By Scott Norton
Summer is over and the fall transition has been happening for weeks. The upper elevations hit it first while the lower elevations will catch up. How do you know that you are in a transition? Pay attention to the night temperatures and that will tell you everything. When the nights start getting cold is when everything kicks in. If you get to the lake and you have to wear a hoody or a jacket, chances are it is already happening.
The day temperature can get really hot and that could confuse some fisherman on what is going on. If you are one that goes often you will also notice a downward trend of water temps. You will notice the summer holes will all of the sudden become dead and you will have to cover water to find them. This is an exciting time to fish as bass get fired up to feed up for the winter months.
This time of year you can catch them on anything. I find that downsizing helps because they focus on the smaller forage. Big bass will cling to spars grass, so if you find healthy grass among the dying grass you can be in a good situation. This will make catching them predictable, knowing where they should be. If you are catching lots of small bass in the shallows you may have to fish deep to target the larger sizes. When you find bait balls, be sure to use a baits with blades to get hungry bass to pay attention to your bait instead of the bait balls.
These fish are on the move, so keep that in mind. You may have to move around and cover lots of water. Bass won’t all be in one spot, they will move in waves just like the spawn. They will be spread out all over the lake and that’s why you need to have a moving bait of your choice tied on. The patterns will also change based on how hot the day gets, as well. It is a fun way to fish since you’re not dealing with bass that get shut down from the summer heat.
It is a great time to go, especially if you bring a friend that your introducing this sport to. The weather is cold in the morning and hot in the afternoon, so dress in layers and enjoy.
Scott Norton is a Western North Carolina native. Born in Asheville, N.C., he is a long-time hunter, angler and weekend warrior.