For many bass anglers, fall can be a feast or famine time on the water. Largemouths are on the move in preparation for winter, which is why many fishermen call this a transition period.

Sure, if you own forward-facing sonar you can simply cruise around the lake with your trolling motor and search for bass, then cast to them once they appear on your screen. That said, not everyone has — or wants — this technology (that’s a controversial topic for another day). The good news is you can go “old school” during fall and hammer the bass, big ones, too! In many instances, you don’t even have to own a fishfinder to find and catch ‘em.

As detailed in the YouTube video below from Bassmaster Elite angler John Crews, all you really need to target fall largemouths is a bass jig, buzzbait and Carolina rig. Be sure to watch the video because Crews offers valuable insight into where to find fall bass, as well as rod/reel/line suggestions so you hook and land a high percentage of your bites.

Bass Jig

Crews is the owner of Missile Baits, so it’s no surprise his choice in this lure category is a Mini Flip Jig matched with a trailer such as the Mini D Chunk (above). My No. 1 jig choice is an All-Terrain Tackle Grassmaster Weed Jig. Regardless of your favorite, fall is the perfect time to hit the bank and look for trees laying in the water and other visual targets. Old school!

Buzzbait

When it comes to the funnest way to catch a largemouth, I’d say it’s a tie between using a hollow-bodied frog and a buzzbait. The buzzbait excels in many instances because you can cover more water. There are a zillion opinions when it comes to purchasing a buzzbait. One of my favorites is the War Eagle Buzzbait. It’s affordable ($5.99!) and in my experience, nearly bullet-proof. As explained in the video, adding a trailer is a great idea. Crews prefers a small swimbait trailer such as the Shockwave 3.5 (above).

Carolina Rig

The Carolina rig used to be top of mind for many bass anglers, but for whatever reason it’s fallen out of favor in the last 5-10 years. This old school presentation still works, and it’s dynamite in the fall. On the business end of his C-rig, Crews prefers a creature such as a Baby D Stroyer (above). In the video, Crews offers good advice on where to throw a C-rig and how to fish it.

Final Thoughts

For many outdoorsmen and women, fall = hunting. That’s certainly understandable — I love hunting, too. But I still try to get out on the water in my home state of Minnesota a time or two in October. And when I do, I’m going old school and throwing one of the three proven lures highlighted here.