TOPWATER BASS ON RIV Us E in R g a P to O pw I a N te T r p S lug is a great
waytomimic fishfeeding onthe water’ssurface,whichiswhata popular target forbassfeedinginthefall.
My go-to topwater plugs are walk-the-dog style baits, such as the Rapala Skitter-V and Zara Spook. With either of these baits, you can work them as slow or as fast as you or as slow as the fish want.
When the weather is warm I can work the bait with a quicker, more erratic retrieve, if it is on the chillier side, I can walk-the-dog in slower cadence, to call bass up to the surface.
Using a short rod, that has a soft tip, but strong backbone will aid in you making your bait employ the walk-the- dog action. This type of rod will also give when the bass hits, so the hooks won’t pull out.
Having “give” during a strike is important and a reason that I use monofilament line. Mono has some stretch to it and it floats, so your bait gets the maximum amount of action as possible.
My topwater gear for the fall is a Witch Doctor Tackle Shaman 7’, medium-heavy, Popping Blank, as this rod is feather light to allow me to cast all day and not get fatigued. I pair it with a Wright & McGill Victory II Reel, spooled with 15-pound Seaguar Rippin’ Mono.
Go-To Topwater Location:
Anytime I can fish a point on a river in the fall, I like my chances to find a school of feeding bass. The actual type of point varies on the water levels, current and where the bait and bass are holding, but some types of points include weeds, sand or rock.
FLIPPIN’ FALL BASS IN THE SLOUGHS
When that first major fall cold front pushes through, bass may get a little lockjaw, but don’t fear bass… will still
8
bite. And, when they do, they want a big meal! To offer up a larger portion, I turn to a flippin jig. Its large profile caters to a big bass’ appetite.
Iliketo usea½-ounce WarEagleFlippingJigin eitherblack/blue orgreenpumpkin,dependingonthe waterclarity. I experimentwithmytrailer, basedonthe rateoffall andprofilethebasswant; but,Ibeginwitha ZoomSuperChunkandtheneitherdownsizetoaSuper ChunkJr. orgoupinsizetothenew Zoom Z-CrawJr.
My rod of choice is the Witch Doctor Tackle Oracle pitching stick, which is available in a 7’6” or 7’8”. This extra-heavy power rod allows me to pitch all day long without getting fatigued; yet the power of this rod allows me to hook up on a bass and get them away from the cover they are holding in. On my Oracle, I put a Wright & McGill Victory II Reel, spooled with
20-pound Seaguar Flippin’ Fluorocarbon.
Go-To Location:
A flippin’ jig is versatile and can be fished around many forms of cover. In the fall, I like to
fish laydowns or stumps that act as current
breaks in sloughs that have moderate
current in them. This type of
sloughs is where bass begin
their transition back into the
backwaters to their wintering
areas and any current break
acts as a rest stop for them to
stop and feed up at.
®