In the Shade and Shadows of the Shallows...

That's where, according to a lot of bass pros, they find fish year-round, despite all the books on bass behavior, which usually state that bass relocate to deep main-lake areas and feed infrequently in frigid winter water. The problem is this: Somebody evidently forgot to tell the bass, because certainly not all adhere to that textbook pattern. The problem gets compounded when anglers start taking what was intended to be general guidelines as gospel, instead of remembering the axiom that says there are exceptions to every rule.

As Brent Chapman (right) points out, "Shallow water is relative to the body of water being discussed. In Florida, for example, that might be 2 to 3 feet. On deeper lakes, that might be as deep as 6 or 8 feet. I (and as I learned from my research for this article, a lot of others) believe that there is a population of fish (some refer to them as "residents") on every body of water that will stay in this depth range their entire lives."

What causes them to stay shallow? Chapman believes there are a few reasons. "First," he says, "there is always forage in shallow water, including crawfish, insects, baitfish, frogs, and more. I don't think there is always enough forage for the entire population of fish, but there is enough to keep some fish shallow at all times during the year.

"Fishing shallow, simply put, is easier. Shallow fish are much more predictable than deep fish. They also are easier to pattern, and most importantly, they are less likely to move long distances in a short amount of time.

"While I don't think every tournament can be won solely on shallow fish," notes the Kansas pro, "I do think that shallow fish can keep you competitive in most events. My point is not to overlook the potential that shallow patterns can have, even on bodies of water known for deep-water fishing."

Someone else who digs the shallows, especially after a heavy rain has stained the water, is Tim Horton (left). Working channel drops with diving crankbaits in the winter months, he has been known to score big numbers of big bass in the backs of major creeks.

"There's nothing difficult about this pattern," Horton insists. "The main thing is just knowing these fish are back there and recognizing when conditions are right for catching them. Having stain in the water is the key.

"After a rain," he explains, "muddy runoff in the backs of the creeks adds color to the water. Stained or muddy water absorbs more sunlight than clear water, so it warms up faster. After three or four days, stained water up in the creeks can be several degrees warmer than clear water out in deeper areas. When such a warm-up occurs, the shad become more active, and the bass respond by moving up onto the shallow ledges and feeding actively."

Horton adds that, in winter, the water temperature in the backs of creeks actually may drop a few degrees the first day or two after a heavy rain. "Runoff initially may be colder than the lake's water temperature," he says, "and the active bite won't start until the warm-up occurs."

When the conditions are right, Horton starts checking for likely fish-holding ledges. He does this by idling up a creek, following the channel with his electronics. He goes until the channel disappears (completely silted in), then turns his boat around and moves back down to where the channel reappears. He keeps looking until he finds 3 to 4 feet of water on the high side of the channel and 6 to 10 feet in the bottom. "A lot of times, this will be where the channel makes a bend," he explains.

From this point, Horton starts fishing his way back toward deeper water, casting a Bomber 4A or Bomber Smithwick Shad, depending on the water depth. "I want the bait digging along the bottom and bouncing off cover objects along the ledge," he says. His favorite colors for this stained/muddy water are chartreuse shad and firetiger.

"I'll use my depthfinder to keep my boat in the channel," says Horton, "and I'll make 30-degree angling casts up onto the ledges on both sides of the channel. As I ease along, I'll hunt for places where bass may be clustered. I'm always looking for any wood cover (stumps, logs, brush), gravel, chunk rocks, etc. Another key spot is where there's a bottom transition from rock to sand or clay on top of the ledge."

Time of day also factors into Horton's pattern. He says midday in winter offers the best fishing, noting that, during this period, the water is warmest, which makes the shad the most active and puts the bass in a feeding frame of mind.

What creeks are best for running this pattern? According to Horton, it's the ones with the most inflow and well-defined channels. He adds that this pattern will last right on through the winter.

Another pro angler who has an affinity for the backs of creek channels with water flowing into them is Denny Brauer (right). He believes that the key to a lot of his success with a shallow-water bite in these areas during summer months is the oxygenated water.

"Many anglers will tell you that, when the water temperature hits the 90s, bass can't live there," says Brauer, "but they're wrong. Bass can live in hot water; they just can't live in an oxygen-deprived environment." He knows that if he sees plenty of bait in shallow water, in the form of shad and bluegill, then bass likely will be there, too. It's just a matter of finding a lure to best imitate the baitfish and going to work.

Pro angler John Crews (left) also subscribes to the idea that you can find success by fishing the shallows, even when it's hot. He quickly points out that George Cochran conquered the 1996 Bassmasters Classic by fishing shallow water when it was a smoldering 96 degrees. Cochran fished the far back end of a creek on Lay Lake in central Alabama with a variety of lures, including a spinnerbait and Texas-rigged worm to win that prestigious event.

In Crews' words, "Ledges, points, humps, and river channels always are the buzzwords for summertime bass fishing in most of the country. Most anglers equate hot weather with having to fish deep water and off the bank, and while that's often a very effective way to catch summertime bass, it's not the only option for catching quality fish. There are a few ingredients you need to look for in order to get back to your comfort zone, like Cochran did, for those not-so-deep bass.

"Shallow bass in the summer are not deep for a variety of reasons," continues Crews. "In most rivers with current, bass will stay shallow all summer. The same holds true for lakes and creeks with current. Lakes with lots of bream will have their largemouth cousins close by their shallow spawning beds. Heavily stained water usually brings bass up shallow, even during the summer. Lots of vegetation up shallow on a lake can be another ingredient for shallow summertime bass."

Summer and/or winter bass fishing does not always have to be an exercise in deep-water dredging, so never rule out the shallowest of water. You just might stumble onto the mother lode or a big bass that others have missed.