The Power Play mindset of Major League Fishing pro Zack Birge, who fishes fast and often sticks with a small arsenal of baits, is a trio of them doing his heavy lifting: a topwater walking bait, jerkbait, and lipless crankbait.
Topwater All Day
Fans of topwater bass fishing love fall because you can truly do it all day long and find success. Even when the fish are biting other lures, Birge and others realize the power of these baits for tricking bigger-than-average bass.
"I throw a topwater an absurd amount of time in the fall, even under bright sunny skies," he said. "It's great all fall but gets even better after you've had a cold front or two. I'd rather throw a topwater all day and get maybe 5 or 10 bites, but knowing that they will generally be better fish. This is even more important if you are fishing tournaments in the fall because the weights are normally not as good, and this is a good way to win."
Birge's topwater of choice is a bone-colored Yo-Zuri 3DB Pencil, and he opts for the 4-inch size instead of bigger options. "Most people will probably tell you they like bigger baits, but the 100-size is perfect for what I like to do," he said. "It's slightly smaller but has the same great sound as the bigger version, and you can fish it quickly. It's not as much of a handful to throw; bigger baits can tire you if you're slinging a topwater around all day."
As to where he fishes it, Birge said just about everywhere is fair game, and he prefers 30-pound Yo-Zuri SuperBraid when fishing them.
"I throw 30-pound, and it's unbelievably strong. I even use it for flipping and frogging, and it casts a mile," he said. "I throw the topwater all over the place and tend to look for shallower flats, such as the inside of a channel swing, points, or shallow pockets and docks."
Jerkbaits and lipless crankbaits
As he scorches down the bank, throwing a topwater, Birge still pays attention to his electronics. Forward-facing sonar has changed everything, so Birge will still monitor it, even if he's shallow-water power fishing.
"I always have a jerkbait ready in case I look down and see some bass around baitfish on my Lowrance Active Target 2," he said. "Doing that will allow you to catch some extra bonus fish just by being more aware."
His jerkbait of choice is a Yo-Zuri 3DB Series Jerkbait SP Deep 110, a deep-diving bait that he still uses in shallower locales.
"I like the deep version even in shallow stuff because it gets down to those fish much quicker," he said. "You don't have to cast as far past the fish to get it to them. Just cast 5 or 10 feet past them, and you can jerk it right down to the fish you see on your screen."
Birge usually fishes this bait on 10-pound Yo-Zuri T7 fluorocarbon and keeps it simple with three color choices. "I'm pretty simple with colors and use ghost pearl shad a lot. I really like that one," he said. The other two I use most often are gizzard shad and ghost sexy shad."
One final choice of baits is a lipless, most often a 3/8-ounce Yo-Zuri Rattl'n Vibe. "That's a really good one, and so is the 3DB Vibe," said Birge. "I like to fish it in the same places as the topwaters, around flats, and anywhere you see balls of bait on your electronics. The lipless does a great job for me every fall and is great for schooling fish."
Birge always pays attention to his electronics and what's happening around him. Paying attention to the little details can put more fish in the boat if you pick up on the clues.
"This time of year, you'll also see a boil every now and then, where a group of bass is chasing shad and pushing them to the surface," said Birge. "They will be right under the surface but not really cresting, but if you see it, it's a great time to throw the lipless. What's good about it is how well it casts, you can bomb a bait to them really quickly even if they are across the creek or on another point."
Fishing during the fall is so much fun because reaction baits and power fishing are king. Zack Birge is known for moving quickly and covering water all year long, but his style is perfectly suited for fall bass fishing.
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