Article 12 - Remote Areas

Article 12 – Remote Areas

You ever wonder why you can catch fish during the week; but come Saturday the fish have left your areas? Over half of all my tournaments have been won as far away from the crowd as I could get. The other half were successful because of a deep water system that I have used for 50 years on located fish in high traffic areas. When the lake is quite on most week days the fish cooperate giving you a good pattern; but when it is needed to be successful on the weekend, it just doesn’t work out. It is my theory that when the boats crank up in numbers the Bass disappear. Making a 20 mile run to get away from the crowd and main lake frustrations; was just the way it was. Back in the early days of Bass fishing 99% fished the shoreline and these are the areas most affected by boat traffic noise and pressure. Almost every major creek and the river system area are a Bass factory. The habitat and food sources are endless. Search your map sources for all of the shoots, far away coves, marshes, sloughs and channels that may lead to a pond. Run to each of these areas and learn how to get there in the dark safely. These areas still requires a vast knowledge of how to approach them with the right lures and techniques. In early Spring the far away zones are the first to heat up with the Spawn and they are protected because of the size and the high ground holding huge trees to block windy days. Your food supply for Bass is so much better than the lake areas. You will find every critter imaginable in these far away areas and Bass will eat all of them. Once you get back there the cover is bar none; with lay-downs, stumps, some rock, weeds, bushes, reed patches, willow trees, creek swings and bends. The baits that seem to work best on all of the cover is the Spinner Bait and the Scout. At times you will have that cloudy day where the top water will come into play all day long, with the frog, buzz bait and spook. Shade is a big factor in these warm water areas while fishing for the resident Bass. We are usually far enough back to have the tall shoreline trees and stumps to provide that shade. The Lizard and jigs will always come into play here. Sunken logs extending out from the shore where high winds have laid them into the water; or maybe a beaver cut them down brings the Scout into play. When short strikes take place on the Spinner Bait then I move to the Scout. It is like a crank bait with a small skirt; but runs about 6 inches under the surface and will float up quickly when it hits a piece of wood. The new ones today are hollow with rattles. I use the OLD SCHOOL Spence Scouts that are wooden in the Frog Pattern. The dark green, yellow and black frog pattern is killer on spawning Bass around the submerged logs.

Vegetations in these far away places are in abundance. With these areas being shallow the Bass use what they have for shade; like hydrilla pods, millfoil, reed clumps, fallen trees, buahes and all kinds of cabbage plants. The frog, buzz bait and spook will all entice the needed strikes to put that limit in the boat at first light. Pitching into the shade of all this vegetation when the sun gets up will continue the catching with 3/8 oz Trig lizards and baby brush hogs. During extreme cold water conditions there is no question that the jig will be an excellent choice around the wood and rocks. You will find all kinds of debris trapped in pockets and against protrusions. These all provide ambush spots for feeding fish year round. I uses a technique called fishing the Edge of Light with laminate baits. While in the shade they are one color and when they break into the sun light they change colors and the strike is vicious. Floating rubble provides the ambush spots and hold Bass along the outer edges. Bass at rest will hold a little farther back under the floating debris; so look for holes to pitch into. Missed strikes on top water and spinner baits calls for a back up rod ready to go. The best bait that I have found is a Fluke with a 1/32 oz split bullet pinched on the line at the nose. Keep this rod ready with the bait unhook and ready to follow up when a strike is missed. Good top water fish may be found during the week; but come the day when it counts something has changed. Some time the bass just do not want to break the surface to blow up on a spook. Although the top water will get them excited and wanting to feed. When his is happening, try bring the top water into the cover and just let it set while it is hung on a bush or reed. Pick up the Fluke or have your partner ready to back you up with the Fluke into that piece of cover. Even with no indication of a strike many times he will catch a big Bass that wanted to; but just couldn’t pull the trigger.

In these out of the way creeks and river system, rock will be present. You will find sections of the bank that will give that away. When you couple the rock with isolated cover like a lay-down or bushes the Bass will be there. A Trig lizard to the cover and a wacky rigged senko to the rocks will get them every time. Most river systems have all kinds of erosion problems. Rip Rap is the easiest solution to theses problems and are excellent holding areas for Bass in drains, along levees, roads, culverts, farm bridge crossings and bends in the river. With all heavy cover this calls for heavy equipment in your rod selection and line selection. Use at least a med-heavy rod and 20 or 25 floro on your sinking baits and 25 mono for top water. Braid is necessary for frogs around heavy vegetation. At least one power pole or shallow water anchor really comes in handy to stay off the Trolling Motor in these shallow water areas. Most of the depth finder maps do not show you the safest route; so do your home work.

One of the best trips you will ever make is to access the river or long deep creeks way back in the country side. These are the places that our Great Grandfathers fish before the lake was ever thought of. Only a few remain today that know where they are and how to fish them for food to go on their family table. These folks are very tight lipped about there success and where they caught the fish. Do this by looking at satellite views to find the road crossings and the areas next to the water that the locals use to put a small boat into the system. It is best to use your smaller boat or a friends to spend the day in this far away system. Many times it is required by rules that you cannot trailer to places like this during tournaments. You will find that they may or may not be accessed from the lake side. One thing that happens at the mouth of the system is very shallow and muddy water. This will turn away almost 100% of those wishing they could get into the system. Study and knowledge before that time comes will allow you to enter the system from the lake side. Once you get into the river or large creek the water will get deeper and begin to clear up fast. If I am using a small boat for a day of fishing in the faraway system; sometime during the day I will make that run to the lake side laying the trail needed to make the trip from the lake to the faraway area. Idle time is always a big factor to do this from the lake side; so know what is waiting for you back there and decide if it is worth the time frame involved. The question is; how dedicated are you to fish for Bass that no one else will bother to endure the trouble to get to? A good Topo. Map and satellite views will get you there; with maybe permission from a farmer that has an access road right down to his private landing. To experience something like this is remarkable to an old fisherman; but to the young guns, they had rather go down the road to the boat ramp at the lake and see if that boat will run 80 mph.. This is just another lost art in fishing that only the Old Masters can tell you about. Some of the best places are not even associated with the big lakes. These are old river runs, slues, oxbow lakes, watersheds and chains of Corps of Engineer lakes on a large river bottom. If you really want to find places that others do not know about take a plane ride with someone and you will be amazed at the bodies of water that are on public lands that never get fished.

Good article. Thanks.

Don -- thanks again for the information. I've been compiling your articles -- now up to 37 pages!

I have a little bass buster with a TM I load in the back of my truck and drag into the water to duck hunt out of. My Nephew and I have thought about him bringing it in his truck and us towing it behind my boat into lake arms, anchor the big boat and fish the stuff big boats can't get into.

another good read, thank you

Thanks guys for your post and above all thanks for your thoughts on how you would fish these areas that I am writing about. Feel free to tell your experiences and how you have been successful on these kinks of areas.