Gearin' Up for Fall Bassin'
By Mike DelVisco
Mid-Atlantic Staff Writer
October 9, 2008
Of all the seasons and times of year to catch bass, the fall is probably one of my favorites. Depending on where you live geographically your fall fishing may already be in full swing, or just beginning. Nonetheless, bass fishing in the fall can be feast, famine, or somewhere in between. Many times it comes down to paying attention to the little details, fishing your strengths and being flexible.
Stages of Fall Patterns
One signal that fall fishing is coming is when the summer time transition starts. It usually begins with the cooler nights and gradually dropping daytime temperatures. You will also notice water temps coming down into the 70’s. This can be a very frustrating time to catch bass. The fish sort of go into a funk as they adjust to the changing conditions.
You can still catch a few deep and some shallow, but no prevailing pattern exists. This is typically when I like to cover a lot of water and fish as many different baits, presentations and patterns as I can. I simply have rods rigged with a myriad of offerings and fish everything that looks good. Once this time period starts to stabilize things will change for the better.
After the transition, conditions will dramatically change as the fish go into a solid fall pattern. Suddenly fish will show up in certain places and locations and be fairly easy to pattern. My general experience has led me to search out the very backs of creeks especially ones that have a feeder going into them. 
These creeks provide some current flow and fresh water when it rains, both of which hold the baitfish that attract the bass. Don’t be afraid to go as far back in a creek as you can possible go. Fall bass will and can be chasing prey in mere inches of water.
Location, Location, Location
Certainly all the baits in the world will not help you catch fish if you are not around any, so understanding fall fish locations is a must for success. All bodies of water are different therefore areas that will hold fish will be different from lake to lake.
On shallower cover-laden bodies of water fall fish may stage near the deeper sides of structure such as boat docks, lay downs or blow down trees. Remember that if the water you fish has an average depth of five feet, but you find areas where there is eight or ten feet of water, that is considered deep water for that particular lake. On somewhat deeper bodies of water bass may relate more towards isolated humps, drop offs or points.
No matter what type body of water you fish it is important that you concentrate on areas that are close to deeper water. This will give the fish opportunity to move up or down the water column when conditions change. Conditions can and will change rapidly in the fall. Fishing could be hot or cold with key windows of opportunity dictating success.
Believe me, when it’s hot you want to be in the right location. Regardless of the type of lake or geographic location, one of the most consistent places I start looking for fall fish is in the back of coves, creeks or pockets off the main lake.
Bait Selection
After location, bait selection now becomes the important factor. Think of this as a puzzle. Seasonal patterns, fishing area and bait selection are all pieces to the puzzle. With each piece you figure out you are one step closer to catching fish.
When selecting the right bait size and style you have to look at many factors and evaluate 
each bite or lack of bites. Factors like water clarity dictate the types of bait that will produce fish. Generally in clear water you want to choose smaller profile baits like small crankbaits, lipless baits, topwaters and spinnerbaits. In clear water the fish can see better and are more sight oriented feeders.
By contrast, a stained or dirty water situation would dictate larger, wider wobble style baits such as large buzzbaits, square bill crankbaits and spinnerbaits with Colorado blades. In this water situation the bass relies less on sight and more on feeling.
The bass has a sensory organ (lateral line) that allows it to detect vibrations in the water when vision is impaired. These type baits omit more vibration in the water resulting in more strikes. Notice that all of the styles of baits I listed are fast-moving baits. This is because I like to cover a lot of water and use what we call search baits in the fall to accomplish this.
Once I find fish or good areas I will generally slow down a bit and rework the area with slower moving baits - like a plastic worm or one of my fall favorites: a double-tail Series 97 Yamamoto Hula Grub in color 208.
In the fall the size of the bait is also extremely important: bass will generally be keyed into a smaller offering. Small shad, shiners, minnows and other baitfish will be readily available for the bass to feed on in the fall. The fall migration of the baitfish brings them to the backs of coves, creeks and pockets, and the bass follow.
Much like any other time of year, there will be specific key ingredients that will hold fish. Is it a change in depth along the bank? Is it a swing along a creek channel or some kind of cover in the back of a pocket? Pay close attention when you start catching fish - many times you can duplicate this scenario throughout the lake and establish a pattern.
So don’t let the fall fishing get you down. It can be the most productive of the entire year. Look for the signs, pay attention to details and you will be rewarded with some of the best fishing of the year.