TV fishing personality Bob Jensen focuses on fishing the weed line for fall angling success.

The weed line is an outstanding location to find fish during any season. As soon as the weed line is established in early summer, and even before, predator fish will be there looking for something to eat. There will be fish along the weed line all summer, and lots of anglers like to drill holes in the ice along the weed edge in winter because they know fish will be cruising the area. In short, pretty much anytime of the year that you want to find and catch fish, there will be some along the deep edge of the cabbage weeds, willing to eat your bait.

In the autumn months, a variety of fish will be lurking along the weed line. You might have a school of crappies suspended just off the edge of the deep weed line. Keep an eye open for signs of fish feeding on the surface on calm, autumn afternoons near the edge of the weed line. Cast the appropriate-sized bait to them and prepare to get bit.

Maybe there will be a group of largemouths on a corner of the weed line, and just a little farther down the edge where the vegetation juts out a bit and forms a point, there could be some walleyes. It’s not unusual to discover a muskie or northern pike roaming over the tops of the weeds or along the deep edge. Although there may be more fish grouped tighter in different areas, the deep weed line will often provide lots of fishing action in fall.

A good number of techniques will take fish along the weed line in the fall, but the one-two punch of a crankbait and jig/plastic that’s so productive in summer can’t be beat in autumn, either. Position your boat so the deep edge of the weeds is an easy cast away. Tie on a 5XD Pro Model crankbait and start casting. You’ll get bit. The XD series of crankbaits cover all ranges of water depths and have an action that fish really like. If you’re mostly interested in catching a walleye, a Lucky Shad crankbait will be a good choice.

Eventually, the action could slow down, not because you’ve caught all the fish in the area, just the most aggressive ones. Now is the time to pick up your jig rod. If you’re just looking to get bit and don’t care what species of fish you catch, tie on a jig; 1/8-ounce is as light as you would want to go, and often/usually the 3/16-ounce size will be better. Add a Rage Cut-R Worm or Game Hawg. Larger plastics will be more appealing to bigger fish this time of the year.

If you’re specifically after largemouth bass, tie on a rubber-legged jig and attach a bulky plastic. There are lots of ’em, and everyone who chases bass has their favorite. Just make it a bulky presentation for the biggest bass.

If you just want to get bit by whatever might be down there, tie on a 1/8-ounce jig and tip it with a 4-inch red-tail minnow. If there are walleyes or any other predator fish in the area, they’ll take notice.

As you work along the weedline, you’ll come to points and pockets and irregularities. Position your boat so your casts are parallel to the weed line in these spots. When two anglers are fishing, sometimes it works well to have both anglers in the bow of the boat, casting parallel to the edge. When the fish are right on the edge of the weeds, your baits will be in the fish zone more of the time if you position it this way.

The weed line can provide lots of fall action. Make sure you’re fishing healthy, green weeds and keep moving until you find the fish. You’ll get bit, you’ll have a good time, and that’s why we go fishing.

Learn how and where to make the most of fall fishing in the pages of the September-October issue of of MidWest Outdoors, available by subscribing on our website.