Fall 2018
®
CODY M
Story & photos
by David A. Brown
A
utumn is one of the year’s most abundant
periods; a time of transition when winter’s
approach brings big numbers of hungry bass shallow and spurs intense feeding.
FLW Tour pro Cody Meyer knows this season offers
some of his best opportunities for banner days and
here is how he goes about taking advantage of those
opportunities.
First, the setup: Many possible scenarios exist, but
Meyer knows that the quickest course to success is to
follow the food.
“Really it’s going to be all weather driven,” he said
of the seasonal baitfish migrations. “Typically, in the fall,
you’re going to have cooler nights, the days are shorter,
and fish are really getting on bait fish. So, what
I want to know is how far along in fall the
lake is.
“Water temperature is going to be a
big deal; because, that’s going to determine
if the fish are still on the main lake or have
they pushed back up in the main creeks,
or sloughs, if you’re somewhere like the
California Delta.”
Recognizing fall’s dynamic
nature, Meyer explained
it’s important to resist the
temptation to become one
dimensional for fall fishing.
This means there may be plenty of fish biting a certain bait in the morning or afternoon but committing a day to a single choice may be a fool’s errand. To this point, Meyer gives us his rundown on what he considers a strategic fall lineup.
DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT
“Throughout the whole fall cycle, you’re going to have a dropshot on your deck,” Meyer said. “I don’t care if you’re fishing the California Delta, Clear Lake, Shasta, Oroville; you’re going to want a dropshot, because it’s a shad imitating bait and that’s what they’re eating.”
To keep himself in the action, Meyer sticks with shad colors in the Strike King KVD Dream Shot. He’ll use a No. 2
Owner mosquito hook and rig it through the
bait’s nose for a natural presentation.
“This rigging style has the most
action and you’re going to catch
more fish that way,” Meyer said.
“But if you’re fishing around grass
or brush, you’re going to need to
Texas rig your bait so that you
don’t hang up so much. If you can
fish a nose hook, always do so;
but if you can’t, then a Texas rig
will be a viable option.”
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