A variety of lures will catch bass prowling the flats during the fall, but I have three that I rely on most of the time.
Each one is chosen based upon the water clarity and forage in a given lake.
Typically, lakes are lower and clearer this time of year, and most fishing patterns are designed around baitfish.
In lakes with shad, the bass head to the creeks, and if there is grass back there, they will use that, but they definitely go shallow and move onto the flats where the baitfish are.
On ultra-clear lakes, finesse baits will work but I prefer to cover water faster until I locate the fish. In this situation, I opt for a jerkbait.
My favorite is a suspending version of my signature series Strike King jerkbait. If the water is deeper, I opt for our new deep runner, but generally the standard size is best this time of year because the fish are shallow.
It comes in great shad imitating colors, but I will opt for bluegill or perch colors if that is the dominate forage.
Even though the water is cooler, I still use an aggressive retrieve/jerking action. Fish are more active in cold water during the fall than they are during the spring. Their metabolism is up and they are active.
I key on edges, be it channel drops, weed edges, or rip rap.
Now, if the lake is a little more stained, say 2 feet of visibility, the bass and bait will move farther (shallower) onto the flats and farther back in the creeks.
This is when a Red Eye Shad lipless crankbait is my absolute favorite. I like the 1/2-ounce version and vary my line size to control the depth I’m trying to cover. It’s important to have that bait contacting the bottom, or if there is vegetation, nipping the grass. In deeper water, light line is a better choice, but if the fish are in that 2 feet zone, I’ll use 17-pound fluorocarbon. Shad colors, especially sexy shad, are hard to beat; in northern lakes I like perch or bluegill colors.
I cast the bait and let it to get the bottom before I start a pumping retrieve, using the rod tip height to control the depth. I like to pull/stop/pull, kinda like you would with a jig, only faster. The Red Eye has a unique fluttering action on the fall and that often triggers bites.
If the water is dirty, say after a heavy rain, I head farther back in the creeks and fish right in the dirty water. Incoming stained water pulls those shad toward the current and the bass follow.
The fish will get extremely shallow and tight to cover in dirty water. That’s when I like a square bill crankbait.
I use bigger baits in the south, like the Strike King KVD 2.5 Square Bill, and in bright visible colors – chartreuse/white, pearl or sexy shad – that the bass can see easier in the dirtier water.
To help you pinpoint potential hotspots in any lake during the fall, look for the fish-eating birds like gulls, cormorants and herons. Also, keep an eye out for coots, as they will sit and feed over grass beds and prefer the greener, healthier grass that also attracts bait and bass.
Fall fishing can be a blast when the bass are shallow, but choosing the best lure that matches the appropriate conditions can make it even better.
Remember, it’s all about the attitude!
Kevin VanDam’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
