For those anglers who enjoy power fishing, we have approached what should be a favorite time of year. With both water temperatures and daylight hours dwindling, vegetation will begin to die off and bass sense that the winter season is quickly approaching. An internal alarm is going off and gamefish activity jumps up a notch.
Come November, rivers and lakes here in the mid-Atlantic states are setting up for one of the largest feeding phases anglers will see since early spring. Anglers who look forward to this time of year can dial in to some of the best fishing the east has to offer. I could never understand those of my fishing buddies who would hang up their fishing gear and winterize their boats right when this opportunity arises. Not when November can be so explosive for big smallmouth.
Seasonally, there is generally one trigger that sets this all in motion. What I am referring to is that one big rainstorm that occurs at the end of October or during the first week of November. Over the last several decades, this rise occurs like clockwork as shown in the graphs below. Notice the autumn rise in each of the last four years. As incredible as this sounds, I have been logging it for over 30 years. This annual occurrence sets a number of events into play, and the largest of these is motion itself. As the water rises, baitfish will be displaced and unlike similar rises that happen year-round, this rise is accompanied by the afore mentioned loss in daylight and water temperature, signaling that winter is well on its way.
Never has the phrase, “Find the forage, find the fish,” been more true than during the month of November. Unlike no other time of the year, bass will break all rules to find ample forage. Forget what you think you know about cold water, because this instinctive drive to feed will put bass where the bait is. This is as true on rivers as it is in lakes. And while I do apologize as this article takes a turn to being more river centric, there are similarities.
Many river anglers I run into believe that once the river reaches temperatures in the 40’s, bass retreat to protected areas and remain there. While this comes into play much later in the year and throughout the winter, in November bass will be in more current than most think. This is not to suggest anglers ignore softer water, but by ignoring current, even strong current, you could be missing the boat.
To make a small adjustment to the old adage, Leave no stone unturned; the suggestion here is to think out of the box and break down each segment of a given current break. Too many times I will see a boat approach an island, ledge or structure that creates a break in current, target one specific segment and move on. Most target only the softest area, tossing one specific bait and moving along. The mistake here is that if a pattern has not been established, anglers are missing opportunities.
I have seen bass snub subtle baits, only to attack a more aggressive presentation. Cover baits, such as crankbaits, chatterbaits, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits help to quickly pick apart all segments of a given area. For anglers who are fond of soft plastics, a swimbait or silicon swim-jig with a creature body allows for an aggressive presentation that can quickly hit all the target points.
Do not discard subtle presentations, such as tubes and Ned profiles. Implement them as needed. The more ammunition anglers have, the more likely the chance for success. The message here is that there are times when smallmouth bass are in chase mode, and early to mid-November is that time.
Taking a chapter from nearly two decades of guiding, I can share that 90% of my clients are more than just a little surprised to see how much current these bass are in. To the point where many have uttered the words, “I would have never even tried to fish these lures in these areas.”
Introducing anglers to the power fishing opportunities in November is a true highlight. Giving both intermediate and experienced anglers another tool to use and seeing success in doing so just closes the deal.
Give suspending jerkbaits a fair try this November. If this is already a staple in your autumn arsenal, add Chatterbaits and a suitable crankbait to the mix. Lipless, square bill and round bill models all come in a variety in size, if you have been down-sizing, consider a slightly larger profile. Bass in November will not shy away from larger baits.
Editor’s Note: Join W2 in wishing Gorsuch a full recovery from heart surgery. His articles are some of the best in the business and his guiding is standard-setting.
