to
By Jim Novotny
transition
A
s Football heats up, the water skiers
go home and the water temperature
continues to cool, life above water takes
note. The deer go into rut, the squirrels scurry around hoarding food, and the waterfowl
make their yearly journey south. life underwater
takes note as well and bass make their annual
transition and follow a routine in preparation for a
long cold winter.
Fall transition to winter, for bass, stay the same year after year based on the type of water you are fishing, be it a reservoir, river system or natural lake. With that being said, let me clarify a little more. Most bass in reservoirs prepare for winter in the same way,
as do bass in natural lakes, as do bass in rivers. Now that doesn’t mean that natural lakes fish the same as reservoirs, or reservoirs as rivers. each one is unique and each one requires a unique approach in order to have a successful day of “catching” as opposed to a pleasant day of fishing.
Lets start with reservoir bass. during the late summer and fall, the “powers to be” who regulate the water levels on reservoirs usually draw the lake down to its winter pool. This means that water levels can drop daily or may hold steady for a few days, then drop rapidly. another unique feature of reservoirs is determining the primary forage base for the particular body of water you are fishing. let’s use three
38