Top 5 Essential Fall Bass Fishing Baits | When to Use Each

The product recommendations on our site are independently chosen by our editors. When you click through our links, we may earn a commission. 

Fall brings about drastic and often fast changes to water temperature and cover, so you need a handful of versatile baits to adjust to the conditions and trigger bass. Wired2Fish contributor Dan Quinn lists his top 5 baits for locating and triggering bass at various depths and different cover types (full tackle list at the bottom).

QUINN’S TOP 5 FALL BASS BAITS

  1. Spinnerbait with Colorado blades. Slow rolling a spinnerbait is an excellent method for covering water and triggering bass keying in on baitfish. Once Quinn locates bass with a spinnerbait, he’ll often switch up to a slower vertical presentation to thoroughly fish the area.
  2. Bladed jig. Like a spinnerbait, bladed jigs are another moving (horizontal) bait that appeals to bass through a combination of size (big profile), flash, and vibration. Bass will often show a preference for one over the other, so it’s good to have both options at the ready when covering water.
  3. Buzzbait. Be it migrating frogs or schools of baitfish penetrating the shallows, never overlook the effectiveness of a buzzbait for fall bass fishing. The legendary buzzbait fishes fast and generates a ton of commotion, allowing you to eliminate dead water and trigger vicious blowups.
  4. Skirted bass jig. A great anytime option and perhaps the single most important bait in your box. Quinn relies on the jig for picking apart remaining stands of grass.
  5. Tokyo Rig. Like a jig, the Tokyo Rig can be fished horizontally or vertically and excels around cover and when bass are bottom oriented. The o-ring construction provides soft baits maximum freedom of movement.

FEATURED TACKLE: