Did you sign up for the On The Water Bass “Fall Brawl” yet? It’s sure to add some extra excitement to what is already the best season of the year for bass fishing. When you sign up for the tournament, you will receive a bass fishing box full of awesome baits and lures to help you catch some serious success this fall. Here are the lures included in each Fall Brawl Bass Box, along with a little bit about how to fish them in the autumn months to catch some hardy northeast bass.
» Read the Fall Brawl Rules and Catch Submission Details here
Fall bass fishing offers a unique blend of beauty and excitement. As water temperatures cool and daylight hours dwindle, largemouth and smallmouth bass feed recklessly in preparation for winter, which creates prime conditions for anglers. Brilliant autumn foliage frames lakes and rivers, while crisp air and quieter waters enhance the experience. The seasonal shift often concentrates bass in predictable locations, rewarding strategic casting and lure selection. From topwater strikes on glassy mornings to deep jigging in rocky, wind-blown coves, fall can present both challenging conditions and abundant, aggressive fish. It’s no wonder anglers consider autumn the most rewarding time of year to target bass in the Northeast.
Strike King Tour Grade Compact Tungsten Jig
When it comes to fall bass fishing, a jig just gets the job done. Smallmouth and largemouth bass in the Northeast key in on crawfish as they fatten up for winter, which is why a jig is one of the most consistently effective lures. With a slow, dragging or hopping retrieve, a jig’s skirt and trailer make for a natural presentation that closely mimics the profile and behavior of a crawfish scuttling along the bottom. As cooler water temperatures push bass to structure like rock piles, where crawfish are abundant, a jig winds up right in the strike zone and is a near match to the bass’ preferred forage.
The Strike King Tour Grade Compact Tungsten Jig is designed with a smaller profile and dense tungsten head, providing anglers with a natural presentation and better contact with the bottom. It’s available in a range of natural color patterns that perfectly imitate crawfish and other forage, like small sunfish, that bass will readily scoop up in the fall. Pairing it with a Strike King Rage Craw trailer adds lifelike action and completes a highly-effective, lifelike crawfish imitation.
With this jig-and-trailer combo, anglers should target rocky points, riprap, and ledges where crawfish are most active and bass feed heavily. Jigs are also productive around laydowns, stumps, and brush piles, especially when bass move shallow to ambush prey. Weed edges and remaining grass patches can hold fish as they transition from summer cover toward their fall feeding zones. Additionally, docks and shaded structure provide ambush spots where bass can pin crawfish or baitfish, making them prime jig targets.
When fishing around rocky areas, slowly hop or drag the jig along the bottom and let it pause often so it looks like a crawfish stopping and flicking its tail. Subtle shakes of the rod tip can make the skirt flare, which mimics a crawfish raising its claws in defense.
For laydowns and brush piles, pitch the jig tight to the cover and let it fall on a slack line; many bites happen on the drop. Once it hits bottom, crawl it slowly through the branches or around the wood to imitate a crawfish hiding and darting.
Around grass, swim the jig just above the grass or yo-yo it along the edges to imitate a crawfish fleeing from cover. If you feel it get hung in grass, snap it free with a flick of the rod; the sudden burst from cover often triggers a reaction strike.
For docks and shaded areas like overhanging trees, skip or pitch the jig far under the dock, let it fall naturally, then slowly work it back with small hops. Bass sitting in the shade will often ambush it as it creeps into their strike zone.
Spro Hunter 65 SB Crankbait
Square bill crankbaits are highly effective for Northeast bass anglers in the fall because they can quickly cover large stretches of water. Their deflective action off rocks, wood, and shallow cover mimics disoriented baitfish and triggers reaction strikes from aggressive bass. Since bass often chase schooling baitfish in the fall, a squarebill helps anglers locate productive areas without wasting time. By burning or steadily retrieving the bait, you can efficiently find where bass are feeding and dial in on the most active zones.
The Spro Hunter 65 SB crankbait is a square bill designed to deflect off hard cover. Its loud knocking sound and wide hunting action effectively draw fish out of shallow wood, rock, and grass in the fall. Built with premium Gamakatsu hooks, this crankbait ensures solid hookups even when bass short strike.
In the fall, Northeast anglers should cast their Spro Hunter crankbaits around shallow cover such as laydowns, stumps, and rocky banks where baitfish are pushing up. Square bills excel when deflected off hard cover, so targeting riprap, seawalls, and bridge pilings can also lead to some powerful strikes. Grass edges and shallow flats holding schools of baitfish are also prime areas to burn or bump the crankbait through to locate feeding bass in short order.
Rapala CrushCity “The Mayor” Swimbait & VMC Hybrid Jighead
In the fall, big bass often key in on schools of small baitfish, so finesse swimbaits (under three inches) are highly effective. Smaller profiles perfectly match the size of the forage, giving bass little reason to turn them down. By throwing finesse swimbaits around bait schools, anglers can tap into the natural feeding behavior of bass that are corralling and ambushing these minnows. Not only does this subtle approach match the hatch—it can also fool wary, pressured bass into biting when larger lures get ignored.
The 3-inch Rapala CrushCity Mayor is one of the best finesse swimbaits on the market due to its ultra-soft plastic, lifelike tail kick, and realistic baitfish profile that perfectly matches fall forage. Its compact size imitates the small alewife, shiners, and juvenile perch that bass feed on during autumn transitions. Paired with the VMC Hybrid Swimbait jighead, the combo offers a perfect balance of subtle action, hook-up efficiency, and versatility, making it deadly for targeting bass lurking around bait schools or structure in clear water.
With this swimbait/jighead duo, anglers should target areas where bass are actively chasing small baitfish. Wind-blown points and shallow flats are excellent starting spots, as wind pushes bait into these zones and ignites feeding behavior. The backs of creeks and coves also become hotspots during fall transitions; baitfish are seeking warmer water and bass will follow closely behind. Submerged grass edges hold ambushing bass, and swimming The Mayor along these grass lines creates a natural fleeing baitfish presentation. Additionally, rocky banks, riprap, and hard-bottom transitions retain warmth and attract both bait and bass. In clear-water lakes, anglers should search open water for suspended fish underneath bait schools, where the CrushCity Mayor can imitate injured forage and tempt big, opportunistic bass to eat.
Panther Martin Bearded Banshee Spinnerbait
Spinnerbaits are highly effective for Northeast anglers in the fall because they imitate fleeing baitfish that bass are chasing during their seasonal feeding push. Bucktail spinnerbaits like the Panther Martin Bearded Banshee offer added realism, especially in clearer water. The flash and vibration of the blade helps draw in aggressive fish around cover, while the bucktail hair adds a subtle “breathing” action that mimics live prey. Bucktail hair is also naturally buoyant, which helps to slow the lure’s sink rate and makes it ideal for use on shallow flats, windy banks, and transition zones where baitfish are on the move and bass are on the hunt.
The Panther Martin Bearded Banshee spinnerbait features a premium bucktail skirt that creates a natural, flowing action to mimic live baitfish in motion. It’s built with a compact profile, a high-quality spinner blade for strong flash and vibration, and a razor-sharp hook to ensure solid hooksets. This combination makes it ideal for enticing fall bass that are feeding aggressively around cover and moving bait schools.
In the fall, anglers should cast the Panther Martin Bearded Banshee spinnerbait around windblown banks, rocky shorelines, and shallow flats, where bait tends to congregate and bass take advantage. For smallmouth, gravel points, riprap, and current seams in rivers or lakes are ideal, especially when the spinnerbait is retrieved just above bottom structure. Largemouth tend to favor grass edges, laydowns, and brushy shorelines, where the spinnerbait can be slow-rolled or burned past ambush points. The flash and subtle bucktail motion make it highly effective in clear or stained water during the fall transition.
