What Baits to Use in the Fall
Many fishermen hang up their rods and reels when fall comes around, opting instead to go hunting or just stay out of the cooler weather. But those who do this miss out on a prime time for fishing. In many cases, fish bite readily during the fall, in part because there is less forage available to them than there was earlier in the year.
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Bass
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Two of the best baits for catching bass in the fall are crankbaits and jigs and pigs. Bass bite well in the fall, but they often form large schools, so there may be vast areas of water that do not hold fish. Crankbaits cast and retrieved along points, drop-offs and areas with green vegetation will produce bites. Continue casting to the area until fish quit biting. When they do, it is time to throw a jig and pig, which consists of a lead-head jig and skirt tipped with a plastic trailer. Jigs in the 3/8- to 1/2-ounce range are best. Cast and retrieve them slowly along the bottom. Jigs and pigs cast into shallow shoreline cover, including emergent vegetation, also produce bass in the fall.
Crappie
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Crappies can be difficult to locate in the fall, but the fishermen who find them can enjoy fantastic fishing. If the body of water has standing timber, that is a good place to fish. Some crappies also hang around green vegetation, while others swim in large schools in open water. Targeting these fish necessitates the use of a fish finder to locate the schools. Small spinner jigs tipped with crappie minnows or small shiners -- like Beetle Spins -- are effective when cast or trolled. When a crappie bites, mark the spot. It is likely there is a school of crappies, so switching to a stationary presentation like a slip bobber, two split shot weights and a minnow rigged on a plain hook is a good idea.
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Northern Pike
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Weed beds on mid-depth flats -- 5 to 10 feet deep -- are the best place to fish for northern pike in the fall. Spoons are one of the best baits for catching fall pike. Cast them as far over the weedy flat as you can and vary the speed at which you retrieve the lure. Some days, the pike will hit best a lure retrieved quickly near the surface. Other times, you will be more successful if you retrieve the spoon so it ticks the vegetation. Trolling 1/2-ounce willowleaf spinner baits or bucktails will produce fish. As you are trolling, sweep your rod tip forward so the lure darts ahead. The change in speed may provoke a strike from a nearby pike.
Walleye
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Fall walleye anglers should target steep-breaking drop-offs, weed edges and areas where water enters the body of water in which they are fishing. Walleyes school tightly during the fall, so anglers likely will have to cover water to find fish. Live-bait rigs, which include a weight, swivel, leader and hook, are effective for finding concentrations of fish. Tip the rig with a large shiner minnow or chub. Once you locate a school of fish, switch to a 1/4- to 1/2-ounce lead-head jig tipped with a minnow. Drop the jig and minnow over the side of the boat and jig it up and down.
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References
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