The Fall Move
With air temps going down for the fall and the water temps falling as well. And with them moving up to feed before the winter. When/what would you look for to get an idea that they are going from a more shallow bite back to a deeper setup?
Great Question. The key for me this time of year is to always follow the bait. A lot of time the birds can help with this process. Great Blue Herron's let you know that the bait is shallow. Seagulls, Cormorants, and loons are good indicators of bait below. As fall turns into winter, look for the bait to move out of the shallow and into deeper areas. The bass will fallow the bait wherever it goes. Sonar is the very important this time of year. The depth you find the bait is the depth I begin looking for bass. The good news is that this time of year, the bass are often schooled up. If you can bear the weather, the fishing can be outstanding.
What is best bait for shallow winter time fishing in East Texas?
My first choice is usually lipless this time of year. I like the larger 3/4 ounce size. It matches the size of the bait better in the winter. A single Colorado spinnerbait is also a great choice in a lot of shallow situations. It can be fished slow around wood and shallow cover. I also like a jerkbait if the cover allows it. Always have a jig ready this time of year as well. My first choice is the lipless.
Just wondering why so many articles on small mouth. We don't have small mouth in east texas.
Smallmouth are certainly fun if you have them. I hear that smallies have been stocked in several places in Texas. I understand your comment, though. Lots and lots of largemouth trainning available on Bass U and a lot more coming. Will be live fishing for Florida strain largemounth on 12/20. https://bassu.tv/live. Don't miss it.
