Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2017 - 7

Locating good transitional holding spots in a
lake takes time and experience.

warmer the water, the closer the bass are to the lily pads.
I usually find myself drifting about 20 feet from the edge.
I still keep my casts within 40 feet of the edge and will
occasionally toss a cast within a few feet of the lily pads.
While I've developed a pattern for bigger bass, you never
know when there is going to be one holding tight against
the lily pads.
In order to locate these spots on a lake, you need to
study maps of the lake. Then, you need to determine the
underwater topography as well as locate the channels and
rock beds. After you locate these spots, you need to throw
baits that will get these bass. A depth finder can help
locate the right spots and can identify the level at which
the bass are holding.

In many of these cases, the bass are suspending at varying depths.

Baits

The bass are suspending at varying
depths, so you need to use lures such as
crankbaits and stickbaits with varying
lip sizes, spinnerbaits and wacky-rigged
sinking worms.
I use a combination of these lures
until I find a good concentration of bass.
Spinnerbaits and crankbaits cover water
and locate fish. I normally start with a
spinnerbait since it can be fished at varying
levels easier. When I've located a number
of bass, I switch to crankbaits and stickbaits
until I find the proper holding level. Once
I have located my probable holding spots,
a wacky-rigged sinking worm is my go-to
bait. The slow sinking speed allows the bait
to hit every level of the strike zone and stay
in each strike zone longer. They're one of
the slowest baits that you'll ever fish, but the
action more than makes up for it.
This year as the spring comes to an end
and the summer begins, search your lake
if you're catching only smaller bass. The
bigger bass are in there and willing to feed,
but they just need to be found.
www.fishandboat.com 		

Once I have located my probable holding spots, a wacky-rigged sinking worm
is my go-to bait.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * July/August 2017

7



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