Dan Miguel likes late fall fishing for big smallmouth bass on the Great Lakes because the fish’s movements are predictable, and they tend to congregate. Where you catch one, you’re apt to catch several more. Many summer fishing tactics don’t work as well as the water cools, though, and many key warm-weather areas become devoid of fish. Autumn approaches are different.

Miguel, an acclaimed smallmouth specialist from Ontario who is brand manager and a co-founder of Great Lakes Finesse, turns ever more to offshore structure as autumn progresses and uses slow presentations with his baits on or near the bottom. We got Miguel to break down how he targets big smallmouth bass this time of year.

Offshore Holding Areas

“As water temperatures drop in mid-October and through November and December the fish go out to deeper water and group up on offshore structure, where they will spend the winter,” Miguel said.

Miguel pointed toward clusters of boulders, individual extra-large boulders, reefs and shipwrecks as likely holding areas. “Anything that provides good, deep cover,” he said. Some fish will show up on electronics, so Miguel often will invest some time searching to locate fish before he starts casting.

Among the best areas to look for structure and fish are the offshore zones directly out from spawning areas, especially big spawning bays. The smallmouths don’t want to move farther than they need to as they seek the refuge that deeper water provides through the winter.

Late fall fishing depths can vary dramatically but are usually greater than 14 feet, Miguel said. He noted that the 20- to 25-foot range is probably where he spends the most time searching for fish this time of year but depths ranging from 14 or 15 feet to more than 40 feet sometimes come into play.

Key Presentations

Unlike late summer, when smallmouths in the Great Lakes turn very fussy, the fish feed actively during the fall. That said, they don’t want to chase, and they get enough fishing pressure that they can still be tough customers. Baits typically need to stay on or near the bottom, move slowly and have the right profile and action for the fish’s mood – which can change dramatically from day to day.

Miguel’s primary baits for offshore fish this time of year are a Great Lakes Finesse Snack Craw fished on a 1/4- or 3/8-ounce Stealth Football Head or a GLF Juvy Craw rigged on a 1/4- to 1/2-ounce Mini Pro Tube Head. For either he’ll drag the bait, across the bottom or hop it gentry, crawling it across every rock and pausing intentionally.

Miguel noted that his ideal amount of weight is the least he can fish and keep the bait in contact with the bottom. The right weight varies depending on depth, wind speed and current, but the ability to maintain bottom contact is critical

Bites are often light and don’t necessarily feel like strikes, Miguel said. Often it just goes from the feel of the bait crawling over rocks to a bit of a mushy feeling. If anything feels different, Miguel set the hook.

A secondary strategy, which comes play into when Miguel is seeing fish, but they are not committing or are doing so less than he thinks they should, is a dropshot rig, which Miguel will mostly fish with minimal movement. Key dropshot baits include a GLF Drop Worm or Drop Minnow. For the Drop Minnow, he especially likes the larger 3.25-inch size for late fall fishing.

Again, presentation specifics vary. Sometimes the fish response to light shakes and pauses with the bait directly below the boat and kept in one spot. Other times he casts just past the fish and works the drop shot by dragging the weight a foot or two at a time, so the bait moves slowly just off the bottom and then suspend in the zone. Often, late season dropshotting calls for absolute dead sticking, with Miguel holding the rod completely still, with the line tight, and letting the Drop Minnow or Drop Worm waver subtly, completely on its own.

Total Approach

Miguel will work an entire area of good structure where he has seen fish, but as much as is possible he targets specific fish or at least specific boulders or other pieces of cover. He watches live sonar continually as he fishes, observing how the fish respond to his baits and always searching for more fish.

“If you have good structure and you see fish that you know are smallmouths, keep fishing that area,” Miguel said. “If you catch one, you’re likely to catch a lot this time of year.”

Little things can make a big difference this time of year, Miguel said. One day they want the bait absolutely dragging. Other days subtle lifts and drops trigger strikes. He’ll typically have a Snack Craw and a Juvy Craw rigged and will mix up casts with both, varying presentation speeds and movements – and occasionally colors. If neither is prompting typical responses, he’ll pull out a dropshot rod and continue the experimentation process.

Miguel has repeatedly found reward in being persistent and experimenting this time of year, and once he finds the right bait, color and presentation, it can be like turning on a switch.

Once the smallmouths get settled in their offshore positions, the pattern remains the same, Miguel noted. The fish’s metabolism will slow, so they won’t fight as hard, and presentations typically need to get ever slower as the water turns from cool to cold. However, Miguel has enjoyed hot fishing action on many legitimately cold days, and he continues fishing the same way until ice covers his spots or prevents him from getting to them.