BRIAN JOHNSON ON OUTDOORS: It’s fall; time to … fish!
Published 11:58 pm Wednesday, November 15, 2017
All is finally here in good ol’ Southeast Texas.
If you are an avid outdoorsman like myself then you probably are well aware of the fact that there are so many outdoor activities going on, that it is hard to find the time for them all.
In the last 60 days we have had dove season, teal season, squirrel season, archery deer season, duck season, and general whitetail season.
When the Bible says there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heaven, it isn’t kidding.
Once I got out on my own, I fell in love with bow hunting and began chasing whitetail around the country and hunting them every chance I could find. In fact as I type this article I am winding down from a long day of bowhunting in Sonora, Texas. I say all of this to say that when fall arrives, I have been predictably in full hunt mode.
Needless to say I’ve had numerous great hunt through the years but I must confess I had forsaken my first love … bass fishing.
Typically I have done all of my bass angling in the spring and summer, but over the last few years I’ve changed my schedule and included some fall fishing. If you haven’t tried fishing during hunting season then you like myself have been missing out!
I have always been crazy about the spring spawn but I thing the fall bite may actually be better.
Here are a couple of things that I really like about fall bass fishing.
1. Lots of fishermen are also hunters, so the lakes are less crowded this time of year.
2. The weather is nice. The cooler temperatures are a huge break from our sweltering humidity filled summers, and the wind is not as bad as it is in the spring.
3. Bass are usually easier to catch this time of year while they fatten up for winter. Spinner baits, chatter baits, crank baits, soft plastics, and topwater baits are all effective in the right situation which allows angler to have success with their favorite style of fishing.
4. Bass fishing is more affordable than most hunting once you have the gear. Hunting in Texas can be super expensive with the high cost of leased property, long distance travel to hunting leases, deer corn etc. Once you have a boat, bait, and a few poles, you can fish the best lakes in the country for free! That’s right … zero dollars!
5. We have great bass fishing in our own backyard. In less than two hours you from here, you can be on two of the hottest bass lakes in the nation or fish the most recent host of the Bassmaster classic. If you don’t feel like driving the bayous also hold some great bass fishing potential.
As soon as I get home from hunting I think I’ll tie on a Stanley top Toad and head for the lake myself!
•
Brian Johnson, originally of Port Neches, is pastor of the Outdoorsman’s Church in Winnie, owner of DuckDogTrainer.com and the outdoors writer for The News.