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Summer 2019
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“You can regularly catch large bass in inches of water as long as there is some form shade to block the heat of the sun,” said Lain.
“Bass love to get out of the sun into those dark shady places, Woods added. “When I won the WON Bass event at Havasu in January, I targeted shallow grass next to boats docks in marinas.”
The key to catching his bass involved targeting the grass patches next to the boat docks where unsuspecting bass staged in search of an easy meal.
DOWNISIZE FOR POWER FINESSE
Lain suggests that anglers adjust their bubba flipping mentality to more of a power finesse approach to catch skittish clear water bass.
“Downsizing flipping baits to target clear water flipping involves precise bait selection and good tackle,” said Lain. “My power finesse flipping tackle is a Daiwa 8’ Steez heavy- action rod and a 7.9:1, high-speed Daiwa SV reel. When I power finesse flip, I use Daiwa J-Braid X4.”
Lain opts for what he describes as hi-vis yellow 30-pound Daiwa braided line tied to 20-pound Sunline Flippin’ fluorocarbon line. The two lines are connected together via a uni-to-uni knot. He prefers the hi-vis line in shallow water for better detection of subtle bites or line movement. Braided line offers great abrasion resistance and the ability to cut through grass and tules.
TIP: Bites in shallow clear water can be a matter of the fish picking up the bait and swimming off into deeper water. In other words, you may never actually “feel” the bite.
FIND HIGH PERCENTAGE DETAILS
Lain and Woods both use their Lowrance electronics and Navionics mapping charts to locate high percentage locations that are likely to hold bass.
Woods keeps his Mercury powered Nitro boat on channel bends in the river at Lake Havasu. He likes to target banks in the river or the lake that have deeper water next to shallow tule flats.
“The river has a lot of catchable size bass at Lake Havasu,” Woods said. “I like to use my new Lowrance LIVE
units and Navionics Regions West card to locate deeper tule patches where bass can hide in shallow water and feed on crawdads and other bait.”
Woods describes high percentage locations as places where bass go to feed and escape the likelihood of being seen.
THE RIGHT LURE
Woods and Lain agree that a 5-inch Yamamoto Senko style bait is one of the best options for clear, shallow water flipping. The Senko catches the inactive bass that do not respond to a reaction bait.
Both like natural colors such as natural shad or some type of green pumpkin with flake in it.
While Woods opts to add a little weight to his Senko presentation, Lain prefers to fish his soft stick baits weightless.
“The light weight added to the Senko allows me to increase the bait’s rate of fall, while flipping to shallow water bass,” said Woods.
Lain will also flip a 1/2-ounce Revenge jig and a 3/4-ounce Tungsten weight and punch skirt with a 4/0 or 5/0 hook and a beaver-style creature bait in and around tule banks.
“When I am flipping shady tules or outside edges of cover, I choose a 5-inch Yamamoto Senko, or my new favorite, a 5-inch Daiwa Neko Fat Worm fished weightless and rigged weedless Texas style,” Lain said. “My tackle is a Daiwa Tatula Elite Series 7’4” heavy-action Ish Monroe Open Water Frog rod, paired with a high-speed Daiwa Steez reel.”
Woods likes to yo-yo a green pumpkin vibrating jig with a matching Yamamoto Zako trailer. He follows the vibrating jig up with a 5-inch Yamamoto Senko in green pumpkin candy, rigged with a 3/8-ounce Pro Tungsten weight.
Woods pairs both his vibrating jig and Senko with 16-pound Yo-Zuri 100% fluorocarbon line. Both baits are fished on Enigma Fishing rods.
Both Lain and Woods noted that anglers should never avoid the shallowest water possible.
They each have each been very surprised just how shallow clear water bass will go to find an easy meal or to escape the heat of the day. Give these tips a try and you too may be in for a pleasant surprise. •