as water temps drop from the summer highs, bass have this innate sense to over eat (knowing in the dead of winter food gets scarce) and in lakes they hit almost anything on the surface, if your pond has shad in its ecosystem you have a very good chance at getting some really big fish. I love a few city park lakes in the middle of October and my favorite place is near to steep drop offs as the sun is going down. But stand back out of the fishes horizon because if you walk up they move off. So, fish for them from twenty feet back or be stealthy and fish low to the ground from behind bushes or trees. Pencil poppers, long floating crankbaits, zara spooks, frogs (near reeds) fall bass fishing is top water and in the late evening, electrifying,