When it gets cold outside, it doesn’t take long for water temperatures to drop as well. What is the declining water temperature effect on bass?
You have been fishing in a local lake or river all summer long and know the spots where the bass are hanging. Now that the season is changing, you need to know what drives fish to new locations.
Declining Water Temperature Effect On Bass
Fall can be a great time to fish due to the decreased boat traffic, active fish looking to fatten up for the winter and higher water levels.
During fall, rapidly declining water temperatures trigger an instinct in bass to feed more aggressively in preparation for the long winter ahead. The increase in feeding seems to have more to do with the rate at which the temperature declines, as opposed to the temperature itself. It’s the inverse of spring behavior where sharp cold fronts can shut down fishing and rapidly rising temperatures typically mean better fishing. Source
In addition, habitat changes under the water can cause major shifts in bass to new areas.
Because dying or dead weeds produce no oxygen, they attract few prey fish and consequently few bass. This continuous decline in healthy weeds concentrates predators and prey alike in ever-shrinking areas of green weeds.
Once weeds begin to die off in isolated bays and canals, prey fish exit them in droves, migrating to areas closer to the main lake basin where green weeds remain. Bass seemingly anticipate their arrival or intercept them in necked-down areas or points along the way. Areas within a lake that maintain healthy, green weeds long into the fall tend to be the same from year to year. Source
In addition, the article talks about the fact that in large lakes, bass tend to move into the mouths of rivers and fishing can be a blast because you can usually fish fast baits, in a power fishing style as fish are often quite aggressive.
Keep the spinnerbaits, crankbaits and jerkbaits tied on and slow down, just to pick up a few stragglers that weren’t aggressive.
If fall is your favorite time to fish, be sure to let us know what happens in your area this time of year and why you like it so much!
For more great bass fishing tips, check out KVD’s great bass fishing book. It will help you catch more bass…