You can bank on where to find Wateree bass this month
By the time October arrives, the stifling, muggy summer heat that prevailed a short month ago is becoming a welcome memory as nights get longer and temperatures are in a fairly steady decline. Water temperatures are also beginning to drop and that has a definite effect on fishing.
But for a bass fisherman on South Carolina’s Lake Wateree, while water temperatures are cooling, the key to success is to find warmer water. That means working shallower water along the shoreline, according to veteran angler Dearal Rodgers.
“In October, the shoreline grass is still flourishing, and the water remains stained year-round. This combination of variables leans greatly toward shallow-water bites,” he said.
“This time of year, I target grass from morning to night. I like to begin with topwater, and it’s hard to beat a Buckeye Lures buzzbait or Snag Proof Frog in the morning. As the sun reaches higher in the sky, I will transition to a swim jig in shad or bream colors and flipping a Strike King Rage Craw or Rage Bug.”
The key with the swim jig is to let it fall in any hole that the grass creates, Rodgers said. Color choice can make a difference; he prefers green pumpkin, watermelon red and junebug.
While the shoreline grass is a haven for October bass, Rodgers said docks are another productive target.
“As I’m fishing the shoreline, I don’t miss any opportunity to cast under Wateree’s many docks with a green pumpkin Mop Jig. Rigged with a green pumpkin trailer, it’s always been my big fish bait,” he said.
Be the first to comment