Fall Bass Fishing Tips
Fall bass fishing in Texas is my favorite time of year. The weather is cooling down, the fish are in a feeding frenzy fattening up for the winter months ahead – what more could you ask for?
Here are the top 5 baits for fall fishing that I recommend, in no particular order:
Topwater
Fish are generally not shy about feeding in the fall and topwater is always fun to catch them on regardless of the season. I like to throw a buzzbait or a magnum Pop-R to imitate the shad and drive that reaction bite first thing in the morning.
Crankbaits
I’m generally not a fan of finesse fishing, so any chance I get to power fish with a crankbait – I’m doing it. Fall is definitely one of those times. You can’t go wrong with a sexy shad color, or anything that imitates the bait fish of the particular lake you’re on. I like the 6xd series crankbaits.
Lipless Cranks
Lipless cranks are always a good choice for any time of year really, but especially in the fall when the bass are schooling up on bait. A lipless crank will allow you to get in and around that isolated cover, whether it’s rocks and stumps on flats or brush piles. Again, mimicking the color and size of the bait fish in the lake is key.
Spinnerbaits
You’ve got to have these in your fall bass fishing arsenal. I don’t particularly love fishing them, but, for a fall pattern this is one bait you don’t want to overlook. Fish love to feed up in the fall, so being able to run a spinnerbait up in the water column allows you to get in that strike zone where they’re most likely to bite. I typically like to use a silver and gold color combo depending on the water clarity, but you generally can’t go wrong here.
Jigs
Another personal favorite of mine is the jig. Depending on the water depth, I’ll use a 3/8 oz. all the way up to an ounce and a quarter. The trailer is crucial; green pumpkin is a good color in the fall, unless the water is extremely clear. Then I’d opt for something like a watermelon skirt on my jig with red glitter on the trailer. A double tail grub or a bandito bug works really well for this with a slow retrieve. If you want your jig to fall slower past those fish that are suspended, try using a smaller weight, like a ¼ ounce.
Follow the Bait Fish
Depending on the weather, temperature and time of fall you can generally find fish using one of these five baits. Every lake will be unique, but generally fish are actively feeding during this time, so follow the bait fish. If you can find a creek channel or a place where water is running in at the back of a creek bringing in oxygen, this will be a gold mine of bait fish and ultimately big bass. Green weeds that haven’t started losing their color yet are also key. Bait fish will be hanging out around these types of grass until they start to die off from cooler weather. If you’re planning a fall fishing trip in Texas, here is a great article of information that might be helpful.
If this article was helpful, let us know! If you have another favorite fall bass fishing lure that you like to use, leave it in the comments. As always, keep on rippin’ y’all!
Texas Bass Angler