Why You Should Downsize For Panfish In The Fall

Some anglers chase panfish as a fun option for catch and release, while others prefer getting their limit and having a fish fry. Regardless of the reasons for chasing panfish, they can be challenging to catch in the fall. However, that’s where downsizing comes into play. 

The main reason why downsizing your jigs and lures for panfish in the fall matters is because of water temperatures. As fall moves in, the temperatures begin to drop. When this happens, panfish start getting less and less active due to their metabolisms slowing down.

This lowering in activity means they become much more selective with the food they decide to eat. They don’t want to work very hard this time of year, so you need to avoid jigs and lures that are big and aggressive. Instead, you want to downsize your selections, matching your lures and jigs to the size and speed of the prey in the area.

The most common method for catching panfish is going to be using jigs. In the fall, it’s going to be best if you can find the smallest jigs in your tackle box and tie those on.

While tungsten jigs are all the rage in the fishing world, this may be a time when it’s better to go with more traditional materials. Lead jigs work well as they’re going to move through the water column more slowly than their tungsten counterparts.

When fishing these jigs, you don’t want to get super aggressive in your jigging. Instead, you’ll want to do slow, methodical lifts. Alternatively, you can just deadstick it or attach a bobber and let the jig sit in the water column, waiting for a panfish to come and strike.

When it comes to the bait you want to use, there are a few options. Micro plastics work really well, especially if you can use one that mimics the type of food in your fishery. Chunks of live bait, like leeches and worms, can also work really well. Minnows definitely have their place as an option, but you’ll need to find some that are smaller than what you’d use in the summer months. 

Additionally, some anglers really love using micro crankbaits for panfish. These can still work in the fall, but you need to work them differently. You’ll want to focus on slowing things down a lot. You can also mix in some pauses in your retrieve to trigger strikes. 

As for gear, the fall is a great time to break out your ultralight panfish setup. An ultralight rod, your smallest spinning reel, and light line in the 2 to 6 pound test range is going to be ideal. These allow you to notice even the smallest bites, which is going to be the majority of your panfish bites in the fall.