By Charlie Beasley
As we roll into October, the weather gets cooler and the fishing gets hotter. Top water baits can provide some of the most exciting bass bites during the fall season. As the water temperature drops and the daylight hours shorten on Fort Loudoun, Tellico, and Chilhowee Lakes in East Tennessee, bass will be moving into shallower haunts as they feed on baitfish. The creeks and pockets are where a lot of the bass will push baitfish and become active. A River2Sea Whopper Plopper, Rebel Pop-R and a buzzbait can provide some of the most heart racing action of the year. A Strike King KVD 1.5 or a shad colored spinnerbait will also fool gorging bass in the shallows. A Z-Man Chatterbait, a rattling lipless crankbait, like a Strike King Red Eye Shad and a Zoom plastic fluke, can put fish in your livewell in this time of year as well. The main thing is to imitate the baitfish that bass are chasing.
If you venture to a lake and find grass present, a Z-Man Leap FrogZ frog can give you jolt as an aggressive bass, busting through the vegetation, is a sight and sensation like no other.
Crappie anglers also get in on the action as the weather cools. Bobby Garland plastics, live minnows and trolled crankbaits are baits of choice for most anglers searching for the tasty slabs. The water is cooling and the crappie get active in their fall feed as well. We carry a full line of Bobby Garland plastics for all the needs of crappie anglers as well as live bait for those who prefer that approach.
One thing to remember, no matter how many you catch, the important thing is to enjoy God’s creation and savor the great outdoors our area offers.
Charlie Beasley is the owner of 129 Fishing in Maryville, TN. They provide the resources to help anglers catch more fish on every trip.