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Tricks and tactics
Late Fall Bass Tactics and Tricks
The changing seasons brings inconsistent water temperatures and changing weather patterns that have a direct effect on fishing. Anglers are faced with constant decision and must detail their tactics suit to the conditions as well as the changing season. Bass anglers are full aware that the changing environment directly affects the mood of the bass as they are creature of nature more than creatures of habit. The approaching winter tells the bass that it is time to feed. Protein is needed to maintain size and health through the winter as the water cools. This fact of nature is to the anglers advantage in late fall and early winter.
In this season bass must feed at every opportunity to store nutrients and beef up for the rapidly approaching winter, successful anglers that have mastered the art of deception can capitalize on the force of nature that begins this activity in bass. Lure selection is the beginning of success along with a slower more appealing presentation. Scent and sound also help to lure bass into biting in the cooling water of fall. A staple in many anglers fall arsenal of lures is a jig and chunk trailer combination. This efficient bait is a great imitation for big crayfish, which is a favorite source of protein for bass. During the fall, jigs fished slowly on deep structure produce fantastic results. Fall color selection for jigs that have proven to be the most successful are natural colors and patterns in darker shades like black, blue, brown, green (olive and watermelon). Fishing with a slow methodical retrieve on the structure can be enhanced with a rattle and a little patience. This approach has been a classic fall “go to” for many anglers over the years and with great success.
The young guns have brought fresh approaches to fall fishing in recent years. The popularity of soft plastic tubes as crawfish imitations has definitely made their mark as well. These smaller more versatile offerings can be rigged weedless, contain rattles as well as make great scent distributors. A slow and subtle retrieve enhanced with a crawfish scent and a rattle can change things on a slow day. The classic soft plastic worms as well as creatures and crawfish are also great options for fall bass fishing. Bulky dark-colored soft plastics fished slow and deep have produced many large bass in the fall. These baits are also enhanced with scent and can have rattles added.
While bass actively feed during the fall they will often slow down following cold fronts and changing conditions. It is best to experiment with different presentations around structure and isolated cover. Of the millions of lures on the market, many will produce in the fall; however the ones listed above have been proven time after time to be productive. Enhanced by scent and sound, they have proven to be even more effective when fished in the cooling water of fall.
Happy Fishing!
Fishing Cold fronts
Bass Fishing and Cold Fronts
We often hear anglers talking about cold fronts and how this will shut down the bite. Much of North America is currently experiencing a cold front that not only dropped the temperature but also caused a rise in many rivers and reservoirs; Let us keep out thoughts and prayers for those on the east coast that are having to deal with the effects of the recent storm. Fall weather changes rapidly and the waves of cold fronts are usually not a good thing for most bass anglers. What is a cold front? What are the affect s they have on the bass? How do you catch bass during this type of weather change?
First of all, what is a cold front? A cold front is the edge of a cold air mass that pushes in and underneath warm air. This change can result in severe weather usually lasting only a short while. A cold front is characterized by hard, fast moving thunderstorms often with large amounts of rain and wind that are followed by clear blue skies and rapidly dropping temperature. Barometric pressure will fluctuate rapidly, then rise dramatically as high pressure builds.
What affect does this have on bass? Usually the bass will move away from their normal feeding conditions and usually to deeper water and submerged cover. Activity can be as varied as the weather, from a short feeding binge to not feeding at all. 
So where can fish be caught following a cold front? Transition areas or paths bass follow where they move back and forth between feeding areas and deeper cover and structure. Common transition areas include channels between coves and islands, old riverbeds, and manmade structures such as submerged roadbeds and railroad beds. Other transition zones can include areas between shallow weed beds and submerged weed lines, or along the sides of sloping 45 degree banks, points and drop offs.
What tactics can I use to catch these transitioning bass? Use bass attention getters or attracting lures such as rattling crankbaits and large, bright spinnerbaits. Once the bass are located, you can then cover transition areas thoroughly with slow moving jigs, plastic worms, spoons, spinners and slow crankbaits. Scent is also effective in cold water, and seems to work more for smallmouth. Don’t be disappointed if your creel is reduced, the bass are becoming lethargic as the water temperature drops but chances are the bass you will catch will be large.
Happy Fishing!
The Chatterbait
The chatterbait is simply a jig with a blade attached to the jig eye that makes the sound of a“chatter” as it wobbles vigorously back and forth as water is displaced. The blade strikes against the head of the jig and this is the simple reason for the unique sound and action. Sometimes paired up with a soft plastic trailer, and other times without, this hybrid between and jig, buzzbait and a spinner bait provides enough sound, vibration and flash to gain the attention of bass in the murkiest of water. This makes the chatterbait a good choice for fall bass fishing as the bass return to the shallow water. The chatterbait is not entirely snag proof but will avoid hanging up better than some lures do. It is best fished where there is no heavy cover of grass or wood.
In the fall when seasonal rains cloud the water nothing can get the attention of a bass like the erratic movement and the unique sound of these unique lures. Using a steady retrieve on the beginning and then burning the lure to cause it to change direction. This will result in reaction strikes from the transitioning bass of fall. When fishing in deeper water, fish it like a jig allowing it to fall down along structure, quickly raise your rod tip when it reaches the bottom then let it fall once again to the bottom and repeat this presentation. Vary the cadence and the speed of this presentation until the bass show you where they are and what they want in a chatterbait offering.
Your Special Good Karma Spot?
Do you have that special spot, or two, that is magical? A spot where positive karma abounds because of past encounters? This is a spot that borders on a love affair…just you and a fish or two. A spot that yields epic memories and the one you think of when Winter has cut you off from the spot….that special spot the gives you ‘the moment’. Most of you have one that you think of.
For want of a better name, I have always called this spot the Back Channel and the end of that channel, the Damsel Bay. This is one of my ‘spots’. Epic encounters have happened here and almost every time the Trout has won the encounter. Callibaetis hatches like I have never seen before have been visible here against the sunlight filtered through the trees. Dragons and Damsels are prolific. And, a Damsel dry fly has always….always…resulted…
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All manner of life’s demands sometimes, often times, stand between this sweet obsession of fly fishing and our needs to be at ease. At ease with that part of us that feels certain fulfilling thoughts as we are in the act of fishing.
Probably different for many as to what they feel or process while fishing, but I am today considering what you think and feel when not fishing….when you are not likely to get out for anytime soon and the mind twitches through sequences of thought.
For me, my Winter’s effort at tying set there, in boxes, as a provocation. That effort, the anticipation, the planning are on hold. Yet, those repetitive efforts to tie flies were also tied to daydreams, images of successes and a preordained sense of satisfaction. Denied those successes the mind sputters along. There is not gleeful anticipation, but more like an annoying comparison of…
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Seeking Summertime Bass
When it comes to fishing deep offshore structure, the new swivel jigs are entering into a whole new region of deep water fishing. Jigs like the Biffle Hardhead, the stringease Fastach Football Weight, the Punisher Hail Mary and the Zorro Buzza Whiplash, to name a few, are definitely innovations designed with the angler in mind. Some baits have attached hooks, others have snaps, and some have snap rings all giving a new action to deep structure fishing. I am sure even newer variations of these baits will show up at ICAST this year, and all of them will be put to use in weekend and professional tournaments from now on due to their innovation of allowing the angler to create his own baits.
When summer bass are too deep for most crankbaits, these jigs allow anglers to get down deep, and crawl a bait off structure such as ledges and drop offs to even greater depths as deep as 25 feet where bass have been taken. Several offshore structures that will hold bass deep such as a wide ridge or a point will produce fish if anglers get a presentation down to them. Cover in relation to the structure of a stump, rock, or a piece of brush is the places designed for these jig innovations.
Anglers fishing the 1/2- and 3/4-ounce sizes when fishing more than 12 feet deep on points, ledges and humps are finding the jig produces well in the summer. These jigs can be customized by the angler on the fly by choosing the soft plastic and the color that suits the conditions. In stained water jigging a black and blue soft plastic can be a good choice and brown can be used in stained as well as clear water, and a green-pumpkin jig in very clear water. Whatever color or style of bait the angler chooses can be quickly added giving the pride and confidence of catching bass with their very own custom bait.
A 7 1/2-foot flipping rod is ideal for these style jigs when matched with 12-pound fluorocarbon and a high-speed baitcasting reel. The long stiff rod and fast high gear ration reel will quickly takes up slack during a hook set, as the low-stretch fluorocarbon line guarantees that the hook sets with power. The sinking fluorocarbon allows the jig sink faster which often initiates reaction strikes.
Successful anglers retrieve these jigs with quick, short hops and the moving head adds action the jig like nothing bass are used to seeing. By beginning with the rod tip at 10 o’clock position and hoping the jig three or four times as they work the rod up to the 12 o’clock position and quickly drops the rod tip to 10 o’clock position while taking up the slack to repeat the process has been producing bass in the extreme conditions of summer. The slight hops with the swiveling head jig keep it close to the bottom allowing the anglers to feel the often subtle bites even better than when fishing solid jigs.
Summer is a good time to try one of these newer baits if you haven’t already. In a short time anglers have found these jigs to be fish catching machines. I look forward to new innovations that will be unveiled this week at ICAST. Anglers that face the heat of summer and those that take on the harsh winter in pursuit of bass rely on innovation to help them make time spent on the water productive.
Happy Fishing!
Featured Baits in this post:
Stan Sloan’s Zorro Bait Company’s Buzza Whiplash – http://stansloanzorrobaitco.com/whiplash.php
The Punisher Hail Mary – http://www.punisherlures.com/jigs/hillbilly-football.html
Attack Pak Fishing’s soft plastics – http://attackpakfishing.com/
Lured Outdoors 