MY FIVE FAVORITE OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER PATTERNS WITH
KEVIN VANDAM
VanDam's Second Choice for Clear-Water Fishing - The
Wild Shiner Jerkbait
Editor’s Note: Longtime, nationally-known bass-fishing
pro Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, has proved
to everyone in the bass-fishing world that he can catch
bass year-round. VanDam's many wins and his title of
Bassmasters Classic Champion attest to his ability to
catch fish. VanDam says that during October and November,
bass are keying in on baitfish, and in the South, bass
are primarily feeding on shad. In the North in October
and November, bass may be feeding on shad, perch or
LYs. Because VanDam understands this, he fishes with
baitfish-imitating lures these months. This week VanDam
shares with us his five-favorite October and November
bass patterns.
The jerkbait is another baitfish-imitating lure that
can be deadly effective in the fall, especially in clear-water
lakes. I like to make a jerkbait swim really erratic,
and that erratic motion is what I believe triggers the
strike of the bass. Remember, the fish are targeting
shad and other baitfish at this time of the year. Their
primary target is a wounded or an injured baitfish.
Therefore, if you use the lure that looks like a baitfish,
and you make that lure swim like it's injured, you're
showing the bass just what  it's
looking for when it's on the prowl.
I like to fish Strike King’s Wild Shiner jerkbait
over flats, especially if those flats have vegetation
on them, or some other type cover. Lay downs, stumps
and drop-offs are also productive places to fish this
bait. If I'm fishing on a sunny day, and the water is
clear, I like the chrome colors. Chrome with a black
back and chrome with the blue color are two of my favorites.
I like the Bleeding Bait Series Wild Shiner with the
red hook, especially in clear water. If the water is
stained, or I'm fishing on cloudy days, I like the new
crystal gizzard shad color, a brand-new color that's
almost pearl-white. Another color that I really like
is the Wild Shiner with the purple back and chartreuse
sides, which is called chartreuse violet crystalina.
The best way I've found to fish the Wild Shiner is
once you get it down to the depth you want to fish,
twitch the bait with slack in your line. I'm not fishing
the bait slow like I'll fish it in the early spring.
I'm making the lure dart and dance with a very active
retrieve. The bass always takes the bait when the bait
pauses, but at this time of the year, I don't let it
pause for long. I just want to give it a hesitation
in-between the twitches that I'm giving the lure with
my rod tip. I tend to work the bait with fast, short
twitches. You have to experiment with your retrieve
m ost
days to learn exactly how the bass wants the bait. I've
learned that quick, short, erratic movements pay off
best for me at this time of the year when I'm fishing
a jerkbait.
One of the problems that some anglers have fishing
with jerkbaits is because the lure is so big, the bass
have a tendency to throw it, especially if you're trying
to horse the bass in once it takes the lure. So, I fish
the jerkbaits on a medium-action rod to have a softer
tip than if I'm fishing a heavier-action rod.
Because the hooks are so sharp on the Wild Shiner,
I don't lose many bass that attack this bait. I also
try to keep my rod tip pointed down at the water so
that when the bass takes the bait, it's likely to jump.
Because this bait is so big, the bass will usually be
hooked outside the mouth, so I don't fight the bass
as hard as I will if I hook that fish on a jig, a tube
or a spinner bait. Once I get a bass on the Wild Shiner,
I take my time to land the fish. I don't like to rely
on my drag to fight the fish, especially when the bass
is close to the boat. Often a bass will take that one
last hard run right by the boat where it usually can
pull the hooks out of its mouth. Instead, I disengage
my reel and use thumb pressure on the spool to determine
the amount of pressure to put on the  bass
if it makes one of those hard runs. I really baby a
bass to the boat just like I do if I have that bass
hooked on a crankbait.
An important tip to remember is any time you're fishing
big lures that may not get all the way inside a bass'
mouth is to reduce the pressure that you put on the
bass after you've hooked the bass to play it to the
boat. When you have a bass hooked on a jig, a tube or
a lizard, you know that the hook is inside the fish's
mouth, and you have a good solid hook set, you can wage
war and put a lot of pressure on the bass to get it
to the boat. Often you even can jerk that bass in the
boat. But when you're fishing a crankbait or a jerkbait,
fight the fish with more finesse, use less pressure
on the rod, use more of your angling skills, and always
either net the fish or lip it to bring it to the boat.
TOMORROW: VANDAM'S FAVORITE FALL TUBE TECHNIQUES
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