Don't Forget this Important FALL BAIT

The season of fall has tried to settle in here in Iowa, but the warm fronts just won't let go.  Tonight, as I type this, I was fishing in shorts and short sleeve shirt tonight, it just doesn't make sense.  Water temperatures are still in the upper 60's just about anywhere you go here in Northeast Iowa, again delaying the fall fishing that can be so good.  I really enjoy the fall fishing season because it allows me to fish so many different types of baits.  Jerkbaits and spinnerbaits are a couple of lures that don't see much action from me in the summer months.  I love fishing both of them in the fall no matter where I am fishing.  Another bait that I love to throw in the fall, pretty much exclusively is a lipless crankbait.  

A lipless crankbait is a bait that fish love to react to.  It is a mix of a loud crankbait and a sinking jerkbait.  However, that really does not explain it perfectly.  A lipless crankbait will catch fish on days that every other bait in your boat won't even get a bite.  A lipless crank is great for pressured bass (human pressure) and also for extreme temperature changes.  A lipless crank is one of the loudest baits you can throw, and it offers a "dying action" like no other.  The fish just can't resist it under tough conditions.

I had just the type of experience last weekend, anglers all over the place hitting the common areas, it was a beautiful day so I am glad so many people were out enjoying it!  I hit a few areas with no bites, then caught a couple small bass.  I was about to go to a large backwater area but decided to try an old fall favorite, the lipless crankbait.  Although the water temperatures are not saying it is fall, the length of day is, and that is also key to the fall bite.  Short days tell fish that the ice is coming, and in turn they start eating.  First cast...no lie...BOOM, a nice largemouth bass.  I just my head thinking about how I wasted two hours of my day being stubborn.  Oh well, I continued to fish the lipless in a variety of cadences and picked up another ten or so bass before I had to hit the road.  All the bass were of "keeper size", once again telling me that I had the right bait.  Even though the water temperature wasn't yelling FALL, the bass are.  Tie one on, it might make a bad fall day of fishing a good one!