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September Bass Fishing Tips

Bass fishing in September can be incredible or incredibly frustrating. September represents a transition time from summer to fall. Depending on the weather patterns, bass may be shallow, deep, or anywhere in between. Here are a few tips to help you find and catch these roaming bass using the baits in your September Mystery Tackle Box.Locate the BaitfishWhen the water begins to cool and the fall rains wash in nutrients, shad and other baitfish move from the main lake back into creeks and coves. Where the baitfish go, the bass are sure to follow. You can locate baitfish by using your electronics to find what appear to be “balls” of bait on your graph. However, you do not need to spend thousands of dollars on electronics to find baitfish. To the perceptive angler, a subtle surface disturbance or busting bass can be a dead giveaway that baitfish are in the area.

Locate the Aggressive BassOne of the easiest ways to locate bass is by fishing with a “search” bait. The LIVETARGET Rattle Bait is a fantastic way to cover lots of water in search of aggressive bass. This bait can be burned at hyper-speeds and catch the most aggressive bass in an area. While casting and winding it in will certainly catch fish, you can entice even more bites by varying your retrieve. Twitch it, yo-yo it, run it into cover and pop it loose. Even if the bass are not biting your search bait, they often give themselves away by swiping at the bait or by following it back to you.Catch the Fish You’ve Found

Once you have located some fish with a search bait like the LIVETARGET Rattle Bait, you can slow down and try different presentations to elicit more strikes. Soft-plastic jerkbaits, like the V & M Hula Shad, are killer options for following up your search bait. Rigged weightless on a 4/0 or 5/0 hook such as the Mustad 38107 Big Mouth hook, a soft-plastic jerkbait can have erratic action when twitched hard or subtle action when an angler opts for a softer twitch. If the baitfish you have located are small, another awesome option is a dropshot rigged with a finesse-style soft plastic such as the Z-Man 3.75" StreakZ. Soft plastic jerkbaits and dropshots are awesome around suspended schools of baitfish. However, oftentimes the biggest bass are not out in open water chasing the bait but instead are waiting to ambush bait from the nearest cover. Try twitching a soft plastic jerkbait or a dropshot around docks, grasslines, laydown trees and other cover closest to schools of baitfish.And most of all, have fun and be safe! Tight lines!Matt Kestufskie

Updated February 8th, 2019 at 10:19 AM CT