I have a little pep in my step today and you couldn’t smack the briar-eating grin off my face, if I’m being honest. I walked outside this morning and finally, at long and blessed last, it felt like fall weather. The days of an always-sweaty shirt and constant showering from the scorching Georgia heat may finally be coming to an end. I’ll admit that I may have been a bit impulsive a few hours ago, but I walked out to my shop and started getting my fall lineup rigged and ready; I was pulling out my beloved crankbaits, topwaters and anything else that might have a treble hook attached to it. I am so pumped to wear my favorite fishing hoodie and run my Skeeter down the lake at first light this weekend.
As I was rigging my fall bass fishing tackle this morning, I started thinking about a few things that have helped me tremendously over the years. I remember back in college, I’d follow the baitfish to the backs of small creeks and the water would look like it was boiling because of all the surface activity. There would be shad flickering, bass busting and my ugly butt throwing everything imaginable at all the commotion and not getting the first bite. Although the weather was incredible, I would get so frustrated by the overabundance of baitfish because those stupid bass would not bite anything I threw. Not catching bass is one thing but when you can see them with your eyeballs 20 feet in front of your boat, it brings irritation to an entirely new level.
Since those days, I’ve learned that fishing around a bunch of baitfish can be pretty darn tough. It’s important to realize, however, that it’s not impossible and there are absolutely ways to make the most of this annual occurrence. When those bass and baitfish get corralled into the shallows this time of year, you can get right in a New York minute but it takes a few special characteristics when choosing your fishing lure.
Hang with me for a few minutes and I think you’ll have a really successful fall fishing season.