Fall shad migration pushes Lake Fork bass into the creeks

What anglers are reporting The last solid report was early October, when the lake was over four feet low and fish were split between shallow grass and deep offshore humps. With a month of fall weather since then, that deep bite has likely faded as fish follow the shad migration into the creeks.

This week's outlook Air temperatures have been steady in the 70s during the day and 50s at night, which should put water temperatures squarely in the mid to upper 60s. This is prime time for the fall feed. Shad should be pushing into the creek channels and pockets, and the bass will be right behind them. Expect the fish to be heavily oriented to shallow cover, especially hydrilla beds, boathouses, and secondary points.

Where to start Focus your search in the creeks. Look for bait flickering on the surface or showing on your electronics near channel swings. Start on secondary points and work your way back into the pockets, targeting any remaining hydrilla edges, shallow stumps, and boat docks. If the grass is thin, check the brush piles in 10 to 15 feet of water near those same creek channels.

Bait box

• Squarebill crankbaits (shad patterns for shallow wood and stumps)
• Spinnerbaits (white and chartreuse for windy points and grass edges)
• Topwater walkers (early morning around schooling bait)
• Texas-rigged creature baits (pitching to dock posts and isolated timber)
• Chatterbaits (ripping through hydrilla)

This weekend We have a mild front pushing through on Thursday, dropping highs from 80 down to the mid-60s by Friday, with north winds. Saturday morning will be chilly, so expect a slower start. The bite should pick up by midday as the sun warms the shallows. Slow down your presentation with Texas rigs around timber if the reaction bite dies post-front. Sunday looks warmer with south winds, which should fire up the spinnerbait bite on wind-blown points.