I don’t usually fish bass this late in the season. If you were fishing now, would you hit a very shallow small pond? Or a bigger, much deeper reservoir?

 

Air temps have been 60-66 in the day and 45-55 at night.

On Sunday I caught two 4 lb'ers in 12-14 feet of water on a jig/craw.  A couple hours later I caught a 5+ in 2 feet of water on a jig/craw.  I would go to the reservoir. 

Reservoir. I can catch em in the dirt on a lipless or spinnerbait right now. Or I can go fish deep and catch em on a variety of baits. Topwater and Alabama rig being my personal favorite. My weather is fairly similar to yours with high 60 water temps.

Bass go shallow to feed on shiners shad etc. in the fall , so i’d say fish more shallow with crankbaits swimbaits spinnerbaits. Hope this helps

I'd go with the reservoir, mainly because it takes longer for all that water to cool down.  A three, or four acre shallow  pond can drop a few degrees as a result of a cool night or two and doesn't take long to drop below 50 from top to bottom. Once both bodies of water stabilize throughout the water column, I'd go with the smaller, pond only because once the fish find their wintering spot, you can locate it much easier and target it throughout the winter period.

I plan to go a couple of more times this year before it gets too cold for me , not the bass .  It will be to a 200 acre reservoir . The first place to get tried will be deep on  a  point  .Sometimes bass will be loaded up here in the fall .  If there are no takers in 15 to 30 minutes then a move will be made to the shallows .

10 minutes ago, scaleface said:

I plan to go a couple of more times this year before it gets too cold for me , not the bass .  It will be to a 200 acre reservoir . The first place to get tried will be deep on  a  point  .Sometimes bass will be loaded up here in the fall .  If there are no takers in 15 to 30 minutes then a move will be made to the shallows .

The same plan I use every time I go out this time of year. 

 

15 hours ago, Dens228 said:

On Sunday I caught two 4 lb'ers in 12-14 feet of water on a jig/craw.  A couple hours later I caught a 5+ in 2 feet of water on a jig/craw.  I would go to the reservoir. 

 

Yes sir!  ?

 

What people don't understand is there's a shallow water bite & a deep water bite practical year round.

8 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Yes sir!  ?

 

What people don't understand is there's a shallow water bite & a deep water bite practical year round.

I like to start where water temp is stable, then move to the shallows once the bite slows down or the shallow water warms up, especially around rocks or wood. 

9 minutes ago, Dens228 said:

I like to start where water temp is stable, then move to the shallows once the bite slows down or the shallow water warms up, especially around rocks or wood. 

 

Everyone heads shallow for that morning topwater bite...I let em have it!

 

I head offshore for that morning jig bite ?

I fish early fall in deeper locations such as main lake points and secondary point. As it gets in the "fall fling" portion, I head to the BACK of the creek and work my way out. I had a pro fisherman tell me to get back there that way I don't waste any time where they were a few weeks before.

In those temps, I would fish shallow all day long, the fish are likely active and that's just my preference anyway. Here, the nights get into the 30s and most days are in the 50s with a few being above 60. Fish are starting to go deep, but some hang out shallow as well. That said, at the reservoir you should be able to to fish shallow and move to deeper water if that isn't working.

Depends on how much time you have to spend on the water. If you just have a few random days I’d go shallow. If you can go often and spend time offshore finding the fish then you will locate more consistent fish all the way through the winter in deeper water

Maybe I’ll try both. I was planning on Ned rigging it and Crankin it. But I’ll switch it up if they don’t work. I keep a little of everything in my bag of tricks.

Reservoir. I have a number of ponds around me and this time of year the bite is very inconsistent. 

I caught some quality fish last weekend on a 5 acre pond on a spinnerbait, and the water temps here are definitely colder.  It has been near or below freezing overnight for a few weeks with highs in the 40's and 50's. Most of the fish were caught on the breakline between 2 feet and 7 feet.

 

That is what I can add from my recent experience.

52 minutes ago, Pickle_Power said:

I caught some quality fish last weekend on a 5 acre pond on a spinnerbait, and the water temps here are definitely colder.  It has been near or below freezing overnight for a few weeks with highs in the 40's and 50's. Most of the fish were caught on the breakline between 2 feet and 7 feet.

 

That is what I can add from my recent experience.

I caught fish all winter at those depths last year. I do fish smaller waters like you're describing. FWIW Ned Kehde fishes less than 10' all winter in KS.

I've been wondering the same thing. I'm a pond fisherman so not as deep of water, but wondered if they would move off the banks to the middle deepest spots of the pond and if I should cast to the middle instead of the banks more. 

10 hours ago, Luke Barnes said:

I've been wondering the same thing. I'm a pond fisherman so not as deep of water, but wondered if they would move off the banks to the middle deepest spots of the pond and if I should cast to the middle instead of the banks more. 

If you are out on a day where it's sunny and warm(er), I believe they will be shallow if the sun has helped warm up that skinny water.  

 

Bluegills are the main food source at the ponds I fish.  I catch them through the ice all winter in 6-8 FOW.  It stands to reason that the bass will be around them as well, at least when they're feeding.  This tells me that I would rarely need to ply the deepest water, which is still only 12-13 feet.

12 hours ago, Pickle_Power said:

If you are out on a day where it's sunny and warm(er), I believe they will be shallow if the sun has helped warm up that skinny water.  

 

Bluegills are the main food source at the ponds I fish.  I catch them through the ice all winter in 6-8 FOW.  It stands to reason that the bass will be around them as well, at least when they're feeding.  This tells me that I would rarely need to ply the deepest water, which is still only 12-13 feet.

Similar to here. Only I know they are eating other things, too. Mostly small things.

 

 

Meanwhile, I could’ve watched this https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/fall-bass-fishing.html

 

This one was linked to the BR video. Also helpful: 

 

Like @Catt said BOTH.

 

I caught largemouth in 1 foot of water, and 8 foot of water yesterday, and smallmouth in 22 feet, and 30 feet. 52 degree water. 10 - 20 feet yesterday was a dead zone...except for pike.

Yesterday , I found baitfish deep but could not hook up with bass deep .Water temps 52 early 57 late. A move shallow resulted in 8 bass  caught with two over 15 inches . It was a high   bluebird sky a day after a cloudy , rainy front . Caught 6 bass on a toad and those fish really hammered it , just didnt get many hits .

On ‎10‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 9:04 AM, scaleface said:

before it gets too cold for me

I'm almost there, my arthritis tells me when to hang it up for the year.

Lots of good information in here, so far the only bites I have had since the cold spurt has been from fishing shallow and going with a smaller profile lure (Rooster tail and Ned Rig).

 

I am going to have an opportunity to fish a reservoir this week, maybe I can hit some deep water and use my trust Chatterbaits/Jigs!!!!!

guys if you come across fish shallow, no matter what time of year, they are usually there to eat and are normally the most aggressive fish in the lake. once they come up shallow for the fall(especially back in creeks), they are there until the winter arrives. Throw the kitchen sink at them and create reaction bites, they'll eat something eventually