Fishing With Kenny | All About Bass Myths
Article by KENNY COVINGTON
When I was a kid, I would eagerly await any monthly fishing publication that would come out. I was obsessed with learning as much about bass fishing as I could so that I could possibly try whatever technique or lure on my next trip to the water. What I read in the articles written by “the experts” was the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. At least that is what we thought. Oh, how wrong they were!
A lot of the “facts” about bass fishing I read about, over a lifetime spending countless hours on the water, doing my own research, and an upgrade in the information pool, we learned not to be true at all, at least not totally anyway. In this month’s article, I would like to discuss some of the things I thought to be true, that turned out to be not quite so.
The first myth I would like to tackle is the one about water temperature. At one time, serious local anglers believed once the water temperature fell below 50 degrees, on certain bodies of water, the fish don’t bite. They believed in a lot of instances, the fish became dormant and didn’t feed for weeks on end. Over the past few decades, I have learned this just isn’t so.
There are certain lakes, such as the Mississippi River oxbows, not only do the fish bite when the water is below 50 degrees they can also be caught in less than two feet of water, on moving baits such as crankbaits and Rat L Trap style lures. On clear water lakes such as Claiborne or Caney, while the fish tend to be a bit deeper, they still actively feed. Remember, although a bass is a cold-blooded creature, they must eat to survive.
Here are some examples of what I am talking about. My fishing partner Lee King caught bass on a crankbait in 38-degree water, two days after an ice storm, in four feet of water. The biggest five fish stringer I ever caught was on a Rat L Trap with an ice ring around the lake, fishing it over submerged grass. I once won a tournament in November waking a ¾ ounce spinnerbait in 47-degree water on a grass flat. Just because the water is cold doesn’t mean they won’t bite.
Another quick note about water temperature: I remember being told the magic number to catch spawning fish is 65 degrees, however, bass can and will spawn in water with stable weather and a water temperature over 53 degrees. I have seen bass on beds on Caney Lake in January. I have caught bedding fish in January all the way through May. While water temperature plays a role, it is not the most important aspect.
Another myth? Once the water gets hot, the bass move deep. To a certain extent there is some truth to that, however, I have caught bigger bass in shallow water with the water temperature in the 90’s than I have fishing out deep. I fished with arguably the best deep-water fisherman this area has ever know, Glynn Blankenship, and he admitted that once the water got hot, deeper fish would suspend making them harder to catch, making shallow water fish more dependable.
Bass will move extremely shallow at the peak of the water temps because the shallow water’s oxygen content is more stable, the food sources are plentiful, and it takes less effort for them to survive. If there is an abundance of cover, such as grass beds that makes it even better.
What about the thoughts of fishing in the rain? Glynn believed when it was raining, deep water fish were harder to catch. I was also instructed when it was raining, the best lures were noisy topwaters, so the fish could find them easier. Well, in both instances, I have found neither to be totally true. The deep-water idea proved untrue because deep water fish, when it rains tend to hang close to the bottom because they can’t see as well due to the surface activity of the rain falling. This situation makes them vulnerable to bottom-related techniques, such as a Carolina rig, making them easier to catch.
In shallow water, I have found a similar situation. I do better with vertical presentation lures so that I fish closer to the bottom. The exception to this is when fishing clear water with an abundance of grass. Rain systems put these fish in search mode, opening a large window of fish catching opportunities, and it seems that horizontal presentations such as a spinnerbait or a topwater are more effective.
Oh yeah, here is a good one: cold fronts are bad! This is not totally true. I will admit in the springtime, they can make fishing difficult because during the spawning season, it can push the fish out of their spawning routines. While a severe cold spring front can shut things down completely, it can still take a few days; usually the second day after the front is the worst. The day the front comes through can be good, and the next day, if there is still cloud cover the bite can still be effective.
Cold fronts that move through during the fall and early winter can be fantastic fish catching opportunities. These types of fronts are what trigger heavy feeding activity in preparation of the upcoming winter months. I have found weather systems during the fall and early winter to have less of an effect on bass behavior than their springtime cousins. Also of note: snow systems make for surprisingly good fishing, because like a rain event, they are usually low-pressure systems, causing the fish to remain active.
Well, it looks like we have run out of space and time again for another month. Hopefully we have given you some things to think about and a few things that will help make your next trip to your favorite lake a better one! Take care, catch one for me, and we will see you next month!
