I’m not precisely a freshwater bass knowledgeable and don’t spend many days chasing them, which might be why I like late-fall kayak bass fishing. Each largemouths and smallmouths put the feedbag on in October and may be straightforward to catch, particularly from the a pedal-drive kayak.
October is likely one of the greatest months to be on the water in New England. Between the snug temperatures and the attractive surroundings, it’s powerful to beat the expertise of kayaking proper now! I wish to get to my fishing spots early in order that I can rig up and be on the water earlier than the solar rises. That magical time between first mild and dawn is additional particular. Being quiet in a kayak lets me see far more of nature than boaters do, and, with out a motor, the wildlife doesn’t get spooked off. When fishing rivers and ponds round Boston, I typically see deer within the fields and the occasional bald eagle hovering overhead.
As October wears on, each the water and air temperatures grow to be noticeably colder so pay shut consideration to the forecasts. Dry gear with layers is necessary and ensure to be dressed for the water temperature – contact with chilly water will shortly shorten your day!
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Timing Your Outings
Bass are extra lively throughout the center of the day as soon as the chilly nights arrive. Typically, the morning chunk could be very quiet as a result of the water is chilly, however because the solar warms it, the chunk activates. My favourite time to fish within the fall is late afternoon since it’s the warmest a part of the day. Often, simply earlier than the solar goes down, the fish get a little bit loopy.
Morning and night each current nice occasions to get some floor motion; for me, that is what fall bass fishing is all about. My go-to floor lures are buzzbaits, small spooks, and stickbaits. Buzzbaits are good for protecting water, and bass and pickerel actually crush them, particularly in shallow water. The benefit of buzzbaits is you could work them via mild cowl with out hanging up. By early October, most weed beds have deteriorated and the water is significantly extra open, which is ideal for operating your buzzbait via. I discover that the slowest doable retrieve whereas making a disturbance on the floor is the best.
Productive Fall Bass Baits
Spooks
Spook-style baits, particularly small ones just like the Zara Pet, are particularly efficient now. Most rivers and ponds are loaded with small baitfish which were rising all yr, and there’s often a giant inhabitants of young-of-the-year fish. Search for areas the place baitfish are dimpling the floor after which work them with a small topwater. Calm mornings are a good time to scope out the water, in search of the bait on the floor or listening for the splash of a bass because it chases the bait to the floor.
Alter your retrieve till you discover the velocity the fish need. I often begin with a sluggish, however regular walk-the-dog motion; if that doesn’t purchase successful, I am going to a twitch-and-wait strategy the place I work the bait additional slowly.
Stickbaits and Jerkbaits
Stickbaits like Rapalas are time-tested bass catchers within the fall. With bass keyed in on minnows and different small fish, these are the perfect imitation of what they’re after. That is particularly the case when fishing a pond with a herring run—stickbaits simply match the younger herrings’ dimension and shade. There are such a lot of fashionable selections in nice colours and every kind of suspending, slashing, or wiggling actions that it may be arduous to choose one, although a favourite of mine is the old-school balsa Unique Floating Rapala.
With its excessive floating motion, it’s straightforward to maintain above the weeds and is a killer for the twitchand-pause strategy. In the event you’re affected person sufficient, you possibly can twitch it and look ahead to the circles to vanish, then twitch once more. This can be a enjoyable approach to make use of when the fish are a bit sluggish.
Smooth Plastics
After all, stickbaits and spooks aren’t the one solution to catch the fish. As a plastics man, I all the time have one rod rigged with a worm. Plastics are nice while you discover some heavy cowl to discover; by rigging them weedless, you possibly can put them in locations no different lures can go. Because the bass are often shallow this time of yr, I fish them weightless and allow them to slowly fall, a method that’s particularly efficient with a 5-inch Senko and a 3/0 extensive hole hook with a spring lock. Nonetheless, a small mushy plastic, comparable to a Rapala Crush Metropolis Ned BLT, may even work wonders when slowly hopped alongside sandy or rocky backside.
Swimbaits and Wakebaits
In case your goal is greater fish, a bigger swimbait is an efficient software. You might not catch as many, however the common dimension will likely be significantly bigger – bigger baits goal the true trophy bass. I’ve a Large Fish Bait Co. Mayhem Minnow that I’m trying ahead to throwing this fall as a result of it proved to be very efficient swimming over deep weedbeds this summer time. I can’t look ahead to the shallow weeds to open a bit so I can swim this bait the place huge bass and pike lurk.
Don’t neglect to carry fishing pliers with you! I don’t use trebles that always within the kayak, however most of my steered lures have a number of treble hooks. An excellent pair of pliers will maintain you protected from hooks and show you how to get that bass again within the water quicker. The October chunk goes by shortly, reaching its prime when the water is within the 50s and the bass are particularly lively, however by the tip of the month, the water can get very chilly in a single day, pushing the bass out of the shallows.
There are lots of ponds and rivers in New England with herring runs, and these locations typically assist largemouth and smallmouth bass, however don’t overlook the stripers that lurk round these runs as effectively. October is the perfect month to get a New England kayak bass fishing slam: a striper, a smallie, and a largie all from the identical water physique. I often have one journey the place I get a slam yearly, so make this the yr that you simply get one too!
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