Fall Techniques For Bass

Editor's note: This blog installment comes from Fishhound pro staffer Capt. Mike Gerry.

One of the great things about fishing in the fall is the variety of patterns you can use to catch fish. There are so many different techniques that work in the fall, you can choose a pattern and most times experience some highly successful days. The key is to make some basic observations and put your pattern to work.

Bait activity is what generally leads to fall fish-catching, so if you pull up to an area and the baitfish are active, or they're being pushed by feeding bass, you have a great chance of success. At this point, the decision of which technique to use is pretty wide-open – so many different techniques will work when bass are feeding that the choice is truly yours.

If you're a topwater fisherman, then have at it. If you like pulling crankbaits, that would work too. The important thing is that in the fall, the bass are always active. Thus, how you catch them is your decision. Bass will feed for a couple of months, just about all day long this time of year and you can put your favorite lure to work and catch fish.

I've started many a fall day by fishing topwater, only to stay with it from daylight to dark. I've also used crankbaits and spinnerbaits with the same results.

Fall fishing is almost always easy and it gives you a chance to fish your preferred pattern. Anytime you're fishing what you like best your confidence is high, and that leads to even more success on the water.

A final thought: If you're blessed with a young child who's learning to fish and has limited skills, the fall provides a great time of year to get him or her to the lake. That's because the small fish born in spring start to show up all over the lake and will hit anything and everything. Nothing turns a young person onto fishing more than catching, and the fall is a great time to make your young person smile!

Capt. Mike Gerry has lived in north Alabama since the 1970s and has been fishing Lake Guntersville for over 35 years. He owns and operates Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service and books individual, group and corporate trips. He also offers pre-tournament trips for competitive anglers. Visit FishLakeGuntersvilleGuideService.com, send him an email at bassguide@comcast.net or call (256) 759-2270. He'd love to hear from you!

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