It is that time of year again. The fall is here, and more than just the leaves are changing. This can be some of the best fishing of the year as well as testing the anglers ability to adapt to quickly changing conditions.
So we’re going to give you our short list of those products that we always have tied on to begin our day on the water.
Square Bill Crankbaits
First and foremost, we have a rod or several rigged with square billed crankbaits. While it’s true that you can almost always find fish in shallow water, this time of year can be especially productive for this class of baits. Bass are on the prowl, intent on fattening up for the winter, following schools of shad and other baitfish.
Our recommendations are to mix up the sizes that you have ready to go. The Jackall ASKA 50 and 60 are pure dynamite in shallow water. They are silent runners, deflect off of cover extremely well and provide some excellent color patterns that can be used across the country.
Another favorite of ours is the Strike King KVD HC-1.0, 1.5 and 2.5. We prefer using the silent running versions of these baits this time of year but mixing it up with some rattling baits can be productive too.
River2sea has some good baits in this class particularly their new Ish Monroe Series, the Biggie Poppa and Biggie Smalls. You can get both a rattling or silent version in this series but our first choice is the silent runners.
Lipless Crankbaits
Lipless crankbaits are another very productive lure this time of year that give you the added advantage of being able to cover a lot of water while searching for those aggressive fish.
The Spro Aruku Shad Jr. has a lot to offer. Despite its smallish size, it casts extremely well, has very good finishes, an action that begs to be eaten and can be regulated by the angler simply through up or down sizing their line.
Jackall offers the TN/60 and TN/70. With their tungsten lips, consistent running angle, excellent finishes and a design that allows them to swim at very slow retrieval speeds as well as being burned, the TN series leaves nothing to be desired.
Strike King has done an excellent job of producing a winner in the Red Eye Series that gives anglers good consistent performance coupled with value pricing in this lure segment.
Spinnerbaits
We always have a couple of spinnerbaits tied on ready for battle. The River2Sea Crystal Spin with its double willow leaf configuration usually gets the start.
War Eagle and Terminator are always close at hand in alternative blade configurations depending on the depth and clarity of the water. We carry different weights to allow us to effectively fish the entire water column.
Medium Running Cranks
Don’t forget to bring along some medium running cranks. The Strike King 3 and 5XD’s have proven themselves to be good producers in the proper depth range. Spro has some more very good baits for this application as does Jackall.
Top Water Baits
We have a variety of top-water lures with us that include poppers, walk-the-dog style baits and our new favorite frog, the Jackall Iobee. When the bass are busting the surface you want to be ready to offer them a variety of actions and find the one that suits their fancy on any given day, or for that matter, any given hour!
Swimbaits
Swimbaits are another highly effective choice with our go to being the Netbait BK swimbait. This little soft plastic wonder has put more fish in the boat than we can count!
Jigs
We carry jigs with us for targeting isolated pieces of cover. This time of year, we like to downsize a little so our first choice is the Dirty Jigs Finesse Swim Jig. Tip this with your trailer of choice and you’re in business.
Finally, we wouldn’t be without our Wave Worm Tiki Stick SSP’s. You may not hear this recommendation much for this time of year but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! Drop one of these rigged wacky style in a school of feeding fish and you’ll get a pleasant surprise.
So there it is – shallow running cranks, medium running cranks, lipless cranks, spinnerbaits, poppers, walk-the-dog style baits, hollow-body frogs, soft plastic swimbaits and jigs.
The fall can be one of the best times of the year for bass anglers. All you need to do is be prepared and be willing to adapt quickly based on water conditions. So don’t start putting your gear away just yet. Get out on the water when most folks have given up and see if you don’t enjoy some of the best fishing of the year!
Oh, I almost forgot! With the shorter days, cooler nights and increasingly unstable weather conditions, be prepared to whip out some rain gear on a moments notice. There are a bunch out there including Frog Toggs which have always suited me to a “T’.
See ya’ on the water …