Minnesota Fall Bass Lures

The late summer to fall transition can be a tough but rewarding time to fish. In my experience (MN natural lakes) the fish tend to group up in larger schools than they were found throughout the summer. This normally kicks off the first long stretch of cooler weather around later August to early September.

Once the fish settle into their larger schools I like to target the same structure or areas where I caught them all summer and cover them with a moving bait like a Rapala DT-10 or for shallower spots I like to throw either a BX Brat 3 (Delta) or an OutKast Heavy Cover swim jig (Dirty money). Depending on the structure in the specific lake the fish may school on a certain dock or stretch of docks, a weed line, rock pile, or even just a bottom composition change.

Once I get a few bites on whichever moving bait I’m throwing I like to slow it down and pick apart the area with a Stealth Feider Jig from OutKast (purpetrator 5/8oz) and Zoom Z Craw (4” blacklight). The jig tends to draw the bigger strikes in the transition period all the way through late fall. If I’m fishing 8 feet or deeper, I tend to lean towards the drop shot and Carolina rig.

For my Carolina set up I run two 1/4 oz WOO tungsten worm weights faced away from each-other with a plastic bead in between. I run that to an 18” leader to my 4/0 VMC wide gap hook, and lastly my plastic of choice is the tried and true 8” Magnum Zoom Lizard (black/red flake). My drop shot rig I keep simple, 1/4oz WOO Wright, #2 VMC Neko hook, Zoom Trick Worm (glitter bomb).