Rods & Rigs - Fall Finesse for Western Bass
Posted by The Inside Line on Oct 17th 2021
I love it when I start to feel that cooling in the air, because I know fall is arriving and the fishing’s gonna pick up. The fall season is my favorite time to throw topwaters, especially on western fisheries, because I know I can count on good quality and numbers of fish. However, I’m also going to have a good assortment of plastics handy to make sure I can capitalize on the seasonal feeding.
Every lake is different, but one of the things I find consistent is that, while you can definitely catch good fish on top, a lot of times most of your better quality fish are deep. I actually won a November tournament on Lake Orovile and every one of my fish came out of 55 feet of water.
This and many other experiences have taught me that finesse is definitely a factor in the fall. What I throw varies by lake, but here are some of my most dependable presentations.
LARGEMOUTH
By far, my favorite way to catch deep largemouths is a 5-inch Yamamoto Hula Grub on 1-ounce football head. When I’m fishing deep for better quality fish, this is just such a reliable bait, I know I’m gonna get my shots at the big fish.
The appeal of this bait is the way it imitates a crawfish so well. Fish are chasing bait hard and heavy this time of year, but that won’t pass up a crawfish. Those crustaceans represent a big meal, so this presentation fits right into their fall feeding plan.
A lot of times your smaller fish will target the shad or pond smelt, but your larger fish want to eat a trout or a crawfish. That’s why I don’t hesitate to use that 1-ounce jig. I know a lot of guys prefer the 3/4-ounce, but I want to get that bait down quickly and that 1-ounce lets me cover water fairly fast.
I typically use the cinnamon purple flake or green pumpkin colors and I’ll fish this bait on a longer rod — at least a 7-3, but usually a 7-4 o4 7-5, because when you’re fishing deep water, that length helps you pick up line on the hook set.
I’ll usually fish this bait on a Dobyns DS 745 or a DRX 742 rod with a 7.1 reel. Reel speed is really not a factor for me when I’m fishing a jig, but this speed is plenty fast enough to burn it back in after a presentation so I can make another cast.
Presentation Tip: Keep the jig moving and cover water quickly to imitate a crawfish scooting along the bottom.
SMALLMOUTH
Smallmouth are less abundant out west, except for a few fisheries like Lake Berryessa, Folsom Lake and, of course the Columbia River. If I’m looking for a smallie bite in the fall, you can’t beat a nail-weighted 5-inch Senko in baby bass, watermelon green pumpkin laminate or straight green pumpkin.
I usually fish this with a 3/32-ounce Dobyns nail weight, but you can with a 1/16. I’ll fish my Senko on a 1/0 Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot with an O-ring. I like the O-ring because is preserves my bait, but it also give that Senko an enticing action that also appeals to spotted bass and largemouth.
You can fish the nail weighed Senko on a Dobyns DC 733SF, but my favorite rod for this technique is a Dobyns Xtasy Series DRX 753SF. I honestly believe this is the best nail weight rod I’ve ever had in my hand because I want a rod with a little tip action, but I also want it to be really fast and load. A lot of times, I’m fishing deep, so it’s gotta have some power in that mid-section.
Once that rod starts loading, you gotta be able to get a hook set in deep water. That’s important because I do not like the way braided line falls. If I’m fishing deep, I’ll fish straight fluorocarbon because braided line floats, so there’s too much drag on it and it doesn’t feel right.
Having the right rod is critical, but so is your hookset style. Once you pick up and sweep, put a lot of cranks on that reel so your rod really loads. That ensures your fish is well hooked and you won’t lose him.
Presentation Tip: Occasionally, I have seen a Slim Senko do better if the fish are more finicky — maybe from a cold front or heavy fishing pressure — and I’m not getting the bites. I never start with it, but if I’m seeing them down there and I’m not getting bit, I’ll try switching to that slimmer profile bait.
SPOTTED BASS
Spots are more bait oriented than largemouth in the fall, so a dropshot with a Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm on a size 1 Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot is what I’d throw. Nose hooking is the best option because you get more action, but you can’t be too quick on the hook set because sometimes, they just grab the tail. You have to let them eat it.
I like a tear-drop shaped weight because it seems like I don’t get hung up as much, but I prefer lead over tungsten because it’s not so costly when you do loose weights. The cool thing about this technique is that, a lot of times you’ll see the fish coming up off the bottom as the bait’s falling.
I fish my dropshot on 8-pound Seaguar InvisX and I go with a 7-foot rod like the Dobyns Champion 702 or a DX 702 SF. Some guys like a 6-9 when they’re “video gaming” by dropping right off their meter, but I just like that 7-foot length.
Presentation Tip: My standard leader length is 8-12 inches, but if I see the fish are right on the bottom, I might go down to 3-4 inches. On the other hand, if I see the fish are aggressively on the bait schools, I’ll go up to a 6-foot leader. I’ll be honest, it’s a pain in the butt to manage, but I’m just pitching it off the trolling motor and letting it fall.
I’ll never get tired of catching fish on topwater — especially in the fall. But I know that balancing the reaction bite with deep plastic presentations will ofter reward me with some bigger opportunities.
