Bass Fishing Tips in November

Tubes

Given that water temperatures are cool or even cold in November, it is important to have a slow-moving, finesse-style bait at your disposal. A plastic tube bait rigged on a jig head fits the bill. The jig should be heavy enough to keep the bait in contact with the bottom. Cast the tube around boat docks, any green vegetation that remains, and rip-rap banks. Vary your retrieve, but keep in mind that one of the primary qualities of a tube is that when it's allowed to fall through the water column, it doesn't sink the same way twice. The erratic action often will draw bites from bass, even if they are not feeding actively. Tubes can save the day when the bite is tough and other lures and techniques are not producing fish.

Crankbaits

Crankbaits are particularly effective in November, when bass are feeding on fish species like shad, shiners and sunfish. The primary forage depends on the body of water in which you're fishing, but, in general, shad tend to be a southern species, while shiners and sunfish occupy northern waters. When selecting a crankbait, choose one that resembles the forage in the lake, reservoir, or river that you're targeting. Choose a shallow-running crankbait that tracks along the bottom when you retrieve it. Cast the baits to shallow cover, and make sure to run them into the cover so they ricochet and deflect, which will make a bass think it's a wounded shad and provoke a bite. Use long rods and heavy line when fishing crankbaits in shallow cover, since they likely will get snagged.

Swimming

If you've tried a crankbait and it did not produce any bass, don't give up. It could well be that the crankbait is simply scaring the bass before they have a chance to bite. If that occurs, continue to fish the shallow cover, but opt for a lure that calls less attention to itself. One of the best is a swimming jig. Cast the jig into or slightly beyond the cover and reel it through the water column, mimicking a shad or other small fish species. Vary your retrieve speed to cause the jig to swim erratically, which will make it appear more natural and provoke more strikes. Bump the jig into cover and hang on after it deflects off the cover, since that's when most fish hit.

Buzzbaits

Most anglers equate buzzbaits with warm water and, therefore, don't consider fishing with them when the water is cold in November. But that is a mistake, since buzzbaits can be a great tool for locating and drawing strikes from bass. Do not tie on a buzzbait and plan to fish it all day long. Instead, make five or 10 casts with a buzzbait from time to time. If the bass are willing to bite one, you will know soon enough. Rocky shorelines are one of the best places to try a buzzbait in November. The best presentation is to cast and retrieve the buzzbait parallel to the shoreline. Reel just fast enough to keep the bait on the surface and pause for a second or two after a bass hits to ensure an successful hook-set.