“ When you ’ re offshore fishing , you ’ re looking at how the fish are reacting to your bait , 100 %.”
-MLF Pro Mark Rose
Ledge fishing expert Mark Rose scoops up a hard-fighting bass from the offshore waters of Pickwick Lake .
PHOTO BY ROB MATSUURA
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Big bass live deep , like this 6-pounder Michael Neal caught from Lake Chickamauga .
These roaming practices are neither universal nor set in stone . Some bass clearly follow baitfish balls . Others set up at ambush points , waiting for baitfish schools to arrive . Many may adopt one or the other practice depending on season , conditions or ability to compete for food with other bass .
Tennessee pro Michael Neal is frequently surprised , if not humbled , by what he ’ s learned about bass movement through his electronics .
“ You think you ’ re throwing to the right spot , only to find when you look down at your forward-facing sonar screen that the fish have moved 30 yards ,” Neal says .
Bass on Tennessee River impoundments , where current often dictates bass position and activity levels , seem as oriented as ever to prime ledge locations along the highways of main river and feeder creek channels . But , on lakes where current is a non-factor , bass may cruise more randomly in relation to structure .
Higher resolution object definition , an ongoing objective for makers of marine electronics , is making it easier to decipher screen imagery , giving anglers a better view of the underwater landscape . Grass areas , too , are becoming more relatable . Discerning the density of vegetation , the movements of bass around and through it , and the types of aquatic plants bass are relating to can pay big dividends .
“ You can see the density of the grass , its thickness and sometimes even the kind of grass , whether it is coontail or eel grass , hydrilla or milfoil ,”
Wheeler says . “ That helps you find what types of grass bass are on , where the thicker patches are , how grass is growing down a tapered slope , and those steep edges that
MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | JUNE-JULY 2023