The fall season can be an excellent time to go bass fishing at Sand Hollow Reservoir and is one of my favorite times of the year to go fishing. With shorter days and cooler temperatures, bass will begin moving to shallower water and will start feeding heavily as they prepare for winter. For this reason, I decided to make a quick trip down south in search of some nice weather and good fishing. Here are some of the logistics of where we went, what we used, and how we caught largemouth bass at Sand Hollow Reservoir.
Also, if you are looking to connect with other Utah anglers and find some great information and resources be sure to check out the Utah forum on Big Fish Tackle.
Quick Fishing Report Summary
Time fished: 6 hours
Total fish: 30+ largemouth bass
Anglers fishing: 3
Best fishing spot: Southwest corner by the 3rd buoy
Best lures and baits: Ned Rig and green pumpkin jigs with green craw trailer
About Sand Hollow Reservoir
Sand Hollow Reservoir is a premiere bass fishing destination in Utah located near Hurricane which is approximately 300 miles south of Salt Lake City. It’s a very popular reservoir that receives a lot of fishing pressure and boat traffic, especially during the summer months. It’s warm, blue waters and great red sandstone landscape make it a perfect bass fishing destination for any angler.
Sand Hollow Fishing Report
We faced some tough wind conditions that made finesse fishing and navigating the boat a challenge, but we ended up having a great day on the water. We were able to catch 30+ largemouth bass during our quick trip. Most of the bass that we caught were in the 1-2lb range, however we did manage to get a few over 3 lbs. Here are some of the details of the weather conditions we faced, where we fished, and how we were able to catch fish.
Fishing Conditions
Date: 10/4/19
Weather: 72-80 degrees
Wind: Moderate to strong wind
Water temperature: 74 degrees
Water level: 89 percent full
Water clarity: Clear (10-15ft visibility)
Time of day: 9:45-2:45
What We Used
Green Pumpkin Football Jigs
We had a lot of success fishing a ½ ounce Strike King Tour Grade Football jig in green pumpkin with a green trailer. We noticed the size of the bass were a lot bigger on the jig compared to the other rigs we were throwing. We caught 10 or so bass dragging and hopping jigs in deep grass patches.
Ned Rig
The Ned Rig was also a big time producer for us. We caught over 15 bass fishing a Z-Man Finesse TRD on Finesse Jighead in a variety of different sizes. We were able to have success fishing this setup in areas with grass in about 25 ft. of water. The size of the fish tended to be a bit smaller than fish caught on other rigs however the Ned Rig came through with more bites.
For tips on fishing the Ned Rig check out the Ned Rig: The Ultimate Guide
Drop Shot
I don’t think I have ever fished a drop shot at Sand Hollow Reservoir and got skunked. The Roboworm is by far my favorite drop shot bait and it came through for us again on this trip. The bass seemed to prefer Aaron’s Magic and Aaron’s Morning Dawn this time around. The 3” Keitech Swing Impact also worked really well.
For some tips on different drop shotting baits check out our article: Best Drop Shot Baits for Bass Fishing
Neko Rig
We fished a green pumpkin senko on a Neko Rig for a while but we didn’t have much luck. Once we found the other techniques were working better we put this rig away for another day.
Under Water Release Video
Here is a few underwater releases of a few of the bass we caught on the trip.
Our Best Fishing Spots
West Dike
The west dike on the south corner ended up being a nice spot for us on this trip. We caught 10 or so fish in this area fishing in about 20-30 ft. of water. The bass seemed to be positioned in the grass and when one of us would get a bite we would usually double up. All of the fish in the area were on the smaller end in the 1-2lb fish range. We caught most of the fish on the Ned Rig and Drop Shot.
South West Bank
The southwest bank was by far our best fishing spot on the trip. We caught the biggest bass and the most in this area. A green pumpkin jig with a green trailer and a finesse TRD Ned Rig setup were the most effective for us. They key for us was finding green grass in about 30 ft. of water. If we weren’t pulling up grass on our baits, we weren’t catching bass.
East Point
The east point straight across from the island was another spot that we spent some time fishing. We were able to find some nice grass but we only ended up getting a few bites and catching a few smaller fish. We fished this area around 2 so that may have been why the bass weren’t as active.
Fall Sand Hollow Fishing Tips
Find Grass
Find the grass, find the bass. In my experience the best fishing spots at Sand Hollow Reservoir are areas that have a lot of grass. This is especially true in the fall. If you can find patches of grass that is still living can do very well.
Stay Deep
I always like to fish shallow water when I can but I always seem to do better at Sand Hollow when I stay deep. In my experience the 25 ft. range is where the bass tend to hang out in the fall. This may be more of a personal preference but I always have more luck in this range.
Move Around
In the fall bass are gearing up for winter and are always on the move which is why being on the move as anglers is so important. If you are not having much luck keep moving around until you can locate the fish.
Natural Colors
Sand Hollow is generally a pretty clear reservoir and gets fished heavily, making natural style baits and lures key for anglers. Whites, green pumpkin, and browns have all been great colors for me at Sand Hollow Reservoir.
Additional Sand Hollow Fishing Resources
Spring Bass Fishing at Sand Hollow Reservoir
Kraken Bass
State Park Information
Final Thoughts
We had a blast fall bass fishing at Sand Hollow Reservoir and I can’t wait to get back out there again. I hope you have found this fishing report to be insightful and that it helps you in some way on your next fishing trip. Also be sure to check out our other articles here on Tilt Fishing.
Tight Lines!