COLUMN : BASS SCIENCE
throughout the Carolinas , Georgia and into Alabama . They ’ ve even been found as far north as New York ’ s Oneida Lake .
Behavior : A true “ open water ” species , bluebacks typically suspend over deep water and feed prodigiously on plankton and other small aquatic insects and even larval fishes . They spawn on long-sloping flat points when the water temperature hits 72 degrees , one of the only times of the year you can find them in shallow water .
How to emulate : Topwater pencil popper . When conditions are right , blueback herring can dramatically impact the behavior of bass in a fishery . Because of their pelagic nature and tendency to relate to the top quarter of the water column , bass in blueback lakes are perpetually looking up and tend to roam more than in lakes without bluebacks . For that reason , a topwater is the deal , and bigger is better — and it ’ s not just for big ones . Bluebacks are known as one of the fastest of the shads , and there ’ s nothing that combines surface commotion with speed like a pencil popper . Work one over points , submerged timber or anywhere else a bass can hang out near deep water waiting for a school of bluebacks to swim by . Keep your eyes on a swivel , too — bass will come up schooling on blueback lakes at any time of day .
alewife
( Alosa pseudoharengus ) Description : Alewives are similar in shape to a blueback herring , but with their width pushed slightly forward , so the
widest part of the body is closer to the head . They also lack the distinct blue coloration of the blueback . Size : Typically 4 to 7 inches ; in some places even larger . Range : Also originally found in the Atlantic ocean , the alewife was able to infiltrate the Great Lakes after the construction of the Welland Canal in the 1930s . Nutrient-rich waters and lack of native predators made alewife populations explode through the 1970s , when pacific salmon were introduced to help control the population . They ’ re still the predominant baitfish throughout much of the Great Lakes .
Behavior : Alewives are planktivores but also actively feed on small invertebrates on the bottom . They can congregate in huge schools that move daily , often up to the top of the water column at night and then back down deep during the day .
How to emulate : Alabama rig or paddle-tail swimbait . Smallmouth anglers around the Great Lakes have seen firsthand as the controversial rig has quickly cemented its place as a top-notch mimic for a pod of alewives . Pay attention to wind forecasts , as periods of consistent wind push plankton around ( which in turn attracts schools of alewives ). Smallmouth are roamers , so if you find areas where you mark or visually see lots of alewives around , there will likely be smallmouth . In places where an umbrella rig isn ’ t legal , a single swimbait can also be deadly . Focus on points , boulders or anything else a smallmouth can hide behind .
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30 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | JUNE-JULY 2021