The first topwater blitz of the year happens in springtime during the prespawn and immediate postspawn phases. The topwater bite subsides in summertime, but it gets back into full swing come autumn. Many factors contribute to this second topwater season, including shorter days, cooling water and schools of baitfish swarming near the surface.
Add to these factors the bass’s instinct to move shallow and feed up for winter. Lakes also begin to draw down toward winter pool in the fall, bringing bass from a different direction, pointed out Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brandon Card of North Carolina.
“During a drawdown, the falling water pulls bass out of the shallow cover they were relating to in July and August,” Card said. “They move out to the nearest cover they can find off the bank, typically less than 5 feet deep.”
