As we move into more of a fall bite the bass start to vacate the deeper ledges, they follow the creeks and hang out in the flats, where the creeks meet at the tightest points. The key is locating the large groups of bait fish along the isolated flats. Not all the flats are created equal, some have depth change and many do not.
Depth change is the key to holding bait fish; depth change can be just a by-product of grass creating depth change, or it could be a true change from like 6 ft. to 10 feet along the flat area. Which- ever it might be, if you can’t visualize the bait on your Lowrance products, then you must establish the bottom change from your sonar.
One key to the fishing in the heat this time of year is following the creek back farther and farther as it gets hotter into the day! The tightest areas where the creek narrows at it tightest points become fishing targets as the bass are staging for the feeding run in the fall.
It is my opinion that as this movement to the narrow parts of the creeks becomes more prevalent that this is the time to run a Spro Fat Papa shallow runner crank bait along the narrowing creek areas that meet these flats. This bait will run 9 to 14 ft. and bounce off the bottom or snap out of the grass along the edges and create bites!
As the water cools over the fall and moves down to the 70’s this presents another change in fish patterns. I believe they start to move off the soft bottom areas to the hard bottom areas. The likes of gravel, shell beds along old road beds become my targets for their fall movement to the shallow water. I now target these tight, creek narrows with hard bottoms and plenty of bait fish!
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
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Call: 256 759 2270
Captain Mike Gerry