Shallow Water Bassin

Shallow water to some anglers is anything less than 10 feet, while they consider deep water anything beyond that mark. And others find water five or six feet to be deep, in comparison to the water they prefer to fish. Most anglers by nature are shallow water fishermen. That's because the water five feet deep or less is where bass are most easy to locate. Shallow water doesn't require a lot of specialized equipment either. No heavy weights are necessary, and it is a lot easier in shallow water to keep your bait in contact with the bottom than it is in relatively deep water. The majority of bass anglers like to get into the really thick stuff; they know the old mossbacks are more likely to be holed up under a stump or backed up under a heavy wood pile. So they resort to the fine art of flipping.

TACKLE: Flipping is nothing more than presenting a lure (plastic worms and jigs are the most popular) on a short line in tight cover. No special equipment is necessary, although a 7 1/2 foot flippin' stick is helpful. Some fishermen flip with the standard long rod and baitcasting reel with 20 to 30 pound test line. Others like the long rod, but they hang spinning reels or spincast models under the rod. The beauty of flipping is that you really don't play the bass, because where you are going to catch them means it is impossible. Flipping is no time for light drags and ultra-light line, although some circumstances call for line as light as 12 or 10 pound test. Of course, you won't land a five pound bass if you have to drag it over a fallen tree and a milfoil bed on 10 pound line. When the light stuff is necessary, you have to concentrate on positioning yourself so you don't get into situations where you'll have to flip across a tree trunk. When you do hook a bass, set the hook hard (the term cross their eyes is appropriate), and get the fish to the boat and clear of the cover.

PRESENTATION: To present the lure close to cover in a manner that is as quiet as possible is the flipping angler's goal. Long range casts are not the goal. Instead, you want to use your boat to help put you in position for the presentation, then let the rod finish the job. Swing the lure to the target as close to the water as possible, then let it touch the water as quietly as you can. Let it drop, wiggle it a few times, then pull it back and flip it again. It's a two handed motion, rod in one hand and a length of line in the other. You don't let line spool off the reel, but instead you use the line you're holding in your non rod hand. Be certain, however, to get that hand on the rod as soon as the lure is in the water. You'll need your whole body to winch a lunker from the brush when that strike occurs.

BASS LOCATION: Many factors affect where the bass will be holding when they move into shallow water. Foremost probably are the availability of food and the presence of cover. Without them, the bass has no reason to be shallow, obviously. So look for shallow water that has lots of cover: brush, stumps, leaning trees, standing timber, lily pads, cattails, aquatic weeds such as milfoil and coontail, dock and other objects, including various forms of trash. More than one bass has been jerked from sunken appliances, old tires, rusted tricycles and the like. The key is the bass need a place to call home.

WATER CLARITY: Water clarity is another factor. It may not dictate where the bass will be shallow water, but it can force them a little deeper. If the water clears dramatically in a given area, the bass might get spooky and back off some. The main effect clear water has on shallow water bass fishing is that it gives the bass a chance to observe your intrusion, and it gets a clearer view of your lure and your fishing line. If you encounter clear water, but you have to fish it, then downsize your lures and line. You may be forced to use a four inch worm on six or eight pound line. Or you may have to resort to a small spinner rather than rather than the big clunky ones. Too, you should avoid brightly colored clothing when you are in shallow clear water. A red shirt or other flashy clothing will spook largemouth bass.

YOUR APPROACH: One way to find out whether your appraoch is stealthy enough is to peer carefully into the water and watch for telltale puffs of mud rising in swirls from the lake bottom. Their presence might indicate your spooking bass and they are scooting before you have a chance to put your lure in front of them.

GOOD BASS WATER: Just because the water is shallow, that doesn't mean it necessarily is good water. Shallow bassin' calls for finding areas where deep water is fairly close. The deep routes can include creek channels in the backs of coves and inlets, or dropoffs and ledges adjacent to long flats. Find shallow water within a hundred yards of a creek channel, add plenty of stumps and brush and a sandy bottom with lots of crawfish, bluegill, and shad nearby, and you likely will find a bass or two.