Kyle Seinfeldt, Iowa, says, “Things are starting to happen. Fall feeding pattern are in place in the north. Reaction bite is taking place on crankbaits. The cranks are good because they allow more water to be covered faster. Planer boards get baits further away. I’ll be using a Berkley Flicker Shad. Fish are spooky when shallower.”
Tip: “Start at 8 to 10 feet deep with the crankbaits. Try different speeds 0.5 to 2.5 mph. Experiment to find the bite. Different shad have different actions.”
Mark Huey, Missouri, says, “The fall bite here on Truman Lake generally starts the third week of October. The Tebo arm is a great place in the fall with the bigger fish biting early. The bite is usually fast. I’ll be jigging in the upper areas.”
Tip: “Crappie are moving in the fall so you need to be willing to move, too. The fish may be as shallow as two feet or out on a bluff at 24 feet.”
John Moore, Missouri, says, “Lake of the Ozarks is good in the fall. Fishing is similar to the spring. The crappie will come in shallow. You can pitch beside the trees in shallow water. However, fish can be scattered and in water as deep as 20 feet depending upon the water temperature. Wind and cold will cool the water off quickly.”
Tip: “After the shallow bite in the fall look for fish in 15 to 20 feet of water on brush. The deep pattern should last from late fall all the way through winter.”
Mark Englehart, Missouri, says, “Fishing is good in the fall. The bite is shallow with good fish moving up shallow as 2 to 10 feet. The good thing is that fish are stable and easy to find. It’s not uncommon to catch 60 to 80 fish a day. I’m vertical jigging Bobby Garland jigs.”
Tip: “Fish midway back in a creek like during the spawn. Work along the ledges and drop-offs.”
