Knowledge is everything, and knowing what to expect when you hit the water on Lake Guntersville in the fall is paramount. The weather changes constantly, there is very little rain, and there is an abundance of natural food for bass to feed on.
Add all of that together, and you can experience some tough days during the fall fishing season.
There are a few things I try to do to keep my best foot forward every day on the water. Let’s just call them my “musts” of fall fishing.
First, you must keep moving.
If you are not getting bit within 20 minutes or so in one spot, move on and try another.
Location can be a major factor in the fall because the bass are constantly moving.
Being willing to change locations can be the difference between struggling all day and finding fish.
I start almost every fall day working from the deep main-river areas toward the creeks.
This gives me an opportunity to sample different depths, current, structure and concentrations of natural bait.
When you cover water this way, your chances of putting together a successful day increase tremendously.
Another must for me is simply paying attention to my surroundings.
Visual observation can tell you a lot about what is happening beneath the surface.
If I do not get the sense that an area I am fishing is holding fish, I move on.
It is difficult to explain exactly what creates that sixth sense, but there are visual clues you can learn to recognize.
Water color is one of them.
Whether the water is clear, stained, murky or muddy can play a major role in whether an area is holding fish.
Water temperature is another important factor.
During the fall, you can sometimes find a significant temperature difference from one creek to another.
If the bass are actively feeding in 65-degree water and you are sitting in an area where the water is 70 degrees, it may be time to make a change.
Baitfish are always a key.
If you do not see bait moving, schooling or being busted by feeding fish during the fall, chances are you are in the wrong location.
Find the bait, and you greatly improve your chances of finding the bass.
Lastly, you must be versatile. Your best bait in the morning may not produce a bite that afternoon.
Your retrieve speed may need to change drastically as the sun gets higher in the sky.
You may need to change bait size to trigger a strike, and the lure that produced fish last week may not be the one they want this week.
Fall fishing on Lake Guntersville is all about adjusting to what the lake is telling you.
Keep moving, watch the conditions, pay attention to water temperature and baitfish, and do not be afraid to change your approach.
Be versatile, adapt to the conditions, and fall fishing on Guntersville will become a whole lot easier.
Captain Mike
