Early Fall Bass Fishing | Boat Houses
Early fall bass fishing sees lots of changes in the fishery, as fish begin to move. Working boat houses should be something you work into your plans. Sunny bright days define fall largemouth bass fishing, as we generally have very little rain but lots of bright sunny skies in the fall, all this adds up to looking for shady areas to fish. One place the largemouth bass move to hide from the sun is under boat houses!
The thing about fishing boat house is pitching skills and confidence. Most fishermen on Guntersville run by boat houses every day because it is not where their confidence lies. The key to boat house fishing is twofold; first find the boat houses with the correct depth for late summer or early fall bass fishing and next be able to pick a boat house apart. You can find bass around and under boat houses in the fall as they hide from the sun, the bait is always under the boat houses and it is a great place for bass to ambush food.
There is no doubt that boat houses can hold fish, but depth can be a key to whether you are fishing the correct boat house. If its to shallow, largemouth bass may not be there or at a different depth than you are working. Also, if it’s too deep they may be up toward the shallow end. You must be a good judge of the depth to be successful at fishing boat hoses in the early fall. It’s also a must to have practiced your skills and be able to pitch the edges and up under the dock areas of the boat house; working boat houses without being able to place your bait in the strike zone can be a waist of time and prove to be very frustrating; this is a time when you mist be able to fish where the fish are!
Boat houses are natural stops as the largemouth bass migrate to the shallow water to feed up prior to winter, and if the boat house has a depth range of 3 to 7 feet the bass will move to them as they move shallow. One key is the age of the wood built or used on the boat house the older the better, as the older wood holds food and produces more natural habitat. Another is the cover around it; grass for example is a key but the older more dead looking grass is the better option as dead nasty brown grass creates oxygen and becomes great places for them to hang near. Bass are also creatures of habit and if a boat house has been in place for a long time there is a good chance the bass have migrated there in past years and will return annually to the very same area for shade they did the year before.
Picking the boat house apart is not as easy as you might think. You really have to be able to place your bait at every angle possible, and that requires precise placement of your bait at every angle created by the boat house in the water. Work from the sea wall out to the end of the dock as bass can be sitting in shade next to the sea wall or just under a dock pylon a couple feet out from the shore line. Fish the boat house slow and make sure your bait gets to the bottom and you will be successful. Boat houses always have fish under them in the fall and you can benefit by fishing them! Also, do not be afraid to work top water baits around the edges of the boat houses as pop-r’s and buzz baits are good options next too or near the dock areas. Frogs can also be used as they skip easily up ender a boat house.
Docks are great equalizers for early fall bass fishing. The need for shade in shallower water can be the key to big stringers and more bites for the fall fisherman.
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
Email: bassguide@comcast.net
Call: 256 759 2270
Captain Mike Gerry
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