Late fall fishing is most effective when you focus on areas with food sources, using slower retrieves with larger baits to match the fish’s reduced metabolism and energy conservation before winter. Look for fish in transitional areas like creek channels or flats, and be prepared to switch to faster-moving baits or cover more water with search baits like crankbaits or spinnerbaits if needed. On warmer, calmer days, fish may stay shallower, but as cold fronts arrive, they will move deeper to find cover like drop-offs or green vegetation. Cold-blooded fish have a slower metabolism in cold water, so slow down your retrieval speed significantly. If the weather is mild and calm, fish will often still be active in shallower water. Fish will stay shallow as long as the water remains comfortable.

Ben and Jack’s Lure Picks of the week

Ben– Texas Rig. A Texas rig is good for fishing through thick cover because its weedless design prevents snags from vegetation, rocks, and wood. This setup, which includes a soft plastic lure, a hook, and a bullet-shaped weight, allows you to fish this bait in areas where other rigs would get stuck, making it effective for many soft plastics and applicable in both shallow and deep water.

Jack– My lure pick of the week is a football jig. Using this jig, you should target heavy cover like logs and docks, using techniques like pitching and flipping. With bass starting to slow down due to the colder weather, this can be a very effective way to get bass to bite in the fall.