No one can deny the recent streak that Elite Series Pro Cliff Crochet has been on. Staying in the Top 10 throughout this season, Cliff showed consistency. When he brought a 35.3 lb bag to the stage in Texas, he proved that not only is his batting average good, but he can hit grand-slams with the best of them. With the temps starting to “fall” around the country we took some time to discuss with Crochet his approach on fall fishing. Here’s what he had to say:
What to look for:
“When fall-fishing, it is key to “Match the Hatch”……usually between the ¼ and ¾ oz ‘Traps – I can find the right size to imitate the baitfish. This time of year shad are the key forage. The shad are bunched in pods and the bass will school up and feed on them.”
Fish Fast, Cover Water, and be on the Lookout
“You can cover water fast with a Rat-L-Trap and that’s a big deal in the fall. Schooling activity only last for so long…so when the fish come up you want to be able to reach them quickly. A Rat-L-Trap can be thrown further than probably any bait so it’s perfect for this.”
“In the fall you’re hunting and looking for activity on the surface. It doesn’t have to be bass blowing up…it could just be balls of shad flickering on the surface. Many times these shad will show themselves as you quickly fish the Rat-L-Trap back to the boat covering water.”
Stop, Drop, and Yo-Yo
“The number one secret to catching the bigger fish in these conditions takes the most self-control. In schooling activity many times the smaller fish are the more active fish, but from experience what we’ve learned is that the bigger fish hang out under the school letting the little fish do all the work. The big ones sit underneath the action and wait for the dying shad to drop down to them.”
“The thing is, when you see fish busting on the surface it’s hard to slow down and fish for the bigger ones below them that you can’t see. It takes confidence, but if you’ll slow down and let your Rat-L-Trap fall through the surface action and pump it with some yo-yo action you will hook up with larger fish.”
Color Selection?
“The best shad imitation colors are the chromes, pearls, bone, and whites. My personal favorite is the Chrome Black Zombie (RT540). It has the chrome shining and reflecting…. I mean every time the lure wiggles the flash shoots in a different direction. The difference with the Zombie is the white stripes on the sides. Those stripes break it up and add in that white color tone that all shad have. The red face is a plus too.”
“A lot of it is personal preference, but you have to pay attention, because when they’re feeding on shad sometimes the fish will get dialed in on a particular accent color. I always keep them honest and try different colors to see if they’re keying on something other than what I usually throw.”
“I don’t always stick with the text book; sometimes I’ll throw chrome when it’s overcast and other times I’ll throw solid patterns when the sun’s out.”
“In the fall, I avoid muddy water at all cost, and if I find myself in especially clear water I’m going with clear plastic body Rat-L-Traps that are very natural in color.”