As water temperatures drop and the days get shorter, bass will generally push up shallower and really start to feed. They spend the autumn months pushing baitfish into the backs of creeks, and up to the banks, in an effort to load up on calories before winter sets in. If you want to capitalize on this aggressive bite, matching the hatch with a fast-moving reaction bait is entirely non-negotiable.
There’s a ton of ways to catch fish in the fall but if you have some rocky bottom, a crankbait is a surefire way to generate some bites.
Here is the ultimate breakdown of the three crankbaits I like to have tied on right now to help dominate the fall transition.
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1. Rapala OG Rocco Squarebill
The squarebill is the ultimate shallow-water weapon. When fall bass push shad and other baitfish into shallow water, posting up on rocky banks and in wood cover, the squarebill excels at bouncing aggressively off laydowns, rocks, and stump fields without getting snagged. The trick is to deflect it off everything imaginable. If you aren’t bouncing this bait off cover to trigger a reaction strike, you aren’t fishing it right.
There’s a ton of different kinds of squarebills, but a balsa action of the Rapala OG Rocco can pop off cover quickly and help you to not get snagged.
Where to Fish: Shallow creek channels, rocky banks, docks and isolated wood.
Rapala Ott’s Garage OG Rocco 5 Crankbaits – $11.99
Colors: Rootbeer Crawdad, Bruised Citrus Shad, Green Gizzard Shad
2. Berkley Frittside X Flat-Sided Crankbait
As you push into late fall and the water temperatures drop into the low 50s, bass can get a little sluggish. A flat-sided crankbait (also has a squarebill) offers a much tighter, subtle wobble than a wide-kicking squarebill, which perfectly mimics a cold, lethargic baitfish. The regular Berkley Frittside works great too, but the new X has a more durable build.
Where to Fish: Steep rocky banks, bluff walls, and transition zones.
Berkley Frittside X 5 Crankbait – $17.99
Colors: Black Chartreuse, Mossback Craw, Chrome Shad
3. Berkley Money Badger
Before bass push all the way to the absolute backs of the creeks, or just really shallow in general, they use secondary points, channel swings, and deeper weedlines as staging areas. Hitting that 5-to-7-foot depth range is exactly what you need to intercept them and the Berkley Money Badger makes quite the commotion. They also have a Shallow Money Badger that you can fish in the same spots as a regular squarebill… rock, boat ramps, rip rap, stumps… and it wrecks ’em. A lipless can be great if they’re staging out on grass flats, but I generally use a lipless more in the spring.
Where to Fish: Channel bends, steep points, outside of weedlines and deeper docks.
Berkley Money Badger 4 – $9.99
Colors: Vanilla Chartreuse, Ghost Green Craw, Black Gold
And for a detailed bait recommendation, specific to your exact location and waterbody, check out the Bass Forecast Bait Advisor. Just input your ZIP code or share your location, and Bass Forecast will give you 5 bait recommendations, a bite rating, and suggestions for peak feeding times.
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