This is the beginning of what I hope will be a great fall of bass fishing. The fish seem to be more active now and can be caught using several different methods. On a trip to Logan Martin Lake this week I caught bass jigging a spoon in 20 to 25 feet of water, casting a grub in 8 to 10 feet of water, fishing a plastic worm on points in 15 feet of water and just going down the bank casting a crankbait or spinnerbait. Any place that would hold schools of shad also seemed to hold spotted bass.
I talked to several fishermen who had caught some nice largemouth bass on a pig-n-jig or crawbait fished around piers and brush piles. One fellow told me he had caught some nice fish early in the morning using a topwater bait around deep seawalls, rip-rap and steep banks. It really seemed like you could catch bass just about anywhere you wanted to fish on that particular day. However, the weather plays an important part in fish activity this time of year. With a front passing through every three or four days, there will be a few good days of fishing and then a few bad ones. The wind is also a factor when fishing in the fall.
I tried crappie fishing a little that day but I didn’t have much luck.
Most of the people who were catching crappie were using minnows and with the bass biting like they were it was hard for me to sit still and watch a float.
Lay Lake has also been producing come nice catches of bass around the weed beds, but the lake level is supposed to be down for a week or so and that leaves the weeds almost dry. When this annual short time drawdown (3 to 4 feet) occurs on Lay Lake it will draw the bass out of the weeds and shallow water.
This is the time for fishermen to spend a little time learning something about the lake. This drop in the water level will uncover many humps, stumps and river ledges you may not know about. Take a slow ride round the lake, taking note of all the structure sticking out of the water.
The lake will be full again in a few days and all of the stuff will be back under water again. I have found some super fishing places during these drawdowns, which have produced plenty of nice fish later on. A crankbait, spinnerbait or plastic worm can be fished parallel to the old river ledge or any steep bank with some surprising results. You don’t have to wait for the lake to get full again to catch fish.
Check it out; in a few days you’ll be glad you did.
