Fall means shift to shallow water for baitfish, bass

~ Bass will follow the shad from deeper water at this time of the year.

The warm weather and lack of any real rain this fall has delayed the seasonal shift of baitfish and bass to their usual fall patterns.

However, with the recent change to cool weather and the forecast of rain means baitfish will move soon, and the bass will be right behind them.

The water in our lakes is now in the upper 60s, and prime shallow-water fishing should begin anytime. To get the most from your bass fishing this fall, I'll describe how I approach this time of year.

I start by locating likely areas on my topo map of the lake. I look at major and secondary creeks. Structurally, I'm looking for a creek arm with a meandering, somewhat defined channel, some large flats, a small bluff or two and points intersecting the channel. Coverwise, I want standing timber, laydowns and stumps located on the flats and on the channel edge, as well as some wood and rock rubble on the bluffs. If you can find a place like this, you know bass will be in the area.

Once on the water, you must determine where the shad are holding and moving. This time of year, it's usually a visual exercise. Watch for dark pods moving just beneath the surface, or actually breaking the surface.

Use birds to point you. if they are not hunting, then the shad and bass are deeper, and you can then go to your electronics to determine the depth they are using. I'll next discuss the tackle and techniques I use to cover the different scenarios you will most likely encounter in the fall.

On cloudy or breezy days, the shad will most likely be moving up on the actual flats. This is my favorite situation because bass will be actively feeding. You'll want to use horizontal lures that you can work quickly.

I'll use a Lunker Lure buzzbait or a Lil' Hustler spinnerbait to quickly cover the flat. I work both of these baits on medium heavy Falcon Cara Rods with 15 -pound abrasion-resistant line. If the bass won't hit these lures, I'll add the reaction strike to the mix. Depending on the depth of water, I'll use either a Bandit Footloose or a Bandit 100 series crankbait, making sure that I contact the wood during my retrieval.

Often, the deflection will make your bait "stand out" in a swarm of thousands of shad. I work these crankbaits on medium action Falcon rods with the same line as above.

If it is sunny and calm with no shad moving up on the flats, I'll move deeper. Now I shift to the edge of the flat along the channel, or to the bluffs or points. But shallow wood cover is still key. Under these conditions I'll most likely be flipping and pitching either a White Southern Pro Flipping tube or a Jewel Finesse Flipping jig in Blue Black. I'll fish both of these lures with a Falcon medium heavy rod paired with 20-pound fluorocarbon or 50-pound braided line. Here, I'll be putting my lure right next to the wood cover and allowing the bait to hit bottom before I move it. Most strikes will happen on the initial fall -- so stay alert.

Finally, if the above do not work, I'll move to the points and bluffs at or near the mouth of the creek and fish a Bandit 200 series crankbait from the bank out to about 6 to 8 feet of water.

Often, you can locate some good fish that have not moved into the creek. These fish will be deeper and may not be as adversely affected by changes in the weather or other fishing pressures.

At this time of year, my primary bait colors will be white or shad because shad are the primary food source.

Fall is truly my favorite time of year to fish for bass. The fall colors and weather make a beautiful backdrop to the fastest bass fishing you can experience. Even better, you often have the lake to yourself.

David Bortner competes on the Wal-Mart BFL bass fishing trail and in the BASS federation.