In most lakes, minnows, threadfin shad, alewives, chubs, and other baitfish are a bass's primary diet in late spring and summer. Anglers can imitate baitfish with crankbaits, spinnerbaits, topwater plugs, and even swimming plastic baits. Try to match the baitfish most available in the lake---ronze crankbaits where there is a large shad population, for example. As the baitfish grow over the summer, increase your lure size. In some lakes, the forage includes hatchery trout and gizzard shad that eventually grow too big to eat for anything but stripers.
Look for baitfish schools in open water and along the edges of points or weedbeds. Bass follow shad schools around the lake, often holding where they can hide in ambush. As you swim the lure through likely areas, jerk the rod tip occasionally. This imitates a baitfish trying to escape, and tempts hungry bass into striking. A lure tumbling and fluttering down looks like a stunned or injured baitfish and is another big attraction for opportunistic predators lurking below.
No comments:
Post a Comment