TIPS FROM A PRO
By Tyler Woolcott
The temperature is starting to drop in most parts of the country and the air is getting a little more dry. This time of the year can be a blast to fish when you get in the right place at the right time. In this piece im going to try to help you have a better understanding at the way bass move and feed this time of year to help you have a more successful day on the water.
As the seasons change so does a basses attitude. They go from being somewhat lazy feeders sitting around structure and things to being very active and chasing bait and feeding very heavily. This can make for lots of action if you know where to look and how to target these active fish. My absolute favorite thing to look for is shad feeding fish. These baitfish are a favorite food for bass this time of year.
There are many places to find shad and in return find the bass. Many scenarios you will find them on banks, points of a lake, or sometimes even schooled up in the middle of a lake. A tell tale sign i look for is birds feeding as they are also on the hunt for these baitfish. Also keep an eye out for fish busting the surface as you are riding around the lake or as you are fishing, ive found some very fun bites just by seeing a random fish blowup or some baitfish jump out of the water. Always be aware of your surroundings.
Another way to find these baitfish is with the sonars on your boat. Whether its your traditional 2d sonar, sidescan, or forward sonar, if you are marking bait chances are the bass arent far from them. Sometimes i find myself just scanning around finding areas that are “alive” as there can be lots of dead water in a lake. Lots of times you can locate large groups of fish swinming around in a very particular zone of a body of water if you are willing to put the time in with your electronics to find them.
This time of year can be very fun fishing if you get around these aggresive bait feeders. Make sure to have your topwaters and your shad profile lures ready and cover some water to find the life in your lakes, rivers , or even ponds. These fish are feeding up somewhere and you will have a really fun day on the watsr if you find it. Good luck out there and like i said, always be aware of your surroundings for activity. Tight lines!
Tyler Woolcott is a professional tournament angler and guide. Check out his website at www.tylerwoolcottfishing.com.