Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2014 - 23

can go south in a hurry in the fall. As a result, a
person needs to be prepared to adjust to changing
weather and water temperatures."
During the early fall, Templin often relies on
square lipped crankbaits, which deflect well off
of weed cover. As the water continues to cool, jigs
and soft-bodied swimbaits see a lot of action. As
fall progresses, and Templin gets a good feel for
the "underwater highways" they are using when
moving from deep to shallow, he'll sometimes
deviate from his mobile approach and camp out
on such a spot. While he acknowledges he may be
making a sacrifice in terms of numbers, he does so
in hopes of catching a record-sized bass.

Free-flowing rivers

Natural rivers like the middle portion of
the Allegheny River provide excellent fall fishing for
Smallmouth Bass.
Typically, the early part of fall is often a continuation
of the same patterns that existed during the summer
months. Over the course of the summer, river
Smallmouth Bass established themselves in areas close
to higher currents. This includes pocket water next to
riffles, shallow tailouts of large holes and rocky runs of
moderate depth located just downstream of riffles. Deep,
boulder-line holes that scream Smallmouth Bass to many
anglers usually won't hold Smallmouth Bass of decent
size when the water is warm.
Summer provides water temperatures in the 70- to
80-degree F range. Interestingly, precluding any high
water events, Smallmouth Bass in rivers are often
reluctant to vacate their summer spots as the water cools.
It's not until the water temperatures dip down into the
upper 50s that you're likely to see a major movement
away from the summer spots.
As water temperatures drop through the 50s, river
Smallmouth Bass will begin their movement toward
lower current, protected spots. At normal river levels,
you can still expect to find bass along with Walleyes in
the tailout sections of pools, particularly early and late
in the day and during rainy days. Slower, rock lined
pools will gather up bass. Movement into wintering
holes-deep pools often located below major rock bars-
takes place once the water drops down into the 40s and
lower. Most years, I don't find river Smallmouth Bass in
wintering holes until sometime in November.
During early fall, many of the top summer
presentations continue to be productive. This includes
both soft and hard-bodied jerkbaits. At this time, it's
often better to use a more subtle action to the lure. This
means softer twitches on hard jerkbaits with longer
pauses in between jerks. In the case of soft jerkbaits,
I'll often fish one with a deadstick method, allowing
the bait to drift along with the boat and close to the
bank. When bass aren't willing to move up for a lure,
PFBC website: www.fishandboat.com

During the early portion of the fall, providing river levels stay normal,
river Smallmouth Bass will often be found in the same areas that held
them during mid to late summer.

a soft-bodied crawfish often excels. I like to fish these on a
Texas rig, employing a 3/16- or ¼-ounce bullet slip sinker and a
1/0 wide gap worm hook. When early fall rains roil the water,
spinnerbaits worked tight to the bank catch quality-sized
Smallmouth Bass.

Drawndown bass

Several of Pennsylvania's better bass fisheries are
found within United States Army Corp of Engineers
flood control lakes, ones that experience substantial fall
drawdowns. These seasonal releases, made necessary
to provide storage space for potential rainfall and snow
melt during the following winter and spring, preclude
the existence of submerged weed growth.
Bass in such reservoirs make good use of structure,
often provided by the meanderings of submerged creek
channels in both primary channels and secondary
channels (those of feeder streams). Pelagic baitfish such as
Gizzard Shad and Alewives are also often found in these
reservoirs. They are an important food source for bass.
Keeping in contact with baitfish movements is paramount
to success.
Turns in creek channels provide protective cover,
ambush points and feeding shelves. Turns can be plied
with jigs. Flats are tailor-made for search lures such as
deep-diving crankbaits and swimbaits. A slow-rolled
spinnerbait can be effective in both scenarios. Bass will
move in and out of the channel to the flats during a typical
day, so check them several times.
Gizzard Shad don't fare well in rapidly cooling water.
They will seek out the warmest water, which is often within
protected coves and bays. Be sure to work the backwaters
of coves as well as the mouths of coves for bass that are
staying in contact with their primary food source.

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * September/October 2014

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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2014

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