FINDING THE RIGHT PATTERN
This is the time of year to really start looking for
off shore structure. Bass will start using routes
that will bring them to feed on underwater structures
such as roadbeds, humps, brush piles, stump beds,
ledges etc. It can be feast or famine, slow or fast
action, depending upon several factors.
Some of the things I look for are baitfish first,
then the area that is holding fish. Normally if you
have baitfish, you have bass in the area. Second,
in early summer look for bass in the back portion
of creeks out around the channel. If you find a school
of bass in this area they will progress over a three
to four week period to secondary points in the creek
to main point ledges in the mouth of creeks then on
to main lake structures in mid summer. Your larger
creeks will hold bass through the summer, if they
have a deep water escape route and food fish.
I will start in the back of the creek early and work
a figure S pattern with my MOTORGUIDE trolling motor
alternating between shallow structure to deep structures
to try and find a magic depth that the bass are feeding
in. Work this way until you catch fish, then totally
concentrate on the depth that you locate bass feeding.
In other words if I was to catch bass in the 12 foot
range on a secondary point then I would narrow my
fishing to only secondary points and fish them in
the 12 foot range. Same thing if I caught fish in
the back of a creek on a ledge in the 10 foot range,
then I would look at more creeks in the same range.
Once you get something going, it really eliminates
a lot of water and gets you into the fishing zone
you need to be in.
This is a time when you need really good batteries
because you are going to be use your trolling motor
a bunch. I hope you have tried the Trojan batteries.
Trojan Batteries have the highest rating of all marine
batteries and that says enough for me. They are the
best in the business. Be sure to keep your batteries
charged with your Guest Battery Charger.
Once you find a likeable piece of structure, be sure
and fish it thoroughly. Many times you can fish a
structure with one lure and not catch anything, but
go right back through the area with another lure and
catch fish. I usually use four techniques this time
of year. First a top water lure such as a spook or
XPS topwater lure. A lot of times you can bring fish
up as much as 20 feet and this will let you know where
there is a school of bass. If I get them coming up
and they stop, I will throw a Zoom fluke or the four
inch shad Possum lure. Second, I will use a Zoom lizard
or Zoom Mag worm Carolina rigged with a 2/0 Mustad
ultra point hook and a 3/4 ounce Lindy No-Snagg rattlin=
weight. Third, a LedgeBuster 1 1/2 to 2 ounce spinnerbait
and finally an XPS crankbait. Many times I will catch
a few bass on one of these techniques and if they
quit biting I can simply change the technique and
catch more fish. If you can get the first one to bite
it will stir them up and simply by changing the technique
it will keep them biting.
If you=re catching small fish, simply go a little
deeper or go to a really big bait. Several things
I keep in my Nitro are marker buoys, a GPS, a good
map, and a pocket knocker to get my lures unhung.
Keep your eye on your depth finder, zig-zag in and
out, if you catch a bass, narrow your fishing to that
depth and structure and your ready to go
Good luck and may God Bless!
