Fall is a time of transition. It is a time when the leaves begin to change colors and the days get shorter and shorter, and change is also happening in the bass world.
California’s Ken Mah knows this full and well, and when targeting bass during this transition, he uses a three-pronged approach to maximize the fall feeding frenzy.
Swipe right for Mah's trio of go-to fall baits:
Step 1: Topwater
Fishing on the surface is always an exciting way to catch bass, but Mah believes it is the way to get a big bite during fall and it also provides one of the best chances at winning a tournament later in the year.
“This time of year, the bass want a big meal, and it doesn’t have only to be a morning deal. Often, once the water warms up after a morning fog cools it down, the fish will raise up in the water column,” he says. This offers a great chance to catch a big fall bass on topwater.
“There is a two-week time frame that usually happens right around Halloween that is usually excellent for topwater fishing,” he says.
Another tip he shared is to pay attention to the shade that happens this time of year.
“Low light conditions are always going to be good for topwater and during the fall, you usually get the good shade right around 9:00 and then again at 2 or 3:00. The angle of the sun at those times is usually ideal to create some good shade lines.”
Mah likes a variety of topwater walking baits from a standard Super Spook to the Bill Lewis StutterStep.
“One thing I do on all of my topwaters is switch out the trebles to Trapper Tackle trebles. After using them, I have total confidence in them, and when you hook one, it is almost hard to get a hook out because they are hooked so well,” he says.
READ RELATED: Baits and Bait Mods to Fish Shasta with Greg Gutierrez
Step 2: Lipless Crankbait and Vibrating Jig
If the topwater bite is a no-go or slows down, Mah reaches for a Rat-L-Trap or a custom vibrating jig.
“I think they complement each other very well and both trigger big fish this time of year,” Mah begins. “They are both very versatile, and the great thing about fishing them is you get immediate feedback of what the bait is doing. You feel these baits and know they are working because they have so much vibration.”
How he decides which one to throw generally comes down to the depth, he is fishing and what the fish are feeding on. For the most part, he uses a lipless crankbait when they are feeding on shad and the vibrating jig when they key on bluegill and other baitfish.
Mah says that many times anglers tend to overwork these two baits and he believes you should let the fish tell you how fast to work it.
“It varies how fast you should be retrieving it based on the day, but one of the biggest keys is to fish it as slow as the cover allows. You want these two baits to get caught in the grass so you can rip it out and create a reaction,” he says.
“Picking grass off your bait is part of it if you are fishing them correctly. The ideal grass is the crispy and clean grass, and if it is around current, it is even better for this time of year.”
Like the topwater scenario, Mah always swaps out his trebles to those from Trapper this time of year to keep fish pinned and in the case of the vibrating jig, he has some custom baits made with the Trapper Tackle X-Heavy 30 Degree Jig Hooks.
READ RELATED: 5 Post Spawn Baits of an FLW Champion Hunter Schlander
Step 3: Crankbaits
Another tool that Mah keeps in his fall arsenal is a crankbait, either a Lucky Craft BDS 3 or a Bill Lewis Echo 1.75 square bill. Again, he prefers to change out the treble hooks to those from Trapper Tackle.
“With cranking, I am typically targeting some type of current. The later into the fall you get, the fish eat more and more and current is always a good place to look for feeding bass,” he says. “I look for grass and tule points with current, and that is a great place for shallow cranking.”
Another tip Mah added for this type of cranking is to use monofilament line.
“I do all of my shallow cranking with 20-pound Jungle Green Sunline Super Natural mono. I think the baits perform better and the little bit of stretch also slows my reaction time down a little, so I make sure the fish gets the bait before setting the hook,” he believes.
When fall comes around Mah is ready with his topwaters, square bills, lipless crankbaits, and vibrating jigs as he searches for active and feeding bass. Covering water with these reaction baits is the key, and once you are around them, the fish will let you know as they are generally hungry and ready to bite.
Advertising