It's November, which means many different things for bass anglers, depending on where you live. Things are getting chilly in some regions. In others, it's just getting more comfortable outside. But, no matter where you live, the bass are moving and feeding much more heavily than they have been for the past few months, according to professional angler Justin Lucas.
Lucas grew up in California but now resides on the shores of Lake Guntersville in Alabama. He has fished almost everywhere during his time on the Bass Pro Tour, Bassmaster Elite Series, and FLW Tour and shares his picks for the top five baits for November.
Jerkbait
When asked for his favorite bait for November, there was no hesitation and a jerkbait was his first pick. He likes them because of how well they imitate baitfish and how effective they are for fishing for suspended bass.
"It's the middle of the fall, and the fish are really keying on baitfish," he said. "Years ago, everyone only talked about jerkbaits for the prespawn, but we've seen in professional tournaments that they work every month of the year. You can fish them when it's cold, but they also work when the water is 90 degrees. There's no bad time to use one, including in November."
What he looks for when throwing them is simple baitfish, primarily shad. "It all depends on where the baitfish are this time of year, and every body of water is different," said Lucas. "Some lakes might be on the main lake on the bluffs, and others may be back into the creeks. But, generally, I'm fishing my jerkbaits on points and steeper bluffs for the most part."
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Shallow diving crankbaits are top producers for Justin Lucas each November. His jerkbait of choice will typically be a Berkley Stunna 112, but he will downsize to the smaller 100 size if the baitfish are smaller. "One of my favorite colors is a white one called Hanky Panky and a clear blue one called Blue Vapor OB," he added.
Crankbait
Sticking with the baitfish theme, a crankbait is another of Justin Lucas's must-have baits for fall fishing. This includes shallow divers like squarebills and medium-runners approaching 6 feet of diving depth. He'll fish them in similar areas, throwing a jerkbait until he gets further into creeks in shallower water.
"If I'm in the back of the creek, the first thing I'm going to pick up is a Berkley Frittside 5, Dime 6, or Square Bull," he said. "I would put all three together as one pick and use different ones depending on how deep it is. Then, if it's too deep to hit bottom with one of those baits, I'll return to the jerkbait."
Jighead Minnow
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It's hard to beat a minnow-shaped soft plastic on a jighead when targeting suspended bass keyed in on baitfish. A fluke-style bait or minnow on a jighead has been one of the trendiest ways to catch bass lately, and November is one of the best months for it, according to Lucas. This is for the same reasons a jerkbait works so well. Bass are feeding heavily on baitfish and suspended in the middle of the water column.
"You almost need one all year now, especially with forward-facing sonar," he said. "The biggest thing is to match the size of the baitfish they are eating because in some places they are eating little two and 3-inch shad, and in other places, like where I live on Lake Guntersville, you can get away with a bigger minnow."
Lucas generally uses two options: a Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Flat Nose Minnow, which is four inches long, or the Flatnose Jerk Shad, which is slightly bulkier and an inch longer. "Those two baits give me a lot of confidence to imitate a baitfish," said Lucas.
Spinnerbait
Another fine baitfish imitator is a spinnerbait, which is a fall favorite for many anglers, including Lucas. He pays close attention to the blade size, and he tries to match the blades to the size of the baitfish.
"A lot of times in the fall, I like smaller spinnerbaits like the Compact Berkley Power Blade because of how much smaller the blades are," he said. "If the water is clean and the fish are eating small baitfish, that's always the one I want to try first. If the water is dirtier, you can get away with a standard spinnerbait with larger blades."
As to where he fishes them, he will use them primarily in the same places as he does with crankbait, shallow areas with baitfish activity. "I look for rock or wood, either bigger rocks or laydowns and bushes along the bank," he said. "You can also get way back into the creeks and target that cover in shallow water. A spinnerbait can be very effective in those areas if baitfish are around."
Topwater
This last choice is dependent on the weather and water temperature, but topwater is a great producer for Lucas well into November. He sets a water temperature cutoff and throws topwater lures for most of the year, starting in spring and running into November or even later if conditions allow.
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If conditions allow, don't put away your topwater baits too soon in the season. "I've caught fish on topwater way down until the water gets to 50 degrees, and don't put it away until then," he said. "Even in places like the Ozarks, the late fall can be some of the best times to throw one, even until the first snow of the year when it's almost wintertime. People think it's just summer bait, but you can absolutely still catch them when the water is colder, and some big ones, too. You're not going to get a lot of baits using one, but the chances are that they will be some of the biggest fish of the day."
His favorite topwaters to throw in November are plopping-style baits like the Berkley Choppo. "For me, I like that style of bait because it is much easier to cover water with, and what you're doing is looking for the most active fish," he said. "A bait like the Choppo allows you to put the trolling motor on 60 or 70 percent and roll down the bank. You are covering water quickly, not slowly working a bait while trying to talk one into biting."
Many different lures will work in November, but Justin Lucas advises you to do whatever you can to imitate baitfish. It's a proven approach that works everywhere as bass feed up as they prepare for winter.
