soned structures over the plastic floatation chambers of modern docks because these big, white blocks promote the food chain that attracts bass. algae grow more abundantly on Styrofoam than on the black plastic and shad eat this algae, hence the bass connection. Now, when the mercury falls, the black, plastic floats take over the popularity by holding more heat across their dark Dock designs vary greatly in size surfaces. These floating space heaters make cozy hang- outs when late fall-winter finds lakes turning chilly. in and complexity, but the fish will often the California delta’s tidal environment, docks where determine some consistent criteria that dense weed mats accumulate merit close inspec- tion, as these mobile sun shades offer bass com- define where they’ll be on a given day. In fortable quarters on bright days.
as most docks comprise a walkway and some type of end structure like a t, boat shed or pavilion, it’s easy to assume that dominant termi- nus deserves all of your casts. actually, the dock bite could range from tip to tip.
The stable water at the deep end is definitely most productive during summer and winter, but looks for fall bites from a dock’s center to its shoreward quarter. Spring often finds spawn-
APPROACH STRATEGIES
fact, experienced anglers appreciate a lake with numerous docks because they can usually pattern them in short order. Figure out the day’s order and you can run the entire lake and expect a reasonable level of consistency.
ers at the shallow end where the fry can instantly find protective cover. When the fish coop- erate, note the depths of your bites. You may find 20 docks on a dead flat stretch, but with uneven bottom, bass will decide they like the temperature at a certain depth and hold there consistently across many spots. Within all of this, consider that fish will slide toward deeper water during a drawdown of any scale. They’ll remain in the same relative depth zone, but that zone might move outward a couple of feet or so.
WHAT TO THROW
Throughout the seasons, no bait can claim the jig’s dock versatility. From a full-bodied football head and chunky trailer meant to rumble along the bottom, to a slender shaky head wiggling by a piling, or a
April 2012
Issue 2
19