Lures
Match your bait to the small baitfish such as shad that bass feed upon in the fall. Spinnerbaits do this, with white or very light colors the best if the water is clear. Darker shades like purple will attract bass in water that is not as clear. Jigs are also an excellent lure for fall bass fishing. The deeper channels of rivers and lakes will hold bass in early autumn and jigs can reach them in this water. However, the bass will eventually drive into the shallows in search of the baitfish, where they are susceptible to crankbaits fished at or just below the surface.
Weather
Weather fronts in the early fall will not have profound effects on the feeding habits of bass. The water temperatures this time of year remain somewhat warm. However, later on toward November, the cold fronts tend to have more strength and can shut down the feeding for a few days after passing through. Pay close attention to the weather forecasts during this time. Plan your trips to the lake or river based on the forecast.
Rocks and Docks
Bass in the fall will look for green waterweeds. These weeds will have smaller fish in them as a source of food and give off large amounts of oxygen. When weeds are absent in a lake or pond, rocks are a likely place to find bass. The rocks in the water will have a tendency to hold heat and this brings baitfish and bass to the warmer water this produces. On a sunny autumn day, a dock often will have bass close by. Although the air temperature may not equal that of the hottest part of the summer, bass will still seek shade on a very sunny fall day, which a dock can provide.
Stay Put
A bass anglers might catch a fish in the fall from one spot and decide to move on to the next likely place, figuring he has caught all the fish worth catching from that place. Bass in the fall typically travel in groups, meaning more than one bass will inhabit an area. The prudent angler will stay in a spot where he catches a bass and keep fishing the area until he has covered it extensively with casts.
