Quick answer: In early fall, fish a buzzbait on shallow flats where bass are pushing baitfish, and run it tight past shallow rock and wood. Once the water drops below about 65°, move to rock banks near deeper water, then the last deep creek channel bank in a creek, and finally big bluff rock that holds heat late into fall. Follow the bait early. Follow the heat late.
Fall is one of the best times of the year to throw a buzzbait. Bass are feeding up before winter, baitfish are on the move, and a loud topwater covers a lot of water fast. The hard part is knowing where to throw it as the season changes. Here's the seasonal game plan our team uses, from the first cool nights of September through the last warm days of late fall.
Early Fall: Where Do Bass Feed on a Buzzbait?
1. Start on the flats
In early fall, bass push baitfish up shallow and feed. Shallow flats, especially in the backs of creeks and pockets, are where that happens. Your job is to cover water and find where they're feeding on the bait. Make long casts, keep moving, and watch for nervous bait, swirls and surface activity. When you get a blowup, slow down and work that area hard. There are usually more fish nearby.
2. Run it tight past shallow rock and wood
Once you're on a flat, the cover on it is what matters. Shallow rock, laydowns, stumps and isolated wood are ambush spots: places where a bass can sit and wait for bait to swim past. Run your buzzbait as close as you can to that cover. A bait that passes inches from a stump will get bit far more often than one that passes three feet away.
The Switch: What Changes When the Water Drops Below 65°?
3. Under 65°, look for rock
Water temperature is the trigger. As the water cools to around 65° and below, bass start liking deeper water nearby and rock that holds heat. Rock soaks up sunlight during the day and warms the water right next to it, so it stays a little more comfortable than the surrounding water. Look for chunk rock and rocky banks that have deeper water close by, and fish your buzzbait parallel to the bank so it stays in the strike zone longer.
Late Fall: Where Do You Throw a Buzzbait When It Gets Cold?
4. The last deep creek channel bank
In late fall, find the last spot in a creek where the channel swings in against the bank. That's where shallow water and deep water meet. Bass can slide up to feed and drop right back down to deeper, more stable water without traveling far. A channel swing bank, especially one with rock or wood on it, is one of the most reliable late fall buzzbait spots on any reservoir.
5. Big bluffy rock
Big bluff walls and layered rock banks hold heat longer into fall and even winter. On a sunny afternoon, those banks can be the warmest water around, and bass will still come up for a topwater there long after most anglers have put theirs away. If you've got bluff rock on your lake, keep the buzzbait in the boat.
Fall Buzzbait Locations at a Glance
| Season stage | Water temp | Where to fish | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early fall | Above 65° | Shallow flats | Bass push baitfish shallow and feed |
| Early fall | Above 65° | Shallow rock and wood on flats | Ambush spots next to the bait |
| The switch | About 65° and falling | Rock banks near deeper water | Rock holds heat; deep water is close |
| Late fall | Cooling | Last deep creek channel bank | Shallow feeding with deep water right there |
| Late fall | Cold | Big bluff rock | Holds heat longest into fall and winter |
The Bait: Soundchek Buzzbait
Every spot above has one thing in common: you need a buzzbait that comes through clean and makes noise from the first crank. The Motion Fishing Soundchek Buzzbait is built to squeak right out of the package, with no tuning needed. It's built for flats, shallow cover and bluff rock, all fall long. Pick it up in Gold, Silver or Black.
Fall Buzzbait FAQ
Where should I fish a buzzbait in the fall?
Start on shallow flats in early fall where bass are feeding on baitfish, and run the bait past shallow rock and wood. As the water cools below about 65°, switch to rock banks near deeper water, the last deep creek channel bank in a creek, and big bluff rock.
What water temperature do you stop fishing a buzzbait?
You don't have to stop when it gets cool. You just change where you throw it. Below about 65°, focus on rock that holds heat and banks with deep water nearby. Bluff rock can keep producing buzzbait bites well into late fall and even winter on sunny days.
Why do bass relate to rock in late fall?
Rock absorbs heat from the sun and warms the water next to it. As the lake cools, those banks stay slightly warmer than the water around them, and bass position there, especially when deeper water is close by.
What is a creek channel swing bank?
It's a spot where the old creek channel bends in and runs right against the bank. Deep water sits just off the shoreline, so bass can move up shallow to feed and drop back down quickly. In late fall, the last one of these in a creek is a key place to throw a buzzbait.
What is the best buzzbait for fall bass fishing?
Choose a buzzbait that runs true and squeaks without tuning, so it's ready to fish on every cast. The Motion Fishing Soundchek Buzzbait is designed for exactly that and comes in Gold, Silver and Black.
Got a fall buzzbait spot that always produces? Tell us in the comments, and tag your catches with #catchMOfish.