Fall is one of the best times of year to catch a giant bronzeback. But it can also be one of the toughest times of year to locate fish, which makes covering water and being mobile the name of the game. The upside is that if you do find groups of schooling smallmouth, you have the potential to catch a monster bag in no time. All it takes is dialing in the right baits and gear to land these big fish.
To help better understand where to find autumn smallmouth, we sat down with bronzeback guru and YouTuber Ben Nowak. Based in Central Michigan, Nowak spends a lot of his time chasing giant Great Lakes smallmouth. Here’s his top six tips on how to find and catch big bronzebacks throughout the fall.
1. Cover Water
Smallmouth can be pretty spread out during the fall, so Nowak recommends keeping the foot on the pedal until you start getting bites. “Obviously, once you get bit, slow down, because there'll be other fish in the area," says Nowak. "But cover water until you get bit, because fish tend to be grouped up in small areas this time of year.” Nowak uses crankbaits and jerkbaits to cover water if the fish are feeding aggressively. But if they are a little more finicky, he’ll swap over to a small swimbait, like the 2 and 3/4 inch Great Lakes Finesse Dropkick Shad Swimbait.
2. Use Current and Wind to Your Advantage
If you don’t have a general idea of where to start, covering water can just lead to a lot of wasted time with no reward. Nowak recommends focusing on two key conditions to determine your starting point: current and wind. “During the fall, look for current and wind," says Nowak. "Sometimes it can be difficult to fish the windy side of the lake, but that’s where a lot of the bait will be. And where there's bait, there's fish." Target areas with strong current to find schooling fish and try fishing the windy side of the lake when it's safe. This might be uncomfortable and difficult, but it can pay off with giant bass.
3. Tailor Your Bait Selection
Baitfish are key smallmouth prey during the fall, but don't overlook other types of forage. “If you find a crawfish molt going on in late September or early October, smallmouth will be around the crawfish," says Nowak. "Or if you find a bunch of shad spawning up in the shallows, they'll be around the shad." Nowak stresses that fish don’t relate to cover or structure like they do in the summer months. There’s nothing holding fish to one area over another than the bait itself. Locate the bait, match it as closely as possible, and you'll catch fish.
4. Match Your Lure Size to the Bait
Matching the hatch is important anytime throughout the year, but particularly so when targeting smallmouth in the fall. “It's critical to match the forage size," says Nowak. "If they're on big shad, I'll throw a Z-Man Jerk Shad—the full 5-inch size. Or I'll throw a full-size jerkbait like the Megabass 110 or even a 120.” Nowak will swing to the other extreme as well, throwing super small baits if the bass are relating to shiners. Just make sure you also match the size of the bait, or else the fish might snub your lure.
5. Upsize Your Line
Typically, when targeting smallmouth in ultra-clear water, you want to use the smallest line that you possibly can. But Nowak leans in the opposite direction in the fall. “I try to fish the heaviest line possible," he says. "Since these fish are schooling, I want to be extremely efficient. If I can make multiple casts without having to retie, that helps me get extra bites that guys aren't getting.”
In addition to not having to retie as often, the larger line allows Nowak to horse fish in faster, which separates the hooked fish from the school quicker. This keeps the school from busting up and allows Nowak to pick off a few extra fish from the same group.
6. Be Versatile with Your Lure
Be ready with a few different baits at all times when smallmouth fishing in the fall. Nowak likes to have a couple of rods rigged with different baits, ready to switch gears at a moment's notice. “I always have follow-up baits ready," says Nowak. "Let’s say you're catching them on the crankbait in one area, you should also have a tube ready, or something that you can slow down with. After the school shuts off, you can typically trigger some of those other fish in that pod to eat.”
