Fall in the Midwest means changing leaves, crisp air and bass on the feed. Whether you're fishing the Great Lakes or a small local lake, one piece of gear can quietly make or break your day: the hook.
The hook is the only thing actually connecting you to the fish. In fall, fish are eager to bite, and matching your hook to your bait and technique can improve how many of those bites turn into landed fish.
A Note from Big Bend, WI
Around our home base in Big Bend, a favorite fall target is smallmouth bass. They pull hard and jump, which makes every one memorable. For smallmouth, worm hooks are a go-to because they give soft plastics a natural presentation.
Why Fall?
Across much of the U.S., fish feed heavily in fall to build reserves for winter, so they're often more willing to bite. They can also be wary in clear, cooling water. The answer is to match your hook to your lure and the way fish are feeding.
Circle Hooks
If you fish live or cut bait, try circle hooks. They're designed to slide to the corner of the fish's mouth as the line comes tight, which helps with catch and release and makes the hook hard for a fish to throw. Don't jerk hard to set a circle hook; just reel steadily. For big catfish, look at our heavyweight catfish circle hooks.
Worm Hooks: The Freshwater Go-To
Offset EWG worm hooks work for Texas-rigged plastics almost anywhere bass live, from smallmouth in Wisconsin to largemouth in southern reservoirs. Prefer a ring eye for a free-swinging bait? Try our ringed EWG hooks.
Drop Shot Hooks
Fishing rocky or weedy bottoms? A drop shot hook lets you suspend your bait above the snags, with the weight on the bottom below it. It's a great way to tempt cautious fall smallmouth on the Great Lakes or crappie in southern reservoirs. Add a tungsten drop shot weight to feel more of what's happening on the bottom.
Tungsten Jigging Spoons
For deeper fish, tungsten jigging spoons are built for vertical jigging. Tungsten is dense, so the spoon gets down fast and you feel more taps. A flutter on the fall mimics a wounded baitfish, which can trigger bass, walleye and pike.
The Bottom Line
From our base in Big Bend, WI to wherever you're fishing this fall, the right hook makes a difference. Browse our full selection of fishing hooks, and check out how to set a fishing hook to land more of the fish you hook.
