At what water temp do you guys put your Frogs and hard topwater baits away in the fall? I realize there are more factors to consider in this decision than just water temperature. Its just been a really strange fall season in my area. Typically the bass are stacked in the backs of the creeks chasing bait like crazy.

This season its been tough just to find the balls of bait fish, much less the bass.

There is still areas of thick vegetation on the surface of some of the lakes I fish. In years past I've thrown frogs right up till the first of Nov and had the bass explode up through the thick stuff just like it was still July. Not this year!!!

Other than the water temp cooling much earlier tbhan usual this year had anyone else run into problems with their typical fall patterns this year?

What area do you live in?

Im in south jersey and the topwater bite has completely slowed down for me. Last year i was getting bass to hit topwater into december...

No two years are the same. Water temp has alot to do with it. What where the temps/condition last vs. this year? I have had good topwater days well into late october, some years better than others. I have heard it said before that 50 degree surface temp is the starting or stopping point for topwater. I have not really tested that theory, because by the time the water is in the low 50's here I have moved on to doing something else anyway.

It slows, but never stops. One winter I was catching bass off the ice pack break-line with a buzz bait. I'd throw on the ice, and when it would hit the water ..bam! I know the slow when its cold, but you can always catch em on top water....

50 degrees is the magic mark here in the fall, 55 seems to be the minimum in the spring for some reason though.

Never put them away down here, we always have topwater bite.

I dont know what the water temp was , but about 30 years ago, late in the fall ,a during a snow storm, bass were in the back of a cove gorging on shad. I caught them on a buzz bait. Havent repeated that day since.