Fall Feeding Frenzy
by Tom Lester
 If you have not been out to
Richland-Chambers reservoir lately, you might want to consider a
trip in the near future. The bass are beginning their fall
pattern, which means they are moving to the mouths of and into
the creeks chasing shad. The sandbass and hybrids are also
schooling on the south end of the lake, according to some local
anglers, like Bill Young of Corsicana. Bill and his family
recently caught 60-70 sandies and hybrids schooling on the top,
near the dam.
This is the time of the year you can find fish gorging
themselves with food getting ready for the winter months ahead.
If you can find a creek with shad in it, you can probably catch
bass there. The key is to use your electronics to find schools of
shad or watch for them "flipping around" on the
surface. For sandbass and hybrids, watch for the birds feeding
over open water. If you see birds diving down to the water for
shad, chances are good that there are fish beneath them.
I have been catching largemouths on jigs, crankbaits and soft
plastics. Near the edges of the creek channels, I have caught
4-6lb. fish on white, 3/8 oz. Bulldog jigs with a Kalin’s
hand-poured frog trailer. These trailers, which have salt and
crawfish scent built in, have proven to make a big difference for
me. The scent literally "oozes" out of them while you
fish, making them irresistible to the fish.
White and other shad colored Deep Little N’s and DD14
crankbaits, by Norman Lures, are catching fish holding out
between the shoreline and the edges of the creeks. I have found
that varying the speed of the retrieve from fast to slow will
often trigger a bite.
If I catch a couple of fish in a particular area on the
crankbaits, I will usually work back through the same area with
my jig or a soft plastics. In clearer water, if the jig isn’t
producing or for a different look, I pitch a 5" shad colored
Salty Lunker Grub rigged with a 3/0 hook and a 3/16oz weight. The
lighter weight allows the grub to fall slowly beside a lay down
or in a cedar tree, resulting a strike. The fish are usually
suspended this time of the year. The injected salt found in the
Kalin grubs, like the jig trailer, seems to make a difference in
the number of strikes I have been getting.
The sandbass and hybrids that are found schooling under the
birds can be caught on topwaters and Rattletraps. The best colors
seem to be chrome and chrome with a black back. The ½ oz.
Rattletrap is good for catching sandbass while the ¾ oz. bait
has worked well for the larger hybrids. If it is a cloudy day,
gold Rattletraps should work if the chrome ones don’t
produce.
Whether you are going after largemouths or sandies, the cooler
temperatures make the experience more enjoyable than an outing a
couple of months ago when temperatures were in the 100 degree
range. Fall is my favorite time of the year. The fish bite better
and hunting season is upon us. What a great time to go out and
enjoy the Texas outdoors.
Until next time, enjoy the Texas outdoors.
Tom Lester
| Author Information.
 Tom Lester owns and operates Four Seasons
Lawnscape, a landscape and lawn maintenance service, in
Corsicana, Texas. He has fished for most of his 36 years to
some degree or another. He fishes competitively in bass
tournaments and is beginning his professional bass fishing career
in the BASS invitational circuit and the Everstart Series.
Tom lives with his wife, Kelly, in Corsicana, Texas, only a
few miles from Richland-Chambers reservoir, one of the hottest
new bass lakes to open in Texas in the past ten years. He
formerly resided in Cleburne, Texas, where he guided part-time
for largemouth and smallmouth bass. Tom is currently on the
field staff for Abu Garcia, Norman Lures,
Inspiration Lures, and Bill Lewis Lures, and on the pro staff for
Kalin's,
CastAway
Rods, P-Line,
and Nuwave Products.
Tom enjoys fishing, hunting and writing his outdoor column for
the Corsicana Daily Sun and freelance writing. He is a
former high school Agricultural Science instructor and animal
health pharmaceutical sales rep. He graduated from Texas
A&M University with a B.S in Agricultural Education and a
Master of Education degree. Tom likes being his own boss so
he can take off to go fishing, whenever he likes, and leave his
wife in charge of the business.
Email Tom at lester01@airmail.net
Visit Tom at his web site: Fishing
Pro Staff |
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