What patterns are working — fall transition

Hello all,

I’m hoping y’all will share what patterns are working for you as we move from summer into fall. The lakes I’m fishing have seen about a 10 degree drop in water temps over the last few weeks, and I have been struggling to find consistent fish — I find one in two feet on a jig, one in the pads on a frog, one in 22 feet on a drop shot, and some in between on various lures and patterns.

What are y’all finding out there? I’ll also share what works (and what doesn’t) for me as I head into the best time of the year.

I’m on the best topwater pattern i’ve ever seen before. The bite window starts at around 6:00pm and lasts until sundown. I’m fishing a popper on the shallow side of ledges in around 3 ft of water.

Gear:
7’2 mh. Good length, not too heavy, not too light

8.1:1 Reel. I like the speed for topwater fishing to get fish out of grass.

20# braid. I use braid instead of mono because of wonderful creatures called pike.

KVD HC Splash Popper. A little stockier than other poppers at 3″, 1/2oz. Walks well too.

Eagle Claw Snap. I tie a snap (not a barrel swivel) directly to my main line, and clip the snap to my popper. I don’t tie my line directly to the popper because i’ve found that I get a slightly tighter walking action with my popper.

As I mentioned earlier, I’m casting the shallow sides of ledges. I’m positioning the boat parallel to the ledge and casting straight down it. After I make a cast and my lure hits the water, I wait 2 seconds and then give it a small twitch. 90% of the time that’s where I get bit. If nothing happens, I use a twitch, twitch, twitch, and pause for 2 more seconds. I’ve found that fish really like the pause and will almost always hit right after.

I’ve caught more fish on this pattern this year than I can count. Works in every lake I’ve tried so far. Hope it works for you guys too.

While the water temps are cooling we aren’t quite there yet. I was out today and the lake I typically fish is down 8 degrees over the last week. So it’s coming. The fish will start to migrate from the deep water to the shallow weed flats and other shallow structure following the baitfish. The biggest thing I try to remember is fish use the easiest path to get up to said shallows. So I look for steep drop offs that transition into more gradual inclines that are near the shallow flats.

Fall patterns I really like:

-Topwater walking baits (Spooks) over main lake points or weed flats near deep water. A spook will call up bass from deep water and I like to use these near drop offs. I’ve had bass hit a spook in 20 fow.

-Crankbaits on main lake points and transition areas up to the feeding grounds. Start with deep diving and use shallower diving cranks as the bass move up.

Football jigs/Texas Rigged worms. Same areas as the cranks but a slower presentation that often cleans house in the fall.

-Pitching/flipping docks and shallow cover. This really starts turning on when some of the underwater vegetation starts to die off.

Jerkbaits/squarebill cranks/chatterbaits. When the fish are up feeding in the shallow weed flats (8-12 fow with the weeds coming up to 5-8 fow) it’s tough to beat burning a squarebill or chatterbait across/through the tops of the weeds. If you get snagged, ripping it through the snag will often get bites. The fish are aggressively feeding during this time so take advantage of it and cover water until you find them. Jerkbaits will work all the way until the water gets into the low 50s. The colder the water the slower you want to work the jerkbait.

Hope that gives you some direction.

FDC, do you mind if I ask what you mean by ledges? Do you mean you’re fishing the shallow water immediately adjacent to sharp dropoffs?

Thanks for the awesome info, FDC and mahto. Prior to this year, I have fished largemouth for probably 20 years, but (amazingly) only on one lake. I’ve really been trying to venture elsewhere, and it’s been a lot of fun fishing new water after two decades on the same lake….but it’s also been frustrating, as I have a LOT to learn.

Last year, my fall topwater bite was TERRIBLE — worst in years. The years prior, it was insane. I have no idea why I struggled with it last year, but I did. Hopefully they get up shallow again this year, or at least I hope to find a lake or three where it’s working.

Typically, my fall pattern has been a frog up shallow, a senko mid-depth, and a jigworm deep. I’ve never thrown a crankbait at a bass in anger, but that might have to change.

carmike wrote:

FDC, do you mind if I ask what you mean by ledges? Do you mean you’re fishing the shallow water immediately adjacent to sharp dropoffs?

Thanks for the awesome info, FDC and mahto. Prior to this year, I have fished largemouth for probably 20 years, but (amazingly) only on one lake. I’ve really been trying to venture elsewhere, and it’s been a lot of fun fishing new water after two decades on the same lake….but it’s also been frustrating, as I have a LOT to learn.

Last year, my fall topwater bite was TERRIBLE — worst in years. The years prior, it was insane. I have no idea why I struggled with it last year, but I did. Hopefully they get up shallow again this year, or at least I hope to find a lake or three where it’s working.

Typically, my fall pattern has been a frog up shallow, a senko mid-depth, and a jigworm deep. I’ve never thrown a crankbait at a bass in anger, but that might have to change.

Crankbaits and jerkbaits get CRUSHED by Fall bass. It’s one of my favorite ways to fish once the fish get the feed bag on.

Does water clarify affect how successful they are? I’ve tried them before with zero success (always fishing a very, very clear lake), so maybe that’s it. I definitely don’t know.

carmike wrote:

Does water clarify affect how successful they are? I’ve tried them before with zero success (always fishing a very, very clear lake), so maybe that’s it. I definitely don’t know.

Yes it can. If you fish a clear lake I would try color patterns that are as close to the forage that the bass are eating. Also use them on days when there are clouds and wind. Clear blue skies and no wind are not your friend when using them.

By the way, I’d just like to say how nice it has been this season having an active bass section on the site. It’s been fun.

mahtofire14 wrote:

By the way, I’d just like to say how nice it has been this season having an active bass section on the site. It’s been fun.

I agree, the Bass section has been the Redhorse Step Child in years past… keep it going guys – –

A buzzbait over weed flats and a Horny Toad have produced well for me in the past. Only got a few on the Horny Toad last year; They just weren’t on it for some reason.

Other than on frogs, last years topwater bite was pretty slow for me as well.

Here are a few I picked up on top water over the weekend. Most of my fish hit within seconds of the lure hitting the water. To me that entrance noise was key. Then location was key to. The fish where nosing into the banks waiting for food to enter the water. That first few feet of the edge of the water was where you wanted to fish. Get 10 feet from shore and just crank the lure in for the most part.

Just about anything we threw worked as long as it was loud. They where inhaling frogs. Think one photo has a frog in the fish but all you see is line. Crankbaits like a dt1. whopper ploppers. Catch some live frogs and toss them in the right area and there will be some gruesome fishing.

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Very nice fish Mike… wondering if these were lake or river smallies? Assuming lake since you mentioned there were weeds present..

River.

FryDog62 wrote:

I agree, the Bass section has been the Redhorse Step Child in years past… keep it going guys – –

Redhorse….

Made it out on the River above the dam in Brainerd. The water was in the upper 60’s. They weren’t really snapping, but caught a few on crankbaits in the shallow gravel areas. Picked up a couple on drop shot, but had a hard keeping the rock bass off. As it cools it should pick up. How about those Twins?

Chatterbaits, especially when the weeds are scattered and clumped with no real good edge. Caught a few this weekend on them. Water was about 68.

Hoping to get out to a local lake tomorrow and test out the shallow crank bite. Had a few solid fish blast them the last time I was out trying different things. Never seemed to have much success with the chatterbaits but a lot of people sure seem to. My confidence is with my cranks still.

mahtofire14 wrote:

Hoping to get out to a local lake tomorrow and test out the shallow crank bite. Had a few solid fish blast them the last time I was out trying different things. Never seemed to have much success with the chatterbaits but a lot of people sure seem to. My confidence is with my cranks still.

When largemouth fishing I’ve kind of made the switch from cranks to Chatterbaits simply for the reason of 1 hook versus 6. If the fish are looking for food, they tend to be in the weeds, so I prefer something that can get in there a little better. Crank trebles get stuck. However, not much more fun than to crank a squarebill across a rip-rap shoreline for Smallmouth!

FryDog62 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
Hoping to get out to a local lake tomorrow and test out the shallow crank bite. Had a few solid fish blast them the last time I was out trying different things. Never seemed to have much success with the chatterbaits but a lot of people sure seem to. My confidence is with my cranks still.

When largemouth fishing I’ve kind of made the switch from cranks to Chatterbaits simply for the reason of 1 hook versus 6. If the fish are looking for food, they tend to be in the weeds, so I prefer something that can get in there a little better. Crank trebles get stuck. However, not much more fun than to crank a squarebill across a rip-rap shoreline for Smallmouth!

I try to get my cranks hung up in the weeds because once you rip them off said weed BOOM. You get crushed.