10 Most Common Fall Bass Fishing Mistakes: How to Fix Them Fast

Are you guilty of any of these common mistakes? Avoid these pitfalls and learn quick adjustments that will help you catch more bass this fall.

Avoid the 10 most common fall bass fishing mistakes and learn quick fixes. Discover proven tactics, lures, and seasonal strategies to catch more bass. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

Why Fall Bass Fishing is Different for Anglers

It’s fall and things have changed on your favorite bass fishing waters. Shorter days, falling water temps, and shifting baitfish patterns cause bass to position and behave differently. If you hit the water hoping to find them in the same spots and catch them on the same lures you did in June, you’re in for a long cold day.

But if you’re willing to make a few simple adjustments you can have some of your best fishing days of the year. The bass feed aggressively in anticipation of winter, the scenery is spectacular, and a lot of days you’ll be the only boat on the lake.

Let’s break down a few of the most common fall bass fishing mistakes and learn the simple fixes.

Table of Contents: 10 Fall Bass Fishing Mistakes & Fixes

1. Why Fall Bass Fishing is Different for Anglers
2. Mistake #1 – Ignoring Water Temperature Changes
3. Mistake #2 – Fishing the Wrong Depths
4. Mistake #3 – Overlooking Baitfish Influence on Bass
5. Mistake #4 – Sticking to Summer Fishing Patterns
6. Mistake #5 – Avoiding Wind-Blown Banks
7. Mistake #6 – Overlooking Deeper Grass Patterns
8. Mistake #7 – Skipping Isolated Bass Cover
9. Mistake #8 – Missing Prime Bass Feeding Windows
10. Mistake #9 – Neglecting Fishing Gear Maintenance
11. Mistake #10 – Losing Confidence in Your Fishing
12. Learn From Mistakes, Catch More Fall Bass
13. You Might Also Like These Bass Fishing Stories:

Mistake #1 – Ignoring Water Temperature Changes

Keeping notes is a great idea for any anglers who wants to improve their game any time of the year, but it's especially important in the fall. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

Why It Matters

Falling water temps signal change for the entire ecosystem in your lake. Vegetation starts dying off. Insects start dying off. Many baitfish like shad move to shallow water to spawn. There are still great feeding opportunities for bass, but they’re not the same as they were in warmer water.

The Fix

Become very aware of the water temperature changes. That will be your best clue to finding the bass’ current location and behavior. Especially, try to become aware of the longer range temperature trends, like over the past week or several weeks if possible. Some bigger or more popular lakes publish daily water temps online.

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Pro Tip: Keep a record of your fall fishing trips with temp, conditions, locations and lure performance. You can keep this super simple by carrying an old school, pocket notebook or use one of many apps for your phone. There’s something kind of satisfying about writing it down, but a little technology can help sort the entries and make it easier to recognize patterns.

Mistake #2 – Fishing the Wrong Depths

The Error

Assuming because baitfish are supposed to push shallow this time of year that you should fish shallow all day.

The Adjustment

Follow bait migrations and activity. In the mornings you might notice increased bait and bass activity in the shallows. But as that starts to slow try probing deeper weed edges or wood.

Mistake #3 – Overlooking Baitfish Influence on Bass

Lures that mimic shad can be extremely effective this time of year. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

Why Shad Matter

Fall activity is almost always bait-driven, especially in waters where shad are the main forage.

Smart Tactics

Make sure your lures mimic your lake’s baitfish size and color. Now is the time that white and chrome are key color choices. Probe the shallows with lures like swimjigs, swimbaits, and vibrating jigs in white with grey, blue or chrome highlights.

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Pro Tip: One bait that is often overlooked in the fall is the jerkbait. But is there a better imitator of a struggling baitfish? Keep a white or chrome jerk bait tied on at all times in the fall and when you see schooling activity, fire a cast through them and hang on.

Mistake #4 – Sticking to Summer Fishing Patterns

By making a few adjustments to your normal spots and presentations, you can cash in on the bass' fall feeding binge. | Photo by Craig Mazurek

Common Slip-Up

Anglers are creatures of habit. Don’t spend your fall day hoping to re-create a great day of fishing you had in the summer.

Quick Fix

Dragging that frog around in the slop will have to wait until next summer. Open your mind to the other tips on this list. Watch temps, follow baitfish, adjust your presentations and enjoy the special opportunities fall offers.

Mistake #5 – Avoiding Wind-Blown Banks

Sure, it's beautiful, but wouldn't we be more comfortable if we found a spot out of the wind? Maybe, but I thought you got out on the lake today to catch fish. Windy banks can be the best for fishing. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

What Anglers Miss

Many anglers avoid choppy water, especially in the fall. It’s already cold outside, nobody wants to feel colder. Plus, wind makes boat positioning and casting accuracy more difficult.

How to Adjust

The wind pushing into a shoreline can stir up the ecosystem at a microscopic level, which in turn increases activity of small baitfish, and so on, up to the level of hungry, active bass. Embrace the wind and fish reaction baits like Rat-L-traps and vibrating jigs on those banks.

Mistake #6 – Overlooking Deeper Grass Patterns

Mistake

Many anglers abandon grass once the vegetation they can see starts to look less green and healthy. They assume the bass will not hold in the brown, dying weeds.

Fast Fix

They’re correct that bass will not hold in the brown, dying weeds, but the deeper weeds that can’t be seen from the surface will remain green and healthy. And in fact, because the amount of suitable, green weeds is condensed, more bass will be concentrated in a smaller area. Find the best, deep, green vegetation and the fall fishing can be amazing.

The video below does a great job explaining and demonstrating the fall bass and green weeds pattern:

Mistake #7 – Skipping Isolated Bass Cover

The Missed Opportunity

Everyone fishes the big stump flat, but few people bother to stop to target a lone stump or tree at the end of a long point.

Winning Strategy

Take the extra couple minutes to carefully work a lone bit of cover. And again, if your lake is shad-based, try a big, white jig and trailer. This is usually a one-fish-at-a-time ply, but the average size of that one fish might surprise you.

Mistake #8 – Missing Prime Bass Feeding Windows

Sunset, plus moonrise. Low-light hours are always prime time to catch bass, even late in the fall. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

The Issue

Arriving to the lake too late or leaving too early.

The Correction

Once the air and water temperatures start to drop, it becomes easier for anglers to rationalize that the water needs to warm up a bit before the fish will want to bite. But is that because of the fish’s comfort or the angler’s? The same advantages that low-light offers hunting bass on the warmest days still apply in the fall. Put on an extra layer and make sure you’re on the water at first light and last light when fall bass feed heavily.

Mistake #9 – Neglecting Fishing Gear Maintenance

Seasonal Factor

Cooler temps reveal weaknesses in line, reels, and batteries towards the end of a long fishing season.

Action Step

It’s tempting to think that since the fishing season is winding down it’s okay to let routine maintenance slide. We’re almost done and the gear just has to get through one or two more trips. But, fall offers the opportunity to have your best days of fishing and quite possibly your biggest fish. Make sure your line is fresh, your hooks are sharp, and your boat is mechanically sound before heading out.

Mistake #10 – Losing Confidence in Your Fishing

Always remain positive and optimistic about your fishing and you'll soon have a huge collection of your own big bass pics. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

Confidence Shaken

Anglers can become discouraged because they aren’t catching fish the way they did all summer. Plus, now it’s cold and uncomfortable to be out here. The voices in their head can start to question what they’re doing out here when everyone else is home watching the big game.

How to Build It

A big part of consistent successful fishing is understanding the mental game. An open mind and positive outlook can make a big difference. Remind yourself that fall is genuinely one of the best times of the year to bass fish. Bass aren’t behaving the same way they did in the summer, but they are feeding very aggressively right now because their survival literally depends on it. You can catch them—lots of them. Follow the bait, fish with proven lures, make adjustments, and you will find the fish.

Learn From Mistakes, Catch More Fall Bass

Fall is one of the best times of the year to fish for bass, but it requires adapting to the seasonal changes. By avoiding these 10 common mistakes and applying the simple fixes, you’ll be finding more bass, getting bigger bites and experiencing all the great things this time of year has to offer.