Fall has arrived in most regions and depending on where you live, will depend of the type of "fall" you are encountering. In the Northeast, the weather is getting colder and the bass are beginning to put on the feed bag for their winter layover. Down south, the bass are putting on their feed bag in time to begin early spawning. Heck, where I live, we get bass spawning as early as December, depending on the lake. Fishing this time of year, no matter where you are, could produce some impressive hogs. I have personally had some of my largest bass in the October through December months – both up north, and in the south. Let me see if I can point you in the right direction for October bass action!

1. Big Baits

There is no secret that bass love big baits and artificial lures in the fall. These fish are beginning to slow down due to colder water temps than they have seen since early spring. A big fat easy meal is a lot more appealing to a big bass than the chase. However, don't overlook bait schools, as even though these may be smaller, there are more of them so it still means an easy "full" belly without a lot of work for Mr. Bass.

Big hard bodied swimbaits are a must in the fall. In some areas, large shad, bluegill, rainbow trout and others make for great bass meals. Keep in mind fellow anglers – a bass is like a shark without teeth. They will eat just about anything in the water column. For these big lures I like to work the lure slowly, hopefully imitated a slow moving baitfish. I like to throw these big baits around known bedding areas of bluegill or in areas where you know there are large baits – shad, shiners, and trout.The Kapstan Elite 300 baitcasting reel and Cliff Crochet 7'8" rod make a great set up for throwing large swimbaits.KastKing’s Megatron 200 baitcasting reel with a bluegill-pattern swimbait is a fall bass killer.

2. Small Ones Too

Another great fall tip is to go with finesse baits or slightly larger lures. A well-placed Senko slowly drifting to the bottom can be deadly for bass on the hunt. When dragonflies are active, a black Senko thrown into open areas can trigger bites fast. Zoom Speed Worms with a small 1/8 oz Texas rig also shine in October.Cadence is the key — experiment with slow, mid, and fast retrieves until you find what the bass want. I rely on the KastKing MGTI Elite baitcasting reel, and its titanium spool design gives me smooth, long casts and perfect control for finesse presentations. The 7.2:1 gear ratio also makes it easy to handle a wide range of rigs and techniques.

3. Top Water

One of my all-time favorite fall baits is a topwater Zara Spook or similar walking bait, like Berkley’s J-Walker or Lucky Craft Sammy. For me, the key with these baits is long casts, and my 7'2" Royale Legend Pro Casting Rods make it easy to cast a mile. I like to sneak up on fish and hit points, laydowns, and edges of weed and lily pad fields to entice ferocious strikes.

The Royale Legend Pro Casting Rod (7'2", Top Water, Fast, Heavy) is perfect for long casts and precise control with topwater baits.

4. Banging Baits

My fourth tip is banging baits off any and everything you can in the water. Deflecting crankbaits is a classic bass attractor in the fall, and October is no exception. Stick with baits that dive 2 to 5 feet maximum, and are of the square bill variety. I feel the square bill deflects better than others, and reduces hang ups. Another key is learning the difference between a tree limb or rocky bottom, and a fish bite. The definition to me is the bite will always move the bait, whether it be up, down, left or right for example, whereas when you snag, the bait will remain in the same place it was when you felt it. Fish the crankbaits as close to cover as possible, allowing it to deflect. These deflections will imitate a dying shad for the most part, but will also get the reaction bite from bass lying in wait.Banging crankbaits in October off any type of structure is a sure ticket to Mrs. Big Momma Bass.

5. The Flash Wins

The last of the five October tips is flash. Nothing gets a bass more excited than a flashy bait, especially when there are other baitfish in the area on the move. For flashy baits, spinnerbaits – large and small, are my go-to options. I will use a variety of 3/4 to 3/8 ounce in willow and Colorado blades. Cadence plays a huge roll when using spinnerbaits. These lures can be a speeding away baitfish, dying baitfish, or one looking to eat smaller baitfish, larvae or insects. I will fish spinnerbaits in several different ways.

The first is weight. I will always use lighter weight spinnerbaits unless I feel the current is too strong or the water is too deep to get the "right" action I feel I need. For the willowleaf bladed spinnerbait, this will give you more flash and represent a fleeing baitfish more than anything else. Fish these relatively fast, but utilizing different depths until you find the fish. The second is the Colorado bladed spinnerbaits, which give you vibration more than flash. These are good in murky or stained water, but can also be used in clear lakes. One killer of a method to fish Colorado bladed spinnerbaits is to make your cast and allow it to helicopter towards the bottom. Keep your line tight as the bites will be subtle as the lure falls. Last but not least, and similar to crankbaits, I will always try and bang spinnerbaits off structure or rip it through various grasses.Utilizing flashy lures like spinnerbaits in October will surely put a few fish in your bucket or live well. 

Utilize these 5 tips for October bass with your favorite KastKing rod and reel and I am sure this October will be rewarding. Until next time, tight lines and screaming drags!

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