A Sign of Good Ol' Yankee Ingenuity

Does me good to see things like this, especially after the

events of the last two days. Not gonna go into the specifics

here, but just suffice it to say, it's been first one thing after another...after another, all of which have put me in a mood 

where I have difficulty even standing myself.

In short, I just feel like I want to tell the whole world

to go f**k itself...but I know better.

I have my very good friend, Wayne, to thank

for providing this lift to my spirits.

It couldn't have come at a better time.

Instead of Wasting a Saturday, Grab Your Sticks and Come Join Us

There's another Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Tournament this coming Saturday, Aug. 17, from first light (about 6 a.m.) to weigh-in at 2 p.m. Registration will be open from 4:30 to 5:30 a.m. The plan, as always, is to launch from West Neck Marina, but that depends entirely on what happens to the wind that drives the water level between now and then. If there's a change in launch site, I'll post an update on this blog site for the benefit of all first-time anglers. I encourage our regulars to check your email Friday, Aug. 16, about 5 p.m., for any changes in details. 

A Lake Where 100 Bass Per Day Is Possible...But There's a Problem

Most of the fish won't make the 14-inch minimum legal size limit. The body of water in question here is Lake Travis, a reservoir on the Colorado River in central Texas.

Travis suffered a drought for a few years. During that time, a lot of bushes grew up on the dry land. Then, heavy rains refilled most of the lake. And, today, there are lots of little bass interspersed with some really big ones.

As reported by KVD Outdoors, when you get that much new habitat in a body of water, it triggers incredible spawns, with lots of small bass that are eager to bite anything, and they will get to the lure before the bigger ones can react.

So what do you do? The most obvious answer is to use bigger baits, but that isn't the only solution. In the KVD Outdoors article published earlier this year, they tried a number of lures in practice and caught small bass on some larger lures. They also tried drop-shotting with the larger-than-normal Fat Baby Finesse, but even it wasn't attracting the bigger fish.

The lures with the most success was a 6XD crankbait, a Strike King 6 1/2-inch finesse worm with a nail weight in the nose (Neko rig), and a Rage Cutter Worm, also Neko rigged.

The lesson here is if the situation calls for finesse baits, up-size your plastic. Or, if you're jig fishing, use a much bigger trailer, like a large creature bait, instead of a frog or craw style. The key is to create a bigger profile. But when upsizing your baits, remember it's a risk/reward situation, especially if you're a tournament angler. It's just as important to catch keeper-size bass, too, so you have to show them a little of both.

Fishing location is another consideration. As explained in the KVD Outdoors article, Travis anglers keyed on those areas with deep water nearby. If the area offered extremely heavy cover, that made it better. Deep docks provided the best cover in most areas, but it could be bridge pilings, standing timber, stump rows, etc.

And finally, one of the biggest keys to drawing bigger fish in a lake dominated by small fish is the presentation. Using a standard presentation on Travis, an angler would hook a 12-incher and see 3 and 4 pounders following the bait.

Only after changing the speed of retrieve and making it more erratic could you get bigger fish to bite. Fishing the 6XD, for example, if you burned it as fast as possible, then stopped and snapped it a few times, then burned it again, you would have success.

Bigger fish also could be caught with a Sexy Dawg topwater by doing the same thing...speed up the pace, stop it for just a second, then speed it up again. Doing that multiple times on each cast, you would see the same thing when fishing the soft jerkbait Caffeine Shad. You simply had to impart some erratic action to finesse presentations to trigger bigger bites.

As advised in the KVD Outdoors article, when fishing waters that contain a lot of small fish, you can improve the quality of what you catch by fishing big-fish areas, upsizing when you can, and experimenting with different retrieves to trigger a stronger reaction from the bigger fish. It's all about the attitude!

Deer Hunting or Fall Bass Fishing: That's Mark Zona's Big Dilemma

Zona (left) admits that he's a hard-core hunter, but that fact creates a big problem for his other love: bass fishing. Why? Because at the same time he needs to be in the woods scouting, running trail cameras, and preparing properly for deer season, the fall big-fish bite is in full swing, too.

Said Zona, "I can't tell you how many days I've spent in a tree stand, asking myself what I'm doing there and why I'm not on the lake. So yeah, I'm a fall-fishing addict."

While never a fan of early fall fishing, when the fish are scattered in shallow, mid-depth and deep areas of the lake, and it's hard to get on a pattern, Zona thoroughly enjoys nights when the temperatures start dipping into the 30s and 40s, and fall fades quickly. 

"It's then those big bass get in their wintering holes and squat down with their friends," he said. "Some of my best fishing experiences have occurred when the water temperature dips below 50 degrees here in Michigan. The fish group up, feed heavily, and are less inclined to roam around.

"Wintering holes can differ from lake to lake," he continued. "Generally speaking, though, they are deeper areas, which offer a large forage base and quick access to shallow water."

Another key element Zona looks for in a prime wintering hole is the last of living plant life.

"If there is no grass, I look for rock, deep wood, brush piles, and anything else that attracts bait fish and bass," he explained. "To be honest, some of my best wintering holes were found by watching pan fishermen during the late season. On our lakes, bass like to live where the perch, bluegill and crappie school.

"Otherwise, I live behind the wheel of my Nitro. Graphing constantly is a terribly boring way to spend your day on the water, but my Humminbird graphs are my eyes. And that's not a sales pitch. I can find exactly what I'm looking for by staring at the graph for hours, as opposed to aimlessly casting. When I see cover, bait, and lots of big marks, I know I've hit the jackpot.

"A good wintering hole can hold a massive population of bass...not five or 10, but hundreds, because there no longer is a reason for them to be shallow."

Another fun fact about fishing this time of year, as noted by Zona, "is you don't have to rummage through your tacklebox to determine what they will bite. The lure selection is very small, ranging from a blade bait to a small swimbait or an old-school grub on a jighead. The fish don't have a big strike zone, and those baits stay in their wheelhouse longer.

"That doesn't mean it's always easy. You must remember that the really late fall-fishing window is small. Rarely do the fish feed the entire day. The windows of opportunity may last only 15 to 30 minutes, and no more than two or three times during a day. But, dude, when it happens, it's epic!"

If you find yourself sitting in a tree stand this fall, thinking about how nice fishing might be that day, "Remember there is a true gold mine to be found on your favorite bass lake," admonished Zona. "You just have to get out there and do it."

During my first read of this story, I was reminded of many instances during my younger days, when I'd venture out on the water in fall, looking for bass. Several times I would happen upon a hunter perched in a tree stand with a gun and thermos of coffee at his side, trying to stay warm, as he waited on an unsuspecting deer to wander within range. Can't tell you how many times they would say something to the effect: "I envy you today. Wish I had brought a rod along, 'cause I'd jump in the boat with you in a heartbeat."

"Our Fish Is Just Too Easy To Catch"

According to George Kramer (left), an award-winning writer from southern California, who spent 40 years writing about bass fishing, that's why we can't clearly separate our top performers from the rest of the crowd. In his words, "Anybody can catch 'em, and with some of our techniques (split-shotting comes to mind), it's even possible to catch bass while taking a nap."

In a piece of his that I found online this weekend, Kramer said, "The guys in the Pacific Northwest have a nasty little saying aimed at our fishing species: 'Any fish that will let you put your hand in its mouth... .' Open-ended as that saying is, it both hurts me and makes me smile.

"The reason is simple enough," continued Kramer. "Those salmonid guys hit the nail right on the head. Look at all the reasons we love those bass. They're plentiful...they're fat and want to be fatter...and they'll bite anything from frog-colored galoshes to peanut-butter-and-jelly-colored cigars. Crum, they're second only to bluegill in the number of bites per hour.

"Just think about all the things we can catch them on...and I don't mean Flying Squid and Whirlybird lures. The legitimate stuff like the pros use will fill lockers, whereas fly fishermen trying to catch river brown trout can stick all their stuff in an eyeglass case.

"I know there's a feeling out there that I'm against the 'average Joe--or even the 'above average Joe--but it's not so. I just have this misguided desire to have our sport seen in the same light as others in the American mainstream.

"I hate wearing my B.A.S.S. patch into town and hearing the muffled redneck references. Heck, I was born in Hollywood, and I even went to college just so I wouldn't have to listen to country-western music.

"Every spring, up and down the state, a host of first-timers floating balls of rainbow Power Bait on a 4-pound leader get double-digit giants. And every summer, somebody reeling in a strip of mackerel belly does almost the same thing. Only those guys have 40-pound mono and 5/0 hooks, and those fish don't get loose.

"Believe me, this perception is not lost on the angling public. Largemouth bass are thought to be such nimrods, the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame still recognizes Sandy DeFresco's Lake Miramar monster (the one with the 2 1/4-pound diver's belt weight in its stomach) as a line-class record. They subtracted the lead's weight since it wasn't natural, but they figured any fish dumb enough and mouthy enough to slurp down a diver's weight needs to be in the record books. And to think we used to worry about a fish spitting a quarter-ounce sliding sinker!

"We live in an angling culture that says nuance and refinement are supreme...and the lure makers love it. They're just like the U.S. Postal Service with its continuous string of new stamp issues. They crank 'em out because they know collectors will buy the dang things.

"The worm whompers do the same thing. They introduce new shapes and new colors every couple of months because they know we'll buy them...and hopefully we'll get ours sooner than anyone else in this weekend's tournament.

"And we're so gullible. We can't wait to grab up another bag of softies...and especially one with a cutesy name. So we climb on the local message board and say, 'I caught 'em on the #1296, salt pro taper, also known as Jimbo's Bimbo.' And, of course, the worm guy will look to sell me a second bag of #1297, known as Jimbo's Bimbo Fire."

Kramer went on to describe a conversation he had with an old friend and worm-maker, Rewji Suenaga of Bonzai worms. Like a lot of hand-pour specialists, he had about 60 colors in his line-up, with the Bonzai "nightcrawler" being the company's trademark color. But he also made all the standards, as well as all the imitations of standards.

He went straight to the point with Suenaga, asking, "Do you make any colors that don't work? Is there anything in the Bonzai line-up that won't catch a fish? I even pressed him to see if he knew if any of his competitors put out a worm color that didn't get bit. Of course, you know the answer.

"But what was I thinking? I went online with Bass Pro Shops and started counting plastic worms, grubs, tubes, cigars, lizards, slugs, skirt grubs...individual sizes and colors...and do you know how many there are?

"I ain't tellin' you. It took me all night to tally 'em up, but I'll give you this much. The copy next to each brand and model said this lure was 'one hot bass catcher'...which should come as no surprise. After all, a bass will hit anything."

Matte Colors Now Extending Their Reach Beyond Hard Baits

Thought I would share something I found in Jay Kumar's latest BassBlaster. He pointed out that matte colors have been around for a while in hard baits...like the Megabass Vision 110 and some big swimbaits. And as announced at the latest ICAST, Rebel soon will be coming out with a line of matte baits, too.

Until last year, though, the idea of a line of matte-colored soft plastics hadn't been very popular. That all changed when Great Lakes Finesse (GLF) burst onto the scene with 100 percent of their inventory in matte colors (see examples at left), including their jig heads.

As GLF main man, Dan Miguel, noted, "We used to rub all of our soft baits on the carpet of our boats and sand the shine off our hard baits before every tournament. I truly believe doing that made me more money in tournament fishing than anything else. Matte finish is a much more natural look.

"As anglers, we sometimes think what these fish feed on...baitfish or whatever...is shiny when we pull them out of the water, because they are wet and the sun is hitting that wet surface. But the reality is almost everything these fish target and eat has no shine or glare underwater. If everything bass ate was shiny, the bait never could hide.

"We shouldn't be trying to make our baits scream 'look at me,' because that's not what happens in nature. Fish in nature always are hunting bait that is trying to blend in and hide.

"If you're trying to trigger a reaction bite, shine is OK. But for big, smart, pressured fish, they need to feel like they found the bait, and that natural matte finish allows the bait to blend into the underwater surroundings, making it look more real.

"This, I believe, is key to fooling those bigger, more-educated fish. This applies to any kind of fishing really...not just smallmouth."

Said Kumar, "Guess that would help explain why green pumpkin is such a great color. I mean, it looks like crayfish, bluegill, baitfish, and...grass. But it might not explain things like pink and chartreuse colors, and maybe blades fishing. Ain't doubting Dan at all...just pointin' out stuff."

Kumar went on to also note that the new Big Bite Baits Nekorama worm (right), designed by Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour phenom Drew Gill, comes in 12 colors...all of them matte. In pressure situations like tournaments, he believes you get more bites with something more subtle...aka matte.

And speaking of Big Bite, you might be interested to know they introduced a stealth color series (left) at the latest ICAST show.

Colors in this series are pinkasagi, ice out, purple shimmer, chartreuse purple, and blue glimmer. They're available in the 3.3 and 3.8 Pro Swimmer, as well as the 4- and 5-inch Jerk Minnow.

As Jennifer at Big Bite Baits told Kumar, "These baits are made completely of transparent plastic, where the only coloring at all comes from small amounts of glitter. This results in the fish not being able to get a good look at the baits."

Heat-Related Injuries Not To Be Taken Lightly

Read a story the other day by James Hall (left), editor-in-chief of Bassmaster magazine. It was from the June 2017 issue and centered on a topic that always is very much on my mind each summer any more: heat-related injuries. Didn't think much about these back when I was a young man, but as I've aged, I have come to realize that I'm no longer...in actuality, never was..."bulletproof," so to speak. As a result, I pay close attention to how I feel anytime I'm out on the water this time of year, especially if I'm flying solo. I always know whom to call if or when I need help.

That being the case, I'm going to replay the story I mentioned above, because it involves a real-life situation, which Hall once found himself in while doing a segment for a kayak video series on Bassmaster, along with Thomas Allen, who, at the time, was senior editor of that publication. They were a week behind on production of these videos and decided to head to nearby Logan Martin Lake to knock out a couple, including a dock-skipping installment.

Said Hall, "We identified some good-looking docks in a pocket near the dam, but there was nowhere to launch the yaks from that side of the lake. So, we launched from the opposite bank and paddled our Hobies across the lake, which stretched about a mile.

"It was a pretty warm day for mid-April, as the afternoon temperature had reached 80 degrees," he continued. "Some would call that lovely. Allen, however, called it 'Africa hot,' if I remember correctly. He does have a fairly thick layer of internal insulation, so I typically add 10 degrees to the actual temperature to create the Allen Thermostat. Plus, for some reason, he was wearing two long-sleeved fishing shirts this particular day.

"Once we reached the creek lined with docks, we started fishing and filming. We couldn't have been more than an hour into casting when I heard Thomas screaming...and yes, it was a scream, not a yell. The senior editor employed a pitch in his voice usually reserved for girls under the age of 10, and then only when the aforementioned children were confronted by a snake, spider or surprise birthday party. Why the high-pitched call for distress? I had no idea but decided I'd better investigate.

"I immediately peddled to his side, preparing for the sight of blood, but there was none...nor was he impaled. So what's wrong? I asked."

"Dude, I seriously can't bend my leg! I'm in real trouble," said Allen.

At this point, Hall noticed an immense amount of sweat pouring down his friend's face. His skin was beet red, too.

"I knew he hadn't brought any water with him," said Hall, "and I couldn't remember his drinking anything on the drive down."

At this juncture, Hall paused his story long enough to note that heat-related injuries are no laughing matter. Heat cramps are the mildest form of overheating and most often occur in the legs. Next up is heat exhaustion, which can be identified by headache, nausea, dizziness, and heavy sweating and must be immediately treated with the intake of fluid and salt. If fluid is not consumed, the issue can progress to heat stroke, which can lead to death. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, heat is the leading weather-related killer in the U.S., as more than 9,000 people died between 1979 and 2014, as a direct result of overexposure to heat.

Anglers, who certainly spend their fair share of time sweating the dog days while casting for bass, need to take precautions in order to survive the hottest days of the year. Drink plenty of water throughout your fishing excursion, and make sure your salt intake is significant (sports drinks take care of both these items). Wear breathable clothing, and if any of the above-mentioned symptoms appear, stop what you're doing immediately and head to a cool environment to rehydrate.

"Allen and I did exactly that," said Hall. "We tied his kayak to mine, and I peddled us back to the ramp. The videos could be shot another day. There is no fish worth risking the elevation of a heat-related injury. If you are fishing alone, call someone to let them know where you are, and describe your symptoms. If you are fishing with a partner, let him/her know, as well."

Just When You Think You've Seen Everything...

Something new or different comes along, and that's exactly what happened to me today.

Wayne and I had decided this likely was going to be the best day this whole week to get on the water, and we had made up our minds we weren't going to squander our likely only chance for several days. To the point, we weren't going to standy idly by, waiting for someone to give us a shove.

About 6:15 this morning, we were in line behind Rob and Mike to launch from the Pungo Ferry ramp. With high water, which seemingly has become the norm around here lately, we figured we could fish anywhere we wanted. Thus, our decision-making for the day was in no way hamstringed.

Once again today, like it was during last week's outing, Wayne had put three fish in the boat before I got my first one. He went on to catch about three more before calling it quits at noon.

Meanwhile, I only mustered a total of three fish on the day, one of which showed me the something new I spoke of in the beginning. Having just boat-flipped the fish, I reached in its mouth to remove the hook, only to find that the hook still was completely imbedded in my soft plastic. The only thing holding the fish was the tail of my worm...the fish had swallowed it. After a little friendly game of tug-o-war, I managed to extricate the tail from the fish's gullet, and set it free, completely unharmed.

Fishermen Always Need a Plan B

Don't have to take my word for it. Just ask D Mac, who said he slipped out today in hopes of getting on another white perch bite like the one he had a few days ago. Instead of returning to the site of his earlier success, though, he chose another creek. And the fish in the new hole weren't so willing to cooperate.

Along about 9 a.m., with only a couple of small white perch to show for his efforts, D Mac threw a popper off a nice-lookin' point and almost immediately had a bass slam it. That's the only motivation he needed to put away all the white-perch gear and grab his bass rods. It was game on 'til about 11:30, when it got hot and windy. In that length of time, he put 8 bass in the boat...all with topwater baits.

D Mac noted the water was high and clean this morning, with the temperature running 84 degrees. He also said the Pungo Ferry ramp seemed pretty busy for a Friday.

August 2024 Bass Fishing Forecast

Three Amigos Have a Fun Day on the Water

In this instance, the three amigos included Wayne, Skip and yours truly. Best part of our day this past Wednesday was that each of us caught a few fish.

Skip reported that he caught a total of nine yesterday. He took great delight in the fact there was an early-morning topwater bite that kept him busy rippin' some lips. He sent me the attached photo of his first fish of the day while I still was trying to get my rig ready to drop in the water. With the long breaks in between my boat launches, I have to slow down to make sure I don't forget anything.

Wayne also was already in the "catching" mode by the time I got away from the ramp, having flipped three into the boat before I checked in with him.

At day's end (about 11:30 a.m.), I had managed to pick off five fish, all with some of the oldest lures I own. Had decided in advance that I was going to go "old school" for the day and stuck with my plan 'til I headed for the dock at West Neck.

None of us were patting ourselves on the back...except for being smart enough to call an end to our fishing before the heat of the day reached unmanageable proportions.

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

In a nutshell, that old proverb more or less describes the comparison of today's Dewey's tournament with the one we held last Sunday. Let me explain.

What changed today from last Sunday was the water level. The water last Sunday stood at more than 3 feet throughout the entire day...somewhere around 3.56 feet, if I remember correctly. This morning, when we launched our boats, the water level was more than a whole foot lower...about 2.46, if I'm not mistaken. Despite this radical change, however, the weights from both weigh-ins pretty much mirrored each other.

For example, first place last Sunday went for 14.26, second place went for 13.67, and third place came in at 13.57. Today's first place went for 14.59, second place went for 14.32, and third place came in 13.16. And further, the average weight of all non-money winners last Sunday was 8.40, compared to 8.96 today. By my math, that's pretty darn close.

All that being said, I should point out that today's event welcomed 18 anglers in 11 boats. Collectively, they caught and weighed 50 bass, for a total weight of 104.82 pounds and an average weight per fish of 2.09 pounds.

Laying claim to first place was the solo competitor Gabe Himmelwright, who brought five fish to the scales, weighing 14.59 pounds. His big fish weighed 4.05 pounds.

Finishing in second place was the team of (from left) Richard Hall and Dave Dozier, who also brought five fish to the scales, weighing 14.32 pounds. They didn't weigh a big fish. However, they walked away with the larger of two side pots, since the first-place winner hadn't elected to participate in this award.

Bringing home the third-place prize was the team of (from left) Rob Peppers and Don Carter, who brought five fish to the scales, weighing 13.16 pounds. They also took home the smaller of two side pots, as well as the big-fish pot for their 4.13-pound bass.

Following is how the rest of the field lined up behind today's winners:
     * The team of Dave Anderson and Gary Coderre had five fish, weighing 12.37 pounds, anchored by a 3.72-pound bass.
     * The team of Jim Leavis and Nelson Anderson had five fish, weighing 10.07 pounds. They didn't weigh a big fish.
     * The team of Wayne Hayes and Ken Testorff had five fish, weighing 9.16 pounds. They didn't weigh a big fish.
     * The husband-wife team of Andy and Diana Morath had five fish, weighing 8.43 pounds. They didn't weigh a big fish.
     * Mark Ingram had five fish, weighing 8.27 pounds. He didn't weigh a big fish.
     * Jim Crist had five fish, weighing 8.06 pounds. He didn't weigh a big fish.
     * Chris Fretard had five fish, weighing 6.39 pounds. He didn't weigh a big fish.
     * The team of Rob Chatham and Craig Jones didn't weigh any fish.

By virtue of fishing his fifth event of the current season today, Jim Leavis became eligible to fish our season-ending, one-day Classic in October 2024.

Congratulations to all of today's winners, and thanks to everyone who came out to participate. For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 10, with times to be announced by tournament director Wayne Hayes at a later date. Watch your email inbox and this space for details when they become available. Hope you will be able to join us.

Backseaters Don't Always Have To Play Second Fiddle

"Whether you're bass fishing for fun from the back of a buddy's boat or sharing an area with another angler during a tournament, it's important to identify and implement a few techniques to make sure you're making the most of the water available." Thus says Wired2Fish writer Shaye Baker.

As he went on to explain, the guy on the backseat needs to watch where the other angler casts and try not to cast to the exact same spots..."hit anything they miss," as he simplified it.

There are times, however, when the backseater will want to throw his bait to the exact same spot. One such occasion might be when the man in front is power-fishing a buzzbait, spinnerbait or chatterbait. The guy in back should follow up with something more finesse-like, such as a squarebill, small swimbait, or swim jig. Why? Because a bass couldn't get to the power-fisherman's bait in time, or perhaps it just wasn't in an aggressive enough mood to commit to the power presentation. When the backseater's finesse offering comes right back, the fish often will slam it.

Said Baker, "Another great way to catch fish behind someone is to keep an eye on the back graph. Whether you're fishing as a co-angler or fishing with a buddy, watching the graph at the driver's console will alert you to fish that are right underneath your feet...where the transducer for that graph usually is located."

The Wired2Fish writer went on to explain that the backseater should "keep a drop shot or worm handy, and whenever you see a fish pop up on the graph, reel in whatever you're fishing with and drop a bait right behind the motor. A drop shot works extremely well for this because it gives you a bait that will make a beeline for the bottom and get as close as possible to where you last saw the fish. But a shaky head or Texas rig works really well, too, when the angler on the front of the boat is moving along pretty fast. That way, you can just fire your bait out behind the boat and drag it along to try to intersect the fish.

"It's also a good idea to keep an eye on the graph to try and find cover. The down- and side-imaging will reveal boulders, stumps and clumps of vegetation that you can try to make contact with and pick off fish. Just always remember where those images are coming from. Instead of the transducer being a little in front of you, like it would be if you were fishing from the bow, it's a little behind you...likely mounted just below the outboard."

When Baker finds a productive area, he milks it for all it's worth. One way to do this is to go back over the same area with a different bait. Pick one that's a little more finesse-like on the second go-round and hopefully pick off a few fish that wouldn't commit to a topwater, spinnerbait or whatever else you might have thrown the first round.

One thing Baker especially likes to do sometimes is actually to flip those two presentations. He occasionally starts with something finesse-like, then swaps to power-fishing baits on the second or third round...when a good feeding window comes along. An example of this would be a cold morning in spring, while fishing shallow.

Said Baker, "I know that fish should be up, trying to spawn, but a cold night before will make them a little lethargic and reluctant to commit to a power-fishing tactic. Instead, they might just swat at a bait and become even harder to catch. So I'll start with something more finesse-like, such as a floating worm or wacky rig, then swap over to a more aggressive bait like a frog or buzzbait in the morning, as the water warms."

However, there's another really big key when fishing shallow behind yourself, as Baker noted. He likes to make sure he's hitting things from every angle. If you're going around a pond, for instance, don't keep going round and round in the same direction. Turn and fish back in the opposite direction, and you'll find new lanes opening up in the grass and between bushes you haven't been able to cast to yet. Your bait will approach laydowns and other cover from a completely different angle, and you stand a chance to catch fish that haven't even seen your lure yet.

Anglers often mistakenly get the notion they've caught every fish in an area after getting a few bites, but that's rarely a fact.

"If the angler in the front of the boat is catching fish pretty regularly and skipping a lot of cover, don't be ashamed to tie on the exact same thing and hit whatever he/she misses," said Baker. "If the bass are just swiping at the other angler's bait, back off on your presentation a bit, and try bringing something more finesse-like along the exact same trails. And always make sure, when you want to recycle your own water, to do it from a different direction. That simple tactic will almost guarantee you to catch more fish."