October Bass Fishing Tips

Spinnerbait

Bass eat minnows and other fish throughout the year, but they really key on them in October. Anglers should keep that in mind and throw a lure that resembles a swimming fish. A spinnerbait is one of the best choices. Pick up a 1/2-ounce or heavier spinnerbait and use translucent colors in clear water, solid colors if the water is stained or murky. Cast the spinnerbait out and retrieve it in an erratic manner, which will make bass believe it is a wounded fish and, therefore, an easy meal. Focus especially on shallow cover and green vegetation.

Jerkbait

A jerkbait is another good lure for imitating a wounded fish. These slender, cigar-shaped baits should be retrieved in an erratic manner a foot or two beneath the surface. A good method for retrieving them is to jerk your rod tip two or three times--reeling in line as you do so--and then allow the bait to float to the surface for a couple of seconds. Bass are most likely to hit as the bait rises or shortly after you jerk it. Focus your jerkbait fishing on areas with green vegetation.

Slow

It is a good idea to begin the fishing day with lures like spinnerbaits and jerkbaits, since they do a good job of locating active bass and allow you to cover water. But some days, the bass simply won't chase and hit a moving lure. That is especially true in October, when cooler water temperatures can cause bass to be less active than they would be when the water is warmer. If the bass aren't hitting quick-moving baits, tie on a tube jig and make short, precise casts to specific areas that hold bass. Clumps of green vegetation are good, as is shallow cover like stumps and boat docks.

On Top

Many anglers have it in their heads that topwater baits are only good when the water is warm. While they can be super then, so, too, do they catch bass in October. Some of the best topwater baits during the fall are those that imitate a wounded fish thrashing around on the surface of the water. Poppers and buzzbaits are especially effective. While poppers will stay on the surface without you reeling them, buzzbaits require you reel them in to keep them on the surface. The best way to fish buzzbaits in October is to retrieve them only fast enough to keep them on the surface. Do not fish topwater baits exclusively in October. Instead, pick one up from time and time and cast it 10 times or so. If bass will hit a topwater that day, you will know.