Fall fishing is here, and it's my favorite time of the year. The crowded lakes and packed boat ramps from summer are empty now, and the water is quiet again. If you've been waiting for the right time to get out there, this is it.
Fall fishing means one thing: moving baits. Bass are schooled up and chasing prey, packing on the weight they need before the cold winter months set in. They're aggressive, they're grouped up, and they'll run something down. That's why I filled this month's Tackle Box with some of the best fast-moving baits in our catalog.
Where to Find Them
This month, I'm targeting feeding bass in three places: shallow water flats, the backs of creeks, and anywhere current is moving water at a steady speed. Bait gets pushed into those spots, and the bass follow. Cover water and keep your bait moving. When you run into a school, slow down just enough to pick off a few more before you move on.
Swim Jigs: The Deposit Elite Reptile Rubber Swim Jig
A swim jig is my first tie-on when I'm working a flat or the back of a creek. The Deposit Elite took two years of testing to get right, and it was catching fish before we ever released it.
- A light brush guard lets it come through scattered cover clean.
- The 5/0 hook holds on when a fish hits it on the run.
- The Reptile Rubber tail gives it natural movement even on a steady retrieve.
- It comes in 1/4oz, 3/8oz, and 1/2oz.
The box also has more swim jigs for different cover and conditions:
Bladed Jigs: The Counterpunch and the powerBLADE HDS
When bass are spread out and chasing, a bladed jig calls them in from farther away.
The Counterpunch has no split ring between the blade and the head. The blade hits the head metal to metal, which gives a harder, more erratic thump on every turn of the reel.
- The Arkie-style head gives it a strong wobble and skips under docks and overhangs.
- It's rigged with a 4/0 ultra-sharp black nickel hook.
- You can pick a black nickel or gold blade and 13 skirt colors, from 1/4oz to 1/2oz.
The powerBLADE HDS is built off our Powerlock HD swimbait jig. We added a copper hand-tied silicone skirt and a vibrating blade.
- It has a screw lock keeper, a 4/0 Mustad hook, and 3D eyes.
- It comes in eight colors, in 3/8oz and 1/2oz.
The subBLADE Elite rounds out the bladed options in this month's box.
Swimbaits and Minnows: The RockerLock FFS Jig Head
When the fish are keyed in on bait, a swimbait or minnow on a jig head is about as close to the real thing as it gets. Our Georgia pro Shayne McFarlin designed and tested the RockerLock, and it solves the loop knot problem.
- A stainless smooth ring sits inside an oversized closed eye. The head swings freely from the line tie with the right amount of slop for serious bait roll.
- It has a screw lock keeper and an O'Shaughnessy hook in 1/0, 2/0, or 3/0.
- It comes in 1/4oz and 3/8oz.
For single swimbaits or a full A-Rig, the box also has:
Spinnerbaits: The Deposit Burner Spin Wire Jig Head
For the spinnerbait crowd, the Deposit Burner Spin Wire Bait is in this month's lineup.
- It has a heavy 5/0 black nickel hook.
- Painted heads come with 3D eyes.
- It comes in 3/8oz and 1/2oz.
When They Stop Chasing
Fall bass won't chase every day. When a front blows through and the bite slows down, I keep a Ned XL Candy or a Power Ned Candy Finesse Jig ready. They pick off the fish that won't commit to something fast.
Get This Month's Box
Everything above is in the October Tackle Box, ready to go for the fall bite. Use code TACKLE-BOX-1026 at checkout for 20% off. First 20 orders only.
Shop 2K Jigs October Tackle Box.
Catch 'em well out there,
Dan | 2K Jigs