Randleman bass crashing baits in backs of creeks

Topwaters working great early in day along windy, rocky banks

If bass anglers want to see some action during November, they should visit Randleman Dam Reservoir.

“The bite and numbers of fish still are really good over there,” said guide Joel Richardson of Kernersville. “The shad are migrating into the backs of the creeks, chasing shad. They’re going upstream.

“I like to fish stained water this time of year, and that’s almost always going to be a cove that’s got a creek or small stream coming into it. That’s where the shad are most of the time in November.”

Richardson likes to use topwater lures early in the morning, including white buzzbaits, stickbaits, Pop-Rs and Zara Spooks.

“I caught a 7-pounder with a white 3/8-ounce buzzbait in the morning not too long ago at Randleman,” said Richardson (336-803-2195). “He was in some water two to five feet deep. He was hangin’ around some rocks on the side of a point.

“Countdown baits like chrome-colored Rat-L-Traps and shad-colored crankbaits also will work well, especially where I’ve been finding ’em in 5- to 10-foot depths.”

Bass in the lake’s feeder creeks seem to be “hangin’ around steeper banks, especially those with rocks where the wind’s blowin’ on ’em,” he said.

Woody structure hasn’t been giving up many bites, but the ones caught around wood seem to be larger fish.

“Most of Randleman’s bass are going to be in the 2½- to 4-pound range,” he said. “I think you can use a creature bait Texas-rigged around the rocks and maybe some wood cover in deeper water,” he said. “But a 1/4- to 3/8-ounce jig, black/blue or a black/brown, would be my choice of soft plastics right now,” Richardson said.

He also advised anglers to use 17- to 25-pound-test monofilament line because “the fish over there are a little stronger than other bass, I guess from all the food available, and they can take line and wrap you around stickups if you don’t turn their heads.”