“October is the time to look shallow if they are not deep,” says Noel Fernandez. “The fish will usually be shallow early and stay there. Later, they will move deeper.
“You have to move around a lot when you’re not catching fish. Also, change colors and jig size. Just changing from a pumpkin head to a white head might mean the difference in getting bites.
“Experiment with baits a lot. I use a tiny open snap (no swivel) to make changing baits easy. I also use three or four type spinners above my jig. I put them on my line, like a gold willow leaf blade. Sometimes they like it and sometimes they don’t.”
Noel Fernandez, Missouri, has been fishing tournaments for decades. His sponsors include Stump Jumper, Bobby Garland and Crappietown
