Shallow Bassin'

Warmer water months are the times when bass will tend to be in shallower water for greater portions of their daily patterns. I have always felt that bass have to overcome their instinct to move to deeper strata. Several things can influence these shifts away from the shallows. One of these is a migration of food into deeper water. The most important food source that can influence such a movement is shad. In warmer water, and particularly back-water areas, this can occur due to changes in water quality. The lack of oxygen in water affects bass, as well as shad, so poor quality water necessitates a shift into oxygen rich areas or places where wave action more readily places oxygen in the water. A natural shift in habitat of bass usually occurs each day in that they move more shallow late in the day and during the night and then move out to deeper water with the increasing intensity of daylight. This shift can be considerably altered if you consider that it in part occurs due to the influence of sunlight. For example, on a cloudy day bass may stay shallow all day. They may also stay shallow (if there is food and good water quality) if there is appropriate cover to offer shade. I can't emphasize the importance of brush, weeds, and water lilies in keeping bass shallow in a clear-water lake. Vegetation not only acts as an incubator for all the food chain, but it creates shade that draws bait and keeps a population of bass which are shaded from the sunlight. Take the vegetation and cover out of a clear-water lake and your only option for shallow water fishing is indeed late afternoon, night, or early. There is one other variable that keeps bass shallower for longer periods in a generally clear-water lake and that is the presence of stained water in the back of creeks or coves. These events occur when there is runoff from summer showers. Such stained, shallow areas attract baitfish and bass. Summertime shallow water fishing with topwaters can be one of the most exciting ways to entice strikes. Working slush baits including those with tail spinners as well as chuggers, poppers, or Zaras make presentation an art form. An expert can "talk" a bass into striking by giving it a presentation that can't be resisted. While there are considerable color options in each of these types of baits, a basic black and white chugger and shad/chrome color in the others are necessities. Buzzbaits and spinnerbaits have always been lethal weapons in shallow water when bass are in a chasing mood. Of course minnow-type baits such as Red Fins and Rogues are lethal on shallow water bass.