The Heat Cometh Back:
Living the Memories of Youth
By Bruce Callis
Fall is in the air! Okay, the thought of fall and cool, crisp mornings are on our mind. The hot, humid weather that returned just isn’t fair. Or is it just the normal weather that we just find difficult to deal with since we have gotten older.
I remember as a kid, it got hot, but we never let it stop us. And we did a lot more than just fish. Ball games with the neighborhood kids down at the school yard. Riding bicycles around the neighborhood and inventing jumps that today would get the cops called on us. Just honest fun all day in the heat of summer, no worries. And we won’t mention going down the metal slide at the school. It was to tall and unsafe for today’s kids.
But as we have gotten older, this weather gets rough on our bodies and minds. We just have to learn the tricks to make it fun again. Drink the right fluids. Continue to eat the watermelon that cooled us off as kids. And find the shade as much as possible.
And then there is the fishing. How do we prepare for fall and when will it come. Officially, the autumnal equinox is September 22, 2025 at 2:19 pm. But that doesn’t mean cooler weather for us, that is just meteorological time frame. Fall itself with it’s cooler weather will probably be much later. That is what we want to arrive early every year. But what do we do until then?
The days are getting shorter, and the fish know this. And as they get even shorter, the bass will start their thoughts of feeding up for winter. It doesn’t matter what the calendar says, it’s what happens in nature. The nights get longer, which means the water will start to cool more. And the bass are waiting for the magical time to make their move.
For now, just keep doing what we are doing, dreaming of the cooler days and hitting the banks or the deeper areas. Stick to the baits that are tried and true. And don’t forget about the older baits that we used as kids that use to catch plenty of bass for us. They haven’t been seen in a long time, so old becomes new again.
For me, that jitterbug was a magical bait. I spent many a day throwing it everywhere and watching it get attacked by so many bass. Memories that still live in my mind and soul. And I can’t forget the inline spinnerbait. I caught bass, chain pickerel, sunfish and crappie. It caught everything. And again, it got pushed away in the tacklebox for those newer baits. August was full of catches as a kid, just before heading back to school.
What magical bait did you use as a kid? A hellbender, a devilhorse, or was it something else? That time when we spent all day on the bank fishing or if lucky a jonboat, from sun up to sun set, just having fun and learning everything we could to catch bass. What memory are you willing to relive? What memory are you willing to share with your kids? Your grandkids? Or just some kid doing what we did, having fun?
“The fall turnover”
by Carson Maddux
As the days get shorter and glimpses of a break from the heat near, we can start thinking about the summer-fall transition. This time of year is notorious for low weights and ever changing conditions. Most areas are experiencing the driest part of the year and oxygen levels are depleting. You will start hearing ramblings of the lake turning over and how the bite is at its worst. So what is the lake turnover and how does it affect bass fishing?
The turnover is when surface water cools and becomes denser, mixing with deeper layers. This creates instability in the water column and starves the environment of oxygen. The thermocline rises and causes a lot of the bait fish to scatter near the surface. Fish begin to pull away from structure and start to suspend above the thermocline and chase the dying baitfish. This phenomenon used to cause serious headaches for anglers, but with the advancements of forward facing sonar, suspended bass are a much more favorable pattern. You will see bass and baitfish move shallower to find a more oxygen rich environment. Shallow water has less defined “layers” than deeper water so when the lake turns, it will be more stable.
Stability is the most important factor when trying to break down a lake in the early fall. Turning over water will have a tannic tint to it that the bass avoid like the plague. Look for clearer water and running water if at all possible. Current/moving water will have far more oxygen than that in a flat circumstance. Ways to approach a turning over lake will completely depend on the baitfish/ habitat of your fishery. For example on the highland, herring reservoirs of the south, topwaters are king. The fish will “wolfpack” just below the surface and crash on topwaters better than anything else. They may set far above a brush pile, point, blowdown, or even just open water. On a more riverine system, vegetation will put out oxygen making it a good option. If your lake has neither of the two, just find areas where bait is present and the water remains relatively unchanged.
I will use my electronics (side imaging and down imaging specifically) to find the thermocline and go from there. If the thermocline is 8 feet, I will try to find high spots that top out around that depth. Additionally, I pay attention to water levels as many reservoirs begin to drop the water during this time of year. As the water falls, the playing field condenses and bass will hang out near the shore in hopes of finding some sort of terrestrial prey. Topwaters around seawalls and other vertical structures can be king. Prepare yourself for less than average weights and tough fishing conditions. In my opinion, this time of year challenges more anglers than not. Keeping focus and being versatile during the fall has always been the best key to my success. If you are brave enough to fishing this time of year, be ready for a grind!
Early Fall Bass Fishing Tips and Tricks
By Calvin Herndan
Ladies and Gentlemen we have officially made it to August. August is a month where things begin to change in the bass fishing world. Everything from days getting shorter to bass migration patterns. Anglers, it’s time to begin doing the research on the lake you fish a lot to see if you are doing everything you can to catch the biggest fish in the lake. Let’s take some time to dive into some tips and tricks for early fall transition bass fishing.
August is a month that is very interesting for fishing. At the beginning of the month it is still pretty hot and the fish are still in their summer homes. As the month goes on you will start to see changes happen. One of those changes is the days begin to get shorter. I bet you are asking yourself what that has to do with fishing. As the days get shorter it gives the water temperature in the lake time to cool down. When the lake water begins to cool it allows bass to move from their summer time home back to the shallow water. The question still remains: where do I look for fish during this transition?
In the early fall some bass will suspend on the main body of water and school around shad near long points, humps, and breaks. The clearer the water is the deeper the schools of bait and bass will suspend. The second place you should look is the back of major feeder creeks on your body of water. Focus on stained water near the creeks and depths of one to four feet. Threadfin and Gizzard shad tend to bunch up in areas like these this time of year. Knowing all this information the question is what bait do I throw to catch these fish?
I would say that the fall time is one of my favorite times to fish, because it is like early spring when bass are feeding up for the spawn. The bass are super aggressive and hungry so they will primarily be focused on bait fish. In my opinion I will be throwing a moving bait such as a chatter bait with a super-fast retrieve or a spinnerbait. You can still catch them on top water this time of year. A sneaky bait I like to throw is a square bill crankbait. If you burn the crankbait really fast you will cause the bass to react and strike the crankbait.
As you hit the water this month make sure you use some of these tips and tricks. Also remember this month it is important to recognize the changes that will happen on your lake from water temperature to shorter days. Lastly, always be safe on the water and wear your life jacket.