The transition to fall requires a transition of fishing lures to be productive. Here are three characteristics of fall bass fishing lures.
Cooler fall temperatures can be a great time to fish for bass as well as other fish species. In lakes and rivers that had reached their maximum summer temperatures, the fish may have been fussy and skittish. However with the shorter days, longer shadows, and decreasing temperatures, anglers begin to switch over to their traditional fall fishing lures.
Fall bass fishing lures usually exhibit at least one of three characteristics. Bass fishing lures that imitate shad will become one of the top priorities. Shad are a heavy prey item all year but their seasonal movements up feeder creeks helps concentrate this food source for great fall fishing. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and swimbaits are just some of the fall bass fishing lures that can successfully mimic shad.
The second characteristic of fall ball fishing lures is that it is moving. The slow, bottom crawling soft plastic rigs used in warm water no longer attract the same attention. Bass in fall often roam greater distances in loose groups, looking to chase active lures resembling schools of bait.
Another fall fishing tip is to go big. Fish this time of year especially seem to want to conserve energy. In spring or early winter, any small lure may seem worth the effort but in fall, larger lures represent a big easy meal to help gain weight before for winter.
Even though the fall bass fishing lure patterns are likely to be shad-like, moving, or upsized, this is not always the case. A couple of years ago, I recall writing about the larger fall bass lure tip from bass fishing expert, Mark Zona. Shortly after publication he contacted me and laughingly shared that on a recent fall fishing trip they actually had to downsize to trigger smallmouth bass bites. That is part of the fun challenge of fishing. The only way to discover how to catch fish is to get your license, hit the water, and start casting.
