Fall ’26 Minnesota | Smallmouth Bass with Professional Angler Brock Bila
Cold fronts roll in. Wind pushes bait toward the rocks. Fall in Minnesota brings smallmouth together to feed hard ahead of winter, and for Brock Bila, a rough forecast can be part of the appeal.
For this edition of Logbook Learnings, we caught up with professional bass angler Brock Bila, the 2026 Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year. He shares how he finds and catches fall smallmouth in Minnesota, from following the bait to making the most of changing conditions.
Why Fall Smallmouth?
“In the fall, smallmouth are chasing bait and feeding heavily going into the winter,” Brock says.
That feeding activity shapes his approach to the season. Smallmouth often group up and move with the bait, so locating their food can put you around more than one fish.
Follow the Forage
For Brock, the fall bite starts with bait.
“A lot of the time they will school up and follow bait balls around, so finding the forage is one of the biggest things I am looking for.”
He pairs that search with a close look at structure. Rocky points, reefs, and isolated rock near deep water are his starting spots, giving smallmouth places to move up and feed.
Look for those features together when deciding where to spend your time.
Let the Wind Do the Work
“Wind is a super important factor for me in the fall,” Brock says.
Wind helps in two ways. On the clear water he often fishes up north, surface chop breaks up the light and can make smallmouth less wary. It also moves bait, influencing where fish can set up to feed.
Brock looks for wind blowing into a rocky point, reef, or another area where smallmouth can take advantage of that food. Use the wind direction to help narrow your search before making your first cast.
Bad Weather, Good Bite
A cold, cloudy forecast gets Brock’s attention. In his experience, changing weather can make fall smallmouth more willing to chase.
“When the barometric pressure starts changing and the wind picks up, those fish tend to get a lot more aggressive and willing to chase.”
For Brock, those conditions are a reason to look forward to a day on the water. “Some of my favorite days are when it is cold, windy, and cloudy.”
Read the Water Clarity
Northern smallmouth often favor clean water, but clear water is not always easy water.
“The problem is when that clean water gets dead slick and sunny, those fish can get really smart and hard to catch,” Brock explains.
His preference changes with the conditions:
- Calm and sunny: A little stained water can help when fish in clear water are harder to fool.
- Cloudy and blowing: Clean water is usually where he wants to be.
Check the sky and the surface together. Water clarity becomes more useful when you consider how much light and wind are reaching the area you want to fish.
Match Your Tackle to the Moment
Brock keeps two main setups in rotation for fall smallmouth, with a swimbait as one of his favorite ways to cover water and find groups of fish.
To cover water and find schools:
He fishes a shad-shaped swimbait on a 1/4- to 3/8-ounce head, paired with a 7-foot-6-inch medium-light Feather rod. His line setup is 8-pound braid connected to a 6-pound fluorocarbon leader.
For a crankbait running 10 to 15 feet deep:
His second setup is a medium-diving, shad-colored crankbait on a 7-foot-3-inch medium baitcasting rod with 12-pound fluorocarbon.
Gear That Fueled the Trip
Long days chasing smallmouth call for layers that keep you comfortable as conditions change.
The Breaker Hooded Pullover offers lightweight, packable protection from wind and light rain, with a water-resistant shell and fixed hood. For colder mornings, the Whitecap Full Zip Fleece Hoodie adds warmth with midweight, moisture-wicking fleece and a full-zip design that lets you adjust your coverage as the day warms up.
Explore the Fall ’26 collection for gear to keep you comfortable through your own season on the water.
Follow the Fall Bite With Brock
Follow Brock Bila on Instagram for more fishing tips and a closer look at his days on the water.
