Well guys it’s that time of year again. We’ve just turned the clocks back. Most of the nation is enjoying cooler temperatures. This means fall fishing will be upon us before we know it. Here in Southern California we still have a bit of a wait. The temperatures are still hot but the nights cool. Usually the best fall fishing will start in mid-November and believe it or not we enjoy Great fishing clear through spring.

Rob Price describes this very well in an article entitled “The Time For Big Swimbaits Begins” he writes; “The fall fishing season is rapidly approaching and for many this signals the beginning of the Southern California trout season. For others, it signals the beginning of the lunker bass season. These fishermen see the trout as nothing more than tasty morsels for hungry largemouths and the preferred method of chasing these voracious bass is with large swimbaits. From November until the early spring, you can see dedicated bass fishermen throwing large lures, some as long as 12" in search of a real trophy”.

This type of fishing requires long hours, total concentration and great patience; something many of us don’t possess. In this article I would like to concentrate on the use of swimbaits for fall fishing in most of the lakes throughout the nation.
  
There are two times of the year when bass fishing is at it's best, in the early spring of the year and in the fall before the winter sets in.  This is because the bass are grouping together, interesting enough for the same reasons: to gorge themselves for an up coming natural event. Early spring: the spawn and fall: the upcoming winter. During these periods the bass seem to throw all caution to the wind to go into feeding frenzies. You will usually be fishing for aggressive feeders.

Of the two my favorite is the fall, I finally get a break from a long, hot and dry summer. I can stay out on the lake longer without being cooked to death and I know the bass will be coming out of their summer feeding slumps.

The cooler temperatures allow the bass to become more active. They are on the prowl for the fry that have had all summer to grow into larger baitfish. They will be very aggressively feeding and will be making a move toward shallow water. I can use a wide variety of lures and still have a successful day on the lake. While almost anything will catch fish in the fall, I believe soft plastic swimbaits will out produce most. First and foremost think bigger or “Big Baits”. Bare in mind not all baits work best on every lake. And not all lakes are the same. But they all have important features for fall fishing in common.
  
Let me take a little time to explain. Here in Southern California as throughout most of the Southwest, because of very little rainfall, and few natural lakes, we have designed reservoirs. These reservoirs are supplied by imported water from other water rich areas. Unlike natural lakes that are fed by streams or creeks, these man made lakes are fed by a series of ditches and canals and finally pumped in via what is call the inlet. Now at this point these inlets become very similar to creeks; they supply the lake with, depending upon the air temperature, cooler, oxygen rich water. The only difference between this and a natural lake is the baitfish doesn’t migrate up the inlet. Now with all that said Lets continue.
  
I have found that most lakes are usually low in the fall. The weather fronts that go through are usually light. If they bring any rain it is immediately absorbed by the already parched ground, thus the lakes are very clear. It is not unusual to see to a depth of 10 feet.  The shad will usually be migrating toward the creeks or inlets and, you can bet, the bass aren’t far behind. I have seen bait fish congregating at the mouths of these creeks and inlets in schools that would boggle your mind. Suddenly the water explodes with sparkle on top as if someone threw a bucket of glitter in. The shad come leaping to the surface as the bass come charging into the school, literally devouring everything in sight.

Now is not the time to be caught on the lake without a good color selection of lures. I like to bring out the soft plastic Swimbaits. Since the major food of choice in most lakes during fall is shad and bream, ideal colors for lures are those that mimic the bait both in size and color. Match the hatch, if the primary food fish is trout - match that, if it's shad - match that, etc.


Swimbaits come in a variety of styles and types; each designed to be fished in certain conditions and in specific ways. All work and all have their place and time. They can be fished on the surface or fished deep; they can be presented with a slow retrieve or fast retrieve.

Top water swimbaits are generally a slow retrieve weightless bait. They usually come packaged with a treble hook and can be fished very well to a depth of about 6 feet; depending how fast you retrieve them and if you add any weight. The manufactures of these lures provide nails that are inserted in the belly of these swimbaits, giving them the needed wait to be fished at a depth you choose. As I have mentioned earlier bass, at some point in the fall, will move to shallower waters during the day, but also will tend to shift toward these shallows for feeding in the evening, at night, and early mornings. Unlike their reactions just a few weeks earlier, the bass tend to stay in the shallower feeding areas longer in the morning as well as arrive earlier in the afternoon. This means you have longer and longer periods to work your top water lures. Also while working the shallows depending on whether you have heavy cover the Weedless swimbaits can come in handy. These are weightless baits that come packaged with a hook. You inserted the hook into the bait leaving it embedded in the lure and not exposed. Before you know it you’ll be tossing these great baits into heavy cover and pulling out trophy bass.
  
For those times, when the fish are still suspended or holding close to the bottom, the weighted swimbaits take over. There are two types of weighted swimbaits; the first type is where the plastic is molded around the weight and hook. These now come standard with a hook protruding from the top and a treble hook at the bottom. They range in size from 2 inch up to 12 inches. They are by far the most realistic lure on the market.

Early to mid-fall bass are very active and will chase bait for some distance. But as we enter late fall and the water temps drop they slow down and take up an ambush stance. There comes a time when eye appeal is everything. Not only does it have to look real and appealing, but also it better be the size worth going after. Just think of it this way; why when it is cold and you feel sluggish, would you expend the energy needed to chase after a hotdog some distance away, when you can chase after a big fat juicy steak set right down in front of you? Remember this; bass will go after baits up to half their size. So if you want that “Big Hawg” think real, (if it looks real, it must be) think appeal, (hotdog or steak) and think deal, (set right down in front of you or if you have to chase it; it has to be worth it). Think of these lures as “The Steak” of all lures.
  
The second and my favorite is the swimbait tail. These tails come in a multitude of colors and when combined with your favorite jighead in the size and weight you choose can “Match The Hatch” on any lake in the country. The bass should be easier to catch in the fall. In anticipation of the upcoming winter months, they become so aggressive, there is only one objective, eat and eat some more. Eat everything in sight, “gotta fatten up for the winter”. They know where the local smorgasbord is, and the words “Match the Hatch” do play a very important role. Swimbait tails for the money are my first choice.

Now this brings us to how do you fish swimbaits?


There is really no wrong way to fish a swimbait. After all, it’s the swimbaits’ vibrating knobtail that does all the work.  Swimbaits can cover a wide range of water depths and stay in the strike zone no matter what depth big bass are found in. There are however various ways that seem to be more proven than others. 
  
Deadsticking, a technique involving a surface swimbait, is very effective when done correctly.  It is very simple but requires patience.  You simply cast the bait out and let it sit motionless on the surface. When you move the bait, you only move it a few inches, so it will take a good amount of time to complete the retrieve.  Another technique is to cast the floating bait out and then let the wind drag your boat at the same time.  This enables your bait to cover a greater amount of shoreline and allows all the notorious lunkers that follow the swimbait to commit to striking the bait.
  
A technique that top anglers swear get the most strikes is slow rolling the swimbait off the bottom.  Cast the swimbait out as far as possible, usually out into deeper water, and let it spiral fall to the bottom. Once it reaches the bottom, let the bait rest there for a while. This will draw the attention of near bye lunkers.  Then jerk the bait up suddenly hoping it will hit a rock or other types of structure, glance off of it and attract a reaction strike.  If you don’t get a strike then, continue retrieving the swimbait slowly up hill across structure allowing the bait to track along the bottom throughout the cast.  While retrieving, jerking the rod upward now and then will cause the swimbait to twitch and dart.  Twitching the swimbait imitates a frightened trout trying to flee from an ambushing bass.
  
Big Bass tend to follow swimbaits for quite some distance so a lot of fish taken on swimbaits come real close to the boat, so stay intuned with your bait at all times.  The swimbait is an extremely versatile lure and pays huge dividends when used consistently.  Persistence and confidence are the two operative factors when trying one of these big bass producers. So go out there and stick the fish of your dreams!

For more great Swimbait tips: Click Here


Some of the most common questions I am asked:
"If I want to get the swimbait to sink faster do I add weight to the lure?" NO absolutely not. Add a sliding weight to the line above the lure.
  
"Is the treble hook necessary?" Yes. It is designed to balance the lure. Without it the lure will probably roll. For a more realistic look embed one of the three hooks into the belly of the lure. Test it and see if it rolls, if it does use the embedded hook to adjust it.
  
"After a few mean catches I have a problem with the weight and hook pulling out the nose of the lure is there anything I can do to prolong the life of my swimbait?" Yes there is. This little trick was sent to me by a 10 year old boy: when looking at the swimbait from the side insert a toothpick directly behind the weight and above the hook, push it all the way through. Then take a fingernail clipper and cut the excess toothpick ends off. It works great.

In closing I would like to caution all of you: this is a time of year when you have to be prepared for the unexpected. Cold fronts going threw can be just that cold. Always bring extra clothing. Layered clothing is the best way to go. Let others know where you are going to go and when you will be back. Be extra safe on the water, watch for thunderstorms and bring your rain gear. Just in case, bring some blankets; you never know when you might have to spend the night in some cove waiting for the storm to pass.