Nixon's Plan for Summer/Fall Transitional Bass

By David A. Brown

The Autumnal Equinox — one of two days when the sun is directly over the equator (also spring’s Vernal Equinox) — divides night and day into virtually even lengths. It’s a time of balance, but the weeks surrounding this seasonal transition from summer to fall can be more of a disjointed frustration fest.

Just ask Yamamoto pro Larry Nixon: “Probably the biggest concern is the amount of oxygen in the water. That’s what really changes fishing in the fall; if you get any cool nights, it changes that surface temperature and sometimes, you get turnovers.

“What happens is your surface temperature cools down and you get that revolving effect. The lighter, warm water wants to come to the top and the denser, cooler water wants to go down deep.

“That means the water down deep doesn’t have much oxygen, so your baitfish all go shallow and your bass follow them. All across the United States, when you go into that early fall pattern, so many times, your best bite is shallow.”

As this transition is happening, Nixon’s keen to watch his Lowrance Active Target for suspended fish departing the bottom. Prior to the advancements in forward-facing sonar, targeting suspending fish was a tedious guessing game; now, it’s a precise hunt made possible by technology.

“Now you can see those fish on that (temperature) break line,” Nixon said of the insightful perspective. “I can see my weight, my bait and how the fish react to it.”

PLAY THEIR GAME

Ultimately, this is all part of the annual cycle that can lead to stellar fall fishing. However, bass tend to get squirrelly during the seasonal seams and Nixon has seen this more times than he cares to count.

“I have been on so many fish in August and I’ve thought ‘There’s no way I’m not going to win this tournament.’ Then, all of a sudden, you get a cool night or two and it’s like ‘Holy cow! Where’d they go?’ And then somebody goes and wins the event in the back of a creek in a foot of water.

“That’s my biggest concern this time of year, because most lakes still have deep fish, but they’re starting to show up more and more in shallow water.”

When faced with difficult transitional conditions, Nixon plays the percentages. Sure, there could be a high-risk deal that rewards some, while deflating others; but throughout his distinguished career, the man they call “The General,” has learned to measure his options.

“When I say ‘I’m going to look for fish on this body of water this week,’ I ask myself ‘What’s gonna be my best bet? What do I do best?’” Nixon said. If there’s any kind of vegetation in the water, I’m going straight to it, because no matter what, you’re going to have some fish there.”

BEST BAITS

Nixon follows a disciplined game plan for fall’s transition: “I’m going to do a little bit of everything — I’m going to throw topwater in the morning and look for breaking fish and if I’m not seeing what I like, I’m going to back out and pick up a Carolina rig or a shaky head and I’m going to check out those bottom fish. If that doesn’t work, I’m going to pick up a flipping stick with a Yamamoto Flappin’ Hog and pitch that vegetation.”

Favoring a Yellow Magic chugging style topwater, Nixon will start with the 3 1/2-inch, 1/2-ounce size because he feels he’s most accurate and achieves longer casts with the larger bait. If the fish are finicky, he’ll downsize to the 2 1/4-inch, 1/4-ounce size. With either, Nixon knows he may need to mix up his presentations.

“Start with an aggressive retrieve; make it about reaction — get it now or lose it, then move slower,” he said said.

Nixon’s next choice is a silent walking bait. Hard to go wrong with shad colors, but if the water is stained he’ll use a yellow belly, or black for a strong silhouette on overcast days.

He’ll also include a frog if the lake has vegetation and if he needs to cover a lot of unfamiliar water, Nixon’s reaching for a 1/4- to 3/8-ounce buzzbait. Mimicking nervous shad is the goal, so he’ll pair that noisemaker with a straight tail Yamamoto Zako.

After he’s comfortable that he’s exhausted the topwater effort, then Nixon will move out and drag a Carolina rig with a 4- of 5-inch Senko. To spice things up, he’ll occasionally use a Swimming Senko. The backside wiggle gets a lot of attention on the C-rig, as well as a shaky head.

“I also like casting an unweighted Senko around the edges of vegetation early in the morning,” Nixon adds. “If I find a stretch that has fish on it and I find they’re not biting (the topwaters), I’m going to throw that unweighted Senko.

“It sinks slowly and it has a really (enticing) tail wobble. In river systems where you have rocks, openings, any kind of current place where water may be going through a hole, that unweighted Senko’s incredible because it doesn’t get hung and they can’t stand that thing crawling across those rocks in a foot of water and then falling off in that 3- to 5-foot zone.

Nixon’s cleanup bait for the fall transition is usually a 3/16- to a 1/4-ounce shaky head with a 6.75-inch Pro Senko. He’ll use this as an alternating compliment to the Carolina rig, as well as its backup.

“When in doubt, throw a shaky head; that’s been my rule of thumb (for many years),” Nixon said. “If you’re not getting those bites, pick up a spinning rod and throw that shaky head around rocks, bridges or the edge of grass.

“It’s really not what I’d call a good bait for wood, because a shaky head tends to hang up a little more than a Texas rig. If I need to fish around wood, I’m going to Texas rig that Swim Senko with a 3/16- to a 1/4-ounce weight and swim it through those limbs. That’s a much more versatile choice and fish love it.”

CLOSING ADVICE

Considering the feast-or-famine reality of this fall transition, Nixon stresses the importance of putting in your time and earning those opportunities. Cover ground, look for activity, and assume nothing.

“Look for busting fish, look for birds sitting on the bank; if you’re in an area with a lot of seagulls flying around, go check that out,” Nixon said. “My No. 1 thing in the fall of the year or late summer is I’m going to run a lot of points early in the morning and look for schooling fish.

“I’m going to look at four or five points — maybe one on the lake, one at the entrance of a river — and look for that early morning topwater feeding period. I’m looking for anything that will give me a clue about where they are and what they’re doing. Then you can go through your standard rules of fishing.”