Page 11 - Lady Bass Digital Magazine Classic 2022

In addition to gorging on baitfish, bass are also looking for high protein opportunities! This means that crayfish are atop
that list!

Jigs with trailers mimicking crayfish are a great choice. Try a variety of retrieves to find
what the bass want but keeping the bait moving is always reliable. Color choices de-
pend. We all have our confidence colors, but if you can see what the crayfish colors are,
it is a benefit. As a rule of thumb use oranges, yellows and greens on sunny days and
more natural or darker colors on overcast days.

Crankbaits in a shad pattern are a no brainer for use in the fall. Lipless crankbaits are great for ripping through any vege-
tation that may be present. Square-bills are a great choice for targeting bass around stumps, logs, and boat docks.

Bladed jigs with a swimbait trailer can trigger bites in some of the same areas as crankbaits. If you are getting short
strikes, shorten up your trailer and this should help with the hookup ratio.

Jerkbaits are an excellent choice for fish that are chasing bait. The retrieve needs to be something that sets the bait apart
from the forage in the area. Some prefer a twitch-twitch-pause while others feel they get better results by never including
a pause.

Spinner baits have their place in the fall as an angler uses a slow roll retrieve around docks, rock piles, laydowns, stumps,
and other cover.

Topwater baits are great for targeting fish that are actively feeding. This can include buzz frogs, walk the dog style baits,
or pop r’s. While we focused on actively feeding bass, the noise these baits make can also trigger inactive bass in to bit-
ing.

Consider your choices and approaches based upon water depths, temperature and features. Water depth is relative to the
body of water. So, as a general rules, when someone tells you they are fishing deep, clarify
by asking them to define deep. This will give you a better frame of reference.

When focusing on shallow water, always look for feeding fish. This is when and where
your square-bill, jig or shad imitation swimbait will be good options.

If you are fishing at mid-depth levels, crankbaits still are king and allow you to cover a lot of water. It is still not a bad
idea to keep a suspending jerkbait handy.

For fishing in deeper water, once again a crankbait reigns supreme and can be paired with a big swimbait bounced off
the bottom.

Late Fall or early winter typically occurs after the first major cold front hits
your area and the water temps drop into the 50’s. This means slowing down
your retrieves and adjusting your tactics. Bass will begin to migrate back out
to those winter haunts and will be less active. Even at this, where there are
baitfish, there will be bass. As bass migrate, they will follow the same “high-
ways” as they use when migrating
toward the shallows in the spring.
Look for those creek bend or chan-
nel swings and focus on the hard bottoms and cover adjacent to those areas.
Bass always use ambush points as they migrate. Also keep in mind that if you
find fish in the 12–15-foot range in one area, use that to help you target bass in
other places around the body of water you are fishing.

Lady Bass Anglers Association 9