Where Bass Go During The Fall Transition ( And The Baits To Catch Them )

Fall is coming, here's what you need to know! If your fish are starting to disappear and you don't know why, you're not alone. As the nights get cooler, bass fishing goes through a huge change! Bass transition toward their Fall patterns and many anglers are left wondering what happened. We're here to help!

The Fall Transition comes much earlier than most anglers realize. It's not a slow progression either, in most situations, bass will begin their movements overnight. One day you're on an awesome topwater bite, the next you can't find a fish. When this happens it's time to step back and look at what is motivating these fish to move. Whether you're targeting shallow bass or deep, the bass' next movement is motivated by the bait fish's location. As the bait begins to gather, so will the bass.

Below is a breakdown of the gear we recommend using during this season. We've included rigging components where applicable and even included our favorite colors for each technique. All the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item.

RELATED VIDEOS...

•Megabass Karashi: Why This Little Bait Could Take Over Bass Fishing: https://youtu.be/R4oTU0CmJ-8

PITCHING JIG...

•Dirty Jigs 1/2 oz Pitchin' Jig: http://bit.ly/2amL3of

Color: The Go To

•Xzone 4" Muscle Back Craw: https://bit.ly/43DZXOQ

Colors: Green Pumpkin Black

DEEP DIVING CRANKBAIT...

•River2Sea Tactical DD 75 Crankbait: https://bit.ly/37dclbX

Colors: Mirrored Minnow, True Shad

•Rapala DT 16 Crankbait: https://bit.ly/42ITxNr

Colors: Green Gizzard Shad, Lemon Shad

SPOONS...

•Nichols Blade Runner Duh Spoon: https://bit.ly/4cSEVki

Size: 3/4 – 1 3/4 oz

Colors: Shattered Glass Silver, Morning Dawn UV, Sierra UV

CHATTERBAITS...

•ZMan Baby Jack Chatterbait: https://bit.ly/4jvWTMx

Colors: Green Pumpkin Shad, Clearwater Shad

•Zman Elite Evo Mini Max Chatterbait: https://bit.ly/3EahpTT

Colors: Electric Shad, Spot Remover

CHATTERBAIT TRAILERS...

•ZMan 3.5" ChatterShad: https://bit.ly/4jPaGOX

Colors: The Deal, Electric Shad

•Hog Farmer 4" Stroll Shad: https://bit.ly/3ALs7OI

Colors: Electric Shad, Ghost Minnow, Green Shad

FINESSE BAITS...

•Megabass Karashi: https://bit.ly/3LwMGS7

Colors: Glitz Shad, See Through Shad

•Duo Realis Spinbait 80: https://bit.ly/3QE27YK

Colors: River Bait, Ghost Minnow

•Baitsanity 2" BFS Glide Bait: https://bit.ly/4od827Y

Colors: Baby Shad, Chrome

UNDERSPIN...

•Dirty Jigs Tactical Mini Underspin: https://bit.ly/3JOd8UY

Size: 1/4 oz

•Crush City 3" Mayor: https://bit.ly/43Uhyli

Color: Pro Blue Red Pearl

TOPWATER...

•Megabass Giant Dog X: https://bit.ly/2yU84eE

Colors: Juvy Gill, Spotlight Shad

•Duo Realis 110 Pencil Silent: https://bit.ly/3TdJIoL

Colors: Chrome Tiger, UV Silver Slash B

SQUAREBILL...

•Damiki BTC 50: https://bit.ly/3OVb3Lc

Colors: Threadfin Flash, Ghost Minnow

JERKBAITS...

•Megabass Vision 110: https://bit.ly/3tw8Cpz

Colors: GP Pro Blue, Mat Shad

•Xzone Whiplash Shad: https://bit.ly/3IpMKQo

Colors: Pro Blue Red Pearl, Electric Shad

MINNOWS...

•Hog Farmer 5" Stroll Shad: https://bit.ly/3ALs7OI

Colors: Green Shad, Electric Shad

•Damiki Fat Armor Shad: https://bit.ly/435tuCj

Colors: Gizzard Shad, Tennessee Shad

BUDGET "ALL AROUND" CASTING COMBO...

Rod– St. Croix Bass X 7'1" Medium Heavy Fast: https://bit.ly/2r0xWAs

Reel– Shimano SLX 150 XT (HG): https://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

Line– Sunline FC (12 lb): https://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

BUDGET CRANKBAIT COMBO...

Rod– Fenwick Eagle 7'5" Medium Heavy Moderate: https://bit.ly/3VLYWTC

Reel– Daiwa Fuego CT: https://bit.ly/35hugfH

Line– Seaguar InvizX (15 lb): https://bit.ly/2oVsG2Y

BUDGET "ALL AROUND" SPINNING COMBO...

Rod– Shimano SLX A 7' Medium: https://bit.ly/2AdvIC1

Reel– Shimano Miravel 2500: https://bit.ly/3QZnwL5

Line– Seaguar Red Label (8 lb): https://bit.ly/2LOVEwA

TACTICALBASSIN LURE DESIGNS (AND APPAREL)

We have a variety of custom lure designs and apparel available! Everything from Swimbaits and crankbaits, to apparel and merch! See it here…

•TacticalBassin Apparel and Merch: https://bit.ly/3ZxEI0z

•TacticalBassin Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

Catching Bass In The Fall Transition On Frogs, Jigs, and Dropshot

Come along for an awesome topwater morning! We launched the bass boat in total darkness so we'd be ready for first light. As soon as you could see, the bass began exploding on our frogs! Once the sun was up we headed to the docks in search of bass with jigs, dropshot, texas rigs, and an old faithful curly tail grub. Ross England has filmed several finesse videos with us in the past but today you really get to see him approaching docks. Hop in the boat and enjoy a great day of fishing on Clearlake!

During the Fall transition, low light is a critical time for catching big bass. These fish are adapting to changing conditions and will often feed heavily at first and last light when their odds of success are the highest. Once the sun is up they'll sit in the shadows and wait for their next feeding opportunity. Understanding when its time to fish reaction baits and when its time to slow down and finesse is the key to consistent success.

In today's video we began by targeting the active morning feeding period with three different frogs (linked below). Once the sun hit the water the active bite vanished. If we had stayed in this are it would have been a struggle all day to get bit so we opted to move across the lake to an area covered with docks. By switching to hard cover (dock pilings) and shadows we were able to consistently catch fish the rest of the day.

Ross England has made a career targeting bass in docks. He loves to finesse fish amongst the pilings and today we got to see it in action! He used a combination of dropshot and curly tail grub to coax midday bass out from under the docks. It was a pleasure to watch him methodically approach each dock and successfully locate the bass within.

Below is a breakdown of the equipment we used during today's video. You'll also find links to the videos we've done with Ross in the past as well as a link to his guiding website.

Videos Featuring Ross...

-Dropshot Fishing Tips: How To Catch Fish All Winter : http://bit.ly/2kCiNFZ

-Dropshot Tips For Big Bass! Ft. Ross England : http://bit.ly/2k7U9Na

Ross England's Clearlake Guide Service Website: http://bit.ly/2mb7DIP

Matt's Baits In Order Of Appearance...

Frog- River2Sea Bully Wa 2 (Little Allen, Ghost): http://bit.ly/2axyR2a

Creature- Keitech Crazy Flapper 4.4 (Green pumpkin Fire): http://bit.ly/2c3cXrp

Jig- Dirty Jigs Finesse Jig 5/16 oz (Green Pumpkin Craw): http://bit.ly/2eJinXo

Jig Trailer- Yamamoto Double Tail 4" Grub (Watermelon): http://bit.ly/2db9w1p

Underspin- Owner Flashy Swimmer 5/0 1/4 oz: http://bit.ly/2e8O4Y7

Underspin Swimbait- Keitech 4.8" Fat Swing Impact (Pro Blue Red Pearl): http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Ross's Baits...

Frog- Jackall Kaera (Glitter Bluegill): http://bit.ly/2Fz6SA3

Grub- Yamamoto 4" Single Tail Grub (Smoke Blk Flake): http://bit.ly/2kFzGPZ

Grub Hook- Revenge Darter Hedz 1/4 oz: http://bit.ly/2cHMZbm

Dropshot Worm- Roboworm 6" (Margarita Mutilator): http://bit.ly/2asZyH3

Dropshot Hook- Owner Mosquito Light (Size 1): http://bit.ly/2zQVKx3

Matt's All-Around Dock Combo...

Rod- Shimano Expride 7'2" Medium Heavy: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Curado DC HG: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- 50 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 12 lb Maxima Ultragreen: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Ross's Finesse Combo...

Rod- Powell Endurance 7'3" Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2QyFvNk

Reel- Shimano NASCI 2500: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- 8 lb Power Pro Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- 8 lb Seaguar Red Label: http://bit.ly/2LOVEwA

Where Do Bass Go During The Fall Transition? (And How To Catch Them)

Fall is fast approaching and the bass are already on the move. If your fish are starting to disappear and you don't know why, we're here to help! As the nights get cooler the bass fishing changes over night, stumping many anglers. The offshore fish begin to gather and the shallow fish abandon their Summer cover in search of new spots. If you're not ready for what comes next it can leave you scratching your head.

The Fall Transition comes much earlier than most anglers realize. Its not a slow progression, the bass will begin their movements overnight. One day you're on an awesome topwater bite, the next you can't find a fish. When this happens its time to step back and look at what is motivating these fish to move. Whether you're targeting shallow bass or deep, the bass' next movement is motivated by the baitfish's location. As the bait begins to gather, so will the bass.

If your fish are out deep, expect them to begin gathering on the best structures. Expect to find them on corners of ledges with deep water access, long tapering points that break to deep water, and later you can expect them to transition toward the backs of deep coves. Shallow fish will abandon the scattered weeds in favor of thick weed clumps and hard structures. As the seasons progress these fish will begin bunching up along ambush points and pockets.

Below is a breakdown of the gear we recommend using during these conditions. We've separated it into shallow and deep approaches depending on which group of fish you're pursuing.

Shallow Flipping components...

Stopper- 6th Sense Peg X: http://bit.ly/2bHjowk

Weight- Vader Tungsten 1.5 oz: http://bit.ly/2NjDYtV

Hook- Owner Jungle Wide Gap 5/0: http://bit.ly/2sBsR1Z

Bait #1- Jackall Archelon (Green Pumpkin, School Gill): http://bit.ly/2uo4sN5

Bait #2- Strike King Rage Craw (Green Pumpkin, Dirty Craw): http://bit.ly/2uoqsLJ

Shallow Reaction Baits...

Crankbait- River2Sea Biggie Squarebill (Abalone Shad, TS Minnow): http://bit.ly/2ahCzvo

Crankbait- Lucky Craft 1.5 Squarebill (Ghost Minnow, American Shad): http://bit.ly/2BGxKPa

Topwater- River2Sea Rover 128 (Ghost Minnow, Sooner, You Know It): http://bit.ly/2acSVea

Jig For Deep Or Shallow...

Jig- 1/2 oz Pitchin Jig (Go To, Molting Craw): http://bit.ly/2amL3of

Jig Trailer- Sweet Beaver (Green Pumpkin, Tramp Stamp): http://bit.ly/29W3RZW

Deep Water Baits...

Crankbait- Strike King 6XD (Chartreuse Sexy Shad, Delta Red, Pro Blue): http://bit.ly/2ery44M

Crankbait- Strike King 10XD (Chartreuse Sexy Shad, Delta Red): http://bit.ly/2gHT4F0

Hook Upgrades...

6XD - Gamakatsu EWG Size 2: http://bit.ly/2cZrsbY

10XD- Owner ST-36 Size 1/0: http://bit.ly/2cWpeyw

Biggie- Owner ST-36 Size 2: http://bit.ly/2cWpeyw

Preferred All-around Combo...

Rod- Expride 7'2" Medium Heavy: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Shimano Curado 200K: http://bit.ly/2tHewEh

Line- 50 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 15 lb Maxima Ultragreen: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Budget-Friendly All Around Combo...

Rod- Shimano SLX 7'2" Medium Heavy: http://bit.ly/2L3wppO

Reel- Shimano SLX: http://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

Line- 15 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Bass Fishing: How To Catch Bass On Tough Days

Eat! Eat! Eat! Food is all that bass are thinking about in the Late Fall! These creatures know the cold season is coming and they waste no time filling their reserves with anything that passes in front of them. This time of year an angler can gain a ton of confidence in new lures by targeting bass that are anxious to feed. Need to learn how to catch bass on crankbaits, swimbait, jigs, etc? No problem! It all sounds wonderful until they shut down. All of a sudden you can’t get a bite, no one can, so what do you do now?

Today Tim breaks down his approach to catching bass that are shut down. Anyone can get a bite when the fish are chasing but knowing when its time to stop and adapt can be the difference between a great day and a frustrating outing. Knowing when to downsize to a dropshot, Neko rig, or other finesse bait is an art all its own. Tim explains the signs you need to keep an eye out for and follows it up with tackle recommendations.

Below is a breakdown of the tackle that Tim uses during tough conditions. When the fish turn negative, fish with confidence, knowing that you’ve adapted at the right time. The bass are still there and with a little persistence you can salvage your day on the water.

Dropshot Presentation...

Worm- Strike King Half Shell: http://bit.ly/2iR9awm

Hook- Owner Mosquito Light 1/0: http://bit.ly/2zQVKx3

Weight- Vike Skinny Tungsten Dropshot: http://bit.ly/2kppo3p

Swimbait Presentation...

Swimbait- Keitech 2.8 Fat Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Head- 1/8 oz Guppy Head: http://bit.ly/2nyUJRS

Ned Rig Presentation...

Worm 1- Roboworm Ned Worm: http://bit.ly/2j9F0Xy

Worm 2- Z Man Finesse T.R.D.: http://bit.ly/2hs4RtR

Head- 1/8 oz Owner Block Head: http://bit.ly/2qL0A8n

Neko Rig Presentation...

Worm- Yamamoto 5" Senko: http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

Hook- Mustad TitanX Neko Hook: http://bit.ly/2yYcJLc

Weight- Swagger Tackle Pagoda: http://bit.ly/2iGNSFW

Other Great baits when fish are slowing down...

Baby Brush Hog: http://bit.ly/2bnpCRx

Man Bear Pig: http://bit.ly/2s51oIV

Roboworm 4" Fat Worm: http://bit.ly/2awYSxM

Tim's Favorite Finesse Combo...

Rod- G Loomis NRX 852S JWR: http://bit.ly/2dX9zjv

Reel- Shimano Exsence 3000 Reel: http://bit.ly/2iMtscV

Line- 10 lb Power Pro Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- 6 lb Sniper Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

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