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

GIANT Bass In A Lake Full Of Predators!

We're on a SMALL Lake full of BIG predators! The plan is to target bass but we've got to avoid the musky and pike to make it happen. How do you find bass in a lake like this? We're about to find out! The plan is to target bass that are moving into the shallows as the water warms up. Come along for a fun day full of GIANT Smallmouth!

We began the day by looking shallow. In clear water fisheries your best bet is often to simply look, don't even make a cast. If the water is murky, use a fast moving search bait as your eyes to determine if the fish have moved in. Once we established the fish had moved up, the hunt for the big ones began! The first bite of the day came from a musky, the second from a 5 lb smallmouth!

We spent the day targeting bass in and around cover. Even the big bass are wary to mix with the big pike and musky for fear of becoming a snack. Despite the presence of heavy cover, we focused on 5-6 lb fluorocarbon line to fool the clear water bass into biting. We used a variety of baits to target these fish, catching them on nearly everything we threw. Below is a breakdown of the baits and gear we used to make this day a success!

The baits...

-Roboworm FX Sculpin (Oxblood Light Red Flake): http://bit.ly/2XMbwoQ

-Megabass Okashira Screwhead (Real Minnow): http://bit.ly/2EpluSA

-Keitech Fat 3.3 (Pro Blue Red Pearl): http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

-Dry Creek Tube (Green Pumpkin): http://bit.ly/2cJwI6r

-Zoom Super Fluke (Houdini): http://bit.ly/2aqys0H

-Strike King Half Shell (KVD Magic): http://bit.ly/2iR9awm

Worm Rod...

Rod- Conquest 902S SJR: http://bit.ly/2BiGUNi

Reel- Shimano Stradic Ci4+ 2500: http://bit.ly/2gu84t7

Line- Sunline Sniper 5 lb: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

(This rod was selected for its incredible sensitivity and parabolic action. It was the perfect match for 5 lb fluorocarbon against BIG fish. Its a rare combination of sensitivity and flex.)

Keitech/Screwhead Rod...

Rod- Shimano Expride 6'10" Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2osaj3q

Reel- Shimano Stella FJ 2500: http://bit.ly/2U8Pkzg

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

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

Budget-Friendly Finesse Combo...

Rod- SLX Spinning 7' Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2AdvIC1

Reel- Nasci 1000 FB: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- 6 lb Sunline Sniper: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Finesse Swimbaits For Early Spring Bass

Swimbaits catch giant bass but that doesn't mean you always have to throw a BIG swimbait. Today's video is all about fishing small swimbaits at key times to catch quality bass. Knowing when to downsize can be the difference between an amazing day on the water and catching nothing at all.

Don't assume that small swimbaits mean you'll catch little fish. Even the little 2" offerings catch giant bass when bass are targeting small baitfish. The 2.8 keitech, Easy Shiner and Armor Shad are all great shad and minnow imitators. Pair them with a small head that has a finesse hook and you can drop down to light line, ultralight tackle, and get a ton of bites when other anglers are struggling.

Below is a breakdown of the gear Tim discussed in the video. We're also including some of our favorite colors. While your natural inclination is to throw the ghost and pearl colors don't be afraid to mix in the bright and bold options, you'd be amazed how often a giant bass will eat white or chartreuse simply because its different.

The Swimbaits...

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

-Damiki Armor Shad: http://bit.ly/2KtPDAT

-Keitech 3" Easy Shiner: http://bit.ly/2bxJK6H

-Strike King Rage Swimmer 2.75: http://bit.ly/2evZF8j

Natural Colors: Crystal Shad, Tennessee Shad, Pro Blue Red Pearl

Bold Colors: Chartreuse/Blue, SunGill, Morning Dawn, Chartreuse Shad

The Heads...

-Dirty Jigs Guppy Head with 1/0 hook: http://bit.ly/2nyUJRS

-Revenge Darter Hedz: http://bit.ly/2cHMZbm

-Cool Baits Underspin: http://bit.ly/2boS7QA

All-Around Finesse Swimbait Combo...

Rod- Shimano Curado 7'1" Medium Spinning: http://bit.ly/2ydQjbi

Reel- Shimano Stradic CI4+ 2500: http://bit.ly/2gu84t7

Line- 8 lb Sunline Sniper Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

High-End Finesse Combo...

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

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

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

Leader- 8 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNj

3 Underspin Tricks You Haven't Tried!

Making the perfect underspin is easy! There are some awesome products on the market now that let you convert any hook, swimbait head, or jighead into an underspin. You can modify baits, change hooks, weights, blade sizes, and more, and it only takes a few seconds.

Bass love chasing baitfish in the Fall and the underspin is a great way to target those fish. Unfortunately no two lakes are the same so one day you might be fishing in 2 feet around grass and the next day find yourself in 25 feet on a flat. With these simple baits and hooks you can quickly adapt to changing conditions.

Below you'll find a breakdown of the the individual items and tackle Matt discussed in the video. Farther down you'll find his recommendations for making your own "UnderSpin Kit" to store in the boat so you can easily adapt to changing conditions when the need arises.

Our Preferred Underspins...

Blade Runner Underspin: http://bit.ly/29UVegz

Owner Flashy Swimmer: http://bit.ly/2e8O4Y7

Hog Farmer Baits War Pig: http://bit.ly/2pcQnRP

Cool Baits Underspin: http://bit.ly/2boS7QA

Underspin Parts...

Owner CPS Springs (Medium): http://bit.ly/2b2YgDf

Khan Baits Easy Spin: http://bit.ly/2RUVXVW

Pro Point Lures Underspin Blades: http://bit.ly/2f6uwne

Decoy Versatile Keeper: http://bit.ly/2NNtJci

Hook Selection...

Matt Allen Swimbait Head: http://bit.ly/29RrTYN

Owner 4/0 Beast Hook: http://bit.ly/2ancP66

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

Gamakatsu 6/0 Superline EWG Hook: http://bit.ly/2ac92XG

The Baits...

Keitech 4.8" Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Scottsboro Tackle Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2NpyLjU

Matt's Kit Recommendations...

-Plano Pro Latch 3500 Box: http://bit.ly/2QVH7NI

-1/8 oz Easy Spin (Silver)

-1/8 oz Easy Spin (Gold)

-3/8 oz Easy Spin (Silver)

-Weightless Easy Spin (Silver)

-Pro Point Lures Silver Blades

-Decoy Medium Versatile Keeper (Holds Blades in place)

-Owner Medium CPS Spring

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