Fall Fishing, Grass Edge or in the Thick of it

On 9/10/2021 at 6:33 PM, dtag31 said:

Living in the Pennsylvania, the fall transition is upon us as we head into the fall fishing season. I've done historically average on a season that is supposed to be incredible for fall bass feeding up before winter. I feel like everything I watch is moving baits and fast action, but I have not had much luck on my pressured lake with a very limited number of "creek channels."

 

My lake has a good amount of grass that grows to 5ft (1-1.5ft of water visibility). In general, do you catch the majority of your fall bass chasing baitfish in the the middle of grass flats, flipping into the thick of it. Or, are you running quicker baits and flipping the very outside of grass edges? I am struggling to understand if I should be tearing down grass edges, or plunking into the middle of thick grass. 

well depends on where you live, here in socal its still summer and they are in a summer pattern, but in about a month we should have "fall conditions" even though it is already "fall" it depends on water temp and how much the water drops at night. I cannot say you will catch bass doing any of the methods above because I dont quite know what your lake is like and the structure it has in it but, the best structure in the lake is the structure that has baitfish in it, If there is lushious healthy grass thickly matted and there is a twig with thousands of shad near the twig, Ill choose the twig. Finding baitfish with electronics is a good method, but also look for rings in the water, where the birds are, and in creeks and coves.  if the baitfish bite dies off fish hard structure like rocks or wood or flooded bushes OR fish livley grass. Eventually livley grass wont be an option and you will fish the baitfish and hard structure, and as the baitfish bite dies down you will just fish the hard structure. Its a really simplified summary but its better to actually experience patterns rather than do research on them because it will make more sense after, if that makes any sense.

On 9/10/2021 at 8:05 PM, @reelChris said:

I'm starting to learn that whatever the youtube superstars say, the opposite generally works better on pressured lakes.  If I were you I'd stick to what worked a few weeks ago.  

right lol? I have found that alot of guys target the fish that the youtubers talk about but there are always fish not doing the patterns that are usually less pressured. You can always catch fish deep or fishing for suspending bass somewhere on the lake usually, and they are usually a little less pressured, although I dont tend to catch as many.