We just returned from a trip to Worthington, Minnesota, filming a Fishing the Midwest TV episode. We caught nice walleyes casting small crankbaits to rocky shorelines.
Last October and November, a couple fishing buddies and I had productive days targeting walleyes, trolling deep diving baits on South Dakota's Lake Oahe on a pair of trips. In fact, the biggest walleye of my fishing career came on Oahe last fall. Those experiences reminded me of how productive crankbaits can be during fall.
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Fall crankin' can be very effective for walleyes, but bass eat cranks in fall too. In fact, one of the most productive methods I use to catch largemouth bass during my last open water fishing days in November involves casting deep-diving crankbaits.
Here are some keys to late fall crankbait fishing.
High-action crankbaits are top producers during the warm waters of summer and early fall. As the water cools, however, baits with more subtle movements are often more productive, especially when chasing walleyes. Shad style baits often have a more subtle action and work well during fall.
When it comes to bass and bait selection, my best November fishing often occurs when fishing remnant w...