Menendez: Early Fall Power Fishing Tactics
Autumn is a great time to go shallow with spinnerbaits, square-bill crankbaits and buzzbaits. (PAA: Alan Clemons)
By Mark Menendez
Nightly temperatures are beginning to be pleasant and summer’s heat is slipping into a more comfortable situation for fishing, a time period that sends fish into four corners of the lake.
Seasonal changes spark fish movement. Shad are the first to react. Cooling waters call the shad toward the back of major creeks. It does not take long for a percentage of the bass to follow the food source. These phenomena also will coincide with the annual winter drawdown of most reservoirs, which leaves the majority of bank cover dry. It will force the bass to utilize ambush points that may or may not have any cover available.
Fall fishing will dictate to the angler the time to fish faster. Covering water is paramount. Fish populations are scattered. Targeting active fish will be your main focus. Fish in shallow water will be more active in the newly-cooled water. Moving baits like a Strike King Burner Spinnerbait will shine.
Burning a spinnerbait just under the surface can trigger violent strikes. (PAA: Alan Clemons)
It has been said to “let the wind be your friend.” Savvy anglers love the wind in the fall. The ripple and wave action made by the wind cuts down light penetration in the water. It will position the fish around any available cover or along shallow structure. The fish will always be looking into the wind for an easy meal. Anglers who position the boat so their bait is coming to the cover with the wind will make the proper presentation.
Ignore the speed limit
Speed is an additional tool for the angler to use because fast retrieves in autumn are part of the plan.
A spinnerbait retrieved at a high rate of speed may just be the best bite in bass fishing! All of the black bass species have a weakness for a ripped spinnerbait in cleaner or clear water. The Strike King Burner is specifically designed for this technique. Willow-leaf blades will provide a bright flash and less drag for speed on this spinnerbait. The Raz-R Blades on the Burner are not typical willows. They are made of a thinner metal and with a thinner blade width. This allows the blade to spin faster and not break the surface of the water.
Always experiment with skirt and blade color. Some bodies of water will demand “shad-like” colored bait. Lakes with smallmouth and spotted bass will fall prey to brightly colored bladed spinnerbaits like the Strike King Tour Grade baits with painted blades.
Get set up correctly
Tackle needs to be prepared accordingly. Power fishing lends itself to heavier line and longer rods. Line sizes from 14- to 20-pound test are perfect even in clean water. The ripped spinnerbait works great with 17- to 20-pound monofilament line. You will need to match a high speed casting reel, like a Lew’s Tournament Pro (7:1 ratio), to maximize speed. This reel picks up 31 inches of line per revolution of the handle.
Rod selection is also part of the technique. A 7-foot to 7-foot 3-inch Power Tackle Glass rod will provide a shock absorber from these fish that are coming at a high rate of speed to attack the spinnerbait. Hold on tight, as these are the most vicious strikes in the entire game of bass fishing!
Missed strikes will happen with fast moving lures. A trailer hook is a must. The bass may be coming from a long distance to get this bait. You can score a higher percentage of fish with a trailer hook. Some anglers report up to 60 percent of all bass caught on a burned spinnerbait are landed on the trailer hook. If strikes are continued to be missed with a trailer hook, then add additional trailer hooks! Two or three trailer hooks will increase the hooking. Always allow the trailer hook to swing freely. Additional bass will be landed on those days the bass just nip at the spinnerbait.
At the end of the day, you will have fatigued hands and wrists. The livewell should be full. The strikes will be the most memorable of the season. A 5-pound smallmouth moving at Mach 1 with a spinnerbait firmly in its mouth is what we are all looking to see.
Follow these guidelines to experience the “burn!”
Mark Menendez of Paducah, Ky., competes on the Bassmaster Elite Series and Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series. He has been a featured speaker at sporting venues nationwide. Follow him on tour at MarkMenendez.com
