What a spectacular day out on the water yesterday! Despite the calendar flipping to November, the fishing gods granted us a perfect autumn backdrop for a day of chasing bass.
The Conditions Report
The air temperature was a crisp 56 degrees with just a very slight breeze, making for incredibly comfortable fishing from the bank. Looking up, it was nothing but glorious bluebird skies—the kind that make you appreciate being outdoors. But it is not necessarily the best fishing conditions. The bass get finicky during these types of conditions.
The water was way up! The recent heavy rains had pushed the water levels up, and the visibility was down to about 2 feet. The pond had a little stain to it...I knew I needed to rely on vibration and profile over subtle color matching. The water temperature hovered around 50 degrees.
The Winning Setup: Moving Baits Prevail!
The key takeaway from the day was simple: the bass wanted movement! Slow presentations were getting ignored, but anything that could cover some water and create a ripple seemed to draw a strike.
My absolute go-to setup for the day was a classic finesse presentation designed to capitalize on that need for vibration in stained water:
Jighead: Great Lakes Finesse Sneaky Underspin (3/16 oz, Silver)
Trailer: Keitech Swing Impact Sight Flash 3" (Blue)
This combination—the subtle flash of the underspin blade paired with the irresistible wobble of the Keitech—was just too much for them to pass up.
A Quick Note on Other Tactics: I did spend some time trying out a smaller jig paired with a modified, smaller trailer, but it was a non-starter. When the moving bait bite is on, it seems you need to stick with that action...
The Haul: Pre-Winter Feast
I managed to catch about 6 total bass throughout the session. It was a productive day that confirmed the fish are still actively feeding before the deep winter freeze sets in.
What was most encouraging? Several of the bass had nice, fat bellies! They are definitely using this window to pack on the pounds, making for some strong fights even if they weren't trophy sizes. It looks like they are still in that dedicated pre-winter fattening phase.
It’s great to get out there and see that the transition period is still delivering some solid action. Get out there and throw a moving bait if you have a chance before the water truly drops!
What are your favorite fall moving baits this time of year?