Fall Swimbait Fishing

Since filming the post, “Which swimbait should you choose” I’ve had quite a few questions come in about how to fish the baits as the water cools. Throwing a swimbait in late fall and into winter is very different from the rest of the year. Its no longer about trying to attract big fish from a long distance or about getting them to react to the bait. Instead, your goal is to present a big, slow meal and do it in a way that appears very easy to eat. I’ll likely follow this post up with another that shows a simple modification that will allow your baits to kick at slower speeds so that you can more easily target cold water fish.
All of the questions about how to catch these fish inspired me to actually get out from behind the computer screen and head to the lake. Luckily the fish were right where I expected them to be and I was rewarded with a gorgeous Northern California bass. She weighed in at 8.85 lbs and as the video shows, was caught creeping a swimbait along the bottom in 30-35 feet of water. If you watch closely you see me bump into a rock and then she crushes the bait!

Top 5 baits for the Fall Transition

The late fall to early winter is one of my favorite times to fish. This season is one of the few times I have the lake all to myself. Sure, there are other fisherman on the water but they aren’t fishing like I am. No matter where you are in the country, as winter approaches anglers begin to slow down their presentation. Whether that mean throwing a worm, flipping a jig, or spooning, just depends on where you live. Sure you could give in to the trend and fish like everyone else but why?

Why not break away from the pack, fish hard, fish for the active fish, and have whole sections of the lake to yourself? As the water cools most of the bass will slow down and become sluggish and the fisherman will follow suit. Maybe this is your year to break out of the mold and find the feeding fish in and around the shallows. Here are my top 5 baits for fishing that transition between fall and winter.

You’ll notice the only bait on the list that isn’t a pure reaction bait is the football jig. At certain times the active fish are completely keyed on crawdads and that is when the football comes in to play. The rest of the time however, I’ll be fishing shallow, fishing fast, and putting the remaining 4 baits to work for me. If you want to catch a big bass in the fall that hasn’t been pressured like all the smaller fish be the last guy to leave the shallows, the last one to set down the topwater rod, and never, ever set down that swimbait.

Are these the baits you like to throw in the fall/winter? Is a late-season reaction bite news to you? What are your go-to baits in the fall?  I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and share your thoughts.