MY FIVE FAVORITE OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER PATTERNS WITH
KEVIN VANDAM
Bet On The Top-Water Bite
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.
My favorite top-water lure at this time of the year
is the Strike King Spit-N-King. In October and early
November, the bass are almost totally feeding on baitfish,
generally high in the water column. Any time I see
balls of shad flipping on the surface, I'll be throwing
a Strike King Spit-N-King to that school of shad. Regardless
of the weather conditions, if I can see some shad flipping,
I'll be throwing top-water lures, even on real bright
sunny October days in the middle of the day. I like
to work the Spit-N-King fairly fast with quick, short
hops. I want to walk the bait from side to side and
cause it to make a "blooping" sound. I think
the sound that the Spit-N-King makes is the same sound
that a bass makes when it attacks a baitfish on the
surface. If you've seen bass feeding on the surface,
you'll notice that they make little pop sounds when
they inhale baitfish right at the water line. That's
the same sound the Spit-N-King makes when you twitch
it. So, I believe that the sound of the lure, in conjunction
with the splash it makes, calls the bass to the school
of shad that you're fishing around because bass that
aren't feeding on the shad hear what they believe to
be other bass feeding on that school, so they are drawn
in to the attack.
I like the shad colors when I'm fishing the Spit-N- King.
Chrome and blue are probably my favorite colors. I also
like the Bleeding Bait Series - the red hook and the
feathered tail. This bait walks really well on the surface
of the water, and I fish the Spit-N-King around cover
as well as in open water where I see schools of shad.
Grass, wood, isolated cover and docks are all great
places to fish the Spit-N-King at this time of the year.
You can also fish the Spit-N-King on flats in the backs
of creeks. I always have a Spit-N-King tied on one of
the rods I'm fishing at this time of the year. Then
if I see a bass break on the surface, I can grab the
rod with the Spit-N-King, make a cast to the spot where
I've seen the bass break, and oftentimes catch that
bass with this lure. The Spit-N-King is so versatile
you can also just fish it down the bank. The Spit-N-King
has a lot of drawing power during the fall and can pull
bass from long distances in to attack the bait.
One of the big advantages of the Spit-N-King over a
buzzbait, which is also a top-water lure, is that the
Spit-N-King will  stay
in the bass' strike zone longer than the buzzbait will.
You can also keep the Spit-N-King close to the cover
longer than you can the buzzbait. I've found that when
the bass takes the Spit-N-King, the fish will inhale
it.
Now, the hook set when you're fishing the Spit-N-King
is different than the hook set on many other baits.
Don't set the hook when you see the strike. Continue
to work the bait until you actually feel the fish take
the lure. When you feel the fish, instead of jerking
back hard like you will when fishing a tube, a jig or
a soft-plastic lure, just start reeling a little faster
and get those sharp hooks into the bass' mouth.
October and November are great months for bass fishing.
At this time of year, the bass are extremely active
and chasing baits. These tactics work well for me this
month, and if you'll try them, I really believe they
will help you put more bass in your boat.
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