Gary Engberg Outdoors

Creepin Up Creeks For Fall Bass 9-1-2010

gengberg September 1st, 2010

CREEPIN UP CREEKS FOR FALL BASS
Try the Hottest Pattern Going for Autumn Bass Fishing
By: Colby Simms with Ray Simms
Photos by: Simms Outdoors Photography

www.SimmsOutdoors.com
You’ve got to love fall, and we really enjoy hunting. Seasons for dove, deer, squirrel and turkeys draw us into the fields and woods, but as the weather gets pleasant and waters cool, bass put the feed bag on in preparation for winter, creating some of the best angling of the year. They feed like ravenous wolves, devouring prey as fast as they can find it. One of the very best tactics that Ray Simms and I have used to catch lots of big autumn bass is to head up a creek.
*Prime Location
Most lakes and reservoirs have creeks and rivers feeding them, and it is in these places that bass spend most of their time once fall arrives. They follow baitfish into these arms as soon as water temperatures start to drop. The cooler it gets, the more bait and bass move into creeks and the shallows. We’ve experienced incredible catches of big bass in creeks during autumn.
While entire creek and river lake arms will hold fish, anglers often find big concentrations of bait and bass far up the creek itself, where it’s a tight fit for a large boat. In fact, last fall Ray and I worked our way so far up creeks that we had a difficult time getting my 21′ Skeeter Bass Boat out. We had to back out with the trolling motor, but it was worth the effort. With the massive deck on my ZX250 (skeeterboats.com) we were always able to position two of us on the front, to cast far up into the creek, and it paid off. We caught incredible numbers of big bass from the backs of little creeks that we could barely get into. Talk about exciting!
*Presentation Options
Topwaters are great for fall bass. Since they’re always hunting baitfish, injured prey are often found kicking on the surface. Buzzbaits are a favorite in fall, allowing great water coverage. Lipless crankbaits are another popular lure, and the Sashimi Rattl’N Vibe from Yo-Zuri (yo-zuri.com) is a good option. This lure actually changes color as it passes a fish. Vibrating jigs and swimbaits are effective too. Spinnerbaits are the most deadly of all lures for fall fishing and Ray and I catch more and bigger bass on them than anything else. Double blade models in 1/4oz and 3/8oz sizes are usually best.
Since bass are actively hunting baitfish, the blade flash of a spinnerbait just can’t be beat. In heavily stained waters, spinnerbaits with colorado blades like the Simms Thump N Spin work great, while the Simms Flash N Spin with willow blades is better for clear waters. An awesome new lure that produces in both clear and dirty water is the Hatchet Spin from Simms Outdoors (simmsoutdoors.com). This highly unique spinnerbait features wild counter-rotating hatchet blades that produce a different action, sound and vibration than other blade styles. They put huge fish in the boat, even on waters with high fishing pressure. Adding a soft plastic grub to the back of a spinnerbait adds bulk when you want to fish extra slow and the strong scent of a Power Grub from Berkley (berkley-fishing.com) can increase strikes when fish are fussy.
*Up A Creek
Fishing guide and tournament angler Ty Williams favors creeks for fall bass and offers “Shad move up creeks as soon as it cools down and we’ll chase em all the way.” “We throw swimbaits, vibrating jigs and buzzbaits, but catch more on spinnerbaits that anything.” Ty states “The Hatchet Spins from Simms Outdoors are the most productive lures we use in fall and those special counter-rotating hatchet blades get us bit.” Ty continues “You can’t get too shallow or too far up a creek in fall, and we’ve caught big fish in just a foot of water.”
Fishing pro Mike Thurston also chooses creeks in autumn and says “Rivers and creeks will always hold more fall bass than the main lake, and I’ll hit stumps or grass if its there.” Mike offers “If the water’s real dirty, I might throw a jig with a bulky trailer or a big paddle tail swimbait on a jighead, but day in and day out I cast spinnerbaits Continue Reading »