Just curious what's everyone's favorite autumn / fall bait recommendations for someone who fishes rivers, lakes and ponds?

Topwater - buzzbait and frog and walking baits. Any water conditions.

 

Jigs - swim jig or flipping jig and craw.  Stained water usually 0-8 ft of water for me usually banging into cover on the bottom or near the bank.

 

Swimbaits - owner flashy swimmer + crush city mayor or storm largo shad etc any water conditions.

 

Shallow crankbaits - square bills - L shaped bills - wakebaits - lipless crankbaits.  Cloudy windy days or dirty water.

 

Spinnerbaits - like them on cloudy and windy days and when the water is dirty.

 

Jerkbait - soft and hard work great depending on the cover or depth or amount of current you're working with.  Any water conditions.

 

Punch rig/heavy t rig - dying vegetation fields.

 

 

 

 

I'm down to two lures for lmb: popper and spinner bait. I've tried others, but those two are money.

 

A spinnerbait with big blade(s) reeled slower is usually very effective for me.  It certainly was yesterday.  As the water gets even colder, a chatterbait also works because it can be retrieved even slower.  A jerk bait is also very good once the weeds start to die off.

 

I primarily fish lakes.

@gimruiswhat spinnerbaits do you use? I don’t fish them much.

Mostly discontinued Terminators because of durability against pike.

Don’t forget weightless fluke or Slug Go

 

Spinnerbait.

3 hours ago, gimruis said:

Mostly discontinued Terminators because of durability against pike.

Yeh spinnerbaits can be single use around pike. Anything that’s still on the market that you recommend?

I stock piled those terminators when they were still available. Occasionally you can find one on eBay but they aren’t cheap anymore.

 

The strike king tour grade versions aren’t bad.

Top water - the 6th sense dogma in bone or pearl white. I have ton of different walkers but the dogma absolutely gets the most bites. I throw it all the time. If they will hit top water it’s gonna get it. Boohya frogs in various sizes. If I can’t throw the dogma the Boohya is my next pick. It’s easy to walk, stays clean, good hookup ratio.

Crank baits either sqarebills,Ls or speedwakes. They do great over vegetation and around timber. Size and color varies on water that day. 
Glide baits I have a handful of different ones but the river2sea s waver has been getting the job done the most. I throw it just about anywhere if I’m not sure fish are around. It gets follows and bites of all species. 
Wacky rigs and Weight less T rigs. If it’s slow I pick one of these based on if I need to be weed less or not. If the bites tough or for cleanup work they are hard to beat. I mostly stick with black, purple, green.

Don’t be afraid to throw the old jig or fluke this time of year either. 

On top>Buzzbait/Frog/Spook

 

Moving>Spinnerbait or Squarebill

 

Bottom>Jig or tube

Topwater wins the majority of fall tournaments around here.  

Flatside and Lipless crankbaits 

If there is any stained or muddy water, I like compact Indiana/Colorado bladed spinnerbaits like this that really thump:

 

Early fall, like right around now, topwater is really good.  Pencils and smaller buzzbaits put up great numbers.  

During the same time a shallow squarebill can be good too.

Once the water cools, closer to thanksgiving I do really well with JBs, which is my favorite way to fish.

Closer to end of fall, I like to start using football jigs.

Around here the bass are still in their summer pattern.  I've been catching them on jigs, Texas rigs, and plastic worms in, or around, vegetation.  I'm hoping the bass will become more active as the green starts to die off.

In WV most likes are still 65-70 range so main lake points/first third creeks been catching them on frittsides, spinnerbaits off cover and dropshot out deep with jig/minnow for suspended bass chasing bait balls

 

 

As water cools the frittside will get better along with the ned rig