Fall bass fishing is one of the most misunderstood times of the year. A lot of anglers out there lump “fall fishing” into one quick window, like it’s just a couple weeks where the bass go nuts and then it’s over. That’s a huge mistake. Fall is actually a long, complex period made up of three distinct stages: early fall transition, the fall feed, and late fall transition. The fish are constantly moving during this time, and if you can figure out how and where they’re moving, it can honestly be some of the best fishing of your entire year. I’ve had some of my best days ever in the fall, days right up there with spring pre-spawn, and that’s saying a lot! So let’s dive into each stage and talk about where the fish go and the lures you can use to stay on them.
Stage 1: Early Fall Transition
The first phase is what I call early fall transition. This is when the weather finally starts to cool—air temps drop, you’re putting on a light jacket in the morning, and your water temperature starts dipping out of those summer highs. Depending on where you live, that might happen in September up north or not until November in the South. The signs are there: shorter days, cooler nights, and maybe even some leaves starting to change. When this happens, the bass begin moving from their deep summer hangouts back toward creeks, coves, and shallow feeding areas. They’re basically leaving the main lake points and channel bends they used all summer and starting that migration route inward.
During this stage, you need to cover water and mimic baitfish, because that’s what bass are chasing.
I put down my bottom baits like jigs and worms, and instead I pick up forage imitators. Three of my favorites for this time are: a spinnerbait (nothing looks more like a school of baitfish), a lipless crankbait (great for covering depth and distance), and a buzzbait like the Molix SS Super Squeaky Buzzbait when you see surface activity. These lures let you follow those migration routes and keep pace with the fish as they move.
Stage 2: The Fall Feed
The second phase is the one everyone thinks about when you say “fall fishing”—the fall feed. This is when the bass have pushed all the way into the backs of creeks, coves, and shallow humps, and they’re there for one reason: to eat. Shorter days and cooler water trigger their instinct to bulk up for the coming winter. It doesn’t matter if you live in New York or Louisiana, bass everywhere know colder times are coming, and they start gorging on baitfish like shad, herring, or perch.
This period can give you some of the best fishing of your life because the fish are grouped up and feeding like wolves.
My top three baits here are: a fluke or soft jerkbait , especially in natural shad colors (or bright colors like bubblegum if you need to stand out among thousands of baitfish), my favorite is the Berkley Powerbat Maxscent Flatnose Jerk Shad, and a slower topwater like a walking bait or popper (perfect when you see bass busting on the surface), and a swimbait, which is the ultimate forage imitator. Match the size to the bait in your fishery, and get ready for some incredible action. In this stage, it’s less about searching and more about running the backs of pockets until you find the feeding frenzy.
Stage 3: Late Fall Transition
The third and final stage is the late fall transition, when the party in the back is over and bass begin moving back out to their wintering areas. Now it’s cold, cold enough you see your breath in the morning and you’re wearing bibs on the boat run. Water temps are down in the 40s and 50s, the leaves are off the trees, and the bait is pulling out. The fish follow the exact same routes they used to come in, only in reverse, and they stop along the way at secondary points, rocks, docks, or humps before heading back to the main lake or river channel.
This is a perfect time to throw crankbaits, because they let you cover water and feel those key breaks along the contour.
My favorites are tighter-wobble models like the Berkley Dime series that match the cooler water temps. And when I find that one sweet spot like a lone stump, a dock, or a patch of rocks, I’ll slow down and work a jig. By late fall, bass shift back to bottom forage like crawfish, darters, or chubs, and a jig is the best way to trigger those bites. Many times you’ll catch one and see five or ten more following it, schools of bass stacking up as they get ready for winter.
North vs. South Breakdown
Now, let’s break it down for my northern guys versus southern guys, because geography matters. If you’re up north in places like Michigan, Ohio and New York, your fall happens fast. It can feel like early fall, middle fall, and late fall all fly by in just a couple of months. Spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits are money up north in the early phase, then I’d rely heavily on flukes and small swimbaits during the fall feed. By late fall, when it’s really cold, I slow way down with crankbaits and football jigs, and that’s where I catch those big groups of fish.
For my southern anglers in Texas, Alabama and Florida, your fall lasts longer. Those water temps don’t plummet as quickly, so each stage stretches out. Buzzbaits and topwater lures play a bigger role down south because that surface bite lasts longer into the season. And instead of shifting to bottom forage as quickly, southern bass stay on baitfish well into December. So down there, I’m throwing swimbaits and walking topwaters even when I’d already be cranking and dragging a jig up north.
Wrapping It Up
So there you have it. Fall isn’t just one short window. It’s a season broken into three distinct stages, each with its own movement patterns and key baits. In early fall, bass are leaving their summer homes and chasing forage on their way into the creeks. In the fall feed, they’re wolf-packing and eating everything they can find. And in late fall, they’re sliding back out toward wintering areas, using the same highways they came in on. Whether you’re in the North or the South, use the signs of nature, track the water temps, and pick the right baits for your region. Fall fishing is complex, but it’s also one of the most rewarding times of the year. Get out there, follow the movements, and I promise you’ll have some of your best days ever this fall.
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