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BASS
COMING OFF THE BEDS
WOO'S
CORNER
GREAT
BASS FISHING IN SEPTEMBER
Ah
September is here and most of the water skiers and jet
skies are gone, isn't it great? I love this time of
the year because it seems like you have the lake or
river to yourself. Water starts cooling and the baitfish
seem to move into the shallows with the bass right behind
them.
The
nice thing about the fishing is when you find the bass,
you usually have them all to yourself, especially on
weekdays.
Top water fishing can be awesome, shallow cranking can
be good, and Carolina rigging is also great. Three key
things I'm going to be looking for are baitfish, isolated
cover, and then current.
As
I mentioned, the baitfish are leaving deep water and
moving into the shallows. If the bass want to feed they
have to follow right along. Once the bass have fed,
a lot of them will set up on isolated cover in the area.
This is when you have to agitate them into biting. If
you have moving current in the upper ends, (it also
helps to know the generating schedules so you can be
there when it's moving) the bass will set up on breaks
and cover.
This time of year I'm looking for a main creek or part
of the lake that's holding baitfish first and foremost.
I'm going to work this area at a fast pace with my MOTORGUIDE
on high speed using a buzzbait, an XPS Slimdog, or an
XPS Z-pop. I'm just trying to cover a lot of water and
catch the easy fish but also establish a part of the
lake that's holding fish. If I get some bites and it
slows, then I will go back with a prop bait like BAGLEY
's Bango lure and fish it slower. I have found top water
prop baits to be more deadly this time of year, than
any other time.
Once you establish an area holding fish, stay there
and turn on your RAYMARINE DS600X unit and thoroughly
search the area for points, breaks, shallow drops, and
cover. If the cover is super shallow (like stumps, lay
downs, and rock) this is when I go to crankbaits. I
want a lure that runs shallow like BAGLEY's Killer B1,
the Bulgin' B or XPS Extreme shallow crank and I fish
these on BASS PRO SHOPS' 17 lbs. EXCEL line. The main
key is to make repeated casts to the cover. So many
people make one cast and then move on, this is a big
mistake. Sometimes it takes seven to ten casts to aggravate
the bass to bite. If it looks good and you haven't caught
a bass throw a ZOOM Brushhog or worm two or three times
and follow up with a spinnerbait.
If
the cover is a little deeper I will use BAGLEY's Killer
B11, Original Balsa B, or the XPS Nitro medium crank.
Again you want to bump that cover three or four times.
Here is when I switch to BASS PRO SHOPS' 12 or 14 lbs.
EXCEL line, just to make sure the bait is ticking cover.
Now
I will move my NITRO out to about 15 feet of water and
try to fan the areas with a Carolina rig. I usually
fish this on BASS PRO SHOPS' 12 lbs. EXCEL line, a ½
oz. LINDY's No-Snagg rattlin' weight, a three feet leader,
and a 2/0 MUSTAD wide gap hook. I will start out with
a ZOOM centipede worm and might end up throwing a big
Old Monster worm. Something about fall fishing and a
big worm go hand in hand. Make sure you spray all your
plastics with JACK'S JUICE in crawfish scent.
What
I'm pointing out is that once you find the fish, stay
and work them. Run the banks with top waters, when you
get in the backs or shallows go to the cranks and if
you come to a point back off with the Carolina rig.
Good
luck on your next fishing trip and don't forget to wear
your Woo Shoes. May God Bless..
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