Brush piles and Treetops
Basically, I’m a shallow water fisherman. I like to fish what I can see, whether it is a laydown, a bush, rocks, weeds, or docks. I have always been big on accurate casting. Think about it. If you are two feet off with your cast, you are two feet away from that lunker. Knowledge of that cover may be just as important as that cast is accurate.
Fishing cover is a little more complicated than just making well-placed casts. It’s just a matter of utilizing the cover that’s available to you. For example, when casting to a laydown, you want that first retrieve to be to the shady side away from the direct sunlight. In shallow water, no matter what the water clarity, I’m a firm believer of working the shady side first. Bass seem to retreat to deeper water to get away from the bright sun. Remember bass don’t have eyelids.
Brush pile Tactics
Kerr Reservoir has plenty of shallow water cover including fallen trees, stick ups, and brushpiles. Most brush piles on Kerr Lake are planted by fishermen. They are put in certain areas because that area holds fish. So when I locate them, I will fish them hard. Always approach a brush pile as carefully as possible. Use a steady speed on the trolling motor, not a faster on/off technique. Avoid casting to the middle of the pile first thing. If you hook a fish in the middle it will alert other fish that might be held up in the brush pile.
What I think you should do is carefully work the perimeter of the brushpile first. Then start to go deeper into the brush. Only the last few casts should be in the center of the pile. Most tournament anglers today don’t have the patience to work properly around a brush pile.
Lay down tactics with spinnerbaits
When I make my first cast with a spinnerbait to that laydown, I cast past and over the top of the tree, right in that area where you know the top of the tree is just under the water, but unseen. I let the bait sink. Then I slowly let the spinnerbait come over each part of the tree top slowly. As you come over a limb, let the bait fall until you feel it hit the next limb. Keep the line tight and watch for that line jump.
After making several casts to the top of the tree I slowly work the tree from the outside in, just like the brushpile techniques mentioned before. My last cast is to the heart of the lay down.
Until next time, Tight Lines.
Keith Redd (reddman)
reddman@ultimatebass.com
bredd@gcronline.com
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