Discover the best baits, lures, and techniques for fall bass fishing on Manitoulin Island. Master the art of angling for largemouth bass in the fall 🍂🍁
Fall Bass Fishing on Manitoulin Island
Manitoulin Island is a bass angler’s paradise, with excellent populations of both largemouth and smallmouth bass in its many lakes and rivers. As summer transitions to fall, bass fishing picks up as fish start feeding more aggressively to fatten up before winter. This makes fall one of the best times of year to catch big bass on Manitoulin Island.
In this article, we’ll explore top tips and techniques for fall bass fishing on Manitoulin, from locating fish, to selecting the best lures and baits, to understanding bass behavior as the seasons change. Whether you’re visiting the Island for a fall fishing vacation or are a local angler looking to improve your success, this guide will help you catch more and bigger bass this autumn.
Locating Fall Bass
Finding where bass are holding is the first key to fall fishing success. As water temperatures drop from their summer highs, bass become more active and start migrating from their deep, offshore haunts towards the shallows. Prime areas to focus your search include:
Creek Arms – Creeks attract baitfish like shad and bluegill, drawing hungry bass into shallow pockets and coves up creek arms. Target the mouths of creek channels and secondary feeders where cooler water flows in.
Vegetation Edges – Look for remaining weedlines, lily pads, and other vegetation, especially near drop-offs or channels. Bass ambush baitfish along these edges.
Rocky Banks – Riprap, points, and rocky islands warm up quickly on sunny fall days. Bass cruise the shallows here for an easy meal.
Docks – Docks provide shade and cover. Flip jigs or work soft plastics around pilings and cross-braces.
Bluffs – Shallow flats and shorelines with an abrupt depth change hold bass in fall. Cast around edges and pockets.
Focus your search on the shallowest areas with the coldest water temps you can find, at least until late fall when bass migrate deeper. Use your electronics to scan for baitfish or structure. If you don’t see shad, bluegill or other bait, move on.
Top Fall Bass Lures and Baits
Matching the hatch with lures mimicking the most abundant baitfish is key. Try these proven bass catchers:
Crankbaits – Excellent for covering water to find active fish. Try shad patterns and bang the banks with square bills or wiggle deep divers off points.
Spinnerbaits – Flashy blades and vibration attract reaction strikes. Slow roll them over shallow flats or buzz them on top around docks.
Swimbaits – Imitate migrating shad with paddle tail or boot tail soft plastics on jig heads or weedless rigs. Deadly for big bass.
Jerkbaits – Suspending hard baits worked with an erratic twitch-and-pause retrieve tempt stubborn fall bass.
Jigs – Pitch or flip jig-and-pigs or jigs with creature baits into remaining shallow cover. Big profile, bright colors for murky water.
Topwaters – Explosive strikes on walking baits, poppers, or buzzbaits make fall topwater action unforgettable. Try dawn or dusk.
Creatures/Craws – When finesse is needed, texas rig a Beaver or other soft craw trailer and fish it slowly around structure.
Bladed Jigs – The vibration and flash of an underspin or vibrating jig mimics fleeing baitfish when burned over shallow cover.
Understanding Fall Bass Behavior
To be successful, you need to fish according to bass behavior as seasons and conditions change:
- Bass are more active with falling water temps, eating heavily before winter dormancy. Be prepared for aggressive strikes.
- Reaction baits like cranks and bladed jigs draw violent attacks from competing fish. Burn them over bait schools.
- Try slower, subtler presentations like jigs, texas rigs and jerkbaits when bass are inactive or relating to cover.
- Bass follow baitfish shallow in fall, but may quickly retreat to deeper water after cold fronts. Adjust your search areas accordingly.
- Low light periods around dawn and dusk are prime feeding times in fall. Topwaters can excel at these times.
- Pay close attention to weather changes – subtle drops in pressure can affect the bite. Stable conditions are best.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be fully prepared to catch big fall bass on Manitoulin Island. Do your homework, locate baitfish and active fish, then match your lures and presentations to the conditions at hand. Persistence and versatility will pay off with some heart-stopping strikes and trophy bass this autumn!
Bass in the Fall
As water temperatures cool in the fall, bass transition from their deep summer haunts and become more active in their feeding. This is when you can target bass in areas like creek channels, emerging weedlines, and shallow flats adjacent to deeper drop-offs. Focus on areas with access to deeper water so bass can quickly retreat after grabbing a meal.
Slow rolling spinnerbaits across flats and fishing squarebill crankbaits and jigs around shallow wood cover are effective ways to catch actively feeding largemouth in the fall. Pay close attention to your line for any subtle ticks and be ready to set the hook on reaction and cover bites. Bright colored baits like chartreuse or orange can help elicit reaction strikes.
Creek Fishing
Creeks and creek arms are bass magnets in fall as baitfish migrate into these areas. Baitfish will school near the creek mouths where cool water enters the main lake. Target any kind of cover or structure near these creek channels including laydowns, stumps, docks, or rock banks.
As the fall progresses, continue moving up the creek arm and fishing your way back towards the shallows. Spinnerbaits and swimbaits are great choices for covering water and finding actively feeding smallmouth and largemouth relating to creek channels. Pay attention to your electronics and any surface activity to pinpoint baitfish locations.
Fishing for Bass in Cold Fronts
Cold fronts often get a bad rap from bass anglers. But in the fall, these fronts can actually trigger some fantastic bites, especially in the first few days after the front passes. While the bass won’t necessarily be in a feeding frenzy, you can still pick up some quality fish by adjusting your tactics.
For example, cold fronts push baitfish and bass deeper off shallow structure. So instead of fishing the backs of creeks, target staging areas like main creek channels, boat docks, and timberlines in 12-15 feet of water adjacent to deeper drop-offs that bass can slide down into. Slow down your presentations with jigs, texas rigs, ned rigs, and deep diving crankbaits.
Catching Big Fall Bass
The best part about fall bassin’ is the sheer size of the fish that can be caught. Following these tips will help you hook into some giant largemouths and smallmouths:
- Target transitional areas between deep and shallow structure where big bass stake out ambush spots as they move up to feed.
- Throw big profile reaction baits like 6-8″ swimbaits, buzzbaits, and glide baits to entice strikes from trophy sized fish.
- Fish windblown banks and shorelines on main lake points that warm up quickest on sunny fall days.
- As the water continues to cool, make very slow presentations around the best remaining shallow cover during afternoon warming periods.
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Best Lures for Fall Bass
There are a few key categories of lures that every fall bass angler should have tied on and ready to go:
Crankbaits – Great for covering water and bumping bottom off points, cranks like the Bomber Fat Free Shad are excellent fall colors and can be fished at a variety of depths.
Jerkbaits – Suspending jerkbaits perfectly mimic lethargic shad. Work them with a twitch-and-pause cadence for fantastic fall action.
Swimbaits – Nothing matches big profile swimbaits for mimicking migrating fall baitfish. They catch big bass.
Chatterbaits – The vibration and flash of blades is deadly for triggering reaction bites from fall bass. Burn them just under the surface.
Jigs – Jigs are a staple for fall fishing. Pair them with craw trailers or big profile plastic creatures to match hatch.
With an arsenal of these fall bass essentials, Manitoulin Island anglers can enjoy outstanding action this autumn. Follow the baitfish, move with the changing seasons, and leverage bass feeding patterns to get your line stretched by aggressive cold water largemouth and smallmouth this fall!
