5 Autumn Patterns that are Hot Now
Great ways to catch bass in transition
Want to cash in on autumn’s bass fishing bounty? Of course you do. But first, you need to consider that bass are in transition as temperatures fall and shad move, most often from deep to shallow.
To help you stay on the trail of bass in your lake, here are five autumn patterns that’ll help you cut off those transitioning fish right now.
1. Flat, Shallow Points
This one’s not only an easy pattern to apply, it’s a fun one too. That’s because the two best types of baits for this pattern, according to Walmart FLW Tour pro Michael Wooley, are spinnerbaits and walking topwaters.
Where to look: Work partway back into creeks on large reservoirs and look for hard-bottom points that taper out slowly into a flat or, even better, into a creek channel. The best indicator that you’ve found the right point is if you spot bass busting bait on the surface.
Little details: Wooley’s favorite points have stumps, stake beds or some other type of cover where bass will set up to ambush bait. If you see shad popping up on the surface or on your depth finder, you’re probably in the right place.
Fish it: Work fast, but be thorough. A walking topwater such as a Strike King Sexy Dawg is a great choice because it can be cast easily in the wind and it’s obnoxious enough to call fish up even in choppy, murky-water conditions. A spinnerbait is also a good choice for covering water when bass aren’t eating on top.
2. Scattered “Black Water” Grass Beds
Now’s the time of year when grass beds start to top out and form dense mats, but out on the edges of hard grass lines you can still find beds of scattered grass. For Walmart pro Mark Rose, those scattered, broken edges can be primo, but the pattern hinges on finding patches or seams of clear water, which, depending on depth, often appear as “black water” due to the lack of suspended sediment. Avoid stirred-up, muddy water.
Where to look: Search downwind of mats, behind islands or anywhere that current sweeps through a ditch or channel in the grass. These areas are either protected from wind or receive fresh water from inflowing current.
Little details: Grass that’s extremely thick yet not topped out on the surface often lacks the space for bass to live and hunt. Scattered patches give bass good ambush cover with room to maneuver.
Fish it: Be aggressive, especially if the wind blows. Walk a topwater across the grass, or swim through it with a swimbait such as the Strike King Shadalicious. Rose prefers to throw his on an open jighead for a higher hooking percentage. If the sun is bright, try punching each cluster of grass.
Watch this video on scattered grass with Mark Rose
3. Thick Mats
Bass will slip in from scattered edge grass and set up beneath a surface mat if the mat has developed just right. The key is finding a mat that is mature and thick enough to block the sunlight and cause the grass underneath to start dying off. The result is a canopy overhead, with an open cavern underneath. Bluegills live in this space and feed on bugs on the underside of the mat. Where there are bluegills, there are big bass.
Where to look: According to Walmart FLW Tour pro Michael Neal, if the reservoir water level is falling, look for mats along main-channel outside bends, which is where current sweeps fastest along the grass. Otherwise, shallow backwaters that receive a flow of current stay “energized” and will often hold the most bass.
Little details: Look for “blowholes” created by bass busting through the mat’s surface to eat. If you see a blowhole followed by an obvious drag line cut through the mat, another angler probably caught a fish there recently. Both are good indicators that bass live within that mat. The last clue is what some anglers refer to as “Rice Krispies,” or a crackling, popping sound created by bluegills feeding on insects within the mat.
Fish it: Neal likes to flip the outside edge of the mat at times, especially in windy conditions that might motivate bass to prowl outside the mat and feed. Otherwise, he parks his boat in front of the mat and casts a frog all the way to the bank if he can. For longer casts, pick a heavy frog that casts well. Inside his frog, Neal adds rattles for more audible attraction and weights so that it’ll depress down into the mat even more – it’ll actually sink in open water. The result is a bait that bass can spot from beneath the mat. A slow tugging retrieve works best. If he gets a bite, Neal holds the boat in one spot and fan-casts all over the mat with a slow retrieve until he’s “cut up” the entire section.
Watch this video on thick mats with Michael Neal
4. Smallmouth River Channel Banks
This pattern works in large bays in reservoirs where the original creek channel swings up close to the bank, but it’s an even better pattern to fish on Northern smallmouth rivers, such as the upper Mississippi River in northern Minnesota. Target bass along rocky, main-river banks where the channel has scoured the shoreline, causing it to slope steeply down to 8 to 20 feet deep. On some days, bass also set up against hard lines of reeds and wild rice that grow on the main channel outside of backwater pools. Isolated pieces of wood cover hold fish too.
Where to look: Smallmouths are migrating out of heavy-flow areas and into deeper water at the lower end of river pools. This makes them somewhat area-oriented, so start off at a fast pace and cover water. The key is to find stopping points along the actual riverbank, either where it brushes against the natural shoreline or where it cuts around a shallow backwater area.
Little details: Bass often set up in small schools or clusters in hot areas, so once you get a bite, slow down and work the area awhile. Then look for other stretches of the river that have a similar type of bank or cover.
Fish it: You can catch fish on drop-shots, tubes, jigs and other bottom baits, but for the sake of your own fishing pleasure, start your search with a medium-diving crankbait such as a Rapala DT10 or Bomber Fat Free Shad Fingerling. Work parallel to the bank, casting up tight to the edge before bringing the lure back. It’s easiest to drift the boat with the current and fish the lure back against it, though some days a more natural downstream presentation is the better choice.
5. Creek Mouth Points and Micro-Flats
Everyone knows that bait and bass push up onto shallow flats in the fall, but those areas often get bombarded with spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits. Another great way to pick off transitioning fish in lowland reservoirs is to hole-hop submerged points – both obvious and subtle – in the mouths of creeks. Large points can hold schools, but smaller structures might hold just one or two keepers, so be prepared to bounce around from spot to spot.
Where to look: You can fish the most obvious points in a creek mouth, but those areas are usually pressured all year. Try looking on a map for small points that are completely submerged, or “micro-flats,” which look like small flat-topped points and usually are found along a plain-sloping bank or larger ledge-type drop.
Little details: Points and micro-flats that are close to shore or extend toward shore without actually being an extension of the shoreline itself get missed by many anglers because they can’t be spotted from above the surface. However, you can see them on a map and fish them quickly. Plus, bass will sometimes school in these areas in the mornings and evenings in fall.
Fish it: Throw a walking topwater or a big “splashy” popper in the mornings or if bass are schooling. Otherwise, throw your favorite crankbait. If they won’t eat a crankbait, slow down a little by slow-rolling a Gene Larew Biffle HardHead rigged with a Biffle Bug creature bait. Make a long cast, and stay in contact with the bottom during the retrieve.