Junk-Fishing 101 for Bass

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ELIMINATE DEAD WATER

To catch fish, you must be around fish. Not profound, I know. But anglers spend too much time in areas where there are no bass. They attribute the slow bite to the bait, color, water depth, etc., and sift through their tackle boxes ad nauseam.

Eliminate water by using nautical charts and sonar. I use a Navionics chip on the bow and console. I’m able to fish smarter by viewing topographic contours and unique features like flooded timber, channel swings, shoals, grass beds and rockpiles. These features identify fishing spots but also help you cover and/or eliminate water faster, safely (hazard identification is comforting, too). I review spawning areas, launch facilities, floating restrooms and other features in my garage. This saves time. The Navionics boating app is another good tool for this, as is Google Earth, and you can do all of this from your recliner.

But you still have to use your senses and get baits wet. Don’t have a thermometer? Take a mental reading. If snowmelt is pouring into the tributaries, you can bet the water is cold up the creeks. If the runoff is warm rain, that’s different. Those inlets may be warmer than the main lake. Just the current caused by runoff may be a factor. It can ignite the bite and attract fish.

In clear water where bass rely on eyesight to feed, muddy creeks are usually places to avoid. Baits get lost, and bass go into semi-shock mode until things stabilize. On the other hand, rattling crankbaits, jigs and other loud/colorful baits sometimes excel in this environment. Some anglers live for it, and it might be worth a few casts to eliminate the possibility.

Bass junkies beat the banks this month, but, sometimes, pressured fisheries require something different. I’ve seen the shallow bite vanish on some amazing lakes after 200 anglers in bass boats descend upon it. Offshore humps, submerged roadbeds and other “hidden” sites become jewels.

On some lakes, your graph will light up with fish, no matter the settings. Learn to distinguish which are bass. The formation is a giveaway. Even if they are bass, if they won’t bite, it’s “dead water,” as far as I’m concerned. It’s time to move on.

FINE TUNE

My tournament partner, Logan, always says, “Keep it simple.” It’s his nervous mantra before the sun is up. He just hopes I don’t get crazy and fish the whole lake with my entire arsenal before noon.

He’s often right on the mark. You don’t want to be schizophrenic out there. But I’ve also learned, there’s always more than one way to catch ’em. When you put 150 boats on a given fishery this time of year, guys catch them in a variety of ways, often depending upon personal preferences and fishing strengths. The point is, junk-fish until you stumble onto something; then, narrow it down. If possible, fish the way you like to. Do what you’re good at.

KEEP THE CHANGE

The only thing certain this time of year is change. It’s constant. Be prepared to change. There are certain rules of thumb. It’s usually an “if this, then that” type of thing. If the water is clear, go with natural colors. If it’s warm and sunny, bass move up. But there are always exceptions.

A cold front or storm this month will often slow the bite or “back them off.” The tendency is to slow down and fish deeper, especially if you are freezing, can’t feel your hands and can’t possibly retie a knot. Sometimes that’s the right move.

But the water temperature may be much cozier than the air temperature, and the fish may be biting up a storm down there in 50-degree-plus water. Don’t freeze up mentally by locking down on a single spot, hoping a bass will pick up your bait. The surface chop or low light created by the front might be just enough to trigger big fish to bite. Try covering some water, instead. Maybe you’re just in the wrong spot.

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