Why You Shouldn't Overlook Mid-Day Fall Fishing

One of the greatest aspects of fall weather is the crisp, cool mornings that turn into beautiful sunny days. The refreshing air of fall wipes away all thought of the oppressive heat of summer.Although cool mornings are welcome to anglers that like to get on the water early, they’re not always the best for fall fishing - bass often have lock jaw in the morning as they adjust to the cooler water temperatures.A case of morning lock jaw combined with the lack of recreational boating traffic after Labor Day, means that fall days offer some fantastic fishing right in the middle of the day. To capitalize on the good midday bite, many anglers don’t even get on the water in the fall until after the sun is up.Here are a couple of game plans for targeting mid-day fall fishing bass that will pay dividends right now through the rest of the fall.

1. Skipping docks, laydowns, and bridges

The midday sun warms the water, which in turn increases bass metabolism and makes them feed, but it also causes them to seek shade. Docks, laydowns, and other overhead shady cover are ideal spots for fall bass to take advantage of the warmer midday water without exposing themselves to overhead predators. Try skipping a weightless wacky worm like the BioSpawn ExoStick under docks and other shallow cover.

2. Grind a crankbait around stumpy flats

Mid-day fall bass often follow baitfish onto stumpy, shallow flats to feed. At night, they back off the flats to adjacent deep areas and remain inactive. Once the sun starts warming the water around midday, they push back up and hang on stumps and rocks in shallow water to feed. Try working a square bill like the Strike King KVD 1.5 along shallow flats adjacent to creek channels or ditches.