Fall Fishing for Bass, TIPs from the PROs

  • Fishing in the fall for bass provides primal competition to meet with nature and the biggest fish
  • Baits that trigger a strike are hard to find, but there is one key thing to know, read on
  • Lure balance, hook point quality, color, rate of wobble and wiggle, all are key

LIVETARGET David Walker Signature Tennessee Craw

By Forrest Fisher

Like it or not, winter weather is coming and for bass anglers in the know, that’s a good thing. The fish, all species really, stock up on protein and feed heavily right before the coldest weather arrives. One of my best friends, Russ Johnson, now a 90-year old student of precision speed trolling, offers key advice to catch the biggest fall bass. When the water temp hit the low 50s, he would dust off the frost on his boat and head for the lake with crankbaits that were perfectly tuned. His method? Speed troll them over sharp dropoffs to intimidate bass into striking, and it wasn’t just a strike, it was a SLAM-BAM-GOTCHA. A mega-strike. Big fish hit like that. It seems they wanna stop the boat and head the other way.

Running four lines, two on each side of the boat, one trailing 120 feet back, the other 145 feet back, and using lures that were designed to be crankbait hardware, he would achieve diving depths of 2.5X their rated profile. Lures that were advertised as “dives to 12 feet” would hit bottom in 30 feet or so. The new braided lines with their thin diameter make his method even more effective. The precision manufacture of LIVETARGET lures seem to gain even more than 2.5X when perfectly balanced and trolled. This makes the LIVETARGET lure even more effective for fall bass like no other method I know, but also makes them a “best lure choice” for daytime fall walleye that are also on the binge feed.

Johnson knew that fall weather can spread the bass out in many waterways, but in the Great Lakes, specifically Lake Erie, he would focus on structure dominant points to find schools of bass segregated by size. Some schools were comprised of 2-pounders, then 4-pounders, and so on. One day we caught limits of bass whoppers that all exceeded 5 pounds. These were smallmouth bass. While doing a video with In-Fisherman TV, Ron Lindner had shared with us that bass are domiciled to their home range on shoals and underwater structure, so we always released these big fish to live and spawn another day. Some of our whoppers some went over 6-pounds.  His favorite fall-time lure color? Tennessee Craw red or orange.

Johnson can get lures like the LIVETARGET Magnum Shad Baitball Crankbait, the 3-1/2 inch model, to hit bottom in 42 feet! He is a master lure tuner. I did not mention his trolling speed, but he is trolling quite fast, in fact beyond your imagination if you are a troller. That detail will remain his secret, but it one other reason why the lure tuning has to be perfect.  Most folks fishing the Seneca Shoal area near Hamburg, NY in eastern basin Lake Erie think he is leaving the area. It’s that fast. 

Other expert anglers know other methods that work well in fall too. Noted professional angler Stephen Browning, a seasoned veteran of the FLW Tour, MLF, and the Bassmaster Elite Series, has amassed similar knowledge of late-season bass behavior that can up any angler’s game right now. Aside from decades of experience on tournament trails, Browning’s degree in Fish and Wildlife Management hasn’t hurt his ability to pick apart various waters and he has advice to share.

LIVETARGET bass pro, Stephen Browning

The first tip? Cover lots of water. And for Browning, that means crankbaits.

“For me, fall is all about chunk and winding and covering water, whether that’s main lake stuff or hitting the back of pockets, coves, and creeks. Crankbaits are definitely key in fall and into early winter,” says Browning.

For Browning, the biggest factor for finding fall bass to crank is water temperature. “I’m trying to search out water temperatures that are 70 degrees or less, because experience proves that’s the point at which fish get fired up for a super fall bite.”

Winning in the Wind

Secondly, he’s monitoring the wind. “Besides cooler water, I’m looking for spots where the wind is blowing a little bit. There’s still a lot of fish out on the main lake and not necessarily deep into the pockets. So, I’m going to look at the wind—see where it’s hitting the banks the best. Bass will utilize the wind to kind of break things up. You can burn down a pea gravel bank or a chunk rock bank and still have the ability to catch fish. And they aren’t always target oriented. In my opinion, they don’t like to hold tight to cover when the wind’s blowing, because it’s going to beat them around. So, I think they do more roaming in the wind—if it’s windy I’m going to chunk and wind,” says Browning.

LIVETARGET Rainbow Smelt

For such windy scenarios and main lake fishing, Browning turns to the LIVETARGET Rainbow Smelt suspending jerkbait—specifically the RS91S, which is 3-5/8 inches long and dives three to four feet, typically in the (201) Silver/Blue pattern, although Browning has been experimenting with the host of new colors LIVETARGET now offers in this highly effective bait.

“It’s kind of a shallower-diving jerkbait, which I utilize for cranking points, rock outcrops, rip-rap, etc. when the wind is blowing. When fishing it, I’m looking for a little bit of visibility… not a lot of stain. I fish it a lot in main lake and main creek areas using the wind and water clarity as kind of a one-two punch. It’s definitely a go-to bait for these situations,” offers Browning.

Browning throws the LIVETARGET Rainbow Smelt on a 6’8” medium-heavy St. Croix Legend X casting rod, Lew’s 7.5:1 Pro TI baitcasting reel, and 10-pound Gamma fluorocarbon.

Another bait Browning utilizes for windy main lake and main creek scenarios is the LIVETARGET HFC (Hunt-For-Center) Craw. “It has a very aggressive action and deflects off of cover, so I can utilize it on steeper rocky banks and really cover a lot of water. In terms of color, it depends on the water clarity and temperature. If the water is stained, a lot of times I’ll use LIVETARGET’s Red (362) or Copper Root Beer (361). The latter has a really nice copper hue to it and kind of a whitish-style belly.

When the water temperature plummets into the 50s, Browning also reaches for the LIVETARGET HFC (Hunt-For-Center) Craw, especially in the Red (362) and Copper Root Beer (361) colors. “The HFC has an aggressive action but is not overpowering. It was designed to randomly dart left and right, mimicking a fleeing craw. In late fall when the water gets really cold it can be a fantastic bait for target fishing for the resident fish that live in the very back ends of creeks and pockets.”

LIVETARGET HFC (Hunt-for-Center) Craw

Water Clarity and Target Cranking

Browning’s advice for those days when there isn’t much wind is to monitor water clarity. “On calmer days water clarity is a big factor. I’m going to go and try to find some stained water someplace within the fishery. The biggest thing about stained water is fish don’t tend to roam as much on you, and they’re going to be more target related—an outcrop of rocks, a laydown, a series of stumps, etc. that will give those fish a place to ambush their prey.”

On those calmer days, Browning will vacate the main lake and main creek areas he fishes when windy and concentrate on the back third of pockets where they have a tendency to flatten out. There, he looks for isolated cover.

 

“I’m looking for that isolated stump, maybe a log, lay-downs, isolated grass patches, or a lot of times people will put out crappie stakes. Especially when the water’s low, bass will utilize crappie stakes. One of the baits I like for target fishing in the back of pockets is the LIVETARGET David Walker Signature Tennessee Craw. I’ll crank it on 12- or 14-pound fluorocarbon and only get it down to six feet so I can bang it around, which is key to getting good target bites. I’ll make multiple casts to the isolated cover from various angles giving the fish the most opportunities to ambush my presentation. That’s really key—working cover from multiple angles and making sure you spend ample time on each spot,” offers Browning.

LIVETARGET Sunfish Crankbait

When target fishing, Browning is also a fan of the shallow-diving LIVETARGET Sunfish Crankbait—specifically the BG57M (bluegill pattern) and PS57M (pumpkinseed pattern). “The Sunfish Crankbait has a rounded bill, so it has a nice, tight wiggle to it. For me, especially when the water temperature gets cooler, it becomes another go-to bait for target fishing. I think it kind of gets overlooked by anglers who tend to concentrate on shad patterns, but bluegills are a major forage source in fall and year ‘round that bass will really home in on.”

Water clarity dictates whether Browning will choose the Pumpkinseed or Bluegill pattern, as well as the choice between LIVETARGET’s available matte and gloss finishes. “I use the Bluegill if the water is a bit clearer and the brighter Pumpkinseed in stained water. I like using the gloss finish if the sky is cloudy and the matte finish if it’s sunny. So, you’ve got two different colors and two different finishes for a variety of fishing situations.”

In terms of equipment for cranking the LIVETARGET HFC (Hunt-For-Center) Craw, David Walker Tennessee Craw, or Sunfish Crankbait, he sticks to the same set-up of a St. Croix 7’4” medium-heavy, moderate action Legend Glass rod, a Lew’s Custom Pro baitcasting reel with 8:1 gear ratio and either 12- or 14-pound Gamma Fluorocarbon line. “If I’m concentrating on shallow areas, I’m going to use the heavier line – but if I need the bait to get down six feet or more, I’m going to use the 12-pound line,” Browning adds.

Topwaters Too

When targeting the backs of pockets and creeks with grass, Browning urges anglers not to overlook the efficacy of employing a chunk-and-wind topwater routine.

“The LIVETARGET Commotion Shad is a hollow-body shad style topwater bait that has a Colorado blade on the back end. It’s a real player in the kind of broken-up grass you find way back in pocket flats. During the fall, adding this bait to the chunk-and-wind crankbait program can really pay off. It comes in a couple of sizes, but I like the 3-½ inch in Pearl Ghost (154) and Pearl Blue Shad (158). The spinner makes a gurgling sound when you retrieve it like you would a hollow body frog, and it’s great for working over grassy areas,” offers Browning.

LIVETARGET Commotion Shad

For gear, Browning throws the Commotion Shad on a 7’6” medium-heavy, moderate action St. Croix Legend X with a Lew’s Tournament reel geared 8.3:1, and 50-pound Gamma Torque braided line.

Parting Advice

While monitoring water temperature, wind conditions, water clarity, and the amount of visible sunlight are all huge factors for finding fall bass in main lakes and creeks as well as pockets and coves, Browning suggests anglers stay tuned to another of nature’s cues: bird behavior.

“Watch for the migration of shad, which have the tendency to move to the very back ends of the pockets in fall, but also know, as mentioned, that bass are feeding on bluegills and craws in lots of other locations. You can really eliminate a lot of water and fish more productively by keying in on bird behavior. They’re going to tell you where the baitfish are. Could be a Blue Heron sitting on the bank eating bluegills or picking around on crawfish, gulls, or all sorts of other birds either on the main lake or back farther in coves. Really pay attention to where the birds are. It’s definitely one of the small details that gets overlooked by a lot of anglers.”

Catching Saltwater Fish – Keep it Simple

  • Light rods, light lines, artificial lures and lots of fish.
  • Finding the forage and simulating their size and color was key.
  • Savvy lures, special action-assist knots, using stealth – learning the how-to.
  • Fun fishing near Pine Island, Florida.
One of many speckled Sea Trout I caught fishing with Captain Dave Chorazak of Inshore Dream Fishing Charters.

By Forrest Fisher

Just before sunrise, it was still dark, I was greeted with a friendly handshake and a confident, fish-catching happy face by Captain Dave Chorazak of Inshore Dream Fishing Charters.  “My cooler has lots of ice and water bottles; you can add anything you like. It looks like we’re going to have some great weather today. Let’s go see how the fish feel about that!” I was pumped.

As we idled out from Pineland Marina on the west side of Pine Island, birds in the nearby mangroves were singing assertive tunes of good luck to us. I made that assumption. They may have been begging for a free meal, but this fishing trip was artificial lures only.

I am excited and eager to learn more about how to fish the saltwater without live bait, and to understand the gear, the right rods, reels, lines and all that.

Pine Island is just north of Fort Myers, where tens of thousands of folks are still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Ian storm damage. The storm affected an area about 75-100 miles wide across the Gulf of Mexico shoreline of southwest Florida, where the sea water level rose to 20 feet above the normal. Hard to imagine.

But today, the waters of Pine Island Sound were calm and serene as we were looking out from the marina departure channel. Captain Dave said, “We’re going to fish some of the mangrove-filled inshore bays out here, and we’ll probably see some Osprey and Bald Eagles, and many other birds too.” My camera was ready. “Right now, the waters in the bays and islands are filled with good baitfish. They find the gentle eddy currents that form on one side or the other of the many islands. Finding the little currents allow us to find that forage without much difficulty, and then we cast near to those areas with hopes to catch bigger fish with lures that resemble the forage.” He made it sound pretty easy: 1-2-3 go!

He added, “Any moving tide can work for us. I have some proven waypoints to try that hold solid fish at times if we’re lucky. We’ll be casting from the boat toward the shoreline to try our luck.” The Captain’s voice was inspiring and confident. “Put your Polaroid sunglasses on, tighten your hat strap. You don’t mind if we pick up some speed?” I could only grin and holler, “Me? Mind speed? Let’s hit it!”

He pushed the throttle forward, and the sleek 20-foot Action Craft bay boat hopped out of the water and came to life. The Mercury outboard roared, and I glanced over to the dash to see we were going 45 mph in just a second or two. With the pre-fish talk and the sound of the engine, my anticipation and anticipation gained a mountain of fish-catching momentum. This was thrilling, even without any fish on the line. The boat skimmed along so smoothly, so comfortably.

We were at waypoint number one in a very short time.

Dave added, “Pine Island is the largest island on the Gulf Coast of Florida, it’s part of Lee County. Pine Island Sound forms part of the Intracoastal Waterway, and if you look out west that way, you can see Cayo Costa Island. There are a few smaller islands of some fame, too, like Cabbage Key, a tourist stop with a restaurant for private boats and tour boats. A little south is Captiva Island and then Sanibel Island, both famous vacation places. The fish don’t care. We have lots of fish for everyone to catch.” This soft-spoken fishing expert was very convincing.

About 5 minutes after we started casting, the first fish said hello with a tail swish and surface water blast. A handsome 27-inch speckled trout came aboard.

The boat electronics provided speed, sonar, navigation and communication. Our first stop was a secluded bay. It was so quiet. An Osprey screamed and flew overhead, right above the boat about 20 feet, looking to see if we were delivering breakfast. I talked to the handsome bird, “No baitfish here, ‘ol friend.” He hovered for a moment, came in right above the boat, and then off he went to tend to a nearby nest of young Osprey. His mate was also nearby.

We fished slowly with electric bow motor control.

The 7-foot 6-inch spinning rods were loaded with light lines. The 10-pound test braided line allowed for longer casts to spooky fish – the water was so clear. The 20-pound fluorocarbon leader provided abrasion durability to survive contact with clam and oyster beds, and one or two of my famous errant mangrove tree casts.

One hot fish-catcher was a plastic jerk bait on a weighted weedless hook that provided hours of unforgettable topwater strikes and fish-catching moments.

A double-uni knot tied the leader to the braid. The lures were tied to the leader using a loop knot that Dave described as a knot that provides more wiggle and action. The result was a wide walk-the-dog action, surface and sub-surface, with the lures. We never stop learning.

The artificial lures were from an assortment of Captain Dave’s secret casting baits. The lures resembled the forage: threadfin, pilchards, herring and glass minnows. These minnows flood the inshore waters to feed on algae and plankton as the waters warm with the season. It didn’t take long to find fish.

About 5 minutes after we started casting, the first fish said hello with a tail swish and surface water blast. “Fish on!” Dave hollered. About a minute later, a handsome 27-inch speckled trout came aboard. A beautiful giant trout, it was a picture-perfect fish.

Using Rapala saltwater lures and plastic jerk baits on weighted weedless hooks, the next 3 hours were filled with unforgettable topwater strikes and fish-catching moments. It was sheer, impressive, fishing fun.

The artificial lures from Captain Dave Chorazak’s secret casting baits resembled the forage: threadfin, pilchards, herring and glass minnows.

We motored around the islands, positioning to try various spots. Fishing the moving tide locations to catch several fish species, including snook, speckled trout, ribbon fish, redfish and others.

I managed to lose quite a few fish while bringing about 10 good fish to the boat. I learned by Dave’s example about how to work the baits and what baits work best under what conditions.

We released all the fish to catch on another day, big ones and small ones.

Conservation is key to keeping any fishery healthy, and I was in full support of releasing the fish. We were careful not to damage each fish we landed. It was great to see the clear waters and growth of new seagrass in this vibrant spring fishery.

Captain Dave Chorazak was a volunteer firefighter from Hamburg, NY, near my old hometown, and he was a good friend of my son-in-law, Dieter Voss. That’s how we met a few weeks back, when we all went out for dinner to a tasty Mexican restaurant (Lime Tequila) in Port Charlotte. I was a tournament walleye and bass angler from my history up north, so it was easy to “talk fishing” with Dave at dinner. Some secrets he shared with us at dinner and on the fish trip were provided in confidence, but I’m sure Dave would share these with any customer that asks. You’ll need to sign up for a trip to learn about his fish-catching lures, special knots, the seemingly foul-proof weighted hooks (I hooked plenty of mangrove trees high up and didn’t lose a single lure!), and his tactic secrets that put a lot of fish on my line in a very short time.

Speckled sea trout were on the bite, and they provided fast fun across a variety of baits. We caught snook and other species as well.

This trip was one of the most peaceful, fun-filled, fish-catching days I’ve ever enjoyed over my last 55 years of fishing all around the country.

It was my first experience in a “Bay Boat,” and I discovered these slick craft allow access to shallow bays and flats where no other boat types can go. They are fast, have a large fore and aft deck for casting and a ton of storage lockers and live wells. Captain Dave Chorazak’s boat provided 20 feet of safe, fish-catching space. 

I plan to bring my grandson next time. He is going to really enjoy this. The charter cost is quite affordable ($350), and I look forward to fishing here again soon. Fishing from his flats boat, an open flat platform boat, there is plenty of room for casting, but there is no shade – so bring sun protection. I wore sunscreen and a 360-degree shade-making hat, a fully-aerated long sleeve hoody, and fishing gloves.

The Florida sun is great, but it is hot, even in April, and can damage your skin with nasty sunburn if you go out unprotected. The Captain provides water, but you can bring along other beverages and snacks to add to his onboard cooler. All the tackle and bait and fish licenses are included in this affordable pricing. Hard to beat.

Visit https://inshoredream.com/ to learn more or to make a reservation.

Note: Upon departing the marina, I noted the presidentially famous Tarpon Lodge Restaurant to the south and Randell Research Center to the north of the marina roadway entrance. Many former U.S. Presidents have stopped at Trophy Lodge for their famous seafood menu. The Randell Research Center (RRC) is part of the Florida Museum of Natural History, offering programs dedicated to sharing the archaeology, history, and ecology of Southwest Florida. Their motto is, “As we learn, we teach.” That’s the way I felt fishing with Captain Dave Chorazak.