The leaves are all but gone from every tree in sight and a light dusting of snow from the night before covers the boat ramp. We wonder whether or not the truck will make it up the steep incline while towing a half ton of bass boat at the end of the day. As we get into our winter coats and heavy pants, a brisk fall wind brings the scent of winter to our already-red noses. Most bass anglers at this part of the season have their boats winterized and stored away. They have no idea what they’re missing.

As we near the sheltered side of the deep reservoir we feel the bitter cold of being in the shade take effect. But this is the only place where we can effectively vertical jig our bass. The depth finder turns on and we cruise slowly, waiting for a glimpse of life. And like magic, the graph comes to life with several blips in 30 feet of water.

"They’re suspended at 12 feet! Stop here!", I say to my father as he shuts off the engine and I hop to the front deck.

He drops his jig & pork combo to the appropriate death, and simply leaves it suspended in the water column directly beneath the boat. Within minutes, he sets the hook and from the depths comes a decent 18.5 inch largemouth who is fat from feeding in the fall weather. We take a quick picture, and release her. I toss a marker buoy over the side, and we idle over to another point. We now have a pattern.

Most late fall days on reservoirs and deep lakes will be like this. If you get into the right school, you may have some of the fastest bass action of the year. It could also be some of the slowest action of the year depending on conditions. However this is without a doubt the most likely time of the year for you to catch a true trophy largemouth. They are feeding up for the winter months and their metabolism is beginning to slow. They are narrowing down their feeding to one or two large meals per day. That’s all they can muster up the energy to catch as the water temperatures go into the lower 40 degree range. How do you cash in on these deep, cold water largemouth? The answer is simple. Go vertical.

During the late fall season a depth finder is an absolute necessity. I can’t begin to tell you how many days we had on the water in the past where we were skunked without the depth finder on board. As soon as we learned to use it, the bass started coming into the boat.

Getting a feel for the structure in the area is as simple as picking up a topographic map before you head out. Look for spots like secondary points, main lake humps and flat breaks from the shore to hold bass. Mark the spots that are most likely to produce on the map and focus on them throughout the day. I like to keep at least 3 marker buoys on board to throw out when I mark fish on the graph, or catch a bass.

When you do see fish on your graph at this time of the year, you will notice that they are schooled tightly. Usually in schools of four or five, they will simply lay suspended over structure areas and wait for baitfish to come near. Often you will see the larger bass schooling up with panfish like bluegill, perch or crappie. Make no mistake, those panfish are probably making up 90% of the bass’ diet. With water in the low 40's, those panfish have little chance of escaping when a big largemouth decides to have a snack.

Alright, so let’s say you’ve found your spot. Your graph is marking fish and you’re good to go. You may even drop the anchor over your spot if you’re in the wind. Now what are you going to do to catch them? Well in the scenario mentioned above, my father’s reasoning for using the jig and pork in the situation above is that since the bass are eating one large meal during the day, a bulky bait will represent that. Present it in a fashion that shows it is dying or in distress, and you may induce the trophy bass to bite. However, some days it isn’t that simple.

After a sudden cold front or drop in barometer many times the bass will not feed at all for a day or so. If you get there on one of those days, a finesse approach is often the best way to go. My go-to lure for this situation is a jigging spoon. There are many brands and types that will work, but my favourite is a small Acme "Kastmaster" jigging spoon. The technique is simple. Drop it down to the depth where you are marking fish, and snap your rod tip up only about an inch or so every 30 seconds. They almost always hit either on the drop, or while it is sitting still.

Another good presentation is a finesse worm or senko, drop-shotted or split-shot rigged down to the desired depth. For these situations I will often just lightly shake my rod tip, or slowly move the bait back and forth. It’s rare that a bass will resist this temptation. Two to four inch grubs on a jighead work great as well. I like a 1/4 oz jighead as a slower fall is more tempting to the bass. Once again, simply shake the rod tip or move the grub back and forth through the water column. Many anglers swear by blade baits like the Little George. Personally I haven’t had experience with this, but I imagine you would use them like the grub or finesse worm.

Now let’s talk about equipment. Many times during this late fall season on deep reservoirs, you are looking at clear water situations. At the same time, you are looking at depths of anywhere from 20 - 40 feet, possibly more on some of the larger reservoirs of the United States. Monofilament line simply will not cut it when you’re fishing that deep. You need braided line, like Spiderwire Stealth or Berkley Fireline. The problem with these lines, is that as a mainline tied directly to your bait, they are very visible. While some bass may still bite, the true trophies will probably take a few looks before inhaling your bait and if it doesn’t look natural, they might just turn their back on it. What I use is 10lb Spiderwire Stealth tied to a barrel swivel, with a 6lb flourocarbon lead of about 24 inches. Always tie directly to your bait, do not use snaps or snap-swivels.

Spinning gear offers more sensitivity at these depths and allows you to get your bait down there quicker, so it is the logical choice. A medium-heavy action 7 foot graphite rod will give you the leverage you need for a good hookset. Match the rod with a medium action spinning reel with a spool big enough to handle catching large fish up to 30 feet down in the water column.

Using the tactics mentioned above and quality fishing equipment that can stand up to the cold, you could have a very successful late fall day while other anglers are sitting at home awaiting spring. Always remember to dress warmly, and bring gloves as well as some Vaseline to coat your rod guides and keep them from freezing. You can buy much of the cold water tackle mentioned above at . A thermos of coffee or hot chocolate on the boat always helps too! Good luck out there, stay safe and catch a few trophies.