me to spend more time fishing and less time driving all over the lake. Soon, I learned Gville’s bass live in the grass year-round and they like to be shallow during the fall—in 2- to 6-ft of water.
I’ve gained a lot of experience fishing Gville’s shallow vegetation during the fall and have learned what to focus on to help me catch more bass. Not every grass fishery has the same types of vegetation or sets up just like Guntersville; but I’m confident you can take some of these tips and apply them to your favorite grass fishery.
Swim and vibrating jigs.
SHALLOW GRASS LINES
As the air and water temperature drop during the fall, the shad begin migrating from main lake areas to the creeks using grass lines as highways. I attack grass lines the same way I do when fishing the shoreline— by targeting irregularities, like points, indentations, and sudden depth changes. Bass use these irregularities to ambush baitfish, because they create cover and slack water areas bass are comfortable holding in.
I also focus on areas where two or more vegetation types come together to form a seam. Grass seams can be high percentage areas because they usually have hard bottom areas between them, and are magnets for baitfish and other prey bass feed on.
When I find a point covered with Hydrilla, milfoil, or eelgrass, I always graph the entire point looking to see where the hard vegetation line stops and if there’s any isolated vegetation clumps scattered beyond the hard line. These isolated clumps are usually located on the end or sides of the point and can hold some of the largest bass in an area. Big bass often like to hang out by themselves, so targeting isolated grass clumps away from the thickest grass lines are always worth fishing for the bigger bites.
THE ARSENAL
I may fish a grass line for several hundred yards only to find two or three 20-yard sections holding bass; so it’s important to cover water quickly with moving baits. Two of my favorites are swim jigs and vibrating jigs, specifically a shad-colored ¼-oz 4x4 Swim Jig and a 3/8-oz Picasso Shock Blade. I pair both with a 3.5” Pearl Blue Silver Yamamoto Swimbait trailer. If the water is stained and I need more vibration to help the bass hone in on my lure, I start with the Shock Blade. But, if the water has good visibility, (2-ft or more) I’ll start with the 4x4 Swim Jig.
I fish both lures on a 7’6” medium-heavy Abu Garcia Veracity casting rod paired with a 7.1:1 Abu Garcia REVO SX casting reel. The long rod and high speed reel gives me both the strength and speed I need to pull bass from shallow grass. I also like 17-lb Berkley 100% Trilene to keep my bait riding high in the water column. Heavy fluorocarbon also gives me the sensitivity I need to feel the most subtle bites.
FALL 2016
11