With temps dropping and the fall bite looming, what kind of places will we be focusing on? From what I've learned on the forums and from talking to people outside, the fish will be scattered chasing baitfish in the shallows. Last fall I had a tough but extremely rewarding time targeting the shallower and grassier ponds and rivers near me. I wasn't really successful in clear water, but when the water was tannic or dirty, maan the fishing was good. Anyone here want to share what they look for now that we are nearing the colder parts of the year?

I'm looking for a glass of ice water.  It is still hot and humid here.

The fish so far are right where they have been all summer (in the rocks from 3-10’ deep).  The air is still in the mid 80s and the water is 75°-77°.  And it is supposed to be the same for another week or so.

Most of what you read regarding bass fishing is related to man made reservoirs with shad populations. If you are fishing those types of impoundments follow the baitfish works.

Water temperature drop of about 10 degrees over a few weeks sets off a change in the ecosystem coupled with shorter day light the aquatic plant growth forces prey to abandon dying plants, this trigger predators like bass to feed on the exposed prey sources. Active grouped up bass are easier to catch when you can locate them.

Tom

It really depends upon what part of the country you are in and even then it can vary from body of water to body of water. Some lakes in my area still have water temperatures hovering around 83 while others have dipped into the 70's. I was on one body of water last weekend with maximum depths of just over 20 feet but I saw a distinct thermocline on my electronics.

In the fall, I fish on the move. I'll fancast an area and move to the next. If I happen upon a school, I bolt my canoe to the pond bottom.

2 hours ago, WRB-2.0 said:

Most of what you read regarding bass fishing is related to man made reservoirs with shad populations. If you are fishing those types of impoundments follow the baitfish works.

Water temperature drop of about 10 degrees over a few weeks sets off a change in the ecosystem coupled with shorter day light the aquatic plant growth forces prey to abandon dying plants, this trigger predators like bass to feed on the exposed prey sources. Active grouped up bass are easier to catch when you can locate them.

Tom

 

This.

 

The majority of youtube videos out there are talking about backs of pockets, backs of creeks, etc.

 

My little waters "ain't" got that stuff.

 

LOL

Here in Virginia on the tidal Rappahonock river we have been waiting for the fall feed up.  I didn’t go last weekend but my buddy did and he said he saw excessive amounts of big bass up shallow chasing Shad in the creek mouths.  Just what you would expect so it isn’t just man made reservoirs.  It is affected by big tide swings though when shallow becomes exposed gravel.  

Fish are really scattered right now, but here in about 4-6 weeks I'll be looking for these beasts around acre or more size shad schools.

 

4 hours ago, king fisher said:

I'm looking for a glass of ice water.  It is still hot and humid here.

Its still like that here too! And I’m dang near in Canada.

 

Completely absurd for Oct 1 and the bite has been terrible for weeks.

24 minutes ago, gim said:

Its still like that here too! And I’m dang near in Canada.

 

 

Ever been to the Quetico?

 

Love that place, been about three decades though. Jeepers I'm getting older.

The upper Potomac river is still in the mid-70s, and remains low, slow and clear.  Caught 16 on Sunday’s 4hr float, all on topwater.  I’m going again tomorrow, and expect more of the same.

It's still warm here too.  The bass have been moving around in the morning, but after the sunlight hits the water they have been going back to the shade and vegetation.

@HawkeyeSmallie I haven't been there.  I've been to the BWCA which is basically the same wilderness as Quetico, just on the American side.

Rock and wood.

Went today and caught about 30 , nothing big, flipping a tube on wood .  

I went today to a reservoir, should have went to the river.

Water down a couple of feet , we've had no rain in quite a while.

Reservoir is round and 180' at it's deepest, no wood and today had 14' visibility.

Couldn't find em today, eluded the skunk with a 12" largemouth, well it's mouth wasn't that large. 

2 of my main lakes have shad ,2 dont. in the one with shad the fish seem to be around creek mouths but not shallow. the other the fish are mostly where they were all summer. both still have thermoclines around 25 feet. both still have fish related to grass. the stuff you see on youtube doesnt hold true everywhere. im told the fish should be in creeks going wild in the shallows? you fish like that here youll get lots of casting practice.

I fish right near my house no matter what time of year it is

Here in NC the fish seem to be on wood and dying grass mostly.

My river bass had started relating to clumpy, dying grass flats to ambush migrating perch schools. Since it’s went from just nice to an extended warm up, they’ve scattered more and went back to relating to cover again. It really seems to change by the day, and spots are “moving around” if ya get my drift. I wouldn’t pay a lick to YouTube, just fish how you’ve been and they’ll let you know if it’s right 

I fish a 30 acre manmade watershed impoundment. It's mostly between very shallow and 10'D. It gets about 20' deep near the dam. Fish are almost always in the 0-8' range. I fish very shallow to that depth year round except the middle of winter. Even then, bass are rarely caught deeper than that range. They'll be adjacent to the deeper creek channel or on flats near it, but not in it.

 

So, until the water gets really cold, I'm a shallow water guy. The weather is settling after the hurricanes' influence and the moon is waxing. It's getting in the 50s at night so the shallow water bite should be fire.

In the natural lakes I fish, once a good cold spell hits, I look for fry bluegill. Like shad, they school up and the bass will roam in groups of 2-3. Inside weedlines and humps that top out under 10ft. are where I usually find them, but I'll start out searching for the schools with my electronics.

I’m looking for rain…

I'm looking for the least pressured water I can find. Around here, the fish have been beat on for 7 months and seen more lures than the "Bait Monkey Support Group" thread on these forums. If you can find a section of the lake that's hard to access and most people avoid, you'll find fish that are a little more catchable than the rest of the population.