Well my friends, sadly we are ending another year of Bass Fishing here in the Northwest. However, you can still land yourself a lunker this fall with these tips below:
1) Fish Slow, Fish Deep: As the water temps drop, it is important to chase the bass into the deeper waters, and along boulders which will help to retain heat. Often, you will see schools of bass laying up against the boulders, trying to stay warm. Also, as the ice begins to hit the lake, the bass will head towards more oxygen...hence, the deeper waters. As always, with cooler water, means slower presentations. Metabolism really slows down this time of year, so it is important to leave the bait in front of their nose as long as possible. Often times, you will get strikes only on reactions, so keep it slow and simple.
2) Flat head Jerk Baits: If you can find a flat head jerk bait at your local tackle shop, grab it. These baits suspend in the water, and have a much tighter wiggle to them then the average jerk bait for plug. This is extremely important during cold water temps. Often times, anglers make the mistake of using an extremely flashy, wobbly lure at this time, and won't get bit. These fish want that lure slow....The flat head is perfect for this.
3) Retrieves: Make sure you work the retrieve as slow as possible. I like to jerk, then wait 8-10 seconds, and then jerk again. The bass really need to see the presentation for a while before they get the energy up to hit it. Manually count the seconds in your head to ensure you are going slow enough. If you think you are going slow enough...You are going too fast!
4) Your Lake: Make sure you fish a lake that maintains its vegetation as late into the year as possible. Vegetation means oxygen, and oxygen means more fish. Look for boulders and rocks on the lake floor. These areas will retain more heat, and retain more fish.
In conclusion...The bass year is running low on time, but the real fishing begins. Make sure you watch for our articles on monster winter fishing in the near future.
Happy Fishing, and Respect the Lake.
Congratulations to our Hungryhook Member, Cavebay, who landed this lunker on his dad's 67th birthday down in at Blue and Black in the Chain Lakes. We hope you had an amazing day with your dad, and thanks for the pic.
Wow...Another Hungryhook 1st. Congratulations to our hungryhook pal, Erin, who landed her first ever bass this year. She was fishing Hayden with a Green Pumpkin Flappin' Hog by Yamamoto. She set the hook like a pro, with one foot on the side of the boat for leverage, she went from 6 o'clock to 12 o'clock in less than half a second. Nice moves Erin, and we wish you nothing but the best on your future fishing adventures.