There's always time to fish

FAVORITE FALL BAITS
 



Lake Santeelah, Graham County, North Carolina



Part one of a two part series

As fall begins to sneak into the WNC Mountains it signals bass to head up the creek and gorge on available forage before winter sets in. This move in turn signals fishers to dig out the reaction baits and follow the bass. This is really my favorite time to fish for bass because they can be so willing to bite. This is the time of year that yields fish on consecutive casts and doubles happen occasionally. For me reaction baits are the ticket to fast action, but the action does slow every once in a while. When that happens Power Finesse becomes your best friend.

Let’s talk about the baits and not so much the exact areas I use them. Fall baits for me are pretty simple, crankbaits, spinner baits, top water, jigs and finesse rigs. The finesse rigs and jigs are where the power finesse comes in. Crankbaits can fit into power finesse under certain situations as well, but let’s focus on the rigs themselves now.

Many anglers know that you can start on the surface and work your way down to bottom to effectively find fish. This also works when describing fall baits. Beginning on the surface with top waters is always a good way to start. I use mainly two top waters, a Rebel Pop-R and a Heddon Zara Spook Jr. there are many other variations of these two lures, and I’m sure they all are good baits. I learned on these, they work for me, so why change?

I  like to start with the more aggressive Zara Spook. It allows you cover water, quickly and draws vicious strikes. If you have never used a ‘spook’ you need to learn how to “walk the dog” to be effective.  Walking the dog imparts a pop and slide action to the bait and allows it to be steered around stick ups and dock pilings if you make an errant cast.

When bass are aggressive, and when the wind is blowing, a Zara Spook is killer on fall bass. They also work very well on schooling bass. You can cast it a mile and depending on the size it mimics shad quite well. I use a 7-foot, medium heavy rod with 12-17 pound line, depending on the size of bait and the amount of cover in the lake.

The Pop-R is another fantastic top water bait that excels in the fall. I tend to use this bait if the fish are less aggressive and only swiping at the spook, or if they tend to be cover-oriented.  A Pop-R allows me to slow down and keep the bait in one place longer, thus improving my chances of catching bass. The Pop-R also works better around grass than a spook.

When fishing the Pop-R you can fish it very slowly with a distinctive “popping”, you can speed it up with less pop and more spitting or you can make it spit without popping. Spitting is when the bait slides across the surface and pushes a thin splash of water up and out from its face. This works very well around shad that are flipping on the surface.

Lazer Trokar Hooks

Many fishermen, my self-included, modify their Pop-R’s. I shave the bottom lip down so it digs into the water less. This causes it to spit better and pop less. I keep some baits that have been less modified that pop more and spit less. I also change the hooks. I keep the same size hooks, but  upgrade to wide gap styles. Trokar are the sharpest hooks made, but I use Eagle Claw because they tend to weigh a little less, and don’t alter the action of the Pop-R. I also tie the rear hook with feathers, sparkle material and or tinsel. The material that comes on the bait works, I just think real feathers pulse better in the water. I use a 6-foot 10-inch medium heavy rod with 10 to 14-pound line for the Pop-R. When using top waters it’s important to note that Monofilament line is the way to go. Mono is limp, casts well and most importantly, it floats. Fluorocarbon sinks and will pull the nose of your bait down causing it to lose action. A growing number of anglers are using braided line with mono leaders. This works just fine, and may provide a little more casting distance, but I tend to overwork the baits when using this set up. Please try it before you make a wholesale change to braid. As for line choice, that’s up to you. I use Bass Pro Shops Excel mono because the cost is reasonable, it’s abrasion resistant and it has always performed perfectly for me.

 

Since we mentioned schooling bass, let’s talk about one more bait that excels in this situation.

I have been using a bait from Strike King called a Rocket Shad. It is a compact spinner bait with a small Indiana blade, short skirt and double hook. This little dandy is my secret weapon for schooling bass.

Strike King Rocket Shad

First off is how far you can cast this bait. I spool all my reels with a backing of 10-pound line and then fill out the spool with fluorocarbon. I tend to throw close to and sometimes to the knot. I have found that if I don’t ease up on the cast it becomes very difficult to fish the Rocket Shad on the end of these long casts. I fish this bait on a 7-foot medium action, fast rod that has a soft-ish tip. I would suggest experimenting with braid and a fluorocarbon leader if your making long casts. This should increase hook-up percentage on very long casts.

What's so good about this bait, as I mentioned ,is the size. This bait is tiny compared to regular spinner baits. But, being small is what makes it so good. The heavy head on the small frame allows you to burn this bait like no other. It comes in 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 ounce sizes. I use the 1/4 and 3/8 size and they work very well for me.

Some full size spinner baits claim to be ‘burners’ but will roll or blow out at really high speed. Not the Rocket Shad. I have used it on a 7.1:1 reel and can’t make it roll over. Maybe if you put it on a Revo Rocket you could, but normal reels aren’t fast enough. Straight out of the package this bait is very good, but two little changes makes it phenomenal.

The first is taking off the stock double hook and adding a split ring. This allows you to change from treble hooks in open water to single hooks around heavier cover or grass.

The second thing is upgrading to premium hooks. The stock hook works, but an Eagle Claw or Trokar works better. Try the Eagle Claw Lazer round bend or Trokar TK300. They are super sharp and strong. As for single hooks I like the Trokar TK 97 or TK400. That is the Octopus and Wacky Worm styles. The eyes on these hooks are slightly offset and it allows the point to actually be below center so they grab better.

Remember to not use a hook that is to big or heavy as it can alter the action. As for trailers, I tend to not use them as they slow the bait down and can cause it to roll side to side.

Its reely Magic

Another helpful hint is this. Invest in a bottle of Blakemore Reel & Line Magic. This is a silicon based spray that you put on your line and guides of your rods. This stuff coats your line, helps keep it clean, casting farther and reduces line memory. When applied to the guides of your rod and level-wind eye on your reel it reduces friction that robs distance. I spray my reels and rods before every trip and its worth every penny I spend on 'line magic' every year.

 In part two we’ll talk about cranking,.

If want to fish and need some advice or a guide then contact my good buddy Austin Neary. He is a serious stick on Glenville Lake and all WNC Mountain lakes. Austin fishes the BASS College Series, and after a third place finish at the Eastern Regional at Watts Bar, Tennessee he competed in the National Championship Tournament on Lake Chatuge. Reach him at Dream Catcher Guides

 

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