SPINNERBAIT
A spinnerbait is a great lure, as it can be fished around heavy cover or in open water and the flash and vibration off of the blades mimic the baitfish that bass are feeding on in the fall very well.
The spinnerbait is also very versatile as it has ability to be burned back to the boat, and then stopped to flutter down, while still having the ability to slow roll along the bottom when the bass want a slower presentation.
Depending on the depth of water, I’m fishing, current and wind. Current and wind will dictate the weight of my bait. I use anywhere from a ¼- to ½-ounce War Eagle spinnerbait.
If the water clarity is pretty good, I’ll use a shad- patterned bait with a Colorado/willow leaf blade combination. If the water clarity worsens, I’ll move to all-white or white/chartreuse colored bait with a single Colorado or an Indiana/Colorado blade combination.
War Eagle Spinnerbaits can be retrieved in various ways to trigger fall bites. Photo: Glenn Walker
Suggested Gear: I use a 7’ Wright & McGill Victory Pro Carbon Spinnerbait rod, paired with a low-speed Victory II reel, spooled with 15-lb Seaguar InvizX Fluorocarbon.
JERKBAIT
As the water temperatures begin to drop and the bass begin to hold in deeper water that is close to their wintering holes, a jerkbait is an ideal choice that puts your offering right in front of their face.
Depending on the bass’ level of activity that day, the retrieve can be altered to increase the number of strikes you’ll get. Some days, it is a very quick jerk with no or little pause. Other days you jerk and let your bait sit there for 10-plus seconds.
FALL 2016
When it comes to selecting a jerkbait, I like to use a shad-pattern when the water is cleaner; but if the water has some stain to it, I’ll use a clown or pattern that has some chartreuse in it.
Some of my favorite jerkbaits to rig up in the fall include; Rapala Shadow Rap, Luck-E-Strike RC Series or the highly coveted Megabass Vision 110. All of these baits have their own unique traits, so finding one that the bass want that day is key.
Suggested Gear: I use the same rod and reel that I use for fishing my topwater plugs; but when fishing jerkbaits, I spool up with Fluorocarbon line, as it sinks. The Double Structured Fluorocarbon (DSF) properties of Seaguar’s TATSU make it a prime candidate for jerkbait fishing.
FROG
When things start to cool down
the jerkbait bite heats up!
Photo by Glenn Walker
During the fall when vegetation is still present
and matted, I like to cover as much as possible at
first to locate where the bass are grouped up. One of the best ways to do this is to use a hollow-bodied frog, as this bait will sit atop the mats and call big bass to the surface.
I like to use a frog that will walk-the-dog, as many times strikes will occur when you are retrieving the frog all the way to the boat.
I use a Snag Proof Ish’s Phat Frog or Bobby’s Perfect Frog, as they can walk-the-dog right out of the package and move across lily pads and matted grass with ease.
When selecting colors, I like to go with two options in the fall, either white, as it mimics shad or brown, as it mimics real life frogs that are sitting on the water’s edge. By covering water with a frog, you can search out for the greenest, living vegetation quickly, as this is where many times the bass will be located.
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