Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3620 September 15-30, 2017 | Page 7

FRESHWATER
VOL.36 • ISS. 20
5
Sept. 15 - 30, 2017
Fall Bass Attack!
presents
^
Fall is a fantastic time for
bass fishing in both the
California Delta and in our foothill
reservoirs. Author Cal Kellogg
caught this beautiful smallmouth
while working a Duh! Spoon
at Lake Berryessa during an
October fishing adventure with
California bass fishing legend,
Larry Hemphill.
T
^
While jigging spoons
are often the best bait
to employ when fall bass are
gobbling up baitfish, other
reaction baits such as crankbaits
and topwater lures work too. This
robust smallmouth came out of
the depths to smack a walking
bait.
<
When fall bass are
targeting suspended
balls of threadfin shad,
few offerings work as well
as a jigging spoon worked
vertically just above the depth
of the bait and the bass.
Should the action move to the
surface these spoons will also
work when casted and slow
rolled through the feeding fish.
>
Early during the fall bite,
much of the action will take
place in open water offshore. As
the season progresses and the
water temperature drops more
and more, the baitfish and bass
will eventually begin working
their way up river channels like
the one shown here.
Planning For
Fall Bass Season…
he days are have been getting
shorter for a few weeks now
and before long we’ll start to notice that
it’s getting dark earlier. The
water in our reservoirs is still
warm in late August and early
September, but they will start
cooling soon. It might not feel
like it to anglers now wearing
shorts and flip flops but fall
is looming just around the
corner.
We all love to bass fish
during the spring, but truth be
told some of the best fishing
of the entire year takes place
during the fall. While the hot
fall window is shorter than the
extended spring season that
starts in March and can extend into May,
the bass action during the fall can be very
intense.
One of the biggest factors effecting
bass and consequently, bass anglers is the
water temperature. In spring, there is a
prolonged wind up to the bite because the
water temperature has to creep up from
the lower 40’s into the middle to upper
50’s before the cold blooded bass are
feeling feisty enough to chase baits and
lures consistently. That’s a span of 15 to
20 degrees at a time when weather is noto-
riously unstable and the nights are long
and chilly.
During the fall on the other hand, the
temperature has to drop from the upper to
middle 70’s into the high 60’s for the fish-
ing to turn on. Not only is this a smaller
change, but also the bass that have been
suspended over deep cool water during the
latter part of summer are already feeling
their oats, chasing and feeding heartily.
For the action to get really crazy all that
needs to happen is for the temperature to
drop enough to draw baitfish toward the
surface or in tight to structure.
The first step toward
enjoying great results when
fishing during the fall is
understanding the relationship
and behavior of baitfish and
bass. Baitfish like shad and
pond smelt are found in areas
that provide cool water in the
upper 50’s to the lower 70’s
and ample aquatic nutrients.
Dropping surface tempera-
tures in the early fall draw
baitfish to the surface and
shortly thereafter they begin
moving toward tributaries
were the densest concentra-
tions of plankton and other nutrients exist.
Mother Nature instilled bass with a
strong survival instinct. In the fall bass
savagely gorge on baitfish. First and most
obviously, they are putting on weight
for the long lean winter months to come.
Since bass don’t carry calendars this
behavior is most likely cued by the short-
ening hours of daylight. On an instinctive
level the bass know that before long the
water temperature will drop to a point that
robs them of their ability to chase forage
no matter how abundant it may be.
As soon as nighttime temperatures be-
gin dropping, start scouting the deep open
water outside small tributaries and within
narrow lake arms. As you explore these
areas look for bait breaking the surface,
but also keep an eye on the sonar for balls
of bait holding below the surface. When
bait is located, a number of lures can be
used to probe for bass.
If the bait is deep, let’s say in the 20
to 35 foot zone, a spoon such as a Duh.
FISH SNIFFER
HOW – TO
by Cal Kellogg
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18