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Choosing the right bait for fall
A recent trip to one of our Youngstown-area reservoirs delivered proof positive of the value of crankbaits once the water temperature starts to dip in the fall.
The week prior to my fishing trip had ushered in one of the first cool spells. The water, which had been in the mid-70s for weeks, had morning temperatures only in the upper 60s.
That’s not a huge dip, but in Youngstown’s nearby lakes, it’s enough to get the fish interested in fall feeding.
In Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, the end of September and first of October marks a hard transition for most of our game-fish species. They switch over from eating when food is convenient to actively hunting and chasing anything and everything they can run down.
And that is good news for anglers.
Whether you are fishing for walleyes or bass, muskies or crappies, the array of hard baits made for your style of fishing come into play this time of the year.
I experienced the crankbait-bite phenomenon the last weekend of September. Friend Tom Rolland and I bagged numerous bass on shallow-diving plugs, including a 3.5-pound smallmouth that rocketed around the boat in spectacular fashion after mistaking my bait for a fat shad.
Baitfish are ganged up at predictable locations all around our lakes. Whether you fish Berlin, West Branch, Milton, Shenango, Mosquito or other reservoirs where shad live, the walleyes, bass and other top-of-the-food-chain predators are gorging on them.
I like to look for visual evidence that shad are in the area. When I see the bait with my own eyes, I know there are catchable fish nearby.
Crankbaits are so named because they make their magic when someone is cranking them. Long casts and vigorous retrieves are the hallmarks of crankbait anglers. Make enough of them and you’re certain to connect with game fish when they are keying on shad.
Our recent weekend was one during which fish were running schools of bait into the shallows. They also were working them over out on structure such points and ledges.
We caught fish on the shallow flats by banging square-billed cranks off rocks and wood. We also pulled bass from boat ramps and hard-bottom points. The big smallmouth I boated blasted a medium-diving bait as it caromed off the lip of a concrete ramp in six feet of water.
The cooling water activates the shad, which respond by forming bigger and bigger schools. Once they start to gather, they move in swarms to the back ends of creeks and coves and shallow flats.
Bass often charge through the shad schools in the skinniest of waters. I’ve seen them push bait right up on the bank and pick them off as the individual shad flip and flop back into the water.
When an angler witnesses feeding action like that, it’s a sure-fire cue that a cast to the action will be rewarded with a strike and a fight.
Choosing a color is not difficult. If your lure looks like a shad, you cannot go wrong. Chrome or silver-sided baits with black backs work great. Sometimes, I like a splash of chartreuse or blue to add a bit of distinction to my lures.
Next time you are at the lake, check out the places you think the shad are using. Get the crankbait rods rigged and ready.
You’ll make hundreds of casts, and may go home with a sore shoulder, but when the baitfish are there, you almost certainly will be rewarded with fast action.