its highest and fish your baits parallel
along the line. If the lake has a lot of spotted
and smallmouth bass, this is a great
place to throw topwater for suspended
fish, regardless of depth. If you’re primarily
targeting largemouth bass, focus on
deep crankbaits or slower bottom-contact
baits. If they’re pulling water out of the
lake and creating flow, continue to fish
the color line, but do it on points and
islands that intersect the current.
Lowland Grass and Current
Lowland reservoirs are typically
characterized by large bays full of
humps, ledges and slow-tapering points.
Most of the Tennessee River lakes are
prime examples of lowland reservoirs.
In these fisheries you’ll find two distinct
groups of fish. The first group of fish
will spend the summer on outside structure
and will position near current when
water is being pulled. Rather than fishing
the same ledges as everyone else this summer,
intentionally search for ledges that
top out at the same depth as the color line.
This is where you stand the best chance of
finding the mega-schools of summer bass
that others have overlooked.
The second group of fish in these lakes
will stay shallow after the spawn and spend
the summer in the shade of the grass. The
best place to start is around grass clumps
that grow just outside the main grass beds.
These single, small patches nearest to open
water will often hold the bigger bass, and
as a rule of thumb, the single patches that
actually touch the surface will hold the
biggest fish of all.
Natural Lake Grass Lines
Natural lakes that have no dam and
little water fluctuation provide the easiest
shade patterns. Because the water is
stable, the grass line almost always coincides
with the color line. The key here is
simply to get away from the bank. Fish
the farthest outer edges of the grass.
Just like in lowland reservoirs, expect
your best bites to come from the smaller
clumps that are farthest from shore.
Keep in mind, these fish could be just
below the thickest surface grass waiting
to ambush your frog, or they could be
hunkered at the base of the grass stems
ready to devour a jig. Their exact depth
will vary with conditions, but their location
is incredibly consistent.
Current, Cover and Creeks
Creeks and rivers, including tidal
fisheries, make up the final category
(though you’ll have to stretch the information
to fit tidal rivers). Summer bass
love current. Expect them to be very
close to fast-moving water without actually
being in it.
While many anglers focus on deeper
pools and shade lines, we’ve found an
incredible number of big fish holding at
the first piece of overhead cover below
big riffles. Don’t be afraid to make repetitive
casts at a small piece of shade after
the first catch, since summer bass are
rarely alone.
As small creeks turn to rivers, the target
changes from an overhanging limb
to a wing dam or a log stuck on the corner
of a sandbar. The targets are larger,
but the bass’ desire to hold on structure
near current remains the same.
Whichever type of fishery you frequent,
your bass fishing doesn’t have to
end when the sun peeks over the horizon.
When other anglers are heading for
home midday, switch your attention to
overlooked shadows and enjoy all that
summer has to offer.
JUNE-JULY 2020 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING.COM | FLWFISHING.COM 31