4 UNIQUE and DEADLY Fall Bass Fishing Reaction Baits for GRASSY LAKES

Do you fish in grassy lakes or ponds?

If so, you know that a lot of the reaction baits recommended by popular bass fishing experts simply don’t work for you. Lots of “common wisdom” recommends fall bass fishing with squarebill crankbaits in shad colors for instance…but if you’re like me, you find that just doesn’t work! Whether they get too tangled up in the weeds, or you can’t access the right areas with them, or they’re just not visible enough in your pond or lake because of all the vegetation, or maybe they aren’t matching the forage your bass feed on—it can be a real hassle to find those elusive bites when you are fall fishing for bass in grassy lakes.

But never fear! I have put together a list of my top four lures I’ve found that work great for my waters here in Southern New York. I would think that they would work just as well for other anglers elsewhere in the Northeast region, including New Jersey, Connecticut and even up into New England states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and beyond, would have the same type of success with these lures.

Swim Jig with a SIDEWAYS Craw Trailer

One of the easiest and most productive lures to fish any time of year is the jig. And fall is no exception. A swim jig can help you search and find bass just about anywhere in their transition journey from deep water to the shallow cover as the thermocline starts to turn. And we all know that a craw trailer is great on a jig, right?

Well, here’s my deadly secret. Bass aren’t really chasing crawfish in the fall like they are in spring. Instead, they’re feeding up on the bait fish that have gone shallow. And in my northeastern lakes, that means bluegill. So in order to mimic a bluegill, I rig my craw SIDEWAYS so that the claws actually represent a fish tail instead of crawfish claws! It’s a very simple trick, but man once you see this thing in the water you will be convinced!

Soft Plastic Swimbaits (But DIFFERENT)

Now, I know that a fluke is an old standby, but I really feel that it’s massively overlooked for this application. You never really hear anyone talk about fishing a fluke in deep vegetation, but a weedless presentation can be absolutely killer for coaxing those big bass hanging around in the grass. When you are pretty sure they’re not all the way up in the shallows yet, try putting a fluke style bait on a belly weighted hook. It completely changes the way that lure moves, because the weight is, of course, centered underneath the belly. So instead of diving up and down, it’s going to glide and jerk. I like to fish belly weighted flukes like a jerkbait, darting them in and out of the grass.

Bass Assassin Split Tail Shad https://amzn.to/3mFQUrX

Another great plastic swimbait presentation in weeds is to use a belly weighted hook on a realistic looking lure. I absolutely love the Gary Yamamoto 4” Zako, and it’s amazing for Texas rigging. It presents a lifelike baitfish imitation, and you of course can control the depth and rate of fall by using different (or no) weights.

Gary Yamamoto 4” Zako Swimbait. https://amzn.to/361Umae

A Lipless Crankbait, But Make It NOT Sexy Shad

Last but not least is the Lipless Crank. This is actually not a big shocker, because a lot of us already know that lipless cranks are fantastic in grass. But my killer tip is this: instead of the highly reflective chrome or shad patterns favored by, well, just about everybody…try something more natural that closely resembles the forage in your northeastern waters. In other words: choose colors that look like a bluegill or a baby bass, or even a yellow perch. I have had fantastic success with these darker, natural colored lipless cranks, in heavy vegetation. You can really dart them in and out, or you can run them along the tops of the weeds, depending on the specific type of grass you’ve got in your pond or lake.

Strike King Red Eye Shad in Natural Bream Color. https://amzn.to/2RMa2WQ

I hope these unique presentations are helpful for you as you try to figure out the most effective patterns for fish in your area this fall.

Definitely leave me a comment down below (or visit us on Facebook!) and let me know what you think, and how they worked for you!

Thanks for reading. Tight lines, and we’ll catch you later!