Dropping Water Temps Increase Bass Aggression
The fall transition begins slowly, but with the first few cold fronts comes drastically colder air—and big changes in water temps.
Strong cold fronts will drop the water temperature very rapidly—sometimes as much as 5-10 degrees overnight. This plunge into the low to mid 50’s will often make shallow bass much more aggressive until the water temperature drops below 50 degrees.
One of the most productive lures and techniques under these conditions is ripping spinnerbaits in the fall like the V-9 SPINNERBAIT just below the surface.
Spinnerbaits like the V-9 can be fished fast without rolling over, and it is this speed that can be extremely effective in late fall.
Spinnerbait ripping has a small window of productivity. In order for this bait and method to work, you will need some combination of the following:
- Clear water (doesn’t have to be super-clear, but at least 3 feet of visibility)
- Water temperatures in the low to mid 50’s
- Wind/clouds or shade
If you have all these variables in place, there will be a ripping spinnerbait bite to be found, especially on lakes with a combination of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass.
Pattern the Clues
The key to ripping spinnerbaits is to first pattern the type of area the fish are holding in. Sometimes they are on points. At times flat banks, steep banks, bluffs or straight banks. Sometimes the main lake is the best, and sometimes the creeks and coves are.
The beauty of this technique, and a bait like the V-9, is you can cast it a long way and cover a tremendous amount of water looking for the specific types of banks the fish are using. Once you have determined the bank, ripping a spinnerbait is a great pattern technique you can run over the entire lake.
Wind helps. It will break up the surface and make the bass more aggressive. Same with clouds and shade. In the event of no wind, shade or clouds, the technique can be very effective early and late in the day with natural shade.
Water Clarity vs Color Selection
Keep the colors shad-like. Translucent shad skirts in very clear water, and some more solid shad colors with less visibility. Trailer are not recommended, since they tend to make the bait profile larger and affect the bait’s ability to run straight on a fast retrieve. It is, however, a good idea to run a small trailer hook for short striking fish.
Longs casts are also key, so your rod setup is critical. You will want at least a 7-foot length, like the Megabass Orochi XX F5-72XX Diablo Spec-R or F5-75XX EMTF. Match this up with 15lb. fluorocarbon line and a high-speed baitcasting reel.
One final tip is to “work” the spinnerbait as you are ripping it. You will catch some just winding it fast, but if you keep your rod at the 10’oclock position, and twitch the rod occasionally and vary the speed, it will generate more strikes in this time of the year.
Spinnerbait ripping is one of the most exciting ways to catch fall bass. Don’t miss out on it!
Speed is Key
The retrieve of the V-9 is the key to its success. You want to keep the bait near the surface, and barely “wake” it without breaking the surface. Since the bait is near the top, many times the strikes are like a topwater strike.
With this in mind, start with the 5/8oz size and work your way down. The V9’s blades are developed to rotate faster than traditional willow blades, which means there is more resistance. Greater resistance = greater lift, so you will want to use a size heavier than normal to keep the V9 just below the surface on a fast retrieve.
As well, it’s important to get the bait going fast as soon as it hits the water. Most of the strike from ripping spinnerbaits occur within the first 5 or 10 feet of the bait hitting the water, so it needs to be moving immediately.
