It’s no coincidence that several tournaments around the country are being won on a frog these days.
October is frog time, when big bass get aggressive under mats and are feeding much like they do during the prespawn. In fact, I equate it to the start of the prespawn period even though we’re talking about the month of October.
As the days get shorter, bass become more aggressive. While cooler water temperatures may help, it’s not a prerequisite. We haven’t had much cool weather here in the South, but the shorter days become more of a trigger for the fish to know it’s time to feed up.
The weather also sparks a change within emergent vegetation. Aquatic plants begin to die back, and that activates a cheesy-looking algae growth over the top.
You will know it’s about to start when you notice seed pods protruding above emergent vegetation. That’s a sign they have matured and the dieback is occurring. It happens to all types of shallow vegetation, but milfoil is the most common.
Therefore, that algae attracts bait – shad, bluegills and even crawfish – that feed on it.
Not only are the bass there to feast on the abundant forage, but the plants will thin out, making it easier for them to move around and find your bait.
An angler doesn’t have to fish miles of that shallow vegetation to find the fish – just look for the cheese.
I’ve seen a similar situation occur within lily pad fields. The beauty of dying pads is those shallows that previously were too thick to access become more accessible for anglers and their lures.
And here’s another thing: Fall cold fronts don’t mess up the topwater bite like they do in the spring. I’ve found it makes fish more aggressive.
And big fish too – it’s a time when you’re not fishing for smaller fish, but rather 3 pounds and up. That’s why I like a bigger bait, like the KVD Sexy Frog. It’s a bigger profile and moves more water and grass.
Now, if the cheese is so thick it makes it difficult to work the Sexy Frog, I’ll go to the Strike King Pad Perch. The design of that frog-style bait allows it to slide over the top easier.
As far as colors, I only monitor the bottom of the frog since that’s what the fish see. I typically lean toward green, brown or yellow. Now, If I think there’s shad under the mat, I’ll use a shad color.
So, grab your big rod and reel, spool up with big line and get out there and look for the cheese. It’s where a lot of big bass will hang out this fall.
