November Tackle Warehouse Staff Picks

This bait gives me the ability to efficiently cover water in a hurry while looking for aggressive bass up shallow. It also consistently gets solid bites, so it’s a great choice when I need a kicker fish.

Here in the South, I like throwing the Rusty Squeaker on shallow flats around cover. A steady slow to medium retrieve often works great, but it sometimes pays to experiment with different speeds to see if one is preferred on a given day.

I gravitate towards black colors when bass are keyed on bluegill, while grey or white colors get bites when bass are feasting on shad.

One late November day in particular stands out. I was slow rolling a Rusty Squeaker around docks on Logan Martin and caught several hammers, including a six pounder.

A favorite setup of mine is the Shimano Expride B 7’2” medium casting rod paired to a Shimano Curado 70 MGL K spooled with 40-pound PowerPro Maxcuatro.

The DT10 can be fished effectively around many of the transition areas I like to focus on during November. The bait’s balsa construction and tight wobbling action really help to draw fish in and trigger some solid reaction bites.

When fishing a shallower flat with brush, I use a little heavier line (14-lb Sunline Sniper FC Fluorocarbon) and essentially “worm” the crankbait through the cover by varying my rod angle and changing retrieve speed to create a reaction bite. If I am fishing something like main-lake points or bluff walls where more of a steady traditional crankbait retrieve applies, I’ll scale down to 10- or 12-lb Sniper FC and move parallel with the bank focusing my attention on contour or depth changes. I also like to make casting angle adjustments to ensure I make contact with rocks, wood, or other objects that will cause the bait to pause or deflect.

Three of my favorite colors are Shad, Caribbean Shad, or one of the various crawfish imitations.

I don’t really have a memorable catch or day. It’s just a crankbait that is consistent out of the package and has some great features that really make it shine in November. I really feel the buoyancy of balsa is important for getting a few extra bites this time of year.

I prefer at least a 7’0” to 7’3” medium-heavy crankbait rod. I personally am using an older discontinued Daiwa Rebellion crankbait rod and a discontinued Zillion casting reel with a modest 7.2:1 gear ratio. The reel is filled with 10-, 12-, or 14-lb Sunline Super FC Sniper Fluorocarbon.

Bass are still actively chasing baitfish in our local lakes, so the Pointer 100 remains a great choice in November. The bait helps me cover water relatively quickly, has a great darting and slashing action, and it perfectly suspends to hover in the strike zone when paused.

Snapping the rod tip to make the Pointer 100 dance and dart is key. The fish will respond and tell you what cadence triggers them. I always start with a standard jerk-jerk-pause retrieve. If that doesn’t trigger a bite, I’ll often fish faster with more snaps and jerks before pausing and letting the jerkbait suspend.

Two of my go-to colors are Ghost Minnow and Chartreuse Shad.

I was fishing a club tournament at Lake Saint Clair and came across a sunken barge, which you don't see many of on this lake. I threw the Pointer over the barge and watched a smallmouth shoot over from a long distance away to crush the bait in that clear water. Don’t ever underestimate the drawing power of the Pointer!

My favorite setup includes a 6th Sense Sensory 7’1” medium-heavy fast casting rod coupled with a Shimano Metanium reel. For a line, I really like the Seaguar Carbon Ultra Fluorocarbon in 10- or 12-lb tests.