As fall settles in, flathead catfish are becoming active and voracious feeders, in contrast to blue catfish that remain active through the winter. Flatheads need to fatten up before the colder months, motivating dedicated anglers like Marshall Hughey to fish extensively during autumn. Hughey, founder of the Alabama Catfish Series and an ardent angler, targets trophy flatheads due to their status as apex predators in freshwater ecosystems. His favored spot for flathead fishing is Lay Lake on the Coosa River, known for its diverse topography and ample baitfish.

Hughey’s approach involves using a variety of livebaits, including bream, redhorse suckers, gizzard shad, and threadfin shad. He employs Lowrance ActiveTarget to locate baitfish effectively, streamlining the bait-gathering process. To find flatheads, Hughey seeks out deep holes adjacent to 5 to 7-foot flats, ideal habitats for these predators. As fall progresses, flatheads move halfway up the water column near shallows to ambush prey like bream and shad.

Hughey emphasizes boat positioning as crucial for success, enabling him to fish both the slope cover and the flat simultaneously. He utilizes multiple rods and reels to spread his baits effectively. His bait setup includes Penn Squall reels on B’n’M Silver Cat Magnum rods with K9 “9” Strand Super Braid and a range of hooks depending on water depth.

The introduction of ActiveTarget transformed Hughey’s fishing experience, allowing him to monitor bait and fish behavior in real time. He also employs tactics like cutting bait tails to incite panic among prey, attracting flatheads for faster bites. This comprehensive approach and use of technology have significantly enhanced Hughey’s catch rate and fishing success.

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Autumn presents an ideal window for crappie fishing on Lake Eufaula due to the changing conditions that benefit both the fish and the anglers. Cooler water temperatures during this season prompt crappie to feed heavily in preparation for winter. As experienced guide Tony Adams explains, crappie transition from depths of 25 to 30 feet in the summer to shallower waters of 8 to 15 feet in the fall, making them more accessible and increasing the bite rate. Adams strategically places fish attractors made from bamboo or crape myrtle limbs, sunk in concrete-filled buckets, around natural underwater features like creek channels, ledges, and points. These attractors help crappie adjust to varying conditions and enhance fishing opportunities.

Adams emphasizes that various factors influence crappie behavior, including current, shade, temperature, and baitfish presence. When there’s current, crappie position themselves behind cover, improving the bite. On sunny days, they tend to stay on the shaded side of structures. Cold fronts can slow down fishing, but after a warming trend, the bite improves. The autumn season also offers a chance to catch larger crappie, with fish moving from deep water to shallow brush piles. Adams uses live bait or 1/16-ounce Eye Hole Jigs with Big Bite Baits Crappie Minnrs, favoring red, orange, or pink colors and scent bait. This season provides a valuable opportunity for anglers to enjoy productive and memorable fishing experiences, especially when targeting big crappie with the right techniques and equipment.

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Fall fishing at Smith Lake offers anglers the chance to catch spotted bass, largemouth bass, and striped bass in a single day. Expert guide Brent Crow, known for his tournament victories, employs varied strategies to maximize success. He targets schooling spotted bass and frequently hooks striped bass while doing so. If spotted bass aren’t biting, he shifts to shoreline cover for largemouth.

A productive day with Crow yields 50-70 spotted bass, with the top five weighing over 15 pounds. Although Smith Lake’s clear, deep waters aren’t known for numerous largemouth, anglers can still expect 10-15 catches, including a potential 6-pounder. Striped bass, caught amidst spotted bass fishing, weigh 10-18 pounds, with Crow’s record being an impressive 40 pounds.

Fall fishing initiates when spotted bass start chasing shad and herring on the water’s surface. Successful topwater action commences from late September, extending into November. Crow emphasizes the importance of timing and conditions like wind and sun for optimal results.

Finding schooling fish is key, as they might host striped bass or form an exclusive school. Schooling behavior indicates the area’s viability. Crow reveals that forage influences their catchability—blue herring-eating predators are easier to catch than those consuming shad.

Notably, the size of the prey determines lure choice. Small shad call for different lures than larger herring. Crow relies on a selection of topwater lures, regardless of whether he’s fishing for stripes or spots.

In cases where open water fishing isn’t fruitful, Crow shifts to creek backs for largemouth. He suggests positioning the boat close to the bank and casting a 3/8-ounce buzzbait towards exposed wood and rocks.

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During November to January, fishing expert David Hare employs livebait on downlines as his preferred method for catching striped bass on Lake Martin. The cooler water temperatures during this period lead to a more active striper bite. Hare finds that this time offers excellent opportunities for catching a high number of fish, often reaching 60 to 70 fish on good days or averaging 30 to 40 fish per six-hour trip. However, the introduction of blueback herring into the lake has altered the behavior of the striped bass, making them harder to locate. These nomadic herring prefer deep waters, disrupting the striper fishery’s dynamics.

Hare’s strategy for locating schools of stripers involves using a Humminbird Helix 12 fishfinder with a split-screen setup to show traditional sonar and Lakemaster charts simultaneously. He identifies potential spots with submerged terrain features at 6 mph, then switches to a slower pace and deploys down imaging when he spots fish. Hare uses a Minn Kota Ulterra trolling motor for precise positioning over schools.

Hare uses downlines with rods and reels tailored to the size of the fish. He employs 7½-foot Ugly Stik Catfish and Okuma Classic Pro Striper rods with appropriate reels and line strengths. The rods are rigged Carolina style with fluorocarbon leaders and offset circle hooks of various sizes. Blueback herring’s influence has conditioned the striped bass to consume smaller baits, altering Hare’s livebait selection. In addition to catching shad, he uses 2- to 3-inch shiners and Black Saltys, adapting to the changing feeding patterns caused by the herring’s presence.

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Dallas Weldon, a Tallassee native and experienced angler, adjusts his fishing strategy on Lake Martin based on whether he’s competing in a tournament or enjoying a casual fishing day. During tournaments, Weldon dedicates the first 90 minutes to catching spotted bass and then focuses on elusive largemouth bass for the rest of the day. In competitive scenarios, he’s achieved success, winning the Angler of the Year title and a tournament on Lake Martin with his partner John Pollard.

Weldon’s fall fishing routine begins when night air temperatures drop into the 50s, usually in September, and ends as water temperatures cool to 56 degrees around late November. For the early morning bite, he targets windblown points and short pockets on the main lake using fast-moving baits such as Zara Spooks, Whooper Ploppers, vibrating jigs, and squarebill crankbaits. He often employs Lowrance ActiveTarget live sonar to scan points and observe fish movements.

In less windy conditions, Weldon starts with topwater lures and switches to lures like a Strike King 1.5 squarebill crankbait or a vibrating jig when wind is an issue. He adjusts his approach based on water conditions and fish behavior. After the morning bite, Weldon continues to fish for spotted bass for fun, locating baitfish balls in lower lake bays and employing a chrome War Eagle jigging spoon for action.

When targeting largemouth bass during tournaments, Weldon scans the banks for dark spots that provide cover for ambushes, such as brush piles, laydowns, and other structures. He uses a 3/8-ounce Heavy Finesse jig or a squarebill crankbait, casting with precision. His success often relies on catching significant largemouth bass during the fall season.

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In autumn, skilled angler Jesse Wiggins employs a successful strategy for catching spotted bass on Smith Lake. As the season progresses, a shift in feeding behavior occurs due to the first cold front in late September or early October, leading to heightened aggression and daytime feeding. Wiggins, a Major League Fishing professional angler, focuses on schooling spotted bass that feed on blueback herring and shad, observable by their splashing on lake points. These points encompass various types such as bluff, rocky, sandy, and clay points, and their location on the main lake is crucial. Wiggins efficiently scans points using Lowrance ActiveTarget, saving time by moving on if no fish are detected.

For tackle, Wiggins casts a Jackall iProp or a Rerange jerkbait when spotted bass are feeding on the surface. He uses a 7-foot, 3-inch medium-action spinning rod combined with a Quantum Smoke reel and 8-pound-test Seaguar Basix fluorocarbon line for the iProp, and a 6-foot, 9-inch medium-heavy baitcasting rod with an 8.1:1 gear ratio Quantum Smoke reel and 12-pound-test Basix line for the jerkbait. To avoid spooking fish, he suggests staying far away while casting to schooling fish. This topwater pattern is effective from late September to December when water temperatures remain above 60 degrees. It’s particularly successful under windy and cloudy conditions, with a strong wind helping to stage the fish on points and overcast skies enhancing the bite. On a good day, the pattern yields 40 to 50 fish, including quality ones over 3 pounds, while a challenging day might result in 10 to 15 bites.

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Jordan, the final reservoir in the fertile Coosa River series, stands out as a prolific source of spotted bass. Renowned for its bass production, the lake also boasts a thriving largemouth bass fishery. Anglers can anticipate successful catches of spotted bass weighing 2 to 3 pounds, along with 3 to 4 pounders and the occasional 5-pounder as the water temperature cools.

Experienced guide and successful tournament angler, John Pollard, explains that as the water temperature drops to the lower 70s, shad migrate from deep waters to the surface, drawing spotted bass along. These bass schools can vary greatly, from substantial groups to smaller “wolf packs” consisting of two or three fish. Contrary to popular belief, the wolf packs can yield bigger spotted bass catches compared to the larger school populations.

Prime fishing moments often occur during early mornings and evenings, although exceptional topwater action can persist throughout the day. Pollard’s favored lure selection includes the Pointer 78 jerkbait, Lucky Craft Sammy walking bait, 1/2-ounce Rat-L-Trap, and an Alabama Rig adorned with 3.8-inch Keitech Sexy Shad on 3/8-ounce jig heads. He employs a flipping stick with 50-pound-test braided line for the rig.

When targeting largemouth bass, Pollard focuses on grassy areas in the same creeks and sloughs. Active largemouths tend to congregate near the forefront of the grass, paralleling it while observing shad activity. Using either a belly rigged swimbait or a 3/8-ounce spinnerbait proves effective in the grassy terrain.

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Angler Dwayne Sixbury, an experienced tournament winner from Semmes, highlights the prime fishing window at Big Creek Lake in Alabama from September to mid-October. He attests to the lake’s versatility for various fishing methods, such as shallow water, drop-offs, and surface shad action. Sixbury describes Big Creek as deep, spanning 3,600 acres, with depths up to 60 feet and channels exceeding 20 feet, offering limited structure and cover.

He recommends early mornings and evenings for topwater fishing with lures like Bang-O-Lure or a seven-inch trick worm, drawing strikes from bass up to five pounds. For deeper waters, he suggests using crankbaits like Bevy Shad, Pointer by Lucky Craft, and Rattl’N Vibe by Yo-Zuri. Sixbury relies on sonar and polarized glasses to locate shad near the edge of grass, using buoy markers to cast parallel to weeds. He warns against anchoring and advises against trolling motors to avoid spooking shad.

Additionally, Sixbury mentions the schooling bass phenomenon during summer, likening it to Spanish mackerel behavior. These schools, comprising 40 to 60 bass, are found in shallow sloughs and deep waters. Fishing begins around 7:30 a.m. under calm, cloudy conditions, and Sixbury uses walk-the-dog lures like Zara Spook or DUO Realis Pencil for long-distance casts to reach the schooling bass.

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Mike Carter, a Snag Proof tournament winner, lauds the thrill of fishing with weedless frogs due to the explosive strikes from bass as they attack the lures moving through dense grass. He outlines two fall frog fishing patterns for Lake Guntersville. The first centers on expansive grass mats, with key factors for success being mats in water 1-4 feet deep, a mix of hydrilla and milfoil creating a cheesy muck on top, and the sound of feeding bream, indicating hollowed areas beneath for fish maneuvering. Carter suggests the prime area is mid-lake to upper end.

Sunshine is essential for this technique, with bright sunny days triggering the best bites starting around 9-10 AM. Carter employs a brown or black Snag Proof frog on a 7’6″ extra-heavy rod with a Lew’s 6.3:1 reel and Vicious 65-pound braid. The frog is retrieved with slackline twitching for aggressive action. Immediate hook setting on strikes is crucial due to the thick vegetation.

Carter’s second pattern, “trash fishing,” involves targeting smaller mats in pockets of shallow water, which can yield consistent quality catches compared to larger mats’ feast-or-famine results. Google Earth helps locate these spots, particularly off the main lake. These patterns are active from September through November, extending into December unless floods disrupt the grass mats. Carter reflects that despite not landing every hit, the excitement of frog fishing is always rewarding.

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Big Creek Lake, a 3,600-acre water body 12 miles west of Mobile, serves as a water source for the city. It’s primarily fed by two main creeks and six springs, offers clear water. Despite its depth – up to 60 feet at the dam and 20-foot-deep submerged creek channels – success in September’s fishing contests hinges on weed beds rather than structural features.

Tournament dominator Kevin Hawsey from Georgetown excels at fishing aquatic vegetation in clear water. His achievements include landing sizable largemouth bass weighing up to 9 ½ pounds, even though the lake’s average catch measures 10 to 14 inches due to its infertile water. Hawsey’s late-summer strategies revolve around main lake weed beds, adjusting depth based on light availability. He emphasizes that the early morning bite is crucial for substantial wins, with catches possibly reaching 5-pound largemouths.

Hawsey suggests a systematic approach to locating big fish within shallow waters, advising anglers to target pockets near creek mouths and exploit bass feeding behavior using the grass and bank to trap their prey. Contrary to common practice, he advocates for casting deep into the grass for more significant bites. Hawsey employs a 7-foot rod with 15-pound-test monofilament line and recommends weightless rigged flukes or trick worms on a 5/0 hook as ideal lures.

As the morning progresses, Hawsey transitions to main-lake points where bass move deeper into weeds, seeking baitfish for sustenance. For these points, he opts for a Zoom lizard in watermelon red, rigged either Carolina or Texas style, depending on the fish’s behavior within the weeds.

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