Fall 2026
F
all bass fishing is often simplified into one idea
– find the bait and find the bass. That is certainly
part of the equation, but locating fish doesn’t guarantee they’ll bite. Some days bass will run down nearly
anything that crosses their path. Other days they’ll follow
a bait halfway back to the boat before turning away. And
sometimes getting a bite means putting something in front
of a bass and almost refusing to move it.
That’s why one of the most important adjustments an angler can make during fall isn’t necessarily changing baits. It’s changing speed.
Power up for fast and aggressive retrieves or go a little more mellow for a moderate and methodical approach, or pull out the patience, slowing it waaay down to dead-stick the bite. You never know which will work until you try.
Those three approaches can cover a surprising amount of fall fishing, but each puts different demands on the equipment in your hands. Gear ratio, inches per turn, rod action, line pickup and casting control all become part of how effectively you can change gears when the bass tell you it’s time.
BURN IT: MAKE THEM CHASE
When fall bass are feeding aggressively, speed can be your biggest advantage. Shad and other baitfish are moving, bass are chasing and covering water becomes a priority. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits and vibrating jigs allow an angler to move quickly through productive areas while forcing active fish to react.
This is where reel speed becomes more than a number printed on the box. A faster baitcasting reel provides the line pickup needed to keep a bait moving and, just as importantly, quickly recover line between casts. That matters when you’re firing at isolated pieces of cover, schooling fish or specific targets and want the bait back in the strike zone as quickly as possible.
But speed doesn’t mean simply turning the handle as fast as possible. A crankbait needs to maintain its action. A vibrating jig needs to stay at the intended depth. A spinnerbait burned just beneath the surface requires enough line pickup to keep it high without destroying its presentation.
That’s where inches per turn can be as important as gear ratio. Knowing how much line the reel actually retrieves with each handle rotation gives an angler much better control over the bait’s true speed.
Rod selection matters too. A moving-bait rod with enough forgiveness to let a bass load the rod can help
prevent pulling the bait away during aggressive strikes, particularly with crankbaits and other treble-hook presentations.
Here are three pro’s picks for burning cranks and spinners.
PRO PICKS CRANKBAITS:
Ish: Daiwa Tatula Elite Casting Rod Brent Ehrler Med Crank 7’2” with a Daiwa Tatula Elite Casting Reel 7.1:1 to bomb it.
Brandon: Alpha Angler Rebound with a Daiwa Zillion SV 7.1:1 for 10-feet or less and an Alpha Angler Mag-Rebound with a Daiwa Steez A 6.3:1 for 10-feet or more.
Brent: Tatula Elite 7’2” M Glass cranking rod for small and midsize cranks or a Tatula Elite 8 MH glass rod, both with a Tatula Elite 6.3:1 reel.
PRO PICKS SPINNERBAITS:
Ish: Daiwa Tatula Elite Takahiro Omori Crankin’ Rod 7’0” with a Daiwa SV reel, which is great for target casting with no backlash
Brandon: Alpha Angler Chatterbound and Daiwa Steez A 7.1:1.
Brent: Daiwa Tatula Elite 7’3” MH Multi-Purpose rod with a Tatula Elite 6.3:1 reel.
WORK IT: MAKE THEM COMMIT
Fall bass aren’t always willing to chase at full speed. Sometimes they’re interested enough to follow but not aggressive enough to commit. That’s when the presentation needs to stay alive without constantly moving away from the fish. Jerkbaits and walking topwater in this middle gear.
The retrieve becomes a combination of movement, pause and acceleration. A jerkbait might need two hard
®
snaps followed by a long pause. A walking
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