GARY KLEIN: Two Major Keys to Catching ‘Em During My Favorite Season

Gary Klein writes some tips on fishing in the fall. Photo by Phoenix Moore

November 22, 2019 • Gary Klein • Angler Columns

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I love fishing in the fall. It is absolutely without a doubt my favorite time of the year to fish. What I like most about it is that there’s not a lot of pressure on the public bodies of water we all love to fish. That’s because a majority of people are in the woods and up in a tree stand hunting.

I also love this time of the year because of the fish migrations. Because fish move to the backs of creeks come fall, I can find groups in very small areas. When you get bit once, you’ll then start to catch multiple fish.

Simplicity in Searching

You hear people talk about their favorite fall baits and everyone has a couple they lean on. Whether it’s a topwater, a crankbait, or any type of jig, everyone has their opinions on the best baits to use.

To me, the lures that we use are just tools, and some tools are better than others. However, some tools are good search tools: You fish with those search tools just trying to cover water and get a bite. Once you get a feel for what the fish are doing, you can make the switch to other tools to start getting multiple bites.

One of those search tools that I always have with me in the fall is a spinnerbait. A spinnerbait lets me cover a lot of water in a short amount of time and it’s one of the best lures to imitate a shad. I like to fish smaller blades on my spinnerbaits in the fall because it resembles a group of shad better than anything else. I also like to add multiple blades on my bait, sometimes using four or five blades on one bait.

All of those blades give off the appearance of a group of shad, which is exactly what the bass are looking for around this time of the year.

Gary Klein (right) and his friend Steven Bardin take advantage of fall fishing. Photo courtesy of Gary Klein

Colder Temperatures = More Casts

We just had an arctic blast of air roll through Texas in the past week and you can really see the change it has brought about in the environment. Leaves are changing, grass is dying off and that cold air affects the fish in the water as well.

We went from water temperatures in the low 80s to now in the 50s. Those changes in temperature not only affect the way the baitfish move, but also the bass. Keying in on where those bass are moving to is huge. That’s why I choose a spinnerbait so I can search for those fish while covering a lot of water.

I say all of that to say this: You have to be prepared to make multiple casts at one target. I’ll make 10 to 15 casts at one stump from all different angles to try and trigger a bite. Once I get one bite, I could catch five in a row off of that one spot. A buddy and I caught about 60 fish between us just the other day because we stayed consistent with our casts and were able to cover water with our spinnerbaits.

If you’re doing the right things and staying consistent, the fall could be your favorite time to fish as well. All it takes is a little bit of patience.