The weather is changing, and it’s getting a little cooler out there. You might think it’s time to pack up your kayak and start thinking about next season. Stop right there! Fall is a great time to bass fish. Let’s talk about kayak bass fishing fall transition.

You are missing out on prime bass fishing time. The main reason why a lot of kayak anglers overlook fall bass fishing is that they do not understand how to catch them. 

Bass, in general, are cold-blooded, so their habits and patterns change with weather patterns. You can easily adapt to these changes with a few tweaks to your bass fishing game. We will discuss everything you need to know to be successful this fall and catch some big bass.

I am a cold-weather kayak angler and prefer fishing when it is cooler out because not only is it more comfortable for me, I have better luck.

During the summer, when the sun is scorching, bass tend to spend more time in deeper water to stay cooler. Bass go towards the shallows in the early morning and dusk, primarily during the spawning season in late spring and summer. 

Moving Shallow

Come fall, bass will start making their way towards shallow water more frequently, but most importantly, they will hang out around drops and ledges. These are the points where they will stage.

They spend a lot of time in this area mainly because they feed on the shad and crawfish that work their way to these ledges and drops. They will feed on these resources endlessly to fill their bellies. 

Presenting the Bait

Use a jig for your presentation, but you want to cover as much water as possible and keep it moving. You can decide the type of jig you want based on the amount of cover you’re fishing.

You want to use bright colors like yellows, oranges, and greens on a sunny day. If you’re dealing with an overcast or cloudy day, go for natural colors like white, brown, and black. 

If you take away one thing from this section, you want to fish structure changes in the ground and, if possible, drop-offs where creeks and rivers meet lakes and ponds, you’ll have the best chance in these areas. 

Fishing Shallow and Mid-Depth

The next choice is what type of water to fish and how deep you want to present your lure. 

• Fishing along creek channels
• Cover a lot of water quickly
• 50 degrees or fewer permits changes in bass fishing habits

We suggest fishing a shallow flat close to the creek channels for shallow water using an external square bill or football jig. You’ll have an easy time finding bass in shallow waters during fall because that is where they go to feed. 

For mid-depth water, use a crankbait and keep that thing moving. Cover a lot of water and ensure that you never drag it because fall is primetime for clear water, and you want to keep your presentation neat. 

Keep in mind the temperature of the water as well. Fall is different for all of us, and some of these rules may not apply to you until winter. Some of you may experience these habitual changes in August. We’re talking water temperatures around the 50-degree mark or less, whenever that happens for you. 

Fishing Deeper Water

You’ll want to change your strategy entirely if you look for more prominent bass in deeper waters. Based on a lot of advice, many anglers tell me that giant bass will stick around in the deep water longer than smaller bass. There’s a great strategy to try and bypass some of the smaller bass and get straight to the goods. 

• Test the waters with cranks and jerk baits to find schools
• Use swimbaits to catch more prominent bass
• Present with the proper head

For trophy bass, you want to start with your cranks and jerk baits to try and find schools of bass. Once you find a honey hole, you’ll want to switch to a swimbait and present it around ten feet deeper to catch big fish. 

When choosing your bait, you want to go with a swimbait that makes a lot of noise because you’ll need to divert their attention away from baitfish like shad.

The most important thing to remember is the presentation of your swimbait is critical. Each requires a different strategy to get the most action, so you want to pay attention to the heads you’re using. Go with a half-ounce for deeper fishing and a ⅛ ounce for shallows. 

Fishing Topwater

I haven’t forgotten about all you topwater anglers out there. You can also catch bass in the fall, believe it or not. We all know that summer is primetime for topwater, but you want to pay attention to the surface. 

If you still see a lot of bass breaking the surface, you might be able to toss a spook out there and get lucky. Bass are predators, and they love picking on the weak, so they may think that the lure is a fleeing fish and have no choice but to strike it. 

There are two essential things to remember when fishing top water in the fall.

One is that you will need to see schooling fish beneath the surface. If you have a fish finder, you should see them in a few feet of water underneath the boat. Secondly, there needs to be a consistent bass flow breaking the surface to fish top water in the fall. 

Fall Fishing Final Thoughts

Now you can stop putting away your gear and get excited to get back on the water. Fall fishing is alive and well, and you have an incredible opportunity to hone your skills. Kayak Bass Fishing Fall Transition requires a change in habit from what you are used to in the spring and summer.

Never give up on kayak bass fishing fall transition, you will not be disappointed.

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