How to catch smallmouth bass in fall
Smallmouth bass live in waters all over the northern and eastern United States and southern Canada. Well-respected for putting up tough battles when hooked, these fish are available to anglers year-round. Fall offers unique smallmouth bass-fishing opportunities and challenges, and a chance to catch some of the biggest bass of the year. Fall smallies in most lakes and rivers actively feed in preparation for the long, cold winter ahead, and you can catch them using a variety of baits and tactics.
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Instructions
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Catching Fall Smallmouths in Lakes
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Look in deep water. Exactly how deep is "deep" depends on what is available in your home lake, but smallmouth bass head to waters 20 to 40 feet deep during fall. These fish feed on crayfish and bait fish that have also moved deep in preparation for winter.
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Start fishing on the first major drop-off near summer feeding grounds. Rocky drops and steeply-sloping points attract fall smallmouths. You can troll with diving crankbaits to locate fish, but jigging can be more effective once you know where the bass are.
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Have a variety of lures ready. Smallmouths sometimes feed so actively in fall that they will strike almost anything, but at other times they will accept only the most subtle of presentations. Be ready with diving crankbaits and jigging spoons for active bass, as well as tube jigs and soft-stick baits on the subtle end of the spectrum.
Catching Fall Smallmouths in Rivers
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Watch the weather and head to the river as temperatures drop. In early fall, cold fronts can prompt bass into feeding, but as the season wears on they become less active, and it can take a warming trend to make them feed again.
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Fish pools, runs and around cover. Smallmouth bass in fall are drawn to fallen trees, boulders and other cover, and make use of the deepest water available as fall progresses.
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Cast minnow-imitating lures. River smallmouths feed primarily on crayfish in summer, and will still strike crayfish-like lures in fall, but their feeding patters shift toward minnows in most rivers. Spinners, soft jerkbaits and light-colored tube jigs can attract bass in fall. Cast across the current and retrieve with a twitching, wounded-minnow action.
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References
- Photo Credit Fishing on the White River at Bull Shoals, Arkansas image by Jackie DeBusk from Fotolia.com
