What lures to use for bass in shallow water?
A spinnerbait is perhaps the most versatile bait out there, second maybe only to a jig. A spinnerbait can be used in all four seasons in less than a foot of water all the way down to deep-water ledges. You can burn it, slow roll it, pump it and pause it; there’s so much you can do with a spinnerbait.
What depth do you fish for smallmouth bass?
Smallmouth will spawn anywhere from 1-foot of water out to 20-feet at a typical range of 5-10 feet. After the spawn, they will stage in 8-10-feet and recover before moving into their summer pattern. Smallies will move to deeper water for the summer and even deeper before their fall transition.
What is considered shallow water for bass fishing?
Super shallow water (less than 2 feet) holds bass all year because it almost always contains the three things necessary for a bass to live – food (bluegill, fry, crawfish, and frogs), cover (laydowns, vegetation, docks), and oxygen.
Do smallmouths go shallow in fall?
Fall. Pipkens said smallmouth go shallow in the fall for several reasons. “It’s certainly the conditions and time of year,” he said. “But it’s really the bait.” Those baitfish, which are often small yellow perch, move shallow as water temperatures fall, and the smallmouth stay on their tails.
Do bass like shallow or deep water?
Bass eat more often in warmer water, which makes catching them seem pretty easy sometimes. They stay shallow — typically less than 8 feet — until hot summer days push water temperatures into the high 80s.
Where is smallmouth in fall?
Wing dams, islands, sand drops and mouths to backwaters all provide excellent areas for baitfish balls to group up and create ambush points for schools of smallmouths. Those same large eddies become wintering locations for smallmouths so they don’t have to move much and are often found in water less than 10 feet deep.
Where do smallmouth bass go in early fall?
Fall Presentations During the first two weeks of October, the fish are going to be shallower and tend to be spread out over the structure. Horizontal baits work their best on a front end of this fall transition, say water temperatures at 65 going down to about 45 degrees.
Where do bass go in winter in shallow lakes?
Shallow water warms up faster in sunny conditions, which is the reason I love to fish shallow in cold weather.” As the sun becomes higher throughout the day, bass will gravitate toward the warmest water available and slowly move onto shallow flats and cover in order to feed.
Where do bass go when the lake is low?
So when the water rises, you’ll often find big bass hanging out in flooded bushes and underneath dock walkways in what’s normally super-shallow water. Conversely, when the water level falls, bass move away from the bank and tend to suspend.
What is the best bait to catch smallmouth bass?
6 of the Best Smallmouth Bass Lures
- Blade Baits. Fishing blade baits for smallmouth is an excellent cold water technique, but can also be very effective during the warmer months too.
- Small Soft Plastics.
- Jigs.
- Jerkbaits.
- Crankbaits and Spinnerbaits.
- Topwater Lures.
What do smallmouth eat in the fall?
At this time of year, the rivers are absolutely full of shad minnows which the fall smallmouth feed on to get ready for the winter. So look for similar baitfish in your area and use baits that mimic that pattern.
What do smallmouth eat during the fall?
How deep are bass in cold water?
Deep Water Winter Bass Hotspots A depth change of 2 feet or 20 feet could be a good wintertime bass hideout depending on the geographic location of the fishery. The water is too cold at the average depth of the flat (about 10 feet deep), so the bass seek out the deepest water they can find for a comfort zone.