Summer tournaments have their pitfalls. The fish are often on a feeding schedule and can be tough to catch. The big fish typically pull a disappearing act. Suspended and schooling fish can be maddening in roaming behavior. And caring for your catch to avoid penalty can be difficult.

That's why so many anglers across the country celebrate when the relief valve finally opens sometime in September or October, and the fish begin to transition to their early fall patterns.

That transition's fairly easy to track on a local lake. But what if you're headed to unfamiliar waters, perhaps for an end-of-year fishoff, or hard-earned vacation?

Bassmaster Classic and FLW Tour Championship winner Luke Clausen – aka Cool Hand Luke – recommends a sound starting point. Begin by calling out bluffs.

What They Offer

Lakes all over the country, from California to Maine, contain bluffs. The major ones can be intimidating to look at, and more so to fish, but think about what they offer.

"I like to start looking for fall fish on bluffs because that's often the first place you'll find fish moving back in from the middle of the lake," Clausen noted. "A lot of times, the main-lake fish will move to the bluffs well before they head into the creeks."

That's because bluffs are vertical, he noted, and those main-lake fish that had moved vertically throughout the summer to adjust to conditions and bait want a similar freedom. Fish also tend to move to bluffs first because that's where the bait goes, he said, and irregularities in the bluff wall provide the bass with an ambush point.

Main-Bluff Attack Plan

Speaking in general terms, a typical bluff has its main area – the part that's near vertical – then an end. As Clausen noted, though, the bluff doesn't necessarily end just because you can't see it. It generally tapers down but continues underwater, which creates a ledge smack-dab next to deep water.

"The main, vertical portion of the bluff is always best earlier in the day – especially if there's wind blowing into it, or there's some type of condition that gets the fish up shallow along the bluff," he said. "Remember that the rocks retain some heat, so the water's usually a little warmer along the top of the bluff.

"A lot times, it's hard to beat a buzzer in the mornings along a bluff," he added. "And that pattern will actually stay well into fall. You want to run your buzzer parallel to the bluffs – within inches of it."

But the buzzer bite might last well into the day too, if there's shade pockets created within the bluff. Sometimes, Clausen noted, a bluff will offer the only shade in the lake, and that's gold. So hit a few shade pockets in the afternoons to see if you score.

The End-Around

"When the sun gets up, I like to go the bluff ends," Clausen said. "The fish there are easier to target with a worm – either on a shakey or dropshot. Fish will often travel down the bluff and then sit on that ledge in the afternoons."

He noted too that, although it's hard to beat a worm (he fishes a new prototype Berkley Slim Shaky model), "If you're fishing a place with bigger fish, or more water color, a big football jig can be killer."

He emphasized that you want to fish the top of the ledge, right where it starts to fall off into deep water. Oftentimes, your boat might be over 100 feet of water, but you're casting to 30 to 50 feet.

Bluff Irregularities

If the bluff ends don't produce in the afternoons, Clausen will also work a worm along the main bluff, fishing it as a fall-bait. He targets any irregularities, whether they create shade pockets or not.

Remember that cracks above the water will be there underwater too. And if there's an area of the bluff where rock has fallen, that rock will be along the bottom of the bluff. So use clues above water to guess what's below.

"I'll fish pretty fast along the main bluff in the afternoon with a worm, or if I see shade, the buzzer," he said. "I throw to whatever breaks up the bluff, because that's where the bass sit and congregate. It could be cracks, a little point, the corner of a little crack, or anything else."

And a last word of advice from Clausen: Don't forget the river.

"A lot of times you'll have to go up the river to find bluffs, but that's not a bad thing. Those can be some of the best bluffs for a buzzbait, especially when you get a little water color up the river. River fish seem to use bluffs as much or more than lake fish – especially in fall."

Notable

> Be aware that bluffs, although fairly reliable in fall, can be touchy – especially early in the fall. That's because it's easy for the main-lake fish that swam to the bluff to swim off it if weather conditions change.

> Clausen fishes green-pumpkin or watermelon-candy worms almost exclusively. He said Berkley's new
Slim Shaky worm will be out in the spring.

> He's currently at Table Rock, where's he's serving as practice partner for a friend who's fishing the Stren Championship this week. Yes, bluffs are in the gameplan.




Have you checked out Plano's new KVD Guide Elite Gear Bag? Click here to read BassFan's Review of the new bag.