Fall 2018
®
&
OFFSHORE S
S fo H r Fa A ll L Ba L s O s W
page 52
A
s the leaves start to change and the weather
cools, do you ever sit and wonder where all the
fish went? The transition from summer to fall fishing leaves a lot of anglers scratching their heads. But, if
we just take the time to understand a bass’ habits, we can
usually narrow down where they are.
In most cases, bass begin to move from deep water to
more shallow water. They spend their time chasing bait,
preparing to gorge on shad and other baitfish before the
cold of winter arrives. These fish will stage at different
depths for weeks and weeks, before moving up and into the
creek arms.
And, while some fish do move up into the creek arms to
feed for the fall, others never take the trip. Many fish stay
offshore and ambush bait fish as they are being forced into
shallow water.
OFFSHORE
TARGETS: My focus in the fall is on offshore structures like island tops, rock piles, and offshore flats that still have deep ledges on them. These are ideal locations for transitional fish to pack up and ambush bait. Using their numbers to trap bait and feed, bass tend to get into “wolfpacks” in the fall and they often stay together for quite some time. These bass are the most aggressive during this seasonal transition. Their strikes during this time of the year are violent and committed and leave you wanting more.
LURE: My first go-to baits for offshore structure fishing is an umbrella rig. I use the “Heavy Limits” umbrella rig looks like a real ball of bait passing through the water and the