Where Do Bass Go During The Fall Transition? (And How To Catch Them!)

Cooler nights are coming and if your fish haven't vanished already, they're going to! The Fall transition happens overnight and if you're not prepared you'll be left scratching your head. There are two distinct groups of fish during this transition, some that go shallow and others that go deep. Today we're going to take a look at where these fish are headed and how you can get ahead of them.

The fish that move shallow are there to eat baitfish. Its critical that you cover water quickly because the fish are congregating in schools. Vast areas will be devoid of life while small pockets and cuts will be packed with dozens, even hundreds of bass that are ambushing bait. If you're not covering water quickly you may never find the mega-school you're searching for. 

The fish that move deeper are focused on structure. Many of these fish are still going to be feeding on baitfish but they will use main lake structure for their hunting grounds. Focus on offshore rock piles, humps, channel bends, and main lake points. If baitfish are present you'll target these fish with reaction baits, if baitfish are not present the jig is your best bet. 

Wether you go shallow or deep, Fall is an amazing time to be on the water! Bass are congregated into schools and the bite can be incredible. Below are links to the different baits we use for both shallow and deep schooling fish. The links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Shallow Water Baits... 

Silent Squarebill- Lucky Craft BDS-3 (BP Golden Shiner): http://bit.ly/2blTVwI

Rattling Squarebill- River2Sea Biggie Poppa (Abalone Shad): http://bit.ly/2ahCzvo

Frog- River2Sea Bully Wa 2 65 (Little Allen): http://bit.ly/2axyR2a

Toad- Teckel Sprinker (Pearl White): http://bit.ly/2rmnqSI

Deep Water/Offshore Baits... 

Ultra Deep Crankbait- Strike King 10XD (Chartreuse/Blue or Sexy Shad): http://bit.ly/2gHT4F0

Deep Crankbait- Strike King 6XD (Chartreuse/Blue or Sexy Shad): http://bit.ly/2ery44M

Jig- Dirty Jigs Flippin' Jig 5/8 oz (Go To): http://bit.ly/2fx8YBI

Jig Trailer- Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver (Tramp Stamp): http://bit.ly/29W3RZW

Flutter Spoon- Nichols Lake Fork 1 1/8 oz (Purple Threadfin): http://bit.ly/2ICAGKL

Tail Spin- Jackall Deracoup 3/4 oz (Clear Shad): http://bit.ly/2p8X4b0

Flutter Spoon Video: https://youtu.be/sdviwv6PTOM

All-Around Squarebill Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 845 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Bantam MGL HG: http://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 20 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 12 lb Mono: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

All-Around Deep Crank Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 968 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Tranx 200: http://bit.ly/2Tv0yCy

Line- Sunline Assassin 17 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Budget Crankbait Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7'6" Glass: http://bit.ly/2QADLTq

Reel- Daiwa CG80: http://bit.ly/2NxaGbe

Line- Sunline Assassin 15 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

We caught them deep! Swimbait and Spoon Tips For Fall Bass

Big bass love deep water, don’t be afraid to catch them! In late Fall bass congregate offshore, forming schools that are much larger than anything found in the shallows. Most anglers ignore these fish because they’re not used to fishing deeper structure with electronics, or don’t have confidence targeting suspended fish. Come along with Matt and CC to find out just how easy it is to catch quality bass in deep, open water. 

At the start of the day Matt and CC planned to locate feeding fish around offshore schools of baitfish. Upon arriving at the lake they were greeted by heavy winds and cold air temperatures. While this required some adaptation, they stuck to their plan and successfully located schooling bass. This style of fishing is a commitment and often requires time spent on your electronics searching for fish. Matt used his Humminbird Solix units to scan flats and located an old house foundation in the process. While it didn’t produce today, a few waypoints were dropped around the foundation’s perimeter for future trips. This goes to show once again that time spent on your electronics is never wasted time. 

After a few stops the bass were located around baitfish in 35-40 feet of water. Matt and CC made short work of them using a jigging spoon, finesse swimbait, and a tail spin. This 3-part approach allowed them to cover water by fan casting but also provided an option for dropping down in an instant on fish that appeared below the boat. The key to schooling fish is speed. Once the bass are fired up you must get the bait to them as quickly as possible or the school will calm down and the feeding frenzy will end. The combination of spooning for a quick reaction and casting to relocate the school as it moved around the area was a deadly combination. 

Below is a breakdown of the gear and equipment that was used in today’s video. 

The baits… 

-TacticalBassin Finesse Swimbait Head (1/2 oz): http://bit.ly/2Pqrq3n

(Blue Shad, Tennessee Shad)

-ZXone Lures 4” Swammer Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2PogV0q

(309, Bream, Tennessee Shad)

-Keitech 4.3” Fat Swing Impact Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

(Electric Shad, Ghost Rainbow)

-Damiki Axe Blade 1 oz Underspin: http://bit.ly/2w2uB9t

(Holo Real Shad, Black Holo)

-Blade Runner 1 3/4 oz Spoon: http://bit.ly/2aKVLlG

(Morning Dawn UV, UV Fried Chicken)

Matt’s Spoon Combo… 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 7’2” MH: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Daiwa Tatula CT 7:1 Reel: http://bit.ly/2zT6tDZ

Line- 20 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

CC’s Swimbait Combo… 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 6’10” MH: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Shimano Curado 200K: http://bit.ly/2tHewEh

Line- 20 lb Sunline Assassin Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Budget Spooning Combo… 

Rod- Shimano SLX 7’ MH: http://bit.ly/2L3wppO

Reel- Shimano SLX HG Casting: http://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

Line- 20 lb Seaguar Red Label: http://bit.ly/2LOVEwA

Deep Crankbaits Tricks To Catch More Bass This Fall

Ready to catch a big Fall bass on a crankbait? Matt and Tim share some awesome tips to help you catch more crankbait fish in the midst of a Fall feeding frenzy! They’re catching these bass 2 and 3 at a time but that doesn’t stop them from explaining retrieves, bait modifications and so much more while reeling in their fish! If you’re interested in throwing crankbaits for Fall bass, let Matt and Tim help you do it more effectively.

Big bass are schooling and ambushing baitfish right now! If you’re not using a deep crankbait to reach those fish, you’re missing one of the best opportunities of the year to catch a new personal best bass! From coast to coast, baitfish gather along deep structure (bluffs, long points, creek channels, and cove backs) and bass of all species come together for the feast. There are a handful of baits that will help you target these fish effectively but few elicit as aggressive a response as the deep diving crankbait.

The guys are using 2 different crankbaits today to keep one of these schools of bass fired up. The bass have a school of baitfish trapped on a tapering point full of scattered rock and with 2 crankbaits flying, the action never stops! Any time you get around schooling fish your goal should be to always have a bait in the water. The key to consistent action is keeping the feeding frenzy alive. Below you’ll find a breakdown of the baits and gear the guys were using to catch these bass.

The baits…

Tim’s Crankbait- Strike King 10XD (Sexy Blue Back Herring): http://bit.ly/2gHT4F0

Matt’s Crankbait- Azuma Z Boss 22 (Grand Shad): http://bit.ly/2poLKUC

Alternate Option- 6th Sense Cloud 9 size 25 (Shad Craft): http://bit.ly/2BQ4uDs

Hook and Hardware Upgrades…

Matt’s Favorite Hook- Owner ST-36 (Size 1/0): http://bit.ly/2cWpeyw

Tim’s Favorite Hook- Owner ST-35 Short Shank (1/0): http://bit.ly/2g8uCMj

Alternate Hook- Mustad KVD 2X Short Shank Triple Grip (1/0): http://bit.ly/2wSxIRz

Split Ring- Owner Hyperwire Size 4: http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

Tim’s Rod/Reel Combo…

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 968 CBR: http://bit.ly/2FQj6CZ

Reel- Shimano Tranx 200 HG: http://bit.ly/2Tv0yCy

Line- 16 lb Sunline Sniper: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Matt’s Rod/Reel Combo…

Rod- Shimano Zodias 7’6” MH Glass: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Shimano Tranx 200 HG: http://bit.ly/2Tv0yCy

Line- 15 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Budget Friendly Combo…

Rod- Shimano SLX 7'10" Heavy Moderate: http://bit.ly/2L3wppO

Reel- Shimano SLX XT HG*: http://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

Line- 15 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

*The added adjustment of the "XT" over the standard SLX makes dialing in a crankbait much easier for long range casting.

**Tim and Matt are both using "HG" models in their reels. This is a 7:1 ratio. This may come as a shock to many anglers but deep cranking on a 7:1 allows for more control of your speed, harder starts and stops, and more aggressive reactions. It is more difficult to reel than a 5:1 or 6:1 but the pros outweigh the cons**

Squarebill Crankbait Tricks To Catch Fall Bass

Bass can't resist a squarebill crankbait in the Fall! As the water cools in shallow lakes the bass pull to hard cover along the shoreline. They gather on rocks, logs, dock pilings, and any other hard structure. This move creates a predictable situation that bass fishermen can take advantage of with a fast moving crankbait. Learning to "trigger" bites is the key to this fishing style.

Today's video focuses on size, sound and speed. Understanding how to adjust these 3 variables will instantly take you from a casual fisherman to an expert crankbait angler. Mastering this technique can be done with a small handful of crankbaits and some moderately priced equipment. The key is to focus in on the details and don't be afraid to make adjustments. If you see larger baitfish, throw the larger baits. If you see other anglers fishing the same waters, switch to a silent offering. Did a windy day change the water color? It might be time to try a bolder color that you don't usually throw.

Making minor changes can result in huge successes as bass bunch together in the Fall. Anglers that are willing to constantly adapt will find the most success as the water continues to cool into the Winter months. Below is a breakdown of the baits, gear, and components to help you consistently catch squarebill fish this Fall.

Rattling Baits...

-River2Sea Biggie (Poppa): http://bit.ly/2ahCzvo

(Abalone Shad, I Know It, TS Minnow, Cold Blooded)

-6th Sense Crush 50 and 100: http://bit.ly/2HbaCGT

(Shad Burst, Threadfin Flash, Shad Greens, Craw Bomb)

-Spro Little John 50: http://bit.ly/2dDfuqt

(Blood Craw, Chrome Olive, Spooky Shad, Clear Chartreuse)

Silent Baits...

-Lucky Craft 1.5 and 2.5: http://bit.ly/2BGxKPa

(Ghost Minnow, Golden Shiner, Chartreuse Shad, Spring Craw)

-6th Sense Crush Silent 50 and 100: http://bit.ly/2BGUQlS

(Rayburn Ghost, Shad Treuse Scales, Shad Trance, Delta Craw)

Larger Baits...

-Strike King 4.0 and 8.0: http://bit.ly/2dzeCUk

(TN Shad 2.0, Natural Shad, Green Gizzard Shad, Delta Red)

-6th Sense Cloud 9 Mini Mag: http://bit.ly/31KGyeC

(Ghost Shad Scales, Sleeper Shad, 4K Shad, Delta Craw)

-Lucky Craft BDS 6: http://bit.ly/2sRZby9

(BP Golden Shiner, TO Craw)

Hook Upgrades...

Lighter Wire Red Hook- Gamakatsu EWG Treble (Size 4): http://bit.ly/2dmxXK8

Lighter Wire Bronze Hook- Gamakatsu EWG Treble (Size 2 and 4): http://bit.ly/2cZrsbY

Heavy Wire Black Hook- Owner ST-56 Treble (Size 2 and 4): http://bit.ly/2cVg7xW

Split Rings- Hyperwire Size 2 or 3: http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

Matt and Tim's Favorite Squarebill Combo...

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 845 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Chronarch MGL HG: http://bit.ly/2n8DghB

Line- Sunline Assassin 12 lb: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Other Great Crankbait Rods...

-Expride 7' Medium Glass: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

-G Loomis E6X 845 CBR: http://bit.ly/2G5Bc86

-Dobyns Colt 705 CB: http://bit.ly/2lU0LfV