Though some parts of the country are still plenty hot, you might start to notice a bit of a chill in the air in the mornings and evenings. School is in session, and football is on the TV. But the real story is out on the water, where fish have begun to feed heavily in anticipation of winter. There’s no time like the present, so get out there and enjoy some of the best fishing—and weather—of the season. Here’s what we’re using to score now.
UP NORTH
There’s plenty of life on the inshore wrecks, reefs, and other pieces along the Northeast coastline. Anglers targeting black sea bass won’t have to work hard to get a bite, though picking through the shorts will take some effort. Bucktails designed to be jigged, such as Spro’s, work well here, particularly when sweetened with a Gulp! Swimming Mullet. Fish a teaser 6 inches above, also tipped with a Swimming Mullet, for even more action. You’ll pull fluke with the same rig, so go to your favorite piece of structure in 20 to 60 feet of water and get dinner.
Cooling waters are urging larger predators to feed, and anglers are greeted by swooping birds and blitzing fish. For topwater action, throw on a Heddon Saltwater Super Spook and work the edges of bait schools for some of the most exciting blow ups in fishing. But if the bluefish outnumber the striped bass, then consider switching to a diamond jig for easy unhooking. If you need a little more action, try one of Z-Man’s DieZel MinnowZ rigged on a 3/4 to 1 ounce jighead. Bluefish teeth will do a number on soft plastics, but the ElaZtech formula holds up better than most.
On the sweeter side of things, smallmouth action is heating up. In rivers and creeks, creature baits like the Great Lakes Finesse Hellgrammite are getting it done. I rigged one of these up for my seven-year-old son on a drop shot over the weekend and he had fast action, dragging the bottom in and around boulders. In still waters, it’s hard to beat jig fished along drop offs for fish adjusting to changing water temperatures. Something like Strike King’s Denny Brauer Structure Jig is a good choice for probing the depths without worrying about getting hung up, but I’ll downsize to a Bitsy Bug Mini Jig if they get selective. Of course, this is a great time of year to cover ground with a ChatterBait.—Joe Albanese
DOWN SOUTH
September is traditionally a difficult time to bass fish in the southern United States. This is typically when water temperatures first begin to cool and lake turnovers start to begin. This change forces fish to move shallow, away from uninhabitable water below. This opens up numerous different bite windows that can be a blast to capitalize on. This includes a shallow topwater bite, suspended fish bite and a shallow worm bite. While all three of these patterns are prevalent this time of year, my absolute favorite is the shallow topwater bite.
The early morning topwater bite is a major player in my neck of the woods, and there’s a few location that always seem to be productive. Look for areas with high numbers of baitfish, this can be channel swings, pinch points and other types of main lake structure. This pattern is typically best in lowlight conditions, however I always have a topwater tied on this time of year. Some of my favorite September topwaters include a Strike King KVD Sexy Dawg and a Lobina Rico Popper. I use the Strike King KVD Sexy Dawg when trying to locate fish, and the Lobina Rico Popper whenever I’m picking an area apart. If you’re located in the southern United States, I highly recommend giving topwater a try the next time you hit the lake. —Sam Hanggi
