Five Baits to Catch Bass in the Fall
Fall bass fishing can sometimes be feast or famine. It’s a time of year defined by aggressive fish and a certain amount of randomness. When you find them, it can be an unforgettable day of fishing. When you don’t, you’ll be swearing that there is no life left beneath the surface.
We’ve covered finding them, now we’re covering five baits that can help you catch them.
Berkley Pit Boss
Shallow fish in the fall have a tendency to be roamers at times, chasing shad around on flats, but when you get high sun and calm conditions, those fish often get tight to cover. This is where you can thrive as a flipper.
There are a lot of good flipping baits in existence. I personally like the Pit Boss from Berkley on a 4/0 flipping hook with anywhere from a ⅜ to ⅝ tungsten bullet weight. The YUM Christie Critter and the Zoom Speed Craw are also personal favorites.
- Modernized skeet Reese design
- Quick fluttering action mimics both baitfish and crawfish
- Unique swimming action
- Ideal for flipping and pitching
- Slotted hook keeper to increase setting performance
Heddon Super Spook
The Heddon Super Spook is as old-fashioned as it gets, but it works. A topwater walking bait is a go-to for targeting aggressive, shallow bass, particularly in clearer water. The back and forth mimics an escaping baitfish that a bass can easily pin against the surface.
Shallow flats in the back of major creeks are great places to find these types of situations. Oftentimes, you’re just covering wide swaths of water, as the fish roam around the flat and feed on shad.
- HOOK DESIGN: 2 super-sharp hooks, especially important for scholing striper and other hard-charging species; Fish don't simply hit the Super Spook. They attack it
- VERSITILE LURE: Super-stout hardware system, from line ties to hooks, all designed to stand up to the most voracious species
- STRONG AND DURABLE MATERIAL: Features tough construction and good looks for explosive results
- EFFECTIVE SIZE AND COLORS: 3 1/2 inch length; 1/2 oz weight for topwater fishing
- FISHING TECHNIQUE: "Walk the Dog" cast and retrieve with erratic action simulating a wounded baitfish
Zoom Super Fluke
A weightless texas-rigged fluke is a great bait to entice fall shad-eaters, especially when shallow fish won’t quite commit to a topwater. It’s a good follow-up bait for topwaters, crankbaits, or more aggressive approaches.
I like to work it near the top of water, creating some commotion to attract attention before killing it and letting it sink down to the fish. It can be really effective around grass lines or sinking it on the outside edge of laydowns.
- The Super Swimming Juke tapered design makes it natural for jigging on the bottom.
- Medium textured plastic causes it to float near the top, and its lightweight design makes it perfect for skipping across the surface for snook and redfish.
- Its heavier front end causes the nose to naturally dive, which makes it dance in the water when cranking across the surface.
- 5" body adapts to a variety of situations. Its twin tails create vibrations fish feel.
- Made from high-quality plastisol that can withstand repetitive casting.
Squarebill
Aggressive fish holding to shallow cover is the textbook scenario for a squarebill. I like the Rapala OG Rocco and of course the KVD 1.5 is a classic.
Drive the bait into the bottom and deflect it off of shallow cover. The erratic action triggers strikes. Bass can be found on shallow cover in the fall in any part of the lake this time of year, and shallow cranking is a great way to cover water and work banks, targeting stumps, rocks, and laydowns that all could hold fish.
- Ott's Garage Rocco 05 Green Gizzard Shad
- Ott's Garage Rocco 05 Green Gizzard Shad
- Ott's Garage Rocco 05 Green Gizzard Shad
- Ott's Garage Rocco 05 Green Gizzard Shad
- Ott's Garage Rocco 05 Green Gizzard Shad
Underspin
Deep fish in the fall are far from rare. I’ve personally caught more fall fish in my life offshore on the main lake than way back in creeks. A small, shad-imitating underspin is a great bite-getter this time of year.
I like the Blakemore Casey Ashley Roadrunner tipped with the 3.25-inch Strike King Rage Swimmer. It mimics small threadfin shad really well, and you can fish it at varying levels in the water column as well. Don’t think a small bait won’t catch a big fish either. I’ve caught eight pounders on the little underspin.
- Sleek nose cone
- Softly ribbed body
- Thin, pancake-like tail
- Pumps out frantic vibrations at any speed
- Great on a jig, a dropshot rig, or spinnerbait
