Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 34
Changing Leaves and Changing Temperatures
Mean Great SMALLMOUTH BASS FISHING
by Jeff Woleslagle
photos by the author
A fall Smallmouth
Bass is returned to the river.
We launched the boat in the early morning, and the
silver maples along the river were a beautiful yellow,
which contrasted the bright crimson of the sumacs and
the bronze of the oak leaves, as well as the interspersed
evergreens on the bank. There was a slight fog rising off
the pool in the front of us, and I made a long cast with a
31/2-inch jerkbait. Letting it sink over the edge of the deeper
water, I slowly started to retrieve the slack line and gave
the bait two hard twitches, followed by a pause. Almost
immediately, the line moved sharply sideways, and I set the
hook hard into what I could already tell was a good fish.
I saw the line surging toward the surface and lowered the
rod tip as a 4-pound Smallmouth Bass erupted, breaking
the early stillness on the water, gills flaring as it tried to
shake the bait. The bass made several long, determined
runs before finally coming to the net. We knew it was
going to be another one of those magical fall days. By the
time we trailered the boat, we caught and released nearly
50 bass with some that weighed close to 5-pounds.
34
There isn't much that is more beautiful than the
splendor of Penn's Woods in the fall. As a state,
Pennsylvania boasts a wide range of both northern and
southern tree species that mix here, and all this species
diversity creates fall color that is unrivaled. I would dare
to say though that just as beautiful as the changing oaks,
hickories, maples and birches are the big Smallmouth Bass
that go on the hunt at this time of year.
As the leaves begin to change and water temperatures
begin to drop, great Smallmouth Bass fishing is on the
horizon. To be successful under the changing leaves, an
angler should consider the seasonal migrations of bass.
In general, when water temperatures start dipping below
70 degrees F, the fish move out of late summer territory
to places where food is abundant. Then, bass will migrate
deeper into their wintering locations as the water grows
colder. The trick each day in the fall is to figure out where
the bass are on this migration route. As air temperatures
drop and the amount of daylight decreases, bass often move
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * September/October 2019
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019
Contents
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - Cover1
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - Cover2
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - Contents
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 4
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 5
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 6
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 7
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 8
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 9
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 10
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 11
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 12
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 13
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 14
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 15
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 16
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 17
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 18
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 19
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 20
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 21
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 23
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 25
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 30
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 31
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 33
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 34
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 35
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 37
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - 38
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - Cover3
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2019 - Cover4
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