Understanding Bass Behavior in November
Have you ever wondered what a bass was thinking in the fall? Have you ever asked yourself or a friend why the bass is acting this way, or why this bass is in this location at this point in the year? These are all questions I have asked myself on many occasions. So, I began doing some research, and I want to share what I have learned about Bass behavior in the month of November.
Let’s begin with what happens to our bodies of water in the month of November. In our bodies of water, they begin cooling down into the 50’s and lower 40 degrees. Now we ask ourselves, what does this have to do with the fish? When the water cools so does the bass metabolism, which means bass have fewer bite windows and the aggressiveness slows down as well. The bass feeding windows begin at the warmest part of the day. When this begins, what are the bass feeding priorities?
As we continue talking about the bass behavior, we learn that bass have to prioritize their feeding. During this month, the bass have to begin to bulk up for the winter, so that means they are eating pretty much anything they can catch this including shad, shiners, perch, bluegill, and crayfish. Bass are targeting easy, slow-moving meals. Dying or disoriented bait fish are prime targets. Everyone now knows what bass prioritize, so where can they be located?
In November, the location of bass can change quickly. As the shallow water cools, bass follow the baitfish towards deeper and more stable temperatures. I want to break location down by the different species of bass. Let’s start with largemouth, they tend to be transitioning from shallow flats and weed beds to secondary points, creek channels, and drop-offs. Smallmouth school tightly together in deep rock piles, ledges, or main lake points. They are also often found near current breaks in rivers or hard bottom area near bait.