Looking For Guide

[Hang Jawl]

Isn't there a depth even in hot weather that bass don't venture below? 25-30 ft maybe?

[fishinwrench]

Does the crank bait have to get down to the bottom (20 ft on some points and steep banks, deep docks) or just swim through the water a few feet below surface?

A DD-22 on 12# line and a fairly long cast will either smack or get "close enough" to the tops of brushpiles that are sitting in 18-20fow. Shad pattern cranks are hard to beat here.

September is actually the prime time for big crankbaits but they'll do the deed right now pretty well.

Another good crankbait pattern on this lake is burning a 7A Bomber alongside the shady sides of docks. You won't win any tournaments doing it but it's a good numbers technique for hot sunny afternoons and doesn't requuire precise boat positioning so even if the water is kinda rough you can still pull it off.

Slow falling a big worm T-rigged with a 1/16-1/8oz. Bullet around big condo docks is a good way to catch some hawgs in the Summer...it's a line watching game where you may be sitting over 30-40ft. but your bites will come between 5-15'.

Stitching bluffs still works, but again....your gonna catch mostly dinks until you find a sweet spot.

Lots of ways to catch bass, that's why they are the #1 sportfish. It never has to get boring. If you really wanna step up your game leave the 'gear' at home and take a 7-9wt. flyrod after them.

[fishinwrench]

Isn't there a depth even in hot weather that bass don't venture below? 25-30 ft maybe?

I'm sure there is, but there are guys here that are pretty consistent catching good fish at 35-40'....I'm not one of them though. Personally I seldom fish deeper than 12-15' year round, and that's only when I can't put something together in less than 6'. Sometimes that means sneaking around like a ninja and pitching in the middle of a maze of steel, but I personally prefer that to battling mainlake rollers and dredging for twigs in the abyss.

[Old plug]

Well said Mr Wrench. The worm thing is something I do a awful lot I think you know that. Fishing a plastic worms is what I do. I can verify when that system Wrench is talking about with the worm is working you might experience some of the best fishing of a lifetime. The past two years I did that over fish suspended 25 to 30 ft deep over channels. I would go out in the evening and I could see them rising to feed on bait fish about 10 ft down. I would just make long cast and work it ever so slowly. I had 2 of the finest seasons I ever had. This year for some reason that particular way of using the system is the pits. I have only caught 4 bass 21" or better (5 lbs) this year ( mostly because of stubbornness) and none of them came over deep channels. All my bass this year were more on the shallower dock corners and over( not on or in) brush piles. Though the water is shallower the basic system is the same. Sometimes I have no weight over than the hook itself. As a example I caught a 20" bass just a week or so ago off the back corner of a dock in water only 3 ft deep using a unweighted worm.

[Hang Jawl]

I've been bass fishing for 30 years and you guys speak a bass dialect that I'm even having to sort out ... I love it !

[Hang Jawl]

I'm in love with the LOZ scenery and depth variation. When you are used to shallow dingy lakes that go dead in the summer the clearer water and points, ledges etc are great for variety. Also the amount of spots to fish, wow!

[Old plug]

I've been bass fishing for 30 years and you guys speak a bass dialect that I'm even having to sort out ... I love it !

I would imagine you fish a lot of different lures. I do not. Right now there are 5 made up rods in my boat. 4 with plastic worms on them . All of the worms are 11" or better 3 or brownish color and one is blue. That one is a ring worm they have all those ridges and they really go down slow. They all or on 14 lb test and weighted differently. The other one is a small spinning rod set up with 10 lb test line and has no relationship to bass fishing. it has a rope lure on it for Gar. The later is just in case things are slow and I see some rolling. Like big catfish they are a poor mans salt water experience. I hope you can see from this my attention is focused on how the worm sinks. What I am trying to do with all this is get as gentle presentation as I can. The deeper I have to go the the more weight I add. If i do touch brush I want to play my worm through. In a natural way with as little disturbance to the brush as possible.

[Hang Jawl]

Patience is essential. It seems it would also be hard to sink the worm with choppy waters and depth. Also to feel the bite. Do you use Texas Rig? Bullet wt?

[Old plug]

I use a texas rig. I have bullet weights from 1/16 to 3/8, i also have some split shot. This past week I was fishing my one worm with a tiny split shot on it. Swimming and dancing it around docks. Did fine earlier in the week did terrible a day or so before the rain and have had to stay close to the house since it started to help a widow neighbor lady clean up her flooded lower level. But I am going within 45 min I will be GONE.

[Hang Jawl]

How was the bite tonight?