By Scott Norton
The cool nights are upon us and the change will happen. After Labor Day weekend the boat traffic starts to go away, and anglers can finally enjoy calm waters to fish. Most still find hot weather in the day and the normal patterns start to change. One day your catching fish like you normally do and the next day you got nothing. What happened to the fish? What happened is that as soon as cold temperatures hit at night those bass can sense the call to start moving. In the day you feel like nothing changed but it is what happens when you’re not there. You will notice the summer holes are empty everywhere.
They will start to move up shallow again and find those shady places to ambush those small shad that have grown since the spawn. Docks are going to be a hot bed for those bass to hangout in. A good sign that the bass are moving is the grass starts to die all the sudden. When you see that, it is happening. They will also be in the grass that’s still healthy. Make sure you look for signs of life because you do not want to waste your time fishing where they are not. They will also be in current breaks where it is wind related, from a river, or a dam release. Look for these places and you will find them. Be willing to cover lots of water because moving bass will be scattered bass. Do not fish one spot too long. Make a few casts in target areas and move on.
Remember to match the hatch. They are going for the small shad so downsize you lures. Adjust your colors to water clarity. If it’s clear use natural colors. If it’s stained water use bright colors. With Rain and cooler nights, the warm water starts to trend downward. They will start to feed heavy until the winter months arrive. This is a great time to fish because the bass will be at their biggest size starting now. You will start to catch bass with small heads with big bodies much like a football. Catch them on the baits you have been using, you just have to go with a smaller profile. It is a great time to use your bait finesse gear right now. This is the strategy you will want now but will change again a few months from now. Have fun and learn something new.
Scott Norton is a Western North Carolina native. Born in Asheville, N.C., he is a long-time hunter, angler and weekend warrior.