Key on Current according to cox , the best creeks all seem to have the same characteristic : some kind of current or flow that circulates fresh – and often cooler – water through the creek . it could be inflow from a spring , water being pulled through the dam , rain runoff or even an increase in something like barge traffic – anything to get that water moving . current provides bass with a feeding advantage and provides fresh inflow that helps kick-start the daily food chain .
When cox won the cup on Wheeler lake , he initially didn ’ t notice any current in the creek where he found his winning fish .
“ it was something i didn ’ t see until the fourth day ,” cox recalls . “ and on that fourth day i noticed the flow and realized that was why the fish were back there . during practice i only had a couple bites in there , but something happened that made a batch of fish push to the back , and i ’ m still trying to figure that out .”
Whatever the reason , says cox , whether it was barge traffic or water pulling through the dam , he believes the resulting current drew not only water , but main-lake fish migrating to the upper end of the creek .
“ in the rest of the creek there was a lot more water , it was deeper and the flow wasn ’ t obvious ,” says cox . “ But when you got in the back of the creek it was shallower and narrower , and then you could see the flow going in and out . that ’ s what i think made that creek good .”
Consider the Layout
When auten scouts a creek , he pays attention to its length , as he believes it plays a key role in where bass might be located .
“ i ’ m always looking at flow and water temperatures ,” says auten , “ and if the temperatures are pretty high and i ’ m not seeing flow , i ’ m going to the backs of the creeks as far as i can go looking for both current and cooler water . But i also key in on longer creeks , and if you can get back into the very back of them they ’ ll often have more flow and water temps that are a few degrees cooler .” if those key ingredients are present in a creek , auten doesn ’ t see other factors such as quick access to deeper main-lake water being much of an issue as far as whether bass are present .
JOHN COX
Cotaco Creek , where Cox spent most of his time during the 2016 Cup , featured current flow and untapped fish far from Wheeler Lake ’ s main-lake area .
“ in the heat of the summer it doesn ’ t seem to matter ,” says auten . “ in the creeks that have enough flow you ’ ve got resident fish that will stay in those creeks all year . they never leave , and you ’ ve got fish that will migrate in and out . it ’ s like homebodies who stick around the house and those who like to travel .” another thing auten has noticed is that the summertime creek bite seems to be better in lakes without a large amount of naturally occurring current .
“ if it ’ s a lake with a lot of current i seem to notice more fish gravitating toward main-lake areas , but in reservoirs without a lot of current they seem to trend toward the backs of the creeks with that inflow current and cooler water ,” says auten . “ in that situation those creeks can sometimes be five or six degrees cooler .” cooler water can hold more oxygen , which , in that instance , might be more attractive to baitfish and bass than the low-flow areas of the main lake .
Look for Life
Beyond flow and temperature , cox also puts a creek to his eye test when trying to determine the spot ’ s potential .
“ Just see if there ’ s life back there ,” says cox . “ some creeks it ’ s pretty obvious that there ’ s just no life : no minnows , no bluegills , no nothing . then some of them you get back in there and they ’ re just full of life . You see baitfish , bluegills , vegetation . those are the ones i look for .”
When you do find a good creek , says cox , changing conditions can often propel the fishing from good to great , and part of his creek-fishing strategy is always being aware of what might turn a creek on .
“ a lot of the fish in these creeks won ’ t usually be stacked up in one area . they ’ ll be moving around a lot and scattered ,” explains cox . “ But when conditions change – say you get rain or current or bait change – those are the things that will stack those fish up , and that ’ s when a creek bite gets really good .”
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2017 I FLWFISHING . COM 27