Fall fishing in the South will turn on as bass feed up for the winter ahead. Often times they will start feeding on and targeting shad or other baitfish. This will position the fish higher in the water column instead of towards the bottom where they typically feed on crawfish and brim throughout the summer.
Bassmaster Elite Series Pro, Patrick Walters, talks about his two-bait approach for increasing his bite percentages on suspended fish. The two baits he likes to keep available are a jerkbait and swimbait for the simple fact that you can keep it in the strike zone longer. If you were to throw a falling bait like a jig or ned rig, the bait would only be at the desired depth for a short period of time as it falls through the area where the fish are holding at.
Patrick uses the jerkbait when he wants to pick apart an area and a slower approach is needed. He then switches to a swimbait when he needs to cover water or if he feels the fish could use a different look. Where a bass passed on a jerkbait, they may smoke a swimbait. Constantly changing up baits and approaches until you find what works best can help you have a successful day on the water.
Baits
Storm 360 GT Coastal
Zoom Z Swim Swimbait
Gear
Daiwa Tatula Elite 7’3” MH Casting Rod
Daiwa Tatula SV 7.3:1 Casting Reel
Apparel