During the fall, baitfish like threadfin shad become the most significant focus for both bass and anglers trying to catch them. This happens every year, and while forward-facing sonar has eliminated some of the mystery of finding these schools of baitfish, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Matt Arey says there are still several things to keep in mind this fall.
While modern technology has helped him and other anglers immensely, Arey still incorporates some "old school" fishing and looks for tried-and-true areas and techniques that have worked for years.
The Likely Areas
While forward-facing sonar has eliminated some guesswork of where the shad are located, Arey still starts in the most likely areas to get himself in the right position to find bass.
"The travel corridors and migration routes of shad are always the best places to start," he shared. "I start by looking at places where creek channels intersect, bends in the creek, and places where it's more likely to find concentrations of baitfish."
He also always keeps in mind to keep it moving during the fall months. "Being mobile is one of the most important things," he said. "If you find fish somewhere one day, don't expect the baitfish and bass to be there the next day. One thing about forward-facing sonar is that it makes it much easier to stay on the fish, and you know what you are looking at when you see a school of shad."
Topwater and Ice Jigs
Two great options for imitating shad are topwater baits for the surface and lures effectively fished in the middle of the water column for suspended bass. Arey uses both, depending on the situation.
"Fall is always a time when a topwater is always a good choice, and it allows you to cover water," he said. "I like to go down the bank quickly with a big walking bait. There will always be some resident fish living shallow and others cruising the bank looking for shad."
For his topwater needs, he prefers P-Line Topwater line in 15—or 17-pound test. "Topwaters are one of the few, if not the only times, I still use something other than braid of fluorocarbon line," he said. "That Topwater line is a co-polymer, so it floats just like a monofilament, but the castability is insane."
When he sees suspended bass around balls of baitfish, he'll employ several approaches, including a jig like a ½-ounce Lunkerhunt Straight Up Ice Jig.
"This is sort of an 'old school' technique but is a big player for me when targeting suspended bass in the fall," he said. "I fish it almost like you would with a spoon with a vertical snap or a lift and fall. It works great for bass focused on baitfish."
Arey likes to fish this ice jig on baitcast gear with a 7-foot medium rod and 8 to 10-pound P-Line Tactical fluorocarbon line. "Tactical has a smaller diameter, and it hardly has any stretch, so it's super sensitive," he said. "The small amount of stretch helps to get more action on the bait, and the thinner diameter allows the bait to do its thing when you let it free fall after snapping it."
Something Besides a Minnow
The use of a jighead minnow has been everywhere lately. It's been inescapable, but it's still very effective, including during the fall. Arey admits it's part of his rotation, but sometimes it pays to show them something else.
"Everyone is throwing a minnow bait right now, but a lot of those same bass will eat a worm," he said. "When the fish are fickle, and everyone has a jighead minnow rigged up, a nail-weighted stick worm will get some of those same fish to bite. It gives the fish a different look, and the bait will fall slower on them."
Arey prefers the P-Line Spin-X braid and Spin-X leader for all his spinning needs. "This year, 8 and 10-pound Spin-X braid and 7 and 9-pound Spin-X fluorocarbon leader caught more fish for me than any other lines during the tournament season," he shared. "That's going to continue this fall."
Those different line sizes got the bulk of the action this year. "Those are good all-around sizes, and I always try to match the diameter of the two lines as closely as possible for better cinching knots," he said. "It's a great line for all of the FFS stuff, but it's also great if you use any technique where you need to watch your line because the orange and blue colors show up very well in different light conditions."
Fishing during the fall can be an excellent chance to catch huge numbers when you get around shad and aggressive bass. This often requires some movement to find those active zones, utilizing general fishing wisdom and modern technology, and using the right baits for the job.
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