Remember when bass fishing was simple and fun? Now everything has gotten so commercial you have to compete to see who has the most expensive boat and who has the biggest horse. Let me tell you something, I've caught more fish already in a flat bottom aluminum boat than most people will catch in a lifetime. You don't need a twenty or thirty thousand dollar boat to go fishing. There's only two requirements for a boat - it has to float and it has to be safe. Other than that, things like depth finders, gps, etc. ain’t really necessary but just good to have. The main thing you have to remember about fishing is to have fun. Having said all this, Let’s go!
There are many ways to bass fish, without having to spend a lot of money. I will be taking you on one of the easiest and funnest trips you can go on. All you need for this trip will be a cast net, a rod and reel, of course, and an anchor. During the fall, bass pile up on shallow points, road beds, and piers. So what we are going to do today is fish points about four to ten feet deep. The only catch to this is you have to have shad, which can be located by watching the water. When you see shad popping the top of the water, throw your net into this big ole pile of bait, throw them into a livewell or tank and you are ready to go. Once you get the shad you are ready to find a good point to fish. Long tapering points are the best, or any point that has a depth change in close proximity to where you want to anchor your boat. I have found it to be better if you stay in about five to six feet of water, casting toward the bank and making a complete circle around the boat. This is an easy and fast way to find a lot of bass piled up together. If you catch one, you will probably catch a bunch. Keep throwing back to where you caught the first fish because bass like to group up, especially in the fall. This tactic will work just about any time of the year but fall seems to be the best. When I say fall what I mean is October through November. These fish cannot resist live bait. If this fails to work for you, try moving in or out of shallow water with your trolling motor or with the wind if you don't have a trolling motor.
Now that you know what to do lets talk about rigging your bait. The only thing you need is a hook or a hook and cork. I have found it better to use a brown or cork colored cork, but red and white will work too. The shad has nose holes. Stick the hook through one nose hole and out the other. This will help keep the shad alive. It is very important to do everything you can do to keep your bait lively. There are many ways to keep your bait alive, but the easiest way is salt and ice. About a 1/4 cup of salt added to your bait tank and 1 bag of ice will really help. Even a pump of some sort that keeps the water moving will help greatly. Keeping your bait alive will become easy the more you do this type of fishing.
This is probably the most productive type of fishing you will ever do because every fish in the lake will eat a shad. I have caught bass, stripe, catfish, drum, etc on shad and it is one of my favorite ways of fishing. I do this during the hottest part of summer in the creeks fishing for saltwater stripe. My personal best is 31 lbs but that is another story. Give this a try and let me know if it works for you. Best of luck!
Barry Brasher is an avid fisherman on Logan Martin and other Alabama lakes. He is also co-owner of <A HREF="http://www.bamabassfishing.com/">BamaBassFishing.com</A>, a popular website devoted to bass fishing in Alabama.
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