Do fish eat TONS in the fall, to stock up for the winter months?  Especially in October and late September?  Someone told me that the other day and I wondered if it's true?  What's the deal with the eating habits of LMB in the fall?  I figured the bite would mellow after August.  Am I wrong in general?(I know its not the same on every lake, everywhere)

Thanks

Todd

Usually once the first cold snap hits fish start gorging themselves for the winter.  It is a great time to find a big flat with alot of bait fish in it and you will find the Bass.  They will bust through the balls trying to store up for when it gets cold.  

Can you define "cold snap?"  Is it the first cold day of the year?  The first cold "few days" followed by a warming day or two?  Is it when the temp drops to 50 degrees?  40?

How long does this feeding frenzy go on?  A day after the first "cold snap"??  A week?

Usually it is the first cold day of the year.  It will last usually till the water temp drops down to the 50's.  Just watch for the shad moving into the shallows and you will be able to go from there.

IMO... I never worry about cold snaps.....I really only focus on the seasonal change.

To me, fall starts in August. Might seem early for Georgia.  :)But at that time I am already seeing fish starting to relate to the season. Usually I will start seeing them relating to main lake points. Kind of like they are all starting to hang out here versus their summer retreats.  I'll start seeing alot more cruisers. If you pay attention to the water temps a lot of times you can feel it about to happen as the temps start to drop.

Once they do it's on.

Well I live in Colorado 6000 feet up.  The water temp is now colder than it was amonth ago.  I can tell just from going in the water up to my knees.  So what now?

They don't seem to be biting on my Senkos anymore, and only got 1 last night in 3 hours with a buzz bait.  I'm fishing the weedbeds with texas rigged Senkos and Yums, and nothing lately!  

I've been slaying them off this point I love to fish all summer.  Do you think the fish have become used to my Senkos?  Or is it just the water temp change?  I'm so confused!  If it IS the water temp change, what do I do?  Different lures?  Fish a different part of the lake?  This whole water temp thing is freaking me out because some say it wont effect the bass until the water gets REALLY cold, and I've head others say just a few degrees change will effect the movement and metabolism of the bass big time.  I just don't get it.

T

Start at that point you like and work your way back into the creeks or coves. If they have moved back there you will find them. Bass usually will become way more mobile as the water temps drop so if you are not getting them on your point they are probably not there. When they are feeding you will be seeing them blowing up. A lot of times you will see them will pushing bait fish into the bank.

Obviously temps are always important but I try not to get hung up on numbers. Many people say 70 degrees is the magic number for fall. I look at it more as a difference in temps. If you start getting a 10 degree difference from your summer temps it's usually about that time. The key though is to have a feel for what the temps have been doing. If it's been super hot and you get some cold weather usually, it won't be enough to get it going. However, like eastky said, if your temps have been steadily dropping a cold snap can do it. A cold rain at that time will put it into overdrive.

I agree that water temps have an affect on bass feeding habits, however I also think that shorter daylight hours help trigger the increase in feeding.

My favorite baits this time of year are, shallow crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and suspending jerkbaits.

Falcon

they have probably moved from the point your fishin. your going to have to move w/ them.as stated they will start to move toward coves and flats toward the bank.you should start to see some surface activity,bait moving or even fish swirling the surface.reaction baits ,traps,cranks,minnow baits(rapalas),even spinnerbaits should call in some fish.if you can locate them again the senko will work also ,but for the most part they have moved.

yes, they are relating to a seasonal pattern change.where you live its probably accelerated and not as gradual as say here in fla.your window of opportunity is probably going to be short lived.in the fall the bass will bunch up and feed heavily for the winter.what changes more so than the bass is the forage they feed on.when the bait dies off then the bass pull back again.other than the spring the fall window is usually the best bite of the yr.

I live in NC, so the water level is still very warm. However last year around sept 11, I was throwing out my cast net where I normally threw it and I got nothing. So I fished artificial, however toward the end of the day I went up in a creek about 3-4 feet deep and saw many shad and minnows swimming around. typically in my experience the bass follow the baitfish about a week or so later.

hope that helps

JOE