Page 28 - Lady Bass Digital Magazine Classic 2023

Catching Fish When the Bite

Gets Tough in the Fall

While we know and expect to find bass shallow If the isolated cover is a grass mat, bait-fish
in the fall as they follow the migration of bait- will also use these edges as they travel to the
fish, we sometimes forget that fall for bass shallows. As such, look for clusters of shad along
fishing is not easy pickings. We as anglers, are the grass edge and you are likely to be able to
now competing for the attention of the bass present your soft plastic and get a reaction bite.
along with millions of bait-fish. The bait-fish
instinctively move to the shallows to feed up
for the winter and the predator bass is right
there with them also instinctively feeding up in
advance of the winter months. Countless articles
focus on targeting those fall bass with moving
baits and yes, those are definitely productive
choices. One thing anglers sometimes forget is
that the day to day conditions still influence the
bite. As bass have gorged on bait-fish and are
full, they will pull up on typical resting spots and
if it is a bright sunny day, the bass will nestle up
under typical pieces of cover such as logs, grass
mats, logs, and docks.

Knowing these details can provide you with
options for targeting bass on those bluebird days
when there is no wind and the bite seems to be
non existent. Start by looking for isolated cover.
This isolated cover attract big fish who will lay
claim to it and attack anything that happens to
drop in. So, if you are an angler who loves to flip
or use a Texas rig, you are now in for a treat. At some point during the day, bass will be full
and position themselves along key ambush
points. This is when they become ambush
predators and will eat if the opportunity arises.

Think about this for a moment. You are fishing
and you see bass busting bait in a pocket and the

28 Lady Bass Anglers Association
Catching Fish In Tough Fall Ties