Fishing tip of the week

Fishing Tip of the Week

Wednesday, 12 October 2022 08:41

Clear Water in the Fall
One of the conditions we see on a regular basis in the fall is clear water, the reason being is we do not see a lot of rain and the thickness of the hydrilla causes the water to clear as it acts as a filter and clears the water. The hydrilla cleans the water very quickly after a rain and clear water means it is time to flip a heavy jig or creature bait or even a tube bait into the holes around the hydrilla. Flipping or pitching is a lot of work but the rewards, if you’re successful, are worth it.

One of the things I have found over the years that makes the fall an exciting time to flip is that in clear water the faster your bait gets to the bottom the more bites you get in the sunny fall time of the year. This allows you to be successful around the hydrilla grass where the bass are buried into the grass in the sunny part of the day. If you enjoy flipping, there may be no better time than the month of September and October on Guntersville the grass is thick, yet it has holes in it, and you can catch good fish with decent size flipping the grass.

Some of the best areas of the lake for this, is at the mouth of the creeks, the bass are starting to stage around the mouths and as soon as we get the first low 50-degree night they will move more toward the creeks. It is just the ideal time, and we are already seeing these cool nights and if the bass have not already moved, they will shortly, and it could happen overnight.

One key to flipping is the larger the presentation or bait you are flipping the heavier your rig should be the key is to get that bait to the bottom quickly. The larger the profile the slower it drops; so, if you do not account for the size and profile, you may not get bites. Flip the holes, account for the size and profile of your bait let it drop once or twice and repeat the process. This forgotten old style can be deadly, you must be tough and patient, but it will pay off!

-Captain Mike Gerry