To me fall fishing is about optimization. Optimizing your time on the water is paramount to success in the fall. Fish are roaming this time of year and you may not know at what depth your next cast may be or where your next bite may come. Fall fishing is all about covering water effectively.
960 CASTS A DAY
It is said that an angler makes approximately 960 casts in a tournament day. In the fall, you have to make all of your casts count. One way I do this is by fishing a lure that can cover a multitude of situations.
There is one lure that has proven to be deadly for covering shallow water, while still covering deep schooling fish. This lure is the flutter spoon. In the fall, it is a necessity to keep a flutter spoon rigged up at all times.
SHALLOW BANKS
Most people think a flutter spoon is only effective vertical jigging over schooling fish. That is false. Optimizing how you fish a spoon can keep you in the strike zone more often by not having to switch baits.
When fishing shallow banks I tend to parallel the bank with my cast. I let the spoon sink all the way to the lake bottom on slack line, after I make my cast. I then reel up my slack and give my rod two firm pumps. I let the bait fall on slack line back to the lake bottom.
Most bites while using this technique come on the fall. Stroke the spoon all the way back to the boat. Then, move your boat further away from the bank, making another parallel cast until you have effectively covered the area. This technique can be adapted to a shallow flat by simply fan casting from deeper water instead of paralleling the bank.
DEEP SCHOOLS
Deep schooling fish can still be found in the fall. If you run upon these fish, keep your flutter spoon in your hand. Let your spoon fall on slack line into the school of fish once it reaches the bottom, vertical jig the spoon all the way back to your boat. By doing this, you are covering the entire water column in one cast.
One of the last situations you will run into while fishing in the fall is bass pushing bait to the surface. This generally happens over points, but it can happen anywhere.
BREAKING THE SURFACE
If you see bass busting the surface of the water, throw your spoon right into the school and dead stick it on slack line. You want your lure to look like a bait fish that is injured falling from the school. This is my favorite fall spoon fishing technique for one reason, the bite is vicious.
By optimizing your spoon fishing techniques you can become a more versatile and successful fall angler. I firmly believe a flutter spoon is the key to my fall fishing success. Make every cast count and stay mentally strong when it gets tough. Have faith in your ability and your game plan and you too can find yourself weighing in a fat sack of bass at 3 o’clock.
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