Story by Robert Wroblewski | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
When I think about my favorite time of the year to fish, my mind always goes straight to the fall transition. Don’t get me wrong, spring and summer both have their moments, but fall just hits different. Anywhere in the United States, you’ll notice the same pattern: the summer bite is tough for most anglers. The sun is high, the heat is relentless, and bass are scattered. A lot of them move out deep, chasing bait in unpredictable ways, while others just get flat-out lethargic in that extreme heat. It can feel like a grind. But once the weather finally breaks and the water begins cooling down, the whole lake comes alive.
I live for those days when the air temperature first drops into the 70s. It’s like the bass flip a switch and suddenly they’re fired up in ways you don’t see in July and August. And as the temps fall even more, the bite just keeps getting better. What makes fall so special is the way fish start feeding up. They know winter is coming, and just like a bear packs on weight for hibernation, bass go on the feed. They school up, chase bait, and become far more predictable than at any other time of the year. For an angler, that predictability is gold.
The topwater bite during the fall transition is easily one of my favorite parts. There’s nothing like watching bass push shad to the surface and then explode on them with reckless abandon. It’s the kind of action that’ll get your heart racing every single time. I love throwing prop baits, walking baits, or a small popper when that’s going on. Some days you can just keep one tied on all day long and never get bored, because the fish don’t stop feeding. It’s one of the few times of year when you can consistently catch numbers and quality in the same trip.
But topwater isn’t the only game in town. In the fall, you can practically cycle through your tackle box and expect to get bit. A ChatterBait is deadly around grass edges or shallow flats where baitfish are moving in. A jig is always a confidence bait of mine, especially when fish slide into cover or hang around rock. For the forward-facing sonar guys, a jighead minnow is a staple this time of year. It’s perfect for targeting suspended bass that are locked in on bait.
And then there’s the Alabama rig. If you ask me, fall is made for it. I’ve thrown the A-rig with and without forward-facing sonar, and it produces either way. There’s just something about a cluster of swimbaits swimming together that bass can’t resist in the fall. It looks like a small school of shad, and that’s exactly what they’re hunting. If you haven’t thrown one or if you’ve struggled with it in the past, stick with it. Once you gain confidence, it’ll become a go-to in your arsenal. The southeast—Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky—are prime A-rig states when temps cool down.
Now, some people assume that once the water temps dip into the 50s or even the 40s, the bite shuts down. Honestly, I’ve had some of my best fishing days when it’s cold enough to make your hands numb. Sure, it takes a little adjustment to get comfortable in the cold, but the payoff is big. The bigger bass show up, the quality of your catches goes up, and you can weigh some serious bags. It’s not uncommon to see your best five fish of the season come in late fall.
That’s what makes this time of year so special to me. The cool air, the changing leaves, and the aggressive fish all come together in a way that keeps me excited to get on the water. Bigger fish, better numbers, and more predictable patterns—fall fishing checks all the boxes. That’s why, out of all the seasons, fall is hands down my favorite time to fish.
Robert Wroblewski – Angler Profile
