Stewart Venable
With fall having arrived and winter creeping up, it’s time to focus on school. I mean, of course, beautiful hungry schooling bass. I love the period of active mid-fall fishing when giant balls of bait are in shallow water. The question is, with so many options, what do you throw to get those schools fired up? While there are dozens of lure choices, there are a few staples that I believe in.
It’s hard to argue with the decades of success that the lipless crank has enjoyed. While there’s been little change to these baits over the years, the lipless crank still will get the job done. If you’re not fishing from a boat, or just not utilizing electronics, this bait is a great way to find bait and fish you are unable to see. A lipless crank in chrome and black or blue is quite possibly the best way to find fish by covering large expanses of water, and doing so quickly.
Another excellent way to find fish is with the newer technique of “spy baiting.” This method employs the finesse style of a sinking prop bait. This light-line approach was created to target primarily suspended fish, but I’ve found fish that are actively feeding love it just as much. The bait’s ability to stay under the main school makes it an easy target for bass moving up through the bait to eat. Dual props combine with a very lifelike appearance and profile to make the bait a great tool to fool hungry bass.
Topwater baits are another staple in targeting schooling bass. While there’s no secret bait here, the color choices that may trigger strikes could surprise you. While I’ve always got white or bone colored buzzbaits, walk-the-dog and popping baits, I also keep a chartreuse variant on hand. It seems in some situations, specifically when casting into larger schools of bait, it gives bass something different to key in on. With so much food all around, it can be frustrating to try and compete for the fishes’ attention. I’ve found that going to the other end of the realism spectrum can pay off.
Another relatively recent, and widely utilized, technique is the Alabama rig. In my opinion, the praise regarding this technique is certainly well deserved. While there are many variants of the “A-rig,” the one that, in my opinion, seems to produce with the most regularity is the Shane’s Baits “5th Element.” Capitalizing on the proven A-rig blueprint, this bait adds a little extra seduction to the mix. Flash and vibration are taken up a notch with the addition of blades on each of the arms. Combining this with the swimbait of your choice makes for a potent weapon for targeting feeding bass.
Hopefully these tools will help you this month when the school is back in session.
Stewart Venable is a member of the Jackson Kayak Fishing Team and on the Pro Staff of these companies: Dobyns, YakAttack, Bending Branches, Georgia Kayak Adventures, Ram Mounts. Contact him at (704) 307-9427.
[easy-social-share]