Let’s talk about that and some actionable steps you can take to improve your chances of catching bass this 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. It’s a policy I always stand by because you never know what angler intentions are. Seth Feider is a Bassmaster bass fishing tournament angler adept at catching lots of 5, 6 & 7 lb. Amato meanwhile keeps things simpler, prefering size-1 octopus hooks from Gamakatsu. 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. “I’ve already observed anglers on my home lake specifically targeting smallmouth in fall to limit out on keepers for a fish fry. Late Season Smallmouth LakeChamplainAngler.com: October and November Bass Fishing Opportunities On Lake Champlain By Captain Mick Maynard: For hardcore North Country fishermen like me, there’s nothing like a cool crisp autumn day on Lake Champlain paired with a smallmouth bass bite that is absolutely on fire! The next fall bass fishing tip I have is to look into the best locations for fall bass fishing. Despite the effectiveness, live bait fishing in fall for smallmouths poses several issues that most anglers seldom take into consideration. But now that we know how smallmouths behave in late fall, "stacked like smallmouths" is an even better analogy. After multiple bass fishing trips to a mountain reservoir in Maryland, I finally hooked into giant smallmouth!!! 90% of all smallmouth bass in fall will be located in 10% of the lake. Factor in the water you’re fishing and allow that to help guide your decisions. Smallmouth bass are my favorite fish to catch during the fall months. These lures are easy to fish, and they work for anglers of all skill levels. Spinnerbaits are popular in small streams and rivers because they create a loud noise in shallow water. 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. 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.”. Waiting too long raises the chance of the fish swallowing the hook, and setting too soon will pull the hook right out of its mouth. 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 cold, north wind with cloud cover can help on some lakes, whereas other lakes actually are better when it’s sunny,” he concludes. They aggressively feed on shad, so you’ll succeed using lipless crankbaits and a lot of topwater baits like spinners. What makes the live bait rig work is the liveliness of your minnow. It took a few (thousand) throws for him to become obsessed with mastering every possible fishing style, technique, and lure. 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. I’m up in Canada, and fall is long past. As the boat drifts, the rig forces the sucker to swim a foot or so off the bottom. Fishing live bait in October and November, prepare to catch some of the fattest fish of the year. 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. Less is more for Russ Lane when he fishes in late fall. Subscribe to Northwoods Bass Fishing Adventures newsletter. 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? Swimbaits have more of a panicked wiggle about them, which is a smart strategy as well for fall bass. If you’re planning on targeting bass this fall, you’ll need some fall bass fishing tactics to keep in your back pocket. As far as we know, the open-minded bass anglers are usually the ones with no shame in their game and catch the most. “I use the wind and current to move the boat, and only use the trolling motor with small bursts to help stay on course. Keep that in mind and change up your lure frequently. 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. Fishing Door County Fall Smallmouth Bass Fishing October 28, 2017 Fishing Reports late-eyes We are finally receiving some long-awaited seasonal temperatures here in Door County which is slowly dropping water temperatures which will really begin to get the fish feeding up for the long winter months. Trokar’s assortment of circle hooks in the TK 619 variety is superb as well. These flats can range anywhere from 25 to 50 feet deep, with typical winter zones in the 25 to 40 ft. range. Fish will usually be near the transition areas at the bottom of the drop-offs in 18-30 feet of water leading to the deep flats,” he describes. One of the best things you can pay attention to is how the bass are behaving with certain lures. This is just a basic recipe, though. Responsible fishing, with care for the vulnerable smallmouth bass population during fall, is the focus of this piece. These behaviors are common with the heavy feeding competition of fall. Don’t do it so much that it screws up your presentation, but maybe increase one size and see if that helps. After deep cranks and jig-n-pig combos will be what take the bass later into the late fall season. That’s a reason why I enjoy fishing in the rain so much. For every big female smallmouth that gets clubbed over the head the action done is irreplaceable for the next 20+ years. The respected jerkbait is an ideal pick for late fall fishing. A similar rule applies, but the main difference is that you’ll find the more commonly hiding out along the shoreline. Lindy walking sinker with a size 1 Gamakatsu Octopus hook. 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. When a smallmouth grabs the bait, the bite is subtle, but you eventually get the hang of it, becoming easier to detect. For Coty, he didn't love bass fishing at first cast. Amato often sets up on the deepest, coolest, clearest and structure-filled lakes he can access by boat. As a seasonal bass guide, I’ll never take my guests to any wintering holes in October. The live minnow swimming in distress is irresistible to smallmouths holding deep. Besides deep structure-laden flats, mid-lake humps can be productive also but lack the size and many of them don’t feature points and extensions that drop into deep water. Late Fall is the sweet spot for smallmouth bass fishing in the Northeast. I’ve talked with a lot of anglers who say their biggest fall fishing problem is getting a proper hook set. A lot of anglers consider live bait cheating. If the rod blank bends too far down, you won’t be able to feel those nibbles. Entering the picture is an assortment of minnow and baitfish species. Pre-spawn smallmouth bass has yet to arrive but the weather is breaking enough to hit the water. Late winter smallmouth bass fishing is tough. How to Install a Fish Finder: Supplies, Location, and Methods, Down Imaging vs. Side Imaging: Differences and Similarities. With the cranks and jerkbaits, we’re staying isolated in one place, but you want the bass to be curious about your swimbait and follow it around the water a little. Too hard a hookset can pull the small hook right out of the fish’s mouth. Tournament bass fishing champion Seth Feider has proven his ability to catch big smallmouth on the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament trail. Keep in mind that bass don’t really see frog lures as an actual “frog” per se. The night before his trip, Amato ties all of his leaders and usually carries a minimum of 10 pre-made fluorocarbon Lindy rigs before hitting the water. “They are hearty and easiest to get, for one. “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. Most well-stocked bait shops in the north will carry these minnows, making them an ideal fall option. During this time, the bass start to huddle up and stay together more frequently, and if you see this happening or you see them leaping out of the water a lot, you’ll want to get a soft jerkbait and give it a go. Few people have 20 years to spare before catching another 20 inch smallmouth again. 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. Often in the late fall that can be only a few feet. Speed and direction plays an important role in presentation and drifting. They’re great for moving through dense vegetation, they have an awesome presentation, and honestly, they’re addictive to fish. The temperature of the water will determine how deep the bass go during the fall and winter. Here are Johnston’s tips and tricks for using this rig in cold water. Of great concern, exploitation of fisheries is a problem. “This way, it’s noticeable by every smallmouth in the area. You need to cater to your environment to give yourself the best chance of catching the most bass. “These fish still can’t resist a sucker minnow that flies past them while foraging for crays,” grins Amato. 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. I personally like my leader line to be 6lb test fluorocarbon, but 8 works just as well. They’re in the deep, they’re in the shallow, they’re everywhere. “It’s all related, so if we can’t take them in spring, we shouldn’t be able to take them in late fall either,” says Amato. During the summer, you can find bass almost anywhere in the water but especially near grassy areas, stumps, laydowns, and different structure. “It’s never straight down while drifting. Water clarity should impact the color of your lure as well. Smallmouth bass home to wintering areas and will not vacate them regardless of angling pressure and the exploitation that is on them. That’s perfect for a technique we use up here on suspended smallies. 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. If you’ve read any of my blog articles, you know I’m one of those anglers who has the same lure in 25 different colors in my tackle box. Water temperatures are cool enough to drive smallies to concentrate over offshore humps … Do not give up on bass too early next fall. During the summer, small 1-3 pound bass are hanging out all over the place. 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. 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. Spro makes great swivels themselves, and I like sizes 12-14.”. “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. Smallmouth bass often identify their locations with pieces of structure. 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. Then they winter and burrow themselves into the deep muddy basins of the lake, not far from wintering smallmouths. “I only live bait fish in the fall,” says Amato. Wintering smallmouth are no different in their habitat preferences than the shallow oriented fish we catch during spring through summer. If you’re fishing in the south where the coolest water temperatures are around 45-50 degrees, you’ll want to fish mid-morning or right around dusk. On our last few fall trips, Amato has proven the effectiveness and heartiness of walleye suckers. Late October through November is an excellent time to fish large streamers for big smallmouth bass. I would suggest looking anywhere between 15 to 25 feet of water throughout most of the year. 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. No Shame with Live Bait Although he’s also had good days in the late fall with a south wind that can sometimes turn the fish on with a passing warm front. Receive news and information about Northern Wisconsin bass fishing, trip dates and schedules, fishing reports, and other bass fishing content. Tank-sized smallies won't make it easy most days. 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. A detailed-oriented angler, Amato has observed preyfish and forage relating to the same locations as wintering smallmouths; notably with crayfish, followed by massive schools of yellow perch and bottom-dwelling juvenile suckers. 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. Right before a rain event or cold front, fishing can be incredible too. 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. The first and most important thing you’ll want to understand about bass is that they’re warm weather fish. Best Fish Finder for the Money: Do You Have to Sacrifice Everything to Save Money? 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. This incredible fall success is attributed to his open-mindedness and lack of shame with the live bait game. 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. He finds most smallmouth in deep water — 40 to 50 feet where he’s fishing — about Labor Day. Top Five Fall Baits For Smallmouth Bass with Ben Nowak TFO Ambassador Ben Nowak is no stranger to smallmouth fishing. If you’re getting a lot of nibbles, but nothing is hooking up, it could be your hook like I said previously. But when crayfish burrow deep in fall, they are no longer the preferred smallmouth menu item of choice. The erratic twitch, twitch, pause cadence of a jerkbait mimics a dying shad or minnow and can trigger big bites from opportunistic fish that are unwilling to commit to a steady retrieve on a crankbait or spinnerbait. 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. It’s important to understand that the change in weather changes the way that bass behave. If catch and release is not made mandatory this time of season, the affects of fall smallmouth harvest are devastating to the point of no future recovery. The lake Amato describes here is a large mesotrophic lake of a couple thousand acres with fewer classic fall and wintering spots. 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. 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. With aid of the wind and Minn Kota Terrova trolling motor to help keep us on course and spot lock us when necessary, we then run a precise drift course over the region fish are at. I’ve definitely seen a decline in the overall numbers, especially in the up-and-comer 14” to 16” range,” concludes Amato. If we all thought May 2020 was difficult fishin... Hi everyone! “Even if I’m marking them just off my spots but are over 30 feet deep, I’ll stay under 30 nearby, in hopes they will come to me. The reason they go there is because that’s where most of the food is and they follow the school there. Abandoning their summer haunts, fish may travel many miles downstream to slack-water hibernacula, where they will overwinter. Here are some of my most popular tips revolving around fall bass fishing. Don’t be afraid to cruise right up and ask them what they’ve been using and how it’s been working for them. Works wonders.”. […] Fall Smallmouth Bass Strategies: No Shame with the Live Bait Game […]. Fish that deep are usually not active, and harder to trigger, so you’d be wasting effort on fish you have a much bigger chance of harming anyway,” advises Amato. They can cover a lot of ground and help you locate fish fast. Your email address will not be published. Now let’s talk about the specific lures you’ll want to use. Having a good fish finder is really helpful for this as well. The lower half of fast water holes are favorite spots for Missouri guide Bill Smith to find smallmouth bass in the fall. The predator and prey relationship between the two always drives year-round smallmouth location. Make sure it has a soft and realistic appearance. 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. Companies size their swivels differently, so for example from Bass Pro Shops I like size 24, and Eagle Claw I like size 18. You also want one that looks as real as possible. As we know, smallmouth populations are most vulnerable during the spawn, but their heavy concentrations and vulnerability in fall and winter seasons mirrors it. 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. 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. Seth Feider takes the guesswork out of choosing the best lures for smallmouth bass fishing from late summer through late fall. It’s acceptable to lower your fishing standards and have no shame with the live bait game. Relatively inexpensive, “There are quite a few smallmouth bass still swimming around right now who owe their lives to this tool!” proclaims Amato. Strolling and precision rigging livebait often transforms a non-bite into a very good bite, like this portly 20 incher. 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. Fall bass fishing is a great opportunity for you to get out on the water when a lot of other anglers have likely packed it in. If you live in a place that experiences all four seasons, you’ll want to fish closer to midday than you’re used to. My tip here is one of two things. With a lot of deep structure and potential locations, Amato is forced to jump spots back and forth as activity slows and picks up again on these locations. He usually has his rods paired with a Shimano Stradic 2500 size spinning reel. FLW Tour Rookie of the Year, Chris Johnston, finds fishing with a dropshot rig is a great way to catch deep, fall smallmouth. 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. Hi all, even though winter is just getting started, it’s never too early to consider a fully guided bass fishing trip on the inland waters of Northern Wisconsin. 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. 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. Ice Fishing for Smallmouth. This is where 10-12lb mono or hybrid fluorocarbon coated mono works well. Bass are going to start hugging the shores and especially where creek channels are pouring into larger bodies of water. Every fall Amato and I fish, 90% of the lake’s smallmouths are located in 10% or less of the lake. Why they work: Smallmouth bass love to clobber a fast-moving spinnerbait. All lakes fish and handle differently. Another great thing about this time of the year is that you can sleep late and still have great fishing. “Smallmouth usually winter out on deep flats near structure of some sort; be it a rock/boulder field, or a big flat with humps or rock piles,” Amato points to a map to showcase a fall hotspot. Some of the best bass fishing of the year is still to come. I guarantee. “If you have a good idea where the outside boundaries of the weedline are, or the open pockets between patches of deep sandgrass, slow drifting these areas can be deadly, especially if it leads to a deep flat.”. 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. To ensure catch and release, my recommendation is circle hooks only. How would you possibly end up with a better strategy than this? The big fish stay where they are because they’re still feeding on larger baitfish out there. It’s important to refrain from exploiting such areas to prevent destruction of fisheries. Look around, what colors do you see? Or I will simply look elsewhere where they may be shallower. Something I like to do is talk to other anglers on the water. The rigged minnow swims while being pulled slowly, so their fins are constantly moving and the restriction of the pulling weight prevents them from burrowing and hide from smallmouths,” concludes Amato. I like to use spinnerbaits in the fall as a search lure. As a result, you can go straight for the big bass because the small bass and bluegill won’t be around to take your lure in the clear water. When the temperature dips down, the bass slow down, and their habits change – it’s important that you know how to respond. Destin DeMarion brings us a Tackle Tip Tuesday fall fishing tip for smallmouth bass up north. Days of personal bests have happened in autumn too, including a monster surpassing 6 pounds caught and released with yours truly. Comments comments. Throughout most of the fall, the backs of creeks are loaded with baitfish and schools of smaller bass busting through the forage. © 2021 Northwoods Bass Fishing Adventures, LLC. Your email address will not be published. On the other hand, you don’t want a slow action rod because bass are a little timid right now, so you need to feel every little nibble. 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. Fall staging areas and wintering locations tend to be deep on most lakes, often in the 25 to 50 foot depth ranges. However if choosing to fish extreme depths, slowly take your time fighting and playing the fish. Simply clamp down on the shank just beneath the visible eye of the hook, and turn the handle. Exploitation and cruel intentions harms wintering smallmouth populations the most. In his mind, nothing beats jigs and craw imitation plastics, and skirted hula grubs worked through deep rock structure and steep breaklines. The December bite is forage driven. Take your jerkbaits to anywhere you can find water running into the body of water you’re fishing. 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? Fishing for Smallmouth Bass closes for the winter in many parts of North America. This question also depends a lot on your location. 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. While cold water slows down the metabolism of the bass, it creates opportunities for bass anglers who aren’t afraid to go the extra mile. It was 20 degrees below zero at my house last week. The fish may move 30 miles or more, leaving entire stretches of the river devoid of smallmouth bass by late September. Is how the bass are behaving with certain lures hiding out along the.... Will provide more surface area for you to set the hook, shiners. Are proponents of mandatory usage of circle hooks in the water elsewhere they. 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