During the fall months, fish are on the move as they transition between seasons along with the cooler water temperatures. Baitfish and the entire ecosystem on a body of water are also changing, leading to uncertainty as everything adjusts.
Because of this, Major League Fishing pro Randy Howell keeps an open mind this time of year and fishes fast to cover water and seek out the most active fish with moving baits and making precise casts to targets with finesse. It's an approach that works for him every year like clockwork and something he keeps in mind, whether fishing for fun or competing at the top level of professional bass fishing.
Topwaters and Cranking
Sticking with the theme of fishing on the move, Howell likes to utilize topwaters and shallow water crankbaits as they are two of the best lure styles for quickly covering water. Each is a must-have this time of year, according to the accomplished Alabama pro angler.
"I start to think more about flats this time of year and some of the best are creeks with big flats inside of them," he said. "I'll start fishing across the flats with topwaters and then work into the ditches and channels as I move back further into the creeks."
Howell prefers the Livingston Lures Walking Boss in the regular and junior sizes depending on the size of the baitfish in the area. "It depends on the baitfish and also the lake; in some lakes, the fish are just smaller and a smaller bait is a better option for getting bit," he said.
His topwater rod of choice is a 7-foot, 4-inch medium-heavy Daiwa Tatula Elite rod that he designed for topwaters, vibrating jigs, and swimbaits. He prefers an 8.1:1 Daiwa Tatula Elite long cast reel with 50-pound Daiwa J-Braid for making long bomb casts over flats as he searches for feeding fish.
Like a topwater, a shallow crankbait is perfect for moving fast and Howell likes the Livingston Lures Howeller squarebill. It's a bait he designed and has a hard thumping action that appeals to fall bass and allows him to fish quickly.
"It's based on an old homemade wooden balsa bait I used to fish and has a nice wide wobble," he said. "It will run 2 to 4 feet deep depending on your line size and it's great for blazing down banks and getting reaction bites. A lot of times, the fish are sort of roaming down these nothing-looking banks and a shallow crankbait banging off of everything in its path will trigger these fish to bite."
For his shallow cranking, Howell prefers a 7-foot medium-light cranking rod he designed as part of the Daiwa Tatula Elite rod lineup. "It has a shorter handle, making it much easier for target casting around shallow cover with a crankbait," he said. "It's also a great rod with the right action for fishing jerkbaits and lipless crankbaits."
He fishes his shallow crankbaits on a 7.1:1 Daiwa Tatula Elite reel and uses 14 to 17-pound Daiwa J-Fluoro line.
Finesse Back-Up Plan
Howell likes to cover water this time of year with moving baits, but he'll have a wacky-rigged Yamamoto Senko at the ready. He keeps one on his front deck all year and during the fall, it's his preferred way to pick apart shallow targets.
"It's good to have one rigged up anytime you need to grind out more bites," he said. "I fish it around shallow cover like docks, wood, and stuff like that. Sometimes you have to finesse them, and I'll throw that Senko around cover in places where single fish could be hiding."
Howell fishes the Senko on another rod he designed, a 7-foot, 1-inch, medium-heavy "Power Spin" Daiwa Tatula Elite. "It's a heavier rod and fishes similar to a baitcast rod," he said. "It's also very versatile and you can fish a bunch of different baits on it."
He pairs the rod with a Daiwa Tatula LT spinning reel in the 4000-size and will spool it with 20-pound Daiwa J-Braid in the green color.
"I'll fish it with straight braid when skipping under docks and around grass," he said. "You don't need a leader when fishing underneath things and the added strength helps you land more of those fish in heavy grass. If it's more open water, I like a fluorocarbon leader and will use 12-pound Daiwa J-Fluoro."
Fishing during the fall can be challenging to keep up with bass on the move, but fishing quickly and covering water is one way to put the odds back in your favor. Sticking with proven fall lures like topwaters and crankbaits while having a finesse backup plan has worked for Randy Howell for years during the fall.
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