Unlock the mystery behind what's costing you late fall bass

Hey, Keith here.

Late fall bass fishing got you scratching your head? The water temperature is dropping into the 50s, and your confidence baits from summer suddenly just aren't producing.

While most anglers keep throwing the same lures that worked in warmer months, I've learned the hard way that late October through November requires a complete shift in strategy.

I think back to a trip I made with my buddy Marcus, when he was catching fish after fish on the old classic Rapala Floating Minnow while I struggled with a Texas-rigged worm.

Understanding what bass are feeding on during late fall isn't just helpful. It's the difference between going home skunked and catching multiple quality fish on every outing.

Today, I'm breaking down my top five shad imitation baits for late fall because once you match what bass are actively hunting, everything changes.

BEST LINKS

What I watched this week

• What lures we’re throwing in October (Wired2Fish)

• Trick or treat: Halloween bass tips from the pros (Game and Fish Mag)

• The best shad lures for fall bass fishing (Bass Resource)

• Tactics for fall bass fishing (OutdoorHub)

• The best time to fish for bass (broken down by season) (Anglers)

Deals of the week

• Berkely has a Hit Stick crankbait on sale for $4.00 marked down from $7.99.

• Pure Fishing reduced its Berkley Bad Shad from $8.99 to $3.50.

• Dick's Sporting Goods has a pack of Googan’s Dart Plastic Jerkbaits reduced to $1.98, normally $7.49.

DEEP DIVE 

Why shad patterns dominate late fall fishing

One October morning, when the wind was walking the shoreline of my favorite lake off of Live Oak Rd., the water temps had dropped to the mid-50s and I had my go-to six-inch Texas-rigged Zoom worm tied on—the same bait that had crushed bass all spring and summer.

My buddy Marcus showed up and immediately started landing bass. I’m talking two-pound fish. Quality fish. One after another. Meanwhile, my T-rigged worm hadn’t been bit in over an hour. 

When I finally swallowed my pride and asked what he was throwing, he showed me a simple silver and white swimbait. "Threadfin shad pattern," he said, pointing to the water where dozens of small shad were flickering just below the surface.

Every few seconds, a bass would explode through the school.

Marcus explained what I'd been missing: "Late October is when shad school up tight. Water's cooling down, bass know winter is coming. They're feeding heavy, bulking up.

Shad are everywhere right now. Massive schools, easy to find, easy to catch. Why waste energy chasing a single crawfish when you can swim through a buffet?"

He opened his tackle box. Flukes, swimbaits, jerkbaits, lipless cranks. All silver. All imitating shad. "Match the hatch," he said.

I remembered my buddy Wes talking about this exact thing in our Lure Selection Mastery course. He always says color and season work together to trigger bites.

I dug out an old white Fluke I'd forgotten about, rigged it up, and cast into the same area where my spinnerbait had failed. Three twitches in, my line went tight.

That morning, I landed eight bass and I didn’t fish with my worm the rest of the day. 

The lesson was crystal clear: The bass weren't being picky, they were being efficient.

With winter approaching, they needed maximum calories for minimum effort. Shad schools were the easiest, most abundant meal available.

Now, as soon as the calendar flips to late October and water temps hit the 50s, I know exactly what to throw. The bass are gorging on the most plentiful food source available, and if you're not throwing shad patterns, you're fishing with last season's strategy.

The science behind shad feeding patterns

As fall progresses, threadfin and gizzard shad migrate to shallower water where it's slightly warmer. They concentrate near points, creek channels, and shallow flats.

Bass follow these schools relentlessly, positioning themselves to blow up bait balls.

When you're throwing a lure that doesn't match the profile, color, or action of shad, you're asking bass to ignore their primary food source. That rarely works when they're in feeding mode.

My top 5 shad imitation baits for late fall

Based on years of trial and error (and plenty of fishless mornings until I figured this out), here are the five baits that consistently produce when bass are keyed in on shad:

1. Squarebill crankbait (1.0–1.5 size)

This shallow-running power bait is perfect for covering water fast. In late fall, downsize to smaller 1.0 or 1.5 models that dive 3–4 feet and match the size of threadfin shad. The tight wobble and deflection off cover triggers reaction strikes from aggressive bass.

My go-to is the Strike King KVD 1.5 Silent. Its wandering hunting action is deadly in shallow water.

Best colors: Chrome/blue back, sexy shad, ghost minnow

Retrieve: Burn it fast along shallow banks, bouncing it off stumps and rocks. Bass often hit on the first few cranks near shore.

2. Lipless crankbait (1/2 oz)

The classic Rat-L-Trap and similar lipless cranks are versatile shad imitators that work from shallow to deep. The tight vibration and rattling action mimic distressed baitfish perfectly.

When using a lipless crank I choose the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap in 1/2 oz. It's been the standard for over 25 years for good reason.

Best colors: Chrome, chrome/blue back, silver shad

Retrieve: Cast and crank steadily or use the "yo-yo" technique. Let it fall to the bottom, rip it up, let it fall again. Works great over deep points and channel swings where bass stage.

3. Soft plastic swimbait (3.5–5-inch paddle tail)

A white or pearl paddle-tail swimbait on a 3/8 oz swim jig or weighted swimbait hook is deadly in late fall. The realistic swimming action and profile closely match shad, and you can cover water quickly while staying in the upper water column where shad suspend.

My go-to swimbait is the Keitech Fat Swing Impact in 3.8 or 4.8 inch. The action is unbeatable at any retrieve speed.

Best colors: Pearl white, pearl/chartreuse, silver shiner

Retrieve: Steady, fast retrieve just below the surface. Keep it visible throughout your cast. When it disappears, set the hook.

4. Suspending jerkbait (4–5 inch)

As water cools, jerkbaits become increasingly effective. The erratic, darting action mimics dying or injured shad. Bass have more time to inspect baits in cooler water, so realistic finishes matter.

When fishing jerkbaits I throw the Shimano Zumverno 95SP. The Flash Boost technology creates an irresistible flash even when the bait is paused, and the compact profile is perfect for matching smaller shad.

Best colors: Sexy shad, chrome/blue back, ghost minnow

Retrieve: Sharp twitches with extended pauses. As temperatures drop further, lengthen your pauses to 3–5 seconds. The bait should suspend in the strike zone during pauses.

5. Medium-diving crankbait (6–10-foot range)

Later in fall when bass start moving deeper, a medium-diving crankbait in shad patterns becomes essential. These baits reach transition zones where bass stage before moving to winter haunts.

My choice for medium-diving cranks is the Bomber Model 7A. It's an affordable workhorse that dives 8–10 feet with proven durability and a fish-catching wobble.

Best colors: Sexy shad, chrome/black back, natural shad

Retrieve: Steady retrieve along channel swings, points, and ledges. Let it deflect off structure. The erratic action triggers strikes.

BONUS TIP: Pay attention to the size of shad in your waters. Early fall might require 3–4-inch baits matching threadfin shad, while late fall might need 4–6-inch baits as gizzard shad become the primary forage. When in doubt, start small and upsize if needed.