Up north, the Binsky fall smallmouth bite is unparalleled when it’s right, and it’s also fairly untapped. From October onward, many anglers start pursuing furry things instead of bass, and the weather deters others. The weather is simply too dicey. All that adds up to unpressured smallmouths that are about as fat and healthy as they’ll ever be and willing to eat if targeted correctly. Outside of the prespawn, there’s no better time to catch a big limit, and on places throughout the New England area, you can be looking at 100-fish days.
Steven Carey is as good at targeting early fall smallies as anyone, particularly in big waters of the Northeast, and he’s been on the forefront of the Binsky movement for smallmouths. However, one of Carey’s favorite cold-weather baits is far from new – the Binsky blade bait. In fact, it’s one of the best smallmouth baits around.
You can catch smallmouths on a lot of baits in the early fall, but one of the most consistent producers thru winter is the blade bait, and Carey is an expert with it. His go-to is the Binsky.
The Binsky fall smallmouth bite is fantastic in the Northeast, smallmouths looking to feed can group up in pretty predictable places. Once the water temperature falls below 55 it’s game on, and the fish usually stay pretty aggressive until the water drops down into the low 40s.
“The whole system has somewhat of a current-related aspect to it, and when the water cools the fish move into more current-related areas and places they can ambush baitfish,” says Carey. “There seems to be a migration of shad and alewives to places with any type of current – whether it’s shallow current at the mouth of any river feeding the lake. It’s a natural progression for the bass to follow the bait, and they like eating shad in the fall.”