As Summer Turns to Fall, Look for Schooled-Up Bass

Summertime is slowly winding down, September is just around the corner and school is now in session across many parts of bass country.

That’s also true out of the water, especially in the Southland where it is school time for hungry largemouth bass too.

In a good portion of largemouth country, September is the month when the country's most popular freshwater game fish begins to gang up in underwater schools to chase bait balls of threadfin shad around.

Because the warm, lazy, easy pickings of spring and summertime are winding down and bass know that fact as Old Man Winter approaches in a few months.

Which is exactly why these fish begin to group up by early September, starting their chase of aquatic groceries in an effort to pack on some calories and a few extra pounds as the lean times of cold weather and chilly water approach.

For Major League Fishing pro and Bassmaster Elite Series veteran Edwin Evers, finding such fish as summer turns into fall is all about locating and fishing deep structure that is holding active, feeding fish.

“They'll (really start to get) grouped up, maybe not so much in (terms of) surface schooling activity, but in schooling groups (located) around deep structure,” said Evers, the only two-time winner in Major League Fishing history and the only pro to ever win back-to-back Bassmaster Elite Series events.

How does this Oklahoma bass pro wet a line on many southern bass waters as September arrives on the calendar?

“I (would) probably try to find me a major creek arm and I’ll probably get about mid-way back in that creek arm looking at things like river ledges or points,” said Evers, a two-time MLF winner and a 10-time BASS circuit winner with more than $2.44 million in career earnings to his credit.

How will he target such fish?

“I’ll have some deep crankbaits tied on, a Carolina-rig tied on, or maybe a Texas-rigged worm in a 9-inch red shad or green pumpkinseed color," he added.

All of which are great choices to use for deep bass when school is in session on a deep reservoir or lake somewhere in the heart of bass country.

A time when E-Squared is at his best, turning from one of the world's best bass angling pros into a head schoolmaster holding class on the front deck of a bass boat.

On a lake loaded up with rowdy bass as school time arrives once again on the calendar.