This time of year allows Bill Lowen to enjoy the contemplative side of bass fishing - while mercilessly crushing freakish numbers of shad-hungry largemouth. "In the fall, a lot of guys are thinking about hunting more than fishing, so the lake is usually pretty peaceful," he says. "Plus, the bass are keyed in on shad and are often holed up in shallow water, so they're easy to catch. This kind of fishing is right up my alley." Ever the power fisherman, Lowen looks to incite reaction strikes with a quartet of shad imitators in the backs of creeks and bays, where much of the lake's bait is corralled. Here's what Lowen uses to tag and bag hefty sacks of bass this month.

Tightlines UV Tube:
Lowen stresses that your baits and presentations should mimic shad, so he Texas rigs a 4-inch UV Tube with a 1/4-ounce Reins tungsten sinker and works it around visible cover such as stumps and laydowns. "The bass are really focused in on that shad migration, so I try to make this look like one by snapping it around rather than dragging it. I'm looking for a reaction bite." Lowen snaps his tube with a 7-6 All Pro APX Elite flipping stick with 17-pound Trilene fluorocarbon.

Ima Square Bill:
Lowen designed this flat-sided crankbait for Ima because he wanted a big profile bait for crashing in and around cover. "The key for this is to crank it faster than you would a normal crankbait," he says. "This makes it run more erratic than it does normally." Lowen sticks with either a chartreuse/black back or bone or citrus shad hues to closely mimic the silvery forage. He throws them with a 7-foot, medium-heavy All Pro APX Elite crankin' stick and 15-pound Trilene fluorocarbon.

D&L Tackle Bill Lowen's Swim Jig:
"This may be the easiest way to catch a bass this time of year. If you can throw a spinnerbait, then you can throw this - and for me, a swim jig catches more fish," he says. "Work it just how you do a spinnerbait: Throw it out and reel it in." Lowen tosses a white or black-and-blue 1/4-ounce model tipped with a Tightlines UV grub on an All Pro Bill Lowen Signature Series Swim Jig rod. Regardless of water clarity, he always uses 30-pound braid.

D&L Baby Advantage jig:
Lowen likes this compact jig for its speedy falling action. He hops it around the same shallow cover as he does the tube. "Once again, this is great at getting a reaction bite." He hangs a Tightlines UV Beaver on for maximum descent speed and appeal. Green pumpkin and white are his go-to colors. "Whatever you're doing this time of year - be it cranking or flipping - it needs to be fast and about the reaction bite," Lowen says.