By Mike Frisch and the Fishing the Midwest Team
Summer Shallow Water Bass Fishing Pattern
This summer at Fishing the Midwest, we produced a couple of television shows featuring largemouth bass holding in shady cover. The cover these bass were relating to was provided by docks and boat/pontoon lifts, fallen trees, and cut banks. A cut bank is where shoreline rushes have an open water space beneath them caused by erosion.
Why Bass Use Shade in Shallow, Off-Colored Water
Regardless the cause of the shade, the common denominator for these various types of cover included shallow water that was off-colored. Off-colored, shallow lakes usually lack deep weeds and so the bass often relate to shallow “junk weeds” and other forms of cover like those listed above.
How Shallow Is “Shallow” for Summer Bass?
Some people find it surprising that, in this case, the term “shallow” means water usually less than 2 feet deep. Some also find it surprising when told that this shallow water pattern often peaks under bright, sunny conditions, often during mid-day! For example, a classic scenario demonstrating the pattern includes a 5-pound largemouth bass tucked up under a dock (or fallen tree or cut bank) on a 90-degree day with little or no wind.
Key Considerations for Catching Shallow Water Bass
Catching shallow water bass relating to shade involves keeping a few things in mind.
Best Conditions for Shallow Water Bass
First, remember that those hot, steamy summer “dog days” – when lots of other fish might be hard to catch – are usually the best for targeting big bass living in the shade.
Stealth and Boat Positioning in the Shallows
Second, and maybe most importantly, a stealthy approach to accessing the shallows and presenting baits is important. The off-colored water present in most lakes we utilize this pattern on allows us to get the boat a bit closer than maybe we could when fishing clear waters. However, a slow, steady pace with the trolling motor when approaching a dock, tree, or cut bank is important. Also, casting accuracy to avoid hitting a dock post or putting your bait in an overhanging tree is paramount as both those situations often ruin that fishing opportunity.
Using Shallow Water Anchors to Fish Productive Cover
Third, when fishing these forms of cover, it is not unusual to catch more than one bass from a shady spot. For that reason, when fishing a good dock, fallen tree, or cutbank l often use my Power-Pole shallow water anchors to “pole down” to keep the boat in the spot I want it to be. This lets me fish the shady cover thoroughly without worrying about boat control and spooking the fish. A “good” dock, tree or bank, by the way, is one that consistently produces fish, or might be a large dock with adjoining boat and pontoon lifts or a big tree with several overhanging limbs.
Best Baits and Gear for Shallow Water Bass Fishing
Finally, the last bit of advice includes the baits being presented and how we do so. First, we use an under-hand pitch or a roll cast skip to present the bait. Lots on how to execute these two techniques has been written that can easily be found on the internet. A variety of classic bass baits like skirted flipping jigs or Texas rigged plastics will work. On our television shoots we used various baits, a ½ ounce Tour Grade Skipping Jig and a Texas rigged Rage Craw were two of our favorites. At times, we combined the two by tipping the jig with the craw. Regardless, this jig is designed for skipping so it was perfect for getting under docks, trees and banks. And the Rage Craw creates a great deal of disturbance as it falls in the water which is important to attracting fish/triggering bites in off-colored water. We used mostly jigs and plastics in black and blue color combinations. Another important part of bait presentation includes the right rod/reel/fishing line. Lew’s has a variety of baitcasting rods designed with dock fishing, skipping, and pitching in mind. We had good success with several rods when paired with the Pro SP Skipping and Pitching reel which is also built for this fishing style. It allows for long skips and pitches to get baits way up under docks, trees and banks. Braided fishing line of at least 30-pound test completes our shady bass fishing outfit, allowing us to fish around heavy cover like dock posts and tree branches without worrying about break offs.
As always, enjoy your time on the water and remember to include a youngster in your next outdoors adventure!
