SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2026 · RAY ROBERTS LAKE
Clear and cool with pressure dropping, so the bass are chewing in shallow pockets and ditches early, then sliding deeper as the sun climbs.
WATER 69°FAIR 52°FWIND 8 MPH NSEASON FALLPOOL -1.5 FT
We are deep into fall and the water sits at a comfortable 69 degrees, so the bass are feeding actively but still scattered across the creek structure. The pressure is dropping heading into tomorrow, which has them fired up early in the day. You will have clear skies and a steady north wind all day, so the sun will stay bright and push fish off the shallows after mid-morning. The bass are running pockets, ditches, and draws with a swim jig like they always do this time of year. Start shallow and work edges, then chase them deeper as the light gets hard.
The day's game plan
EARLY MORNING · 7:34 AM to 9:00 AM
Shallow pockets and secondary ditches in 4 to 8 feet, inside creek arms, focus on hard-bottom flats with nearby deep water access.
Swim jig in black or green pumpkin, 3/8 ounce, fished with a steady moderate retrieve parallel to depth breaks and the edges of structure. Let it work along timber and rocky transitions.
Falling pressure before the weather arrives has them willing to come off the deeper structure and hunt shallower water. The sun is low and the water is cool after the overnight, so they are looking up and chasing. This is the prime feeding window of the day.
MORNING · 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Secondary points, near-creek flats, and outside bends of creek channels in 8 to 12 feet with timber or rock, still inside creeks and mid-lake creeks.
Swim jig in green pumpkin with a chartreuse trailer, 3/8 ounce, fished slow with a lift and drop cadence over the structure. Work the depth breaks hard.
Sun is climbing and the wind stays steady out of the north, so the shallow bite is tightening but the edges are still active. Bass are transitioning toward deeper water, so you catch them on the move along secondary structure. The water clarity stays slightly stained, so the green pumpkin and chartreuse combo keeps them confident.
MIDDAY · 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Creek channels and offshore structure in 12 to 18 feet with timber, brush, or hard bottom, main-lake creek channels and mid-lake edges.
Swim jig in green pumpkin or black, 1/2 ounce, fished with a slower, more deliberate retrieve. Drag it and shake it along the bottom, pausing on any structure contact.
The sun is high and bright, the water has warmed into the low 60s, and the bass have pulled back into deeper shade and cover. This is not peak feeding, so you need to slow down and dial in the exact depth where they are holding. The 1/2 ounce lets you stay on bottom in the slightly deeper zones.
LATE AFTERNOON · 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Outer edges of creek channels in 12 to 16 feet, offshore structure with hard bottom or timber, anywhere with deep water within 20 feet.
Swim jig in black, 1/2 ounce, worked slowly with a steady drag along the bottom. Work these areas methodically, covering a lot of water vertically as the bite softens.
Light is still hard and the water temperature has climbed to the mid-60s, so the bass are not aggressive. You are fishing more for position than for strikes. Cover the offshore edges where bass stage between shallow and deep zones. The bite stays slow here unless you dial in the exact depth they prefer.
EVENING · 5:00 PM to 6:20 PM
Shallow edges and pockets inside creek arms in 6 to 10 feet, secondary structure with quick access to deeper water.
Swim jig in green pumpkin or chartreuse and white, 3/8 ounce, worked with a steady, confident retrieve. Keep your speed moderate and let the jig thump.
As the sun drops and the light angle lowers, the bass begin sliding shallow again to feed. The pressure remains low, and the baitfish follow the rising evening current. This is a secondary bite window, more reliable than midday but not as explosive as first light.
DUSK · 6:20 PM to 7:04 PM
Shallow pockets, transitions from flats to timber in 4 to 8 feet, the shallowest edges of secondary points with cover.
Swim jig in black or dark green, 3/8 ounce, fished with a steady retrieve. Use a black trailer if you have one, as the low light favors silhouette colors.
The major solunar window hits right at sunset, and the last light drop is the best time of the evening for aggressive bites. Bass are feeding again and the dark profile stands out against the dim sky. This is a prime second bite of the day.
NIGHT · 7:04 PM to full dark
Shallow timber and pocket flats in 3 to 6 feet, the backs of creeks, areas with cover but room to maneuver.
Black swim jig or dark finesse worm on a drop shot in 4 to 8 feet, fished slowly. If you stay out, feel for bottom change and structure.
After sunset, the pressure is still low but visibility drops fast. Bass will stay shallow longer if there is cover, but the bite softens without light. Most anglers leave by now, and you won't generate consistent strikes after dark unless you are on very heavy cover.
Where to fish
- Secondary Creek Channels — 8 to 18 feet inside creeks, 12 to 25 feet on main-lake creek channel bends · Timber, brush, hard bottom transitions, and inside/outside bends where current breaks form natural funnels.
Secondary creeks are the highways bass travel on as they move between shallow feeding zones and deeper daytime sanctuaries. Inside bends collect bass on the move, and the channel edge is where jigs and crankbaits shine. This is the primary fall pattern structure. - Shallow Pockets and Ditches — 4 to 8 feet · Hard-bottom flats with timber or rock scattered along depth breaks, small draws leading from main flats into deeper water.
Pockets are where bass hunt in early morning and evening, especially with dropping pressure. These are ambush points with quick escape routes to deeper water. Bass gorge here during active feeding windows before retreating. - Offshore Points and Flats — 12 to 20 feet with nearby 25+ foot water access · Rock, hard pan, or scattered timber, edges where the flat transitions to the deeper channel.
Once the sun climbs and the bite tightens, offshore structure holds bass that moved deep to shade. These are recovery and holding zones where bass wait out the bright midday. The proximity to deep water is key.
What to throw
- Swim Jig — 3 to 4 in · Green pumpkin or black · 3/8 oz to 1/2 oz (Early morning through evening, transitions between shallow and deep structure.)
Steady retrieve with lifts and pauses, worked along timber and depth breaks. Drag and shake on the bottom in deeper water. - Texas-Rigged Soft Plastic Craw — 4 to 5 in · Green pumpkin or dark brown · 3/8 oz to 1/2 oz (Midday when bass are locked on structure, transition periods.)
Drag along the bottom and through rock, pause in pockets, short lifts with reel pickup. - Spinnerbait — n/a · White with single or double willow blades, or chartreuse with gold · 1/4 oz to 3/8 oz (Early morning and evening, shallow pockets with cover.)
Steady retrieve with occasional blade flutter, work around timber and through shallow brush. Faster in early morning, slower in midday. - Lipless Crankbait — 2.5 to 3 in · Chartreuse or shad pattern · 1/2 oz to 3/4 oz (Early morning, transition periods, when bass are moving along structure.)
Steady retrieve with pauses and rips, work along depth changes and flats to channel transitions. Burn it in early morning, slow roll in midday.
How to work it
- Drag and Shake — Midday and late afternoon when the bite slows and bass are less aggressive. · Deeper channels and offshore structure in 12 to 18 feet, around timber and brush piles.
Keep the jig on bottom with a controlled retrieve, periodically lift 12 to 18 inches and let it fall back on a semi-slack line, repeat. - Steady Retrieve with Pauses — Early morning, evening, and dusk when bass are actively feeding. · Shallow pockets and secondary points in 4 to 10 feet, transitions from flats to timber.
Reel at a moderate pace with occasional 2 to 3 second pauses, keep the bait working the exact depth where you mark fish or structure. - Target Depth Breaks — All day, but especially morning and evening when bass move along depth zones during active feeding windows. · Secondary points, creek channel margins, and outside bends where depth changes 4 to 6 feet in a short distance.
Find the line where shallow flat drops to deeper water, work a jig or crankbait along that edge at multiple angles, fan casting to cover the transition zone thoroughly.
Pro tips
- The pressure is still falling this morning, so the first two hours after sunrise are your best window of the day. Start shallow, cover water with confidence, and don't waste time on areas that don't produce. Switch deeper and slower by mid-morning when the sun presses the bass back off the flats.
- Slightly stained water means green pumpkin and chartreuse combinations work all day, but don't sleep on black jigs and dark soft plastics in low-light periods. As dusk approaches, dark colors and darker trailers shine because they create a silhouette bass can track without good light.
- Creek channels and secondary structure are the skeleton of the fall pattern. Learn to identify the bends, current breaks, and depth transitions within the creek arms, and you will find bass at the same relative positions year after year. Fall bass are pattern fish.
If conditions change
If the north wind picks up hard during the day, shallow banks facing south will warm faster and hold more active bass, so shift some effort there. If a front rolls in faster than expected and the sky clouds over mid-morning, the shallow bite will extend longer and the midday slowdown will ease, so keep hunting flats and pockets. If the water clarity muddies from rain or runoff, switch to black and chartreuse jigs with wider blade spinnerbaits to increase vibration and silhouette. If the wind drops to calm, the topwater bite may improve early, so throw buzzbaits or topwater plugs in the first 90 minutes before switching to subsurface presentations.
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