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Late Summer Tip
MLF Pro Ryan Salzman shares his go to for the late summer early fall transition. A small profile that matches the hatch is key to catching numbers and big fish especially in a tidal or river situation.
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VanDam’s Advice for Back-to-School Bass Fishing
Kevin VanDam wears a prideful grin as he stands in front of the Otsego Bulldogs school sign on an early September morning. Not only did he attend kindergarten through 12th grade there, but his sons Jackson and Nicholas graduated from the district as well.
“My favorite elementary teacher was my 4th grade teacher Mr. Sleep because he loved to hunt and fish,” VanDam remembers fondly.
It’s doubtful Mr. Sleep knew his student would someday become the greatest bass angler of all time, but one thing’s for certain, VanDam didn’t become the best there’s ever been by letting the often-challenging bass fishing days of early September take his lunch money.
All about the bait
“Early September can be way different in Michigan, where overnight temps are in the 50s, versus places like Oklahoma, Texas or Georgia where it still feels way more like August most days. But no matter where you are, bass fishing is about the baitfish right now. So, you need to get in touch with where the majority of the shad are,” explains VanDam.
Find the Thermocline on your sonar screen
While hot September days in the South can make anglers think bass should be deep, don’t forget, the hottest days of summer often create a shallow thermocline around 12 or 15 feet deep, and oxygen levels below that are a struggle for both bass and baitfish.
So, bump-up the sensitivity a notch on your sonar and look for the defined ‘band’ in the middle of your sonar screen indicating the thermocline. Once you’ve identified its depth – most of your search for bait and bass should be in water at that depth or shallower.
Sexy Dawgs and swimbaits
Asked to name two lures he never leaves home without in September, VanDam chose a Strike King Sexy Dawg topwater, and a 3.75” Strike King Rage Swimmer on a 3/8-ounce head. He throws the Sexy Dawg on 50-pound braided line, and the small swimbait on 14-pound fluorocarbon.
Both lures ultimately play to the presence of baitfish and are super effective whether he’s working around shad on a main lake point or way up lake near a shallow gravel bar. Or even better, should a school of 3-pounders blow up on the surface in the midst of some early autumn schooling activity, both of these lures are the perfect tool to hook a piece of the action.
Hurricanes can help September bass fishing
“Obviously, it’s hurricane season, and the destruction Hurricane Ida caused is heartbreaking, but hurricanes often cause a lot of rain as they get further inland over places like Northern Alabama and Tennessee at this time of year. That causes a big influx of water, and baitfish will migrate toward that incoming water,” he reasons. “So, check the backs of creeks and pockets when lots of new rainwater is coming in.”
Where to focus your search
“If I’m on a highland reservoir like Table Rock right now, I’m focusing on points, and the rip rap on bridge corners, but if I’m on a current driven reservoir along the Tennessee River like Wheeler, Alabama, I’m going to start my search on the upper end where current is most prevalent around shallow gravel bars. Because again, it’s all about the bait in September, and those are the areas where shad move shallow first on a current driven reservoir,” says VanDam.
And as for his days at Otsego Public Schools. “I liked school. I’d say I was a pretty good student. Never a troublemaker,” VanDam concluded with a grin.
Fair to say, Mr. Sleep is darn proud of his former 4th grade student. And if you’ll follow VanDam’s advice you’ll likely make way better grades in September bass fishing.
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Fall’s Impact To Be Felt At Bassmaster Northern Open On Thousand Islands
CLAYTON, N.Y. — Autumn officially arrives Sept. 22, but anglers fishing the Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open on the St. Lawrence River/1000 Islands will find expanded opportunity balanced by potentially diluting seasonal movements.
Clayton, N.Y., will host the Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open on the St. Lawrence River/1000 Islands Sept. 9-11, 2021. Photo by B.A.S.S.
Competition days will be Sept. 9-11 with daily takeoffs from the Antique Boat Museum at 6:30 a.m. ET and weigh-ins each day at the museum at 2:30 p.m.
Following the Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River (July 15-18) by nearly two months, the Northern Open’s tournament boundaries will include the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries, as well as Lake Ontario. While Canadian waters were still closed during the Elite, the Aug. 9 reopening now puts both sides of the river and lake in play.
This will clearly increase the fishable waters, but as Michigan Elite angler Garrett Paquette said, an early taste of fall has cracked the whip on local smallmouth.
“Up north, that first week of September, maybe the last week of August, you start to get that fall feel,” Paquette said. “That north wind starts to blow, temperatures start dropping and that is exactly what is happening in this area. Daytime highs are in the low to mid-70s and overnight lows are in the upper 50s.”
Paquette further notes that this early fall transition will likely play a significant role in fish location and concentration.
“Smallmouth bass move fast (this time of year) because they know ice is coming,” he said. “Once they feel that temperature start to drop, those big summer groups will start to break apart.
“That’s not to say that there won’t be any grouped up, but the fish will start to disperse. Instead of doing maybe one or two things, they’ll do multiple things. You can catch them from 6 inches of water out to 60 feet of water. It’s a matter of finding somewhere the fish are coming into and not leaving.”
Look for smallmouth anglers to target the usual mix of deep rocky humps, deep points, current seams and isolated boulders. In the shallower areas, rock reefs and blended bottom where sand and rock or sand and grass meet are the prime targets.
In the lake, anglers can usually hover around key areas with trolling motors, as long as the wind and waves remain light to moderate. In the river, swift current typically requires a controlled drift. In either area, the standard smallmouth arsenal will include drop shots, Ned rigs, tubes, jerkbaits and Marabou jigs.
As for the decision to fish the river or the lake, anglers typically start with the weather forecast. Big winds can whip Lake Ontario into a white-capped frenzy that challenges positioning and presentations. The river can also see rough water — along with serious wakes from massive cargo ships — but the area’s many islands create a lot of leeward options.
The tradeoff for braving Lake Ontario’s big waters is a higher quality of fish. The St. Lawrence will no doubt produce plenty of competitive fish and it’s not inconceivable that the winner never fishes west of Cape Vincent (river mouth, U.S. side). However, with far less current than the river, Lake Ontario’s fish burn fewer calories and grow heavier.
“What’s cool about Lake Ontario is there’s so much (habitat) out there and there are so many unpressured fish that a guy can find a spot (with a large group of fish),” Paquette said. “But I think you could see a lot of people go out there and find that their fish are gone. So being able to relocate them each day is going to be key.”
Worth a mention, the St. Lawrence River holds a respectable population of largemouth bass, including some in the 6- to 7-pound range. Mississippi’s Brock Mosley finished third at last year’s Elite event by targeting largemouth along the Clayton waterfront.
Mosley caught his fish on a Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer. Bladed jigs should work for the fall largemouth — especially if cloudy skies prevail — along with frogs and shallow-water flipping.
Paquette acknowledges this potential, but particularly for a fall event, he sees largemouth delivering less impact. “I think if a guy wants to be consistent and make a check, largemouth could be a player, but to make the Top 10 and be in contention for the win, you’re going to need smallmouth.”
Despite the seasonal challenges, Paquette’s looking for good numbers of big fish. Weather dependent, he predicts 20 pounds a day will make the Top 10, with 25 to 26 pounds a day winning the trophy.
Currently, Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, Mike Iaconelli of Pittsgrove, N.J., Hugh Cosculluela of The Woodlands, Texas, and Alex Redwine of Blue Ash, Ohio, sit atop of the Northern Division points standings while Jacob Powroznik of North Prince George, Va., is leading the Falcon Rods Opens Angler of the Year race. Palaniuk will not be competing at the final event.
The full field will compete the first two days before the boater side is cut to the Top 10 anglers for Championship Saturday. The co-angler champion will be crowned after the Day 2 weigh-in. Coverage of the event will be available at Bassmaster.com. FS1 and the FOX Sports digital platforms will also carry live coverage Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. ET.
1000 Islands Clayton Chamber of Commerce and the Antique Boat Museum are hosting the event.
2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: Basspro.com
2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Bass Pro Shops, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Marathon, Rapala
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship, Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
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Reese Shares a Secret!
MLF Pro Circuit Angler Jimmy Reese let the cat out of the bag at the TITLE Championship on the Mississippi River! The
MLF Pro Circuit Angler Jimmy Reese let the cat out of the bag at the TITLE Championship on the Mississippi River! The The 3D Inshore Twitch Bait is a slow sinking lipless hard bait with excellent balance for quick starting action around cover. Designed to be fished in shallow water the 3D Inshore Twitch Bait is an excellent choice for targeting schooling bass or those tough suspending fish. Yo-Zuri’s patented 3D prism finish sends out flashes of light which fish can see from a great distance. The internal hologram sheet never wears off and keeps on flashing even when the clear body is scratched. The deep bodied shape mirrors a variety of the baitfish The strategic weight position and flat sides give the 3D Inshore Twitch Bait an erratic darting action on a twitch and pause retrieve.
You can find them here! https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/?from=bass365
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2 Must Have Smallmouth Baits
Skeet Reese breaks down his 2 must-have smallmouth baits and explains why they are his top choices. Resseshares his thoughts on the how and when to fish these 2 choices.
If smallmouth are in your future check these 2 proven fish catchers out. Smallmouth Bait Choice / Sammy 100 Pointer 78 / Skeet Reese
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