Cooling temps can mean great near-shore bassin'

For many bass anglers, the cooler days of fall come as a welcome change. Not only have lakes cleared up of weekend speed boaters that mix up the water and infringe on your fishing space, but the big bass are coming up to feed in the shallows and getting ready for a long winter.

Generally, bassing in the fall is a game of shallows. During this time of the year, many species of wildlife that bass feed upon have grown up from their spawning cycles and are now at a stage to make good forage. And with the weather cooling down, bass are more willing to hang out in the shallows since they no longer have to run away from the summer heat.

These changes signal the coming of winter for bass, which means they are also preparing for a period of low activity. When all of these conditions come together, it means big bass are swimming shallow to find good food for winter. At times it can mean a feeding frenzy.

So before planning your day on the lake, prepare for some good shallow areas to fish. No matter what time of year, bass will always hang near heavy cover. You can bet that heavy weeds along the shoreline can be a great area to find big fish.

Maximize your potential to find fish by fishing shallow areas that have easy access to deeper water. This is always a great area for bass to hunt.
Fish these areas on several passes. On your first pass try burning a swim jig through the weeds or even a spinner bait. Use something that moves with a bit more speed to give you an idea of how aggressive the fish are. Fish in the weeds, right along the edge and also several feet away from them to find where the fish are holding.

On your second pass, try throwing a grass jig or flipping jig. Work the bait a little bit slower but don't deadstick it quite yet. Yo-yo that bait around with some short pauses in between. You can even try dragging it along the bottom to get a new look. This time of the year, I like to use heavier jigs with a bigger profile. The overall catch may be lower, but you will be much happier with the result. And trust me, the big ones are out there.

Finally, make a third pass in your area and this time slow it down a lot. Throw a sinking worm or a creature bait right into the weeds and around the edges. Do some deadsticking, but not as much as you might on a freezing cold day. Experiment with some different colors and styles, but the key is to slow it down.

Sometimes, if I feel good about a particular area I will go through a fourth, very short pass where I use something with speed again -- just in case any stragglers were still hanging out.

The key to all of these passes is to work your bait of success until bites turn off and then switch baits and give another pass. Don't be afraid to grind out a location for a while and really find those fish. If you're on a good spot, you'll eventually find them. But if you just aren't catching any fish, don't waste your time making pass after pass.

And don't be afraid to try something you might not otherwise try. Top water can still have a lot of value this time of the year. I've even seen fellow anglers throwing buzz baits with some great results, even though I may not normally consider this a good idea with water temperatures cooling down.

If you feel confident in a bait, give it a shot and see what happens. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised.