# Fishing Fall Fronts



## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

As winter approaches and the water begins to cool, this can be one of the best times of year to catch bass. Shad form tight schools, and head for the backs of coves and creek mouths to over winter, and after them come the bass. It's like Mother Nature flips the feeding switch, and the bass can be caught on a variety of lures. Schoolers take lipless cranks, small shad like cranks, flukes, Pop R or any top water bait. Spinnerbaits worked along felled trees are another top bait in fall. These are the baits that, as a rule, account for many of bass caught during fall.
As each succeeding front drops the water temps, bass will retreat to cover, and bury their nose in it. I suggest a shaky head worm approach at this time, flip each spot at least 7 or 8 times before moving on. As the temps continue to drop, bass may suspend over humps and points, and a drop shot or jigging spoon may be the best way to get bit. Take your spoon and raise it about 15 inches or so off the bottom, give the rod a snap, allow the bait to fall,, and repeat the process. This method has worked well for us here for spotted and largemouth bass during cold times.
But then, there's those times that defy logic..
A friend and I hit our local flow one late September morning. Weather was misty, we finally found some fish back in a creek mouth chasing shad. My friend threw flukes, small cranks, top water, you name it. Not one taker. I grabbed a weightless Zoom mag finesse and began to wear the fish out! I mean, those fish were ripping the shad apart, yet refused to touch anything shad like. Weird...I wound up with 13 fish, two over five pounds..Loaned Guffy a few worms and he managed three nice keepers before the fish left the scene..lol

The story of the weird day, as related by Guffy..http://www.ncangler.com/forums/threads/43720-Whoopin-Bass-at-HPCL-with-Jerry-Condrey?highlight=HPCL


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

Very cool story and proof that it actually happened. I am a worm fisherman and have had similar experiences myself. Last fall I was watching fish just destroy shad on an above ground and could only get bites on a wacky rigged finesses worm but sadly for me none of the fish were 5# or even close.


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## Nightcrawler666 (Apr 17, 2014)

Right on. Sometimes "matching the hatch" will just get ya skunked I've found. Crazy how that works.


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## kapposgd (Apr 10, 2012)

NC do you find the shad that move into the backs of coves are mostly threadfins? This year i realized ive never fished for bass in the fall - im always on steelhead but ive decided to hit largemouth rhis fall instead. I have yet to see the back of the coves pattern play out with gizzard shad on our lakes.


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

Threadfin are the main forage on our lakes. We have gizzard shad too, but not certain of their habits.
The migration of the threadfin shad is so certain you can set your watch by it..lol


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