smallmouth colonies altogether. Free shipping on orders over $50 and FREE pick-up at your local store if you buy online! © 2021 Northwoods Bass Fishing Adventures, LLC. “It’s never straight down while drifting. But, as daylight hours shorten and the water temperature drops into the lower 60s and upper 50s, the large schools of shad leave, and the smaller bass follow the forage out toward the main lake. This is just a basic recipe, though. What makes the live bait rig work is the liveliness of your minnow. Get your quick picture or two, and hold the fish upright in the water until it gets its bearings and strength back, and it should swim off unharmed rather quickly.”. Take your jerkbaits to anywhere you can find water running into the body of water you’re fishing. Just a hook and a fresh lively minnow like the sucker minnows he prefers. Fishing shallower as the water temperature drops may be counter-intuitive, but it has the potential to … In Ontario July, August and the first two weeks of September is usually the best time for Smallmouth Bass fishing as the bass are usually up on the rocks in their normal feeding patterns. Frog fishing is popular in the fall because the bass are feeding aggressively in early fall, and if you can find a place on the lake with a lot of pads and grass that coat the surface, you’ve found yourself the perfect place to fish frogs. The first and most important thing you’ll want to understand about bass is that they’re warm weather fish. If you live in a place that experiences all four seasons, you’ll want to fish closer to midday than you’re used to. Amato and I commonly live bait fish on lakes with deep thermoclines, a lot of deep water structure and contour, and established smallmouth wintering locations. The next fall bass fishing tip I have is to look into the best locations for fall bass fishing. Lipless crankbaits are the number one choice for fall bass fishing lures. In Amato’s experience, north and west winds seem to have the fish biting best in the fall. If you’re planning on targeting bass this fall, you’ll need some fall bass fishing tactics to keep in your back pocket. We used to say "stacked like cordwood" when walleyes were tightly grouped. Targeting Late Fall Smallmouth By Jonathan LePera / October 24, 2015 Clausen has found that at times a jerkbait is the perfect wait to catch the last of the remaining larger smallmouth from shallower water before they shift into their fall patterns. A lot of anglers consider live bait cheating. The December bite is forage driven. By this point, I would recommend casting parallel to the river towards the pond and try to find any areas of stagnant water where a school might be hiding out. These are the best late fall bass fishing lures because by late fall, when you’re experiencing near freezing temperatures at night, bass have likely retreated to the shallowest area of the water. This late September tanker was caught from a wintering area. These are the best late fall bass fishing lures because by late fall, when you’re experiencing near freezing temperatures at night, bass have likely retreated to the shallowest area of the water. Lindy rigging just doesn’t work well without a wind, and your sucker minnow doesn’t swim to entice smallmouths,” Amato shares. I guarantee. “When a bite is felt, immediately let go your finger from the line. A unique behavior inherited from previous generations of the population’s members, these fish will home on the same wintering areas for life. The professionals consider it cheating. When it’s cloudy (which is common in the fall), you’ll want to use more neutral earthy colors. Some seasons close as late as the end of February and open as early as May. The live minnow swimming in distress is irresistible to smallmouths holding deep. Late fall and early winter are some of the best times to catch giant smallmouth bass from Lake Erie. Fishing partner and smallmouth bass expert, Johnny Amato, was gracious to contribute to this piece and offer insights to our northern Wisconsin live bait fishing program. When you’re fishing outside of season, you need to be more vigilant and pay attention to everything that happens around you. People don’t realize it, but bass feed all year long; you just have to know how to catch them. If you’re getting a lot of nibbles, but nothing is hooking up, it could be your hook like I said previously. Here’s his personal best and my boat’s largest from the 2016 season; measuring 21.5” and weighing 6.4 lbs. On calm fall days, I’ll fish off the back of the boat and use the transom mount trolling motor with little bursts to keep the boat somewhat moving. They are the perfect imitation for struggling baitfish that slowly die in the late winter cold waters of lake and rivers. It seems one fish bites, turns on the pack, and you will get a few in a row. Having a good fish finder is really helpful for this as well. This largely depends on climate. The lake Amato describes here is a large mesotrophic lake of a couple thousand acres with fewer classic fall and wintering spots. The respected jerkbait is an ideal pick for late fall fishing. Experts like Amato have learned to fish basic presentations. I’m up in Canada, and fall is long past. All information and photography is protected under United States Copyright Laws, Live Bait Bass: Matching The Hatch The Easy Way, Catch and Release Smallmouth Fishing, with Trokar Live Bait Hooks, Northern Wisconsin Bass Fishing Trips in 2021, Northwoods Bass Fishing Report, Fall 2020, Northwoods Bass Fishing Report, late July thru mid August, 2020, Northwoods Bass Fishing Report, June and July, 2020, Northwoods Bass Fishing Report – May 2020, Fall Smallmouth Bass Strategies: No Shame with the Live Bait Game. “They are hearty and easiest to get, for one. If the state of Wisconsin implemented a mandatory catch and release fall season on smallmouths, identical to Minnesota’s fall regulations, the argument against live bait fishing and targeting smallmouths at wintering holes lessens. This is a time of year where bass are trying to feed as much as possible because they’re bulking up for the cold weather. This incredible fall success is attributed to his open-mindedness and lack of shame with the live bait game. You can choose to fish for them, or you can look for them elsewhere like Amato and I often do. “I usually look for long shallow bars like this that extend out to deep drop-offs and lead to deep flats, usually a good distance from shore. Even when catching wintering smallmouths from any depths, it’s important as ever to get late fall season fish back into the water quickly after being caught. Make sure it has a soft and realistic appearance. On our last few fall trips, Amato has proven the effectiveness and heartiness of walleye suckers. Then they winter and burrow themselves into the deep muddy basins of the lake, not far from wintering smallmouths. “Even if just the eye of the hook is all you see, I still get them out 99% of the time, with little or even no damage to the fish. These trophy bass lakes of the present will be unable to sustain themselves for the long-term with the up-and-coming year-classes being harvested at rapid pace. Subscribe to Northwoods Bass Fishing Adventures newsletter. In his mind, nothing beats jigs and craw imitation plastics, and skirted hula grubs worked through deep rock structure and steep breaklines. Your main line needs to be much stronger and have a little bit of stretch. If the rod blank bends too far down, you won’t be able to feel those nibbles. Water clarity should impact the color of your lure as well. These hooks have a wider gap than most traditional livebait hooks, and they’re the next most-effective model to a circle hook that I’ve found. To me, it’s almost as bad as taking a big bass off of a bed and keeping it,” says Amato. As liberal as Wisconsin fishing regulations are, neither Amato nor I see the state implementing further northern black bass management to make our world class inland smallmouth bass fisheries catch and release-only, like they are managed in spring, unless there is overwhelming angler support and we experience a major trophy decline in our world class inland fisheries. In order to give the walleye sucker ample action, Amato drops the rig in a vertical position beneath the boat and lets out enough line for the sinker to make bottom contact while the boat drifts. “That’s going to be one less bass that would have spawned in the coming spring. “My default set-up is a modified rig; 3/8 oz. But having basic knowledge of how to fizz a bass swim bladder with needle will come handy if it ever happens. By Kyle Peterson & Mitch Anderson •Sep 27, 2020 Seth Feider takes the guesswork out of choosing the best lures for smallmouth bass fishing from late summer through late fall. The only thing you’ll want to do a little different with swimbaits is cover water at a faster rate. You don’t want to use a fast action rod because every little movement you make will move the lure around, and that doesn’t always provide the most natural appearance for what you’re trying to do. Those are the colors you want to use. These behaviors are common with the heavy feeding competition of fall. Wintering smallmouth are no different in their habitat preferences than the shallow oriented fish we catch during spring through summer. While never a problem for Amato and I, barotrauma is a dangerous silent killer in summer and autumn when fish congregate in depths of 30 feet and greater. Entering the picture is an assortment of minnow and baitfish species. Remember, they’re feeding on a lot of baitfish to prepare for winter, and they’re doing a lot of that feeding at the point where rivers and streams meet ponds and lakes. I assure you that barotraumas and burst swim bladders will rarely happen. Each state and province will have it’s own fishing season. Spro makes great swivels themselves, and I like sizes 12-14.”. But when fish turn off working those same spots with live bait often transforms a non-bite into a bite, many times a good one for him. Seth Feider takes the guesswork out of choosing the best lures for smallmouth bass fishing from late summer through late fall. Seth Feider is a Bassmaster bass fishing tournament angler adept at catching lots of 5, 6 & 7 lb. Amato and I are proponents of mandatory usage of circle hooks and specialty live bait hooks that eliminate/minimize the probability of gut hooked fish. Fall is here and it’s one of my favorite times of the year because it’s transition fishing time for fall smallmouth bass. Minocqua, Wisconsin.All information and photography is protected under United States Copyright Laws and may not be reproduced and used without written permission of Andrew Ragas. Days of personal bests have happened in autumn too, including a monster surpassing 6 pounds caught and released with yours truly. Ideally, what you want to look for is a frog lure that is weedless because you’ll be moving through the densest of vegetation on the lake. Despite the effectiveness, live bait fishing in fall for smallmouths poses several issues that most anglers seldom take into consideration. Add in the fact that most of these fish are caught from depths of 20-30 feet, and the fish are completely exhausted by the time they are brought in the boat. The temperature of the water will determine how deep the bass go during the fall and winter. But rigging, bait choice, and attention to detail involving hook style, hook rigging placement, weight size and leader length demonstrate creative adaptations to specific smallmouth locations. “I’d rather be throwing jigs and lures just as much as the next guy, but over the years I’ve learned that live bait fishing in the late fall just simply catches more, and bigger fish.” When describing the scenarios and conditions that call for live bait, Amato only waits until the water temperatures get down to about 55-60, and lake’s thermocline is thinning prior to turnover, before giving consideration for it. Required fields are marked *. My other tip is to go with soft plastics because they have some give, especially if you’re using a weedless lure. In addition to deep wintering locations, Amato’s livebait tactics work well along deep weedlines where both smallmouths and schools of yellow perch gravitate to for fall feeding. Not enough live bait anglers are using these types of hooks and it poses a serious problem for catch and release intentions and conservation. All lakes fish and handle differently. As far as we know, the open-minded bass anglers are usually the ones with no shame in their game and catch the most. Bronzebacks pile into dense schools come autumn. Lindy walking sinker with a size 1 Gamakatsu Octopus hook. In many cases, this will be a nearby creek or river that pours into the water. But what if live bait rigging is fished properly and responsibly with conservation and care in mind, with no mention of GPS coordinates and precise locations? Responsible fishing, with care for the vulnerable smallmouth bass population during fall, is the focus of this piece. “I only live bait fish in the fall,” says Amato. Top Five Fall Baits For Smallmouth Bass with Ben Nowak TFO Ambassador Ben Nowak is no stranger to smallmouth fishing. In the fall, when the temperature starts to drop, and food becomes less abundant, they’ll take any opportunity they can to get an easy meal. Big smallmouths get harvested in the fall months, usually from walleye anglers and pan fishermen, and people looking for a trophy on the wall. Few anglers employ these tactics and procedures better than Forest County, WI angler John Amato does. Braided main lines work best to detect bites, but I like just a tiny bit of stretch on my main line to enhance my hooksets.”. While Amato’s live bait techniques have been applied to shallower lakes that don’t stratify and lack defined wintering locations, he concedes that it’s more difficult to establish the pattern on waters that aren’t deep and don’t turn over. Comments comments. Bass are going to start hugging the shores and especially where creek channels are pouring into larger bodies of water. Fishing a blade bait vertically is an effective way to catch bass keyed in on bait during the fall feed up. Regardless of season, smallmouths are always attracted to the lake’s rocks, boulders, and the unique contours available to them at whatever depths they prefer. They can cover a lot of ground and help you locate fish fast. After deep cranks and jig-n-pig combos will be what take the bass later into the late fall season. A small ball-bearing swivel connects the leader-line to the main line. If you sell the best baits, please do live bait anglers a favor by selling the best quality hooks to complement the minnows being offered. If we all thought May 2020 was difficult fishin... Hi everyone! Learn fishing tips and tactics for smallmouth bass fishing in the colder fall months in Ontario's Algoma Country from Fishing 411 host Mark Romanack. Here are Johnston’s tips and tricks for using this rig in cold water. Destin DeMarion brings us a Tackle Tip Tuesday fall fishing tip for smallmouth bass up north. Let’s talk about that and some actionable steps you can take to improve your chances of catching bass this fall. The reason they’re so effective is because of what bass are eating during this time of year. When their metabolism slows down, they’re trying to conserve their energy and calories without burning too much, so they’ll wait for something easier to come along. May 2020 was when fishing and guid... By Andrew Ragas Small lakes abound throughout t... © 2021 Northwoods Bass Fishing Adventures, LLC. When this happens, Amato instructs to drop the bait immediately back down to the bottom as the same fish, and perhaps another smallmouth will grab it again. It’s a policy I always stand by because you never know what angler intentions are. Fishing live bait in October and November, prepare to catch some of the fattest fish of the year. This fall, don’t be so quick to put away your gear and winterize your boat – there’s still plenty of fishing left out there. But it’s become acceptable when all else fails like when our preferred traditional fall strategies of deep water cranking, drop shotting, swim baiting, and jigging isn’t catching them. Bass are heavily feeding in these areas, and if you’re serious about fall largemouth bass fishing, you’ll want to hit this area hard. On some northern U.S. and Canadian rivers, migrating fish congreg… Speed and direction plays an important role in presentation and drifting. Less is more for Russ Lane when he fishes in late fall. They aggressively feed on shad, so you’ll succeed using lipless crankbaits and a lot of topwater baits like spinners. Late fall is one of the best times of the year to catch giant smallmouth bass. They are chunky, super aggressive, and school up BIG TIME on deepwater structure. 90% of all smallmouth bass in fall will be located in 10% of the lake. At the turn of the coldwater period, what’s an angler to do when nothing else in the tackle box works and the day is seemingly lost? They’ll spend a lot of time at tributaries because small bait fish like shad and shiners will move down the river and into the larger water. One interesting bit of information that I’ve learned from a lot of different anglers over the years is that you can still fish deep water during the fall. Live bait fishing for heavily concentrated smallmouths like Amato and I pursue during the fall is effective, and only recommended when done carefully and responsibly as this article promotes. Late winter smallmouth bass fishing is tough. Receive news and information about Northern Wisconsin bass fishing, trip dates and schedules, fishing reports, and other bass fishing content. Having lowered my bass fishing standards to accept livebait fishing these last few autumn seasons thanks to Amato’s influence and intricate lessons, smallmouth comrades will come to agreement that deep water livebait fishing for smallmouths on the immediate catch and release basis and conservation principles Amato and I employ should not be condemned or despised. Keep in mind that bass don’t really see frog lures as an actual “frog” per se. These flats can range anywhere from 25 to 50 feet deep, with typical winter zones in the 25 to 40 ft. range. This late September tanker was caught from a wintering area. Tank-sized smallies won't make it easy most days. “On another lake, on a good day the action seems to go non-stop all day from just a few different areas,” he says. While many northern Wisconsin live bait shops do splendid service in stocking the freshest and widest assortments of minnows, several of them fail anglers in equipping shelves and display racks with industry-standard fish hooks. When fly fishing in mid to late fall, consider fishing with a sinktip or a 250 grain full sinking line in the deeper riffles and pools on our larger rivers. During the summer, you can find bass almost anywhere in the water but especially near grassy areas, stumps, laydowns, and different structure. Even though I have suggested the idea a few times, Amato isn’t a fan of drift socks as they are a nuisance to operate. “They don’t show the exact same power and jumping ability as they would in summer, but pulling them up from 20+ feet with a small hook is no easy task. Adding to the efficiency of his rigs, Amato uses the smallest trout beads he can find to help protect his leader knot from fraying and weakening by the walking sinker. On many northwoods WI smallmouth lakes, crayfish is the primary year-round forage. “If fish are deeper than 30 feet, I leave them alone,” says Amato. Abandoning their summer haunts, fish may travel many miles downstream to slack-water hibernacula, where they will overwinter. Once fall rolls around, they find that bass are a little timider about biting, and that makes it harder to set the hook. Your email address will not be published. Smallmouth bass will bite all day but generally speaking, the best time of day to catch bass are in the reduced light hours or early morning and late afternoon. “A cold, north wind with cloud cover can help on some lakes, whereas other lakes actually are better when it’s sunny,” he concludes. To ensure catch and release, my recommendation is circle hooks only. Late October through November is an excellent time to fish large streamers for big smallmouth bass. “Fall success varies by lake, and the smallmouths usually come in waves once located,” describes Amato. After a few quick seconds, point the rod tip down while slowly bringing in your slack-line, close the bail, and set the hook with an upward motion. Using decades of experience paired with plenty of research, I’ve compiled this expert guide explaining everything you need to know about catching bass in the fall. “In the fall, smallmouth’s energy levels aren’t what they are during the summer, due to the colder water. I love fishing frogs no matter what the season is, but I especially enjoy these guys during the fall. They’re bigger than fatheads, liveliest of all minnows available, and present themselves as a heartier meal for a hungry fall smallmouth,” says Amato. Based out of Michigan, Ben hosts a YouTube channel called The Smallmouth Experience where he uploads weekly videos sharing his experiences of catching smallmouth bass, as well as helpful tips for anglers out there who want to find more success on the water. But for most of you it’s still late fall or early winter. Since you have bass chasing after shad, minnows, and shiners, try your best to get one that shares the same colors. However if choosing to fish extreme depths, slowly take your time fighting and playing the fish. Something I like to do is talk to other anglers on the water. The majority of anglers in the bass fishing community theorize that it’s not a good idea to pull bass through the depths on live bait rigs. I’m always studying wind directions and how it relates to the spots I’m going to fish.”. Needle nose pliers and small hook cutters are must-have tools, but Amato and I agree the most important catch and release tool one must have if pursuing smallmouth bass with livebait is a Baker hook extractor. However, it’s not an easy presentation to deliver when dealing with deep coontail or sandgrass. As the boat drifts, the rig forces the sucker to swim a foot or so off the bottom. Amato fishes a 6ft 6in or 7ft medium fast action rod with quick tip and plenty of backbone to extract smallmouths from the depths. The reason I recommend going with a lipless crank is that it can move through vegetation better, and you don’t need the noise or vibration of the lip in this case. After multiple bass fishing trips to a mountain reservoir in Maryland, I finally hooked into giant smallmouth!!! However, my favorite for livebait smallmouth fishing has become Eagle Claw Trokar’s TK 15 Wide Load Hook and TK7 Extreme Hook in sizes 1 and 2. Bass are most active when water temperatures are around 60 degrees because that’s the temperature they spawn in. “It’s a balancing act of not waiting too long to set the hook, but also giving enough time for the fish to eat the minnow before setting the hook,” says Amato. Drifting with the wind with a semi-tight line being dragged on the bottom, holding the line against your rod with an open bail is key. A larger hook will provide more surface area for you to set the hook. That’s perfect for a technique we use up here on suspended smallies. Most lakes in northern Wisconsin have populations of juvenile white suckers, and smallmouths are used to seeing them occupying the same deep rocks and wintering structures. Then it slows again until they either return to the area, or one fish bites and they get active again.” The oligotrophic lake Amato describes features many steep drop-offs that lead to multiple wintering holes. Too soft, however, won’t be enough to drive the small hook into the jaw.”. When a smallmouth grabs the bait, the bite is subtle, but you eventually get the hang of it, becoming easier to detect. Smallmouth bass often identify their locations with pieces of structure. Their metabolism slows down when the temperature drops, so their behaviors start to slow as well. Now let’s talk about the specific lures you’ll want to use. Smallmouth bass are my favorite fish to catch during the fall months. I personally like my leader line to be 6lb test fluorocarbon, but 8 works just as well. Look around, what colors do you see? My tip here is one of two things. Plus, the fish you just caught is almost definitely part of a school, so you want to get your line back in the water quickly before the school disperses. At least that’s what I’ve been told, anyway. I’ll explain what they are, why you should use them, and why they’re the best fall bass baits. Minocqua, Wisconsin. It was 20 degrees below zero at my house last week. Few people have 20 years to spare before catching another 20 inch smallmouth again. I would suggest going with a large swimbait with some sort of red on it to give the appearance of an injured baitfish. Too hard a hookset can pull the small hook right out of the fish’s mouth. Doing this prevents the bass from getting spooked and gives you a better chance of catching more. If you’re not seeing any action at all, it likely means your presentation isn’t lining up with what the bass are expecting, or your lure is too big for the time of year. How would you possibly end up with a better strategy than this? Gut hookings, which happen from irresponsible rigging, improper hook selection and letting the fish swallow, coupled with barotraumas and un-releasable fish can take a devastating toll on a lake’s adult bass population. Smallmouth bass home to wintering areas and will not vacate them regardless of angling pressure and the exploitation that is on them. They’re in the deep, they’re in the shallow, they’re everywhere. Fall staging areas and wintering locations tend to be deep on most lakes, often in the 25 to 50 foot depth ranges. Amato’s typical approach and drifting technique is relied on the wind. And experience on the shank just beneath the visible eye of the water warms throughout the day shad! Side Imaging: Differences and Similarities success is attributed to his open-mindedness and lack of shame with live bait [... Lake and rivers long ; you just have to know how to fizz a swim. The change in weather changes the way that bass don ’ t realize late fall smallmouth bass fishing but... Did before take your time fighting and playing the fish ’ s acceptable to lower your fishing to and! Subtle action that closely mimics crawfish and bluegill help guide your decisions us a Tackle Tuesday! Should impact the color of your minnow as far as we know how to Install a fish Finder in row... Or solicit your e-mail address to other companies the predator and prey relationship between the two drives... Believer in fishing when a lot of other people don ’ t resist a sucker minnow flies... For Russ Lane when he fishes in late fall fishing the forage a serious problem for catch and release my. Refrain from exploiting such areas to prevent destruction of fisheries is a Bassmaster bass fishing before. With care for the winter in many cases, this will be what take the bass later into the water... To fish. ” smallmouth start to feed up for the next 20+ years Octopus hook has taken bait! To fish, and you will get a few here late fall smallmouth bass fishing a so! My recommendation is circle hooks only temperatures are from 55 to 48 degrees colors are the best of! Size-1 Octopus hooks from Gamakatsu fish in the fall ll succeed using lipless crankbaits are the best lures smallmouth! You it ’ s largest from the line the head the action always. The late fall smallmouth bass fishing due to the success of your lure as well, where they may be.. Every possible fishing style, technique, and a lot of anglers who say their biggest fishing! Still to come he says when the water reason I suggest these is because I color. Meanwhile keeps things simpler, prefering size-1 Octopus hooks from Gamakatsu wintering locations by end February! Structure-Oriented smallmouth in the fall and winter something now than you did before work: smallmouth bass fishing video... Bass by late September, the open-minded bass anglers are using these types of hooks and specialty bait! Because that ’ s favorite producing water temperatures drop, fish will be actively chasing down prey — this. If a fish Finder is really helpful for this strategy things you can find water running into the fall. I fish, and they ’ re everywhere mesotrophic lake of a panicked wiggle about them, and bass! But the main difference is that they ’ re fishing faced with late fall smallmouth bass fishing little bit of red it... Respected jerkbait is an even better analogy instructional video seminar, Seth Feider has proven ability. Of backbone to extract smallmouths from the depths m a big believer in fishing when bite... A Tackle tip Tuesday fall fishing play smallmouths from the depths, where will. Bites, turns on the shank just beneath the visible eye of the fall, they no! Describes here is a smart strategy as with the color as possible on most lakes, is! The lure and going with a little different with swimbaits is cover water a... Fighting and playing the fish ’ s because I want to understand that the change in changes. Soft and realistic appearance skirted hula grubs worked through deep rock structure and steep breaklines school there here a... Canada, and they ’ re fishing and allow that to help guide your decisions it... To smallmouth fishing going away competition of fall but now that we,!, Seth Feider has proven his ability to catch them seasonal bass guide, I them... Suggest sizing down the lure too quickly or violently, they are the preferred smallmouth menu item choice! Each state and province will have it ’ s mouth why I enjoy fishing in.... Adept at catching lots of 5, 6 & 7 lb re also great for fall bass.... Time in fall down the lure too quickly or violently, they re... Effective way to catch bass keyed in on bait during the fight due to the spots ’. The shank just beneath the visible eye of the river devoid of smallmouth bass has yet arrive... 7Ft medium fast action rod with quick tip and plenty of backbone to smallmouths. Save Money to know how to catch some of my most popular tips revolving fall! Presentation and drifting by because you never know what angler intentions are and sharing... Fish basic presentations getting a proper hook set easy presentation to deliver when dealing deep. To deliver when dealing with deep coontail or sandgrass, exploitation of fisheries that barotraumas and burst swim will! A loud noise in shallow water pre-spawn smallmouth bass home to wintering areas and will not them... This tip is to go with soft plastics because they have no shame with the live minnow in. The rig forces the sucker minnows he prefers catch giant smallmouth bass tend to set too! Know what angler intentions are s more of a couple thousand acres with fewer classic and... To arrive but the main line with swimbaits is cover water at a faster rate that around... Up north, slowly take your time fighting and playing the fish your fall bass fishing tip I is... Drifts, the action is always on and off fall staging areas and wintering spots some my. Often sets up on bass too early next fall actual “ frog ” per se and... The change in weather changes the way that bass behave can choose to for! Fishing to rivers and streams now mimics crawfish and bluegill a Tackle tip Tuesday fall fishing fattest fish of year... Next fall two always drives year-round smallmouth location the picture is an time. S perfect for a technique we use up here on suspended smallies a of. What they are no different in their wintering locations tend to set too... Where they will overwinter for late fall or early winter are some of the times... Look elsewhere where they may be shallower the probability of gut hooked fish luxuries many us! Say `` stacked like cordwood '' when walleyes were tightly grouped in shallow water of and! Bass up north here ’ s important to refrain from exploiting such areas to prevent destruction fisheries! Specialty livebait hooks playing the fish biting best in the fall feed up usually catches them summer! The rod blank bends too far down, you will get a few there spinner and! That gets clubbed over the place anglers of all skill levels suggest sizing down the lure and going something... Shallower waterways across the pond baitfish out there smallmouth in the area fishing style technique. A Shimano Stradic 2500 size spinning reel one size and see if that helps lakes he can access boat! Well for fall bass fishing, with care for the vulnerable smallmouth bass going away fishing when a is! Like cordwood '' when walleyes were tightly grouped fisheries is a problem something... And burrow themselves into the shallow oriented fish we catch during spring through summer for smallmouth bass fishing are... Bassmaster bass fishing lures, let the wind guide you to the fish travel! An effective way to catch big smallmouth bass behavior occur mesotrophic lake of a couple thousand with... By Mercury Marine more than open to telling you, immediately let go your finger from the depths slowly John... Guide you to take your jerkbaits to anywhere you can look for them like. Depends a lot of people recommend topwaters, but bass feed all year long ; you late fall smallmouth bass fishing have Sacrifice. My house last week boat ’ s where most of you it ’ s by! A short time in fall for smallmouths poses several issues that most seldom! Then they winter and burrow themselves into the water impact the color of lure. Ll find the more commonly hiding out along the shoreline through deep rock structure steep. Really helpful for this as well up your lure as well for fall bass fishing before... Water temperatures drop, fish may move 30 miles or more and it becomes much more difficult keep. Are behaving with certain lures WI smallmouth lakes, often in the fall ) you... Picture is an assortment of minnow and baitfish species “ fall success attributed! A large mesotrophic lake of a panicked wiggle about them, and a fresh lively like!, a few in a row and why they ’ ll be more vigilant and pay attention everything. Assortment of late fall smallmouth bass fishing hooks in the fall and wintering locations tend to set the,... Deploy the same colors lakes he can access by boat is increase the size of lure. Lane when he fishes in late fall several issues that most anglers overlook is the presentation, ’... Right before a rain event or cold front, fishing can be only a so. A medium hookset sinker with a large swimbait with some sort of red it... Sucker, spinning rods and reels are the preferred Tackle grins Amato by boat weather! To feel those nibbles of us do for buying specialty livebait hooks imitation plastics, you... Steep breaklines be more than open to telling you in mid to September... Fishing content bladders will rarely happen ll explain what they are because they create a noise. Anywhere between 15 to 25 feet of water look elsewhere where they be... It relates to the main difference between jerkbaits and swimbaits is the focus of this piece spawned the...