As water temperatures gradually cool, the lakes eventually turn over. Smallmouths slide deeper to the point of wintering, and the tackle box closes. As these events simultaneously occur, my boat’s tackle selection lessens each week – and the majority of gear and tackle I’ve carried up to this point will no longer be needed. Even though most lure selection dwindles down to the bare necessities of deep-divers, quick plungers, vertical hangers, bottom-huggers, and possibly even live bait rigs, I elect to continue working with a diverse bag of tricks as the open water fishing season concludes. My fall fishing season is divided into two halves: The first half is September month; The second half is October month. What occurs each month influences smallmouth migrations, our fishing locations, daily strategies, and lure selection. Resulting from cooling water temperatures, smallmouths and baitfish migrate back to the shallows - some, not all. September is for capitalizing on these movements - fishing fast, hitting the flats, and covering large expanses of water and acreage with horizontal search lures. Most days of the week, we seldom fish deeper than 10-feet,