Shallow to Deep Bass Bite Hot on Top & Snook too!

With the lack of spring to summer rains here in south Florida, water levels are a bit down, causing foliage and such as aquatic vegetation to also be sparse in places with only large patches of Hydrillias and lilies floating on top along drop offs, causing the bass bite to be as hot as ever. Largemouths are taking any lure mimicking small bait fishes in the three inch or less range as well as bluegills or crayfish in preparation of winter.

The best lure in the fall angler’s tackle box a top-water plug followed by the spinner bait, which can be fished numerous ways. Most bodies of water are clear right now as the lack of rain and run offs has been light, but that still won’t stop the bass from schooling up in search of bait fish, bugs, minnows such as shad, and bluegills or crayfish, where a cast into the shallows is a good bet. This is where the fluttering action of a spinner blade comes into play, you should vary your retrieves, jerking and darting the lure every so often to resemble a wounded prey, as you wind in at a quicker than normal pace bring your blades to skipping the top of the water.
The spinner bait also is a great choice right now because it can be fished easily throughout the water column, including near the bottom when bass are staging somewhat deeper. In fact, you should look for areas with lots of cover and vegetation, and then target humps, ridges and drop-offs nearby, especially on cloudy days or if the wind picks up causing large disturbances on the surface.
Other baits to include in your arsenal when you’re tempting bass with what appears to be a wounded food source are jerkbaits and swimming jigs. They also can be used in a number of ways, and some of the most fun I’ve had bass fishing has come around docks and other structure this time of year with jerkbaits. The key to finding consistency often is giving the lure enough action so that bass will find it irresistible but also not pausing too long. Most days you’ll have to experiment with what the bass want, but when you find the right mix it can be downright amazing.
One thing to consider when using larger baits is...MORE