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Fall 2023
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spotted bass fisheries, according to Ricabal, who believes it will be in play this fall.
“The spots have been a little tougher to catch this year on New Melones and some of the other places I fish, but they should be biting everywhere this fall,” she said. “The anglers who use forward-facing sonar are figuring it out.”
U.S. OPEN AND T.O.C. SEASON
Fall is a busy time of year for tournament bass anglers. In addition to the team tournament championships, another event that will get a lot of attention is the WON Bass U.S. Open. The event will be held on Lake Mohave once again and will produce excellent smallmouth fishing. Ricabal is fishing it for the first time and looks forward to the opportunities.
“Mohave is a very nice smallmouth lake, and I’m excited about this event because I’ve never been to the lake,” she said. “I expect a lot of drop-shot and finesse fishing to do well there because that’s how it was won last year. I’ll have
my St. Croix Legend Tournament Xtreme 6-foot, 10-inch medium light and 6-foot, 8-inch medium with me. They are great for all the finesse techniques that should do well there, from drop-shot rigs, Ned and Neko rigs, to a weightless Senko.”
The fall months are also time for end-of-the-year championships, especially for the team trails. The American Bass Association event is on Clear Lake in late September and Ricabal will be there. She believes fishing a frog will be the way to go.
“The summer frog events like the Ultimate Frog
Challenge on
the Delta are a
great warm-up
for frog fishing,”
she said. “The
last weekend
in September is
the A.B.A. T.O.C.
on Clear Lake
and frog fishing
is a good way
to do well or
contend for the
win that time of
year.”
Fishing
during the fall can
be challenging
as the bass are
transitioning
between the
seasons. Add in
the new water
and changing lake
dynamics; this
one will surely
keep anglers on
their toes. •