Finally, the weather has cooled off and you can walk to the mailbox without sweating. Even better, now is one of the most comfortable times to hit the lake for some fall fishing! Whether you have the ability to cruise the lake on a boat or you fish from a local bank, fall is here and the fish are biting. Throughout the years, I have learned that there are several lures and techniques that work consistently in the fall.

Before I go into lures and techniques, let me explain why the fishing is so good in the fall. Throughout the summer, the water temperature raises into the 90s and the oxygen level becomes very low, hence the reason fishing is so poor from the bank. Once the air temperature starts to fall, the water temperature lowers and the oxygen level rises. When this happens,the shad and other baitfish move into shallow water and right behind them are bass, crappie, stripers and hybrid ready for their next meal.

Some of the most effective lures in the fall are baits that resemble shad. These baits include spinnerbaits, crankbaits and rattle traps. All of these baits are cast and retrieve baits that cause either reaction strikes or catch the eye of an aggressive bass. I recommend casting these lures as far as you can to cover the most amount of water and trying different retrieves, including fast and slow.

Another great bait to use in the fall is live bait. All species that feed on shad in the lake will be excited to see your minnow swimming around. Cast a bobber 3 to 5 feet above your hook and hold on because it won’t be long before you get a bite.

I cannot believe that I am sitting here typing about the month of October. It feels like just yesterday I was writing about March. Nevertheless, October will not be here for long, so now is the time to get out and cast a line. I am confident that if you try these techniques you will find your trips to the lake successful and memorable.