MIbassyaker

It's relative, not ablsolute. Ask yourself, what choices do bass have in this body of water? What are they most likely eating, and where does it live? What cover or shelter options are provided? 
 
In the places I fish, most of the bass (largemouth at least) are sunfish eaters and tend to avoid both the hardest- and softest-bottomed areas because preferred vegetation, that supports most of the food chain and provides concealment opportunity, cannot get a foothold in these areas.

I have never fished here later than October!  There are a lot of places to catch smallmouth from shore in the rivers in the warmer months.  but honestly I have no idea where they are that late in the year. It's pretty cold.  We sometimes get our first blizzard around Thanksgiving.
 
The best access to smallmouth in the Grand Rapids area are the Grand, Thornapple, & Flat rivers.  
 
But it's going to be Steelhead season, and they may be more plentiful than smallies in many places. There might even be some crowds, especially at 6th st dam. There is good shore access to the Grand around the city (Riverside park, Canal park, Fish ladder park, and Millennium park).  You can also go west to Eastmanville bayou 20 min west of town, or east to Chief Hazy Cloud park in Ada. 
 
To the SE, the Thornapple can be fished at Reuhs park in Alaska or the 84th st dam.  One of my favorite spots for smallies in Spring is the Flat river at Fallasburg Park, a little quiet & pretty place north of Lowell, 30 min east.  But no idea whether these are good spots for smallies in November.
 
 

Some theories:
1. Visibility: Orange contrasts well against green vegetation and algae stain, which are common in late summer.
2. Forage: Yellow Perch -- open water prey in the northern part of native range, have some orange on them.
3. Random chance: You rolled the dice, they came up sixes. No other reason.