| Shallow water to some anglers is anything less than | | | | the lure is in the water. You'll need your whole body |
| 10 feet, while they consider deep water anything | | | | to winch a lunker from the brush when that strike |
| beyond that mark. And others find water five or six | | | | occurs. |
| feet to be deep, in comparison to the water they | | | | Bass Location: |
| prefer to fish. Most anglers by nature are shallow | | | | Many factors affect where the bass will be holding |
| water fishermen. That's because the water five feet | | | | when they move into shallow water. Foremost |
| deep or less is where bass are most easy to locate. | | | | probably are the availability of food and the presence |
| Shallow water doesn't require a lot of specialized | | | | of cover. Without them, the bass has no reason to |
| equipment either. No heavy weights are necessary, | | | | be shallow, obviously. So look for shallow water that |
| and it is a lot easier in shallow water to keep your | | | | has lots of cover: brush, stumps, leaning trees, |
| bait in contact with the bottom than it is in relatively | | | | standing timber, lily pads, cattails, aquatic weeds such |
| deep water. The majority of bass anglers like to get | | | | as milfoil and coontail, dock and other objects, |
| into the really thick stuff; they know the old | | | | including various forms of trash. More than one bass |
| mossbacks are more likely to be holed up under a | | | | has been jerked from sunken appliances, old tires, |
| stump or backed up under a heavy wood pile. So | | | | rusted tricycles and the like. The key is the bass |
| they resort to the fine art of flipping. | | | | need a place to call home. |
| Tackle: | | | | Water Clarity: |
| Flipping is nothing more than presenting a lure (plastic | | | | Water clarity is another factor. It may not dictate |
| worms and jigs are the most popular) on a short line | | | | where the bass will be shallow water, but it can |
| in tight cover. No special equipment is necessary, | | | | force them a little deeper. If the water clears |
| although a 7 1/2 foot flippin' stick is helpful. Some | | | | dramatically in a given area, the bass might get |
| fishermen flip with the standard long rod and | | | | spooky and back off some. The main effect clear |
| baitcasting reel with 20 to 30 pound test line. Others | | | | water has on shallow water bass fishing is that it |
| like the long rod, but they hang spinning reels or | | | | gives the bass a chance to observe your intrusion, |
| spincast models under the rod. The beauty of flipping | | | | and it gets a clearer view of your lure and your |
| is that you really don't play the bass, because where | | | | fishing line. If you encounter clear water, but you |
| you are going to catch them means it is impossible. | | | | have to fish it, then downsize your lures and line. You |
| Flipping is no time for light drags and ultra-light line, | | | | may be forced to use a four inch worm on six or |
| although some circumstances call for line as light as 12 | | | | eight pound line. Or you may have to resort to a |
| or 10 pound test. Of course, you won't land a five | | | | small spinner rather than rather than the big clunky |
| pound bass if you have to drag it over a fallen tree | | | | ones. Too, you should avoid brightly colored clothing |
| and a milfoil bed on 10 pound line. When the light | | | | when you are in shallow clear water. A red shirt or |
| stuff is necessary, you have to concentrate on | | | | other flashy clothing will spook largemouth bass. |
| positioning yourself so you don't get into situations | | | | Your Approach: |
| where you'll have to flip across a tree trunk. When | | | | One way to find out whether your approach is |
| you do hook a bass, set the hook hard (the term | | | | stealthy enough is to peer carefully into the water |
| cross their eyes is appropriate), and get the fish to | | | | and watch for telltale puffs of mud rising in swirls |
| the boat and clear of the cover. | | | | from the lake bottom. Their presence might indicate |
| Presentation: | | | | your spooking bass and they are scooting before |
| To present the lure close to cover in a manner that | | | | you have a chance to put your lure in front of them. |
| is as quiet as possible is the flipping angler's goal. Long | | | | Good Bass Water: |
| range casts are not the goal. Instead, you want to | | | | Just because the water is shallow, that doesn't mean |
| use your boat to help put you in position for the | | | | it necessarily is good water. Shallow bassin' calls for |
| presentation, then let the rod finish the job. Swing | | | | finding areas where deep water is fairly close. The |
| the lure to the target as close to the water as | | | | deep routes can include creek channels in the backs |
| possible, then let it touch the water as quietly as you | | | | of coves and inlets, or dropoffs and ledges adjacent |
| can. Let it drop, wiggle it a few times, then pull it | | | | to long flats. Find shallow water within a hundred |
| back and flip it again. It's a two handed motion, rod in | | | | yards of a creek channel, add plenty of stumps and |
| one hand and a length of line in the other. You don't | | | | brush and a sandy bottom with lots of crawfish, |
| let line spool off the reel, but instead you use the line | | | | bluegill, and shad nearby, and you likely will find a bass |
| you're holding in your non rod hand. Be certain, | | | | or two. |
| however, to get that hand on the rod as soon as | | | | |