Jig Fishing in the Fall
The Fall is a time when bass fishing can notoriously be tough. Fish are on the move, transitioning from deeper water to shallower water, and small baitfish are everywhere from the spawn several months prior. This transition and over abundance of food can make it tough on anglers for sure, however, many anglers can begin to overthink their approach.
One of the most deadly techniques to catch bass in the Fall is many anglers’ “bread and butter” year round - the jig. A jig is one of, if not arguably the most versatile lure in your tackle box. It mimics all sorts of forage bass feed on, and there is no season that limits the effectiveness of the jig. It simply catches fish all year round, even in the difficult months. However, like any other bait, there are a few simple tweaks that can get more fish in the boat.
Jig Selection
Due to the fact that there is so much going on in the Fall, it is important to have a jig that can do everything, like the Ike’s Mini Flip Jig. Bass may be in 12-15 feet of water or they could be in seemingly inches of water. It is important to have a jig that you can hop, skip, drag, swim, or do whatever you need. The head on the Ike’s Mini Flip allows anglers to apply all these jig fishing techniques and its compact size will get you a lot more bites where other jigs won’t.
When selecting the size of your jig, there are two sizes that are versatile enough to catch fish anywhere - 3/8 oz. and 1/2 oz. Fall fishing, is all about figuring out what the fish want. If the fish are keying on a slower fall, put on the 3/8 oz. size. If they are keying on a more reactionary bite, move to the 1/2 oz.
Color selection in the Fall isn’t necessarily all that different from other times of the year. Two very versatile colors are Green Pumpkin and Bamer Craw. These two colors mimic a lot of forage that bass feed on, and will get you a lot of bites.
Trailer Selection
Another big contributor to jig fishing is, trailer selection. This will drastically change the profile and action of your jig. The list of jig trailers are endless, but it can be simply narrowed down.
If you are looking to slow the fall of your jig, as we mentioned above, try a trailer such as the Craw Father or Twin Turbo. These trailers will kick hard and create drag on your jig as it falls, giving the fish more time to look at your bait and decide whether or not to eat it.
If you are looking to increase the fall rate of your jig, also discussed above, try a trailer such as the D Bomb or Baby D Bomb. These trailers allow for a quicker fall, but also give incredible action to entice those fish to bite.
Colors are going to be very similar to your jig selection. Green Pumpkin or a variation of Green Pumpkin, such as Bamer Craw are good versatile options. These colors mimic so many things, increasing your opportunity to get bit.
Target Areas
When fishing in the Fall, one of the most intimidating tasks can be deciding which area of the lake to fish. Bass are on the move from their summer homes to their winter homes, combined with all the bait activity - fish could be anywhere. However, there are a couple very high percentage areas to target this time of year, especially with a jig.
Both rocky banks and laydowns, on main channels are very promising areas to catch fish. Also, the mouths of creeks, coves, and guts are areas to target these rocky banks and laydowns. If you can find these types of structure in these areas, then you better stop and fish there because there likely are going to be fish there. These are areas that the fish must pass by and will often times stop at when making the transition.
As you fish these areas and types of structure, don’t be afraid to target a couple of different depth ranges to see where they are. Target from 12-15 feet, all the way up to just a couple of feet. For whatever reason in the Fall, at times bass will nose right up at the bank and if you can time it right, you can catch a ton of bass in a hurry.
One of the most deadly techniques to catch bass in the Fall is many anglers’ “bread and butter” year round - the jig. A jig is one of, if not arguably the most versatile lure in your tackle box. It mimics all sorts of forage bass feed on, and there is no season that limits the effectiveness of the jig. It simply catches fish all year round, even in the difficult months. However, like any other bait, there are a few simple tweaks that can get more fish in the boat.
Jig Selection
Due to the fact that there is so much going on in the Fall, it is important to have a jig that can do everything, like the Ike’s Mini Flip Jig. Bass may be in 12-15 feet of water or they could be in seemingly inches of water. It is important to have a jig that you can hop, skip, drag, swim, or do whatever you need. The head on the Ike’s Mini Flip allows anglers to apply all these jig fishing techniques and its compact size will get you a lot more bites where other jigs won’t.
When selecting the size of your jig, there are two sizes that are versatile enough to catch fish anywhere - 3/8 oz. and 1/2 oz. Fall fishing, is all about figuring out what the fish want. If the fish are keying on a slower fall, put on the 3/8 oz. size. If they are keying on a more reactionary bite, move to the 1/2 oz.
Color selection in the Fall isn’t necessarily all that different from other times of the year. Two very versatile colors are Green Pumpkin and Bamer Craw. These two colors mimic a lot of forage that bass feed on, and will get you a lot of bites.
Trailer Selection
Another big contributor to jig fishing is, trailer selection. This will drastically change the profile and action of your jig. The list of jig trailers are endless, but it can be simply narrowed down.
If you are looking to slow the fall of your jig, as we mentioned above, try a trailer such as the Craw Father or Twin Turbo. These trailers will kick hard and create drag on your jig as it falls, giving the fish more time to look at your bait and decide whether or not to eat it.
If you are looking to increase the fall rate of your jig, also discussed above, try a trailer such as the D Bomb or Baby D Bomb. These trailers allow for a quicker fall, but also give incredible action to entice those fish to bite.
Colors are going to be very similar to your jig selection. Green Pumpkin or a variation of Green Pumpkin, such as Bamer Craw are good versatile options. These colors mimic so many things, increasing your opportunity to get bit.
Target Areas
When fishing in the Fall, one of the most intimidating tasks can be deciding which area of the lake to fish. Bass are on the move from their summer homes to their winter homes, combined with all the bait activity - fish could be anywhere. However, there are a couple very high percentage areas to target this time of year, especially with a jig.
Both rocky banks and laydowns, on main channels are very promising areas to catch fish. Also, the mouths of creeks, coves, and guts are areas to target these rocky banks and laydowns. If you can find these types of structure in these areas, then you better stop and fish there because there likely are going to be fish there. These are areas that the fish must pass by and will often times stop at when making the transition.
As you fish these areas and types of structure, don’t be afraid to target a couple of different depth ranges to see where they are. Target from 12-15 feet, all the way up to just a couple of feet. For whatever reason in the Fall, at times bass will nose right up at the bank and if you can time it right, you can catch a ton of bass in a hurry.