20 places YOU SHOULD BE FISHING RIGHT NOW lake shasta , California
Bass begin to transition from summer to fall patterns everywhere in the country in September , but the annual change of seasons really kicks things into gear on California ’ s Lake Shasta . This 30,000-acre impoundment of the Sacramento River is full of baitfish , whose movement helps congregate bass in small areas in September . Anglers can sit in one area and sample the prolific spotted bass population all day long using topwaters , crankbaits and soft plastics .
lake st . clair , Michigan
One of the most popular fisheries in the Great Lakes , St . Clair gets plenty of attention from bass anglers and pleasure boaters alike . It ’ s become one of the premier smallmouth fisheries in the country and continues to kick out good numbers with quality bass mixed in all summer and well into the fall months .
The fish get more concentrated in September , and when you find them , you ’ ll find plenty . Bigger bass start to show up more frequently , as well , according to Jonathon VanDam .
“ It ’ s generally still a late summer pattern , but the fish are starting to group up more and relate to baitfish ,” he said . “ It ’ s a time of year when you ’ ll catch better numbers and the fish will be more aggressive as they start putting the feed on . You can catch them a bunch of ways , but a 15- foot diving crankbait gets it right into the strike zone and is one of the best ways to catch them and cover water to find them .”
MLF pro Michael Neal proved that catching big numbers of fish is no stretch in winning an event on Lake St . Clair in 2022 .
PHOTO BY GARRICK DIXON
California ’ s Clear Lake has recovered from a long bout with low water and will be a prolific producer in late summer and early fall . clear lake , California
California ’ s Clear Lake is no stranger to lists of top bass lakes in the country . September can be one of the better times to visit the famed Golden State fishery , according to Cody Meyer .
“ Clear Lake is always awesome , but what I love about it during the early fall is that you have so many options ,” he said . “ If you want to throw a frog or punch mats all day , you can . You can also fish deep rock with a jig , drop-shot or crankbait . If you want to skip docks , you can do that , too . There is also a great topwater bite every morning that time of year .”
The past few years have seen low water on the lake , but Clear Lake is now back to normal . While the lake was low , the vegetation exploded , which has helped the overall fishing quality .
“ The fishing has gradually gotten better every year ,” Meyer said . “ It was really low , but a ton of grass started growing in the lake . That ’ s helped the fishing , and the lake is much better now , any time of year .”
PHOTO BY COBI PELLERITO
56 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2023