FS Digest

When would you have to switch lures for smallmouth? Casting to...?

Ivey Loc: South Central Tennessee, Tim's Ford Lake

If you're talking about the fall, Now is a good time to change depending on what you've been casting. In my part of the woods South Central Tennessee the first few cool nights being a shad movement to the backs off the creeks. This doesn't normally happen slow but fish will stop on points and flats on the way back but where the bait fish are so are the game fish.

A buzz bait is deadly this time of year and my go to bait. It's a great search bait, which you'll need in the fall but other baits, a whopper plopped, square bill crank bait of a smaller spinnerbait all allow you to move a lot and search for fish.

This time of year I normally head toward the backs of deeper coves and creeks that have a lot of flats and blowdowns. The Buzz bait is great for casting across blowdown trees where you'll find a mix of Smallmouth and Largemouth if present in your lake. they may be close to the bank, out in the tree or suspended just on the outside edge of the trees.

One thing, whichever bait you choose keep moving, search till you find baitfish where the bait fish are the smallmouth are close behind.