KN OW IT ’S F AL L ?
Of course, you have to take all good advice and overlay it with your own specific water types, usage and latitude. In the smaller, more trafficked reservoirs, black bass may have inbred characteristics that would move them toward the tributaries, but in some cases there are none. In fact, with drought conditions so prevalent, creeks may be creeks in name only. It may be canyons or worse, only deep coves that provide any avenue for bait migration.
Depending on the particular habitat, these conditions may manifest themselves somewhat differently, but virtually all the savvy anglers were in agreement with Dobyn’s brief analysis: “The temperature drops and baitfish are more active on the surface.”
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
While we all hope there is some secret formula to fall success, what we find are attitudes and approaches that work for the individuals. Barrack confessed, “I’m not as cerebral as the SoCals with their electronics. I stumble through it getting sense of the water temperature. If we lose two or three degrees overnight, it will alter my game plan.”
As a matter of explanation, he cited some past experiences as an example. “If it [water temperature] was 65 to 68 degrees the first to third week of October and then went up to 66 to 72 degrees,” he contrasted with earlier in the year, “in spring you would get excited. But he, said, “In fall it’s good and it’s
bad, the bite dictated by activity level
with moon phases.”
His reasoning, that yes, despite
a general cooling trend, hot days
usually mean still and hot days,
which traditionally are not as
productive as those with some
turbulence. “Completely still days
are a fisherman’s nightmare,” says
Barrack, “Great for playing golf in
Tahoe—but we want 7 to 12 mph
breezes, some disturbance in the
atmosphere.”
Another plus for fall fishing
compared to the spring was suggested
by Klein. “Spawning is not on their
minds, so that is an element you don’t
have to worry about. When you catch
one, you usually catch more. That’s why
I like to fish in the fall.”
Laying out a typical fall day, Barrack is cognizant of what he calls that “volatile first foot of surface temperature,” that can be affected by marine layer, a rising or falling barometer and any localized conditions. “There can be a daily blurp of activity early and then another around 10 o’clock,” but the best is yet to come.
Says Barrack, “The fish know that it will be 66 to 68 in the afternoons and they will be lacing up their track shoes! That time is
FALL 2016
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