In the fall and after the fronts in winter are crucial times for anglers to find fish suspended. The worst time to have this happen is when you happen to be fishing a reservoir where the gates have been opened, and the water is just beginning to fall.
On some lakes, when the gates are open, there is a current, and the fish move to points or creek bends. On constant-level lakes, this can spell problems for the angler. Why? Because the fish will move out to the deepest water available and suspend, which, according to outdoor writer Jim Reaneau, also is usually when the fish are in a neutral or non-feeding mood.
"Following weather changes, bass may know that their prey will become inactive and want to conserve energy," said Reneau, "so they move out and suspend. While not always the case, it does happen, and it's challenging to get them to take a lure under these conditions.
"The key to catching these fish," he noted, "is to get down to where they are. The fish will sometimes come up and take the bait, but not always. Most of the time, you have to be right in the strike zone, which means almost on their noses when they are suspended."
According to Reaneau, there are many lures you can use to get down to the fish, among them spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, jigs, jigging spoons, and Carolina rigs at different times.
"The dropshot is another presentation that keeps the bait in the strike zone," he said. "When using spinnerbaits and jigs, you have to swim the baits at a constant speed through the fish. I have ripped spinnerbaits off the bottom, up through suspended fish, like fishing a spoon, and had them strike. Lead tail-spinners also are an excellent bait to swim through fish. A vertical jigging spoon over the school's top is another bait that will catch many fish."
Many years ago, John Fox, who was on the tournament circuit, passed along a good tip for catching suspended fish with a jigging spoon.
"If you drop the spoon down to the depth of the fish and hold it very still," he said, "the natural line twist will start to unwind, and a small amount of movement will occur. This sometimes can be the best presentation."
"It has worked for me on Lake Fork," said Reaneau, "with both bass and barfish. I have held the spoon just a half-reel crank off the bottom, let it sit, and had fish come and hammer the bait."
In this regard, Reaneau also offered this tip: "When vertically jigging a bait, mark your line with a waterproof marker at the tip of your bod where you catch a fish, so you can go back to the exact depth. Too many times, we overwork our lures. A small amount of movement, whether using a bottom-moving or topwater bait, often will draw strikes.
"Crankbaits, on the other hand, can be reeled down to suspended fish, but line size will play a significant part in this presentation, as the smaller diameter lines will get down farther than big sizes.
"Look for fish out on points that are no deeper than 20 feet. A Carolina rig can be lowered to the proper depth, hopped up and allowed to fall, and sometimes draw a strike. You also can put small crankbaits, suspending jerkbaits, or any other bait on a Carolina rig and lower it down to where the fish are. A lipless crankbait has been one of my favorite lures for catching suspended fish. You have to cast past where the fish are and count it down, then reel it slowly through the fish. Still, though, the key is to get the bait right in front of the fish."
As Reneau further explained, "You also can find suspended fish over creeks, points or flooded timber. Don't be afraid to fish for these. I have had many good days finding and catching suspended fish. Summer and winter are good times to find suspended bass. Deeper, clear-water lakes generally have quite a few suspended fish. With no cover to speak of, baitfish have to go to deeper water to find a place to hide. The bass will suspend and wait for the baitfish to come by."
Finally, anyone who goes after suspended fish will need some good electronics. "This is a must," concluded Reneau. "A good lake map also will help you find the right places to start looking for them."
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