10-30-2003, 09:03 PM
[cool]Hey, TubeKid, I'll toss out a couple of things for ya ta chew on.
The first consideration when fishing for bass...and most other species...at any time of year...is what are they keying in on for forage? As the water cools in the fall, there are two main forage species that start going deeper, and the bass follow. The first is crawdads and the second is shad...at least in most of the western lakes.
When fall water temps drop, a lot of successful bassers break out the "jig N pig" or large profile plastics that can represent crawdads. The main key to success is how they fish them. During the warmer months you find the depth at which the bass are holding and then cast parallel to the bank, fishing the right depth. In the fall, you do not know, because it can change during the day, and from spot to spot along the shoreline.
A trick I picked up from an old timer (older than me) was to cast in toward the bank...from a boat or tube...and then lift and drop the crawdad jigs down the slope of the bank. Stay alert and watch your line. Most hits are just light ticks, or twitches on the line, as a waiting bass intercepts what it perceives to be a crawdad heading for deeper water. Keep track of how far out you are getting most of your bites and then remain especially alert whenever your jigs get into the "zone".
Threadfin shad are sensitive to cold water. They prefer it warmer than the cold temps of winter. In fact, some shad die of cold stress during the first couple of cold snaps. Their shiny bodies flutter to the bottom and bass often wait down there...looking up...waiting to conduct their own form of funeral services. Munch.
That's why "spooning" is something knowledgeable bassers look forward to in the fall. They find an underwater hump or depression where wimpy bass are huddling up against the coming cold weather and then drop flutter spoons vertically, while holding position with the electric motor. Of course, with sonar on your tube, you can do the same thing.
Plain old Kastmasters and Hopkins spoons have accounted for many thousands of fall bass, when they are paying their respects to the dying shad. However, some of the newer flutter spoons, with the fancy finishes, can make your deep spooning more productive. a lot of spooners add strips of prism tape to enhance a plain metal finish.
Drop shotting is a great fall technique...especially during the dying shad glut. Fasten a good shad imitation plastic a couple of feet above the bottom sinker and either cast it, vertical jig it or bottom bounce it as you drift or move with wind or fin power. Again, pay attention. The aggressive strikes of summer have been replaced by tentative takes. Often all you will feel is a "rubber band" feel...more pressure than you know should be there. If you feel anything unusual, set the hook.
By the way, casting a drop shot rig into the bank and hopping it back is a good trick for much of the year. However, it is especially effective in the fall.
What colors do you use? In the summer they hit whatever best represents a primary food source. In the cooling waters of autumn, you may need to go to contrastng colors, just to get the fish to see them in deeper water and to stimulate a response. The fish has to see the lure before it will hit it. Usually.
Good combo colors for fall jigs are black...with red, white or chartreuse, And, if you are trying to mimic a crawdad, try using light blue highlights in your black jigs. Some crawdads have a bit of blue in them, but never as bright as some of the most effective black and blue combos available on jig N pig or plastic tails.
Strangely, a plain old black 6" plastic worm can be a good fall color...as can a plain purple. Sometimes less is more...fishing the worm so slow you hardly move it. That can be a deadly way to stimulate a sluggish fall fish. As before, stay alert for any twitch or pressure on the line that should not be there.
In some of the deepest and clearest western lakes, some guys like to bring out the motor oil and various shades of green for deep water time. Those can be hot colors all winter in some lakes and nothing in others.
The final big fish technique for late fall and winter is following the hatchery truck. Whenever rainbows are planted, it doesn't take long for the largies to hear the dinner bell. When they move in, you will get more action on big lures designed to imitate the troutlets, than on any wimpy grubs. You may not get the numbers of bass in a days fishing, but the ones you hang will scare you...and they will bend your stick and stretch your string.
There. Does that give you any ideas?
[signature]
The first consideration when fishing for bass...and most other species...at any time of year...is what are they keying in on for forage? As the water cools in the fall, there are two main forage species that start going deeper, and the bass follow. The first is crawdads and the second is shad...at least in most of the western lakes.
When fall water temps drop, a lot of successful bassers break out the "jig N pig" or large profile plastics that can represent crawdads. The main key to success is how they fish them. During the warmer months you find the depth at which the bass are holding and then cast parallel to the bank, fishing the right depth. In the fall, you do not know, because it can change during the day, and from spot to spot along the shoreline.
A trick I picked up from an old timer (older than me) was to cast in toward the bank...from a boat or tube...and then lift and drop the crawdad jigs down the slope of the bank. Stay alert and watch your line. Most hits are just light ticks, or twitches on the line, as a waiting bass intercepts what it perceives to be a crawdad heading for deeper water. Keep track of how far out you are getting most of your bites and then remain especially alert whenever your jigs get into the "zone".
Threadfin shad are sensitive to cold water. They prefer it warmer than the cold temps of winter. In fact, some shad die of cold stress during the first couple of cold snaps. Their shiny bodies flutter to the bottom and bass often wait down there...looking up...waiting to conduct their own form of funeral services. Munch.
That's why "spooning" is something knowledgeable bassers look forward to in the fall. They find an underwater hump or depression where wimpy bass are huddling up against the coming cold weather and then drop flutter spoons vertically, while holding position with the electric motor. Of course, with sonar on your tube, you can do the same thing.
Plain old Kastmasters and Hopkins spoons have accounted for many thousands of fall bass, when they are paying their respects to the dying shad. However, some of the newer flutter spoons, with the fancy finishes, can make your deep spooning more productive. a lot of spooners add strips of prism tape to enhance a plain metal finish.
Drop shotting is a great fall technique...especially during the dying shad glut. Fasten a good shad imitation plastic a couple of feet above the bottom sinker and either cast it, vertical jig it or bottom bounce it as you drift or move with wind or fin power. Again, pay attention. The aggressive strikes of summer have been replaced by tentative takes. Often all you will feel is a "rubber band" feel...more pressure than you know should be there. If you feel anything unusual, set the hook.
By the way, casting a drop shot rig into the bank and hopping it back is a good trick for much of the year. However, it is especially effective in the fall.
What colors do you use? In the summer they hit whatever best represents a primary food source. In the cooling waters of autumn, you may need to go to contrastng colors, just to get the fish to see them in deeper water and to stimulate a response. The fish has to see the lure before it will hit it. Usually.
Good combo colors for fall jigs are black...with red, white or chartreuse, And, if you are trying to mimic a crawdad, try using light blue highlights in your black jigs. Some crawdads have a bit of blue in them, but never as bright as some of the most effective black and blue combos available on jig N pig or plastic tails.
Strangely, a plain old black 6" plastic worm can be a good fall color...as can a plain purple. Sometimes less is more...fishing the worm so slow you hardly move it. That can be a deadly way to stimulate a sluggish fall fish. As before, stay alert for any twitch or pressure on the line that should not be there.
In some of the deepest and clearest western lakes, some guys like to bring out the motor oil and various shades of green for deep water time. Those can be hot colors all winter in some lakes and nothing in others.
The final big fish technique for late fall and winter is following the hatchery truck. Whenever rainbows are planted, it doesn't take long for the largies to hear the dinner bell. When they move in, you will get more action on big lures designed to imitate the troutlets, than on any wimpy grubs. You may not get the numbers of bass in a days fishing, but the ones you hang will scare you...and they will bend your stick and stretch your string.
There. Does that give you any ideas?
[signature]