3. Key on Shade on Highland
Reservoirs
Shade should be a target anywhere in August, but
Dudley pays special attention to shade on clear highland
reservoirs, as well as some reservoirs on the Tennessee
River (the ones with a less reliable ledge bite) and any
Southern impoundments without a lot of current or grass.
“If I’m shallow, I’m going to target shade, though I’m not
saying fishing shallow is my first choice,” Dudley says.
“Docks, overhanging trees and just about anywhere where
shade is present is a good target. It could even be shady
banks where the sun is just coming up and the trees are
casting a shadow.”
Bass use the shade as cover, and so do other fish
species and crustaceans they target as forage.
“If the shade line is pretty broad, I like to use a topwater,”
Dudley adds. “When the shade line gets kind of narrowed
down midday, I like to go to a wacky worm. They’ll eat a
wacky worm any time of the year, anywhere you go.”
4. Fish Brush in Highland Reservoir
Travel Corridors
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 I FLWFISHING.COM
As we’ve seen at previous Cups on highland reservoirs,
brush and cane piles house fish in the summertime.
“You’re going to want a brush pile that’s in a travel corri-
dor, which might be a main-lake river channel or anything
that bass are using to transition from one area to another.
That brush pile gives them a stopping point along their trav-
el corridor,” Dudley says.
“I don’t look for bait,” he adds. “You can find bait all over
the place that time of year. Baitfish are everywhere. I don’t
choose a spot because I saw baitfish on my screen. I
choose a spot because it looks good for bass.”
Drop-shots, Texas-rigged ribbon-tail worms and swim-
baits are his go-to lures.
“Most of the time those fish have already been caught
three times by August,” Dudley adds, “and they’ve been
pressured. Something like a crankbait is a power bait, so by
August you need to throw a finesse-style presentation.”
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