Bass fishing tips from a professional angler
How many times have you got a bite as soon as you pulled a lure off the bank or as soon as it touched down? Knowing when to go super shallow can maximize your time and enable you to catch more fish.
Water clarity is key to making fish feel safe at depths less than one foot. Muddy or murky water should be the first thing that will tip an angler off to casting ultra shallow. Some bass will spawn in inches of water, even in clear water. This pattern can be used year round with success.
Maximize your time fishing shallow in several ways. First, try fishing parallel (or semi parallel as depth dictates) to the shore, keeping your bait in the strike zone longer. You also can cast directly toward the bank, working your lure a few feet, then reel it in (flipping is a great technique; it even eliminates reeling).
Many times fishing shallow doesn’t necessarily mean fishing the bank, but it could mean fishing shallow flats and isolated cover in inches of water.
Next, tackle and lures can help cover this strike zone more efficiently. Super-shallow cranks (such as Daiwa’s new super-shallow crankbait) are excellent lures, as are spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and topwater lures.
Speed flipping a plastic worm or creature bait often is an overlooked technique. I really like the new 3-inch’ Culprit Water Beetle and Foxy Craw with a ¼-ounce weight and 2/0 to 4/0 hooks.
Super-shallow bass often feed on small baitfish and crawfish, so I tend to choose smaller baits unless the water is extremely muddy (3 inches or less visibility).
A fast-retrieve 7.1:1 reel, such as Daiwa’s Zillion, works well for getting a lure quickly out of a dead-water zone.
Key areas to look for shallow bass are the backs of creeks and flats close to a creek channel. Bass often use points early in the morning to ambush shallow baits, even in clear water.
Anytime shad are spawning, the strike zone is at the bank. Look for shad to spawn at clay and rock banks, usually two to four weeks after the bass spawn.
Late summer and fall are the most dependable times to fish shallow as water quality issues occur in deeper water. Other good times are after a warm rain when the water temperature is cold.
Shallow bass also can be caught anytime bream are spawning by using topwater poppers such as a T.D. Popper Zero and Culprit Jerk Shad.
Another one of my favorites has become an Assassinator spinnerbait in bull bream color. This spinnerbait perfectly imitates the color and profile of a bream. The color scheme is natural and different than most other spinnerbait colors.
Look for bream to spawn at shallow sandy bottoms, often near brushy cover.
Don’t be scared to make the changes necessary to be more efficient in the shallows.
You’ll catch a lot more bass that are awfully fun in the skinny stuff.
Dustin Wilks is a 31-year-old professional bass angler and Raleigh native now living in Rocky Mount. He has qualified for the Bassmaster Classic four times and operates Fish Like a Pro Fishing Lessons (252-883-6749, www.fishlikeapro.com ). His sponsors include Assassinator Spinnerbaits, Chatterbuzz, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha, Daiwa, Keelshield and Culprit.
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