stand like a bluff wall . You can see all these and the irregularities along them . These are big keys in bass fishing .”
Forward-facing sonar can help you be more efficient fishing grass , but you may be utilizing it completely differently than you would when bass are suspended , according to Wheeler .
He references a situation he faced on his way to a second-place Bass Pro Tour finish on New York ’ s Cayuga Lake last August . Bass were crushing a Rapala DT 16 crankbait on a deep grass line . His electronics helped him dial in .
“ I utilized ( FFS ) to see how many fish were following the one I hooked ,” Wheeler says . “ When I see 20 following , I know I ’ m in a good spot .”
Scouring underwater vegetation with today ’ s advanced tools has clarified some of Neal ’ s perceptions about bass in the grass .
“ I feel bass don ’ t ‘ bury up ’ as much as I once thought ,” Neal says . “ We often see them off the outside edges of grass or suspended around it as opposed to buried in it . You would think with high sunny skies that they would be bury themselves in the grass . We are learning so much that challenges what we thought bass did .”
Bass focused on yellow perch or bluegill will likely position near aquatic vegetation .
ILLUSTRATION BY BRANDON ROWAN forage and movement
Fish for bass anywhere , and the predator-prey relationship comes into play . Find concentrations of baitfish and bass are seldom far away .
North or south , the type of forage bass key in on is likely to determine their location and structural preference . Bass that are oriented to yellow perch or bluegill / sunfish populations , for example , are likely to position themselves near beds of aquatic vegetation , distinct grass clumps and edges , and adjacent drop-offs .
The revolution in marine electronics has only amplified this critical link . On natural lakes in the North , bass tend to relate either to ambush cover where they await the arrival of
Blueback herring play a key role in bass behavior wherever they are present .
ILLUSTRATION BY BRANDON ROWAN
“ Blueback lakes repeatedly show just how smart bass have become .”
prey or to the baitfish concentrations themselves . This latter behavior of segments of the bass population , particularly smallmouth , has led some to refer to thick bait concentrations as “ moving structure .”
“ There are a lot more pelagic fish , bass that will suspend in northern bodies of water , than I thought ,” Wheeler says .
Bass keyed in on pelagic bait species such as alewives , shad and smelt may roam with the bait in open water or assume ambush positions on convenient structural elements . Forward-facing sonar has illuminated much of that offshore bass / prey interaction .
“ Bait hardly ever sits in one place ,” Neal says . “ We always thought bass would sit on a spot because that was where the bait was . But , often in summer you find ledge bass positioned where there ’ s no bait . They are sitting ( on structure ), waiting for bait to come by .”
Another pelagic forage species to which bass often show distinct preference is the blueback herring . A fast-moving baitfish that seems too quick for bass to shadow constantly , but too nutritious to pass on , bluebacks bring out the opportunist in black bass , whatever the species .
“ On Smith Lake , we see bass setting up on manmade structure , brush piles and cane piles ,” Wheeler says . “ Bluebacks swim over them , giving bass the best opportunity to feed on them . Fortunately , that gives anglers the best opportunity to throw a bait over them , too . Our electronics have shown us that many bass can be on one piece of cover , whether it ’ s brush or cane – though we may only be able to catch one !”
Blueback lakes repeatedly show “ just how smart bass have become ,” according to Wheeler . With Lowrance ’ s ActiveTarget 2 , for example , he ’ s able to get a sense of how many bass are relating to the manmade structure and to dial in on lure , color and presentation to coax a strike . These brush-pile fish are the “ ultimate tinkering kind of fish ,” he says , particularly when the areas are subjected to intense fishing pressure .
On lakes like Lanier and Murray , it can take a lot of time to dial in on what bass want ,” Wheeler says . “ Electronics help you cut that learning curve .”
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