Fall cooling pushes shad into Belton creeks

What anglers are reporting The last solid bass reports from Belton were back in early spring. With no fresh tournament data or local chatter this week, we have to lean on seasonal patterns and the incoming weather to figure out the bite.

This week's outlook Fall cooling is in full swing, and dropping water temperatures should be pulling shad into the Leon River and Cowhouse Creek arms. Bass will follow this forage migration. The upcoming week brings a mix of rain and a significant cold front hitting on Thursday, which will drop daytime highs into the 50s and bring heavy north winds. Expect a strong pre-front feeding window early in the week, followed by a tough, tight-to-cover bite once the front passes.

Where to start Focus on the rocky banks and secondary points inside the major creek arms. Before the front, look for active fish pushing shad against wind-blown rocky shorelines and bluff walls in 5 to 15 feet of water. After the front blows through, back out to 15 to 25 feet and target the steep rocky drops, bluff ends, and the artificial habitat structures with slower presentations.

Bait box

• Medium-diving crankbaits (shad patterns)
• Spinnerbaits (white/silver willow blades)
• Drop shot with small natural shad plastics
• Football jigs (craw colors)
• Jerkbaits (translucent shad)

This weekend This weekend brings highs in the mid-60s with light north winds and scattered rain. It is a good window to intercept bass moving into the creeks before the major cold front hits later next week. Cover water along rocky banks in the Cowhouse arm with a crankbait or spinnerbait, and keep a drop shot ready for any fish you mark on deeper isolated boulders.