The first major storm front of the Fall has swept the nation! I hope everyone survived as it was pretty nasty in some states. Reaching from here in Louisiana all the way north to the Great Lakes. If your area lakes have not moved into a fall feeding frenzy, they are about too.
Post front fishing is tough, give it two or three days to settle down. By this weekend, everything should be just about perfect. It will be about three days after the front when the north winds will either subside or switch out of the south and west.
While most of the nation will be in between fronts, this doesn’t mean a guaranteed fishing free for all. It’s still going to take some work. Pay attention to what’s going on around you. This time of the year there are some key things to watch for.
Shad – Keep an eye on your electronics as you motor out in the morning. See if you can find a water level that the majority of them are living. You’ll want to work this depth or shallower this time of year.
Wind – It’s Fall, the wind is going to blow! It’s direction is vital to a good day on the water. The wind will blow bait fish up on the banks, onto grass edges, tops of ridges and points. Bass will position themselves to take advantage of this.
Sun – In clear water, the higher the sun gets in the sky, the better your odds on catching numbers of fish on top water baits. Bass are aggressive this time of the year trying to feed up for the winter and a top water bait that makes some commotion can be deadly all day. Fish are keyed on shad, and top water is the best way to mimic them. The bright sun helps create a silhouette so don’t be afraid of it, use it.
Most of all this is the time of year to be versatile. I just won the ABA season opener last weekend. Of my weigh fish, I caught two on a top water, one on a spinnerbait and 2 on a soft plastic. All day I caught fish on various baits. Being versatile will get you more and bigger bites. If you are cruising a bank line and see a brush top but don’t get a top water bite, hit it with a spinnerbait! If still nothing hit it with a worm, before giving up. You will be amazed at what you can find!
Get the Net it’s a Hawg
Mike Cork
