Fishing
for spawning bass
If a bass could build its ideal habitat, the specs would be
something like this: shallow water, in or near heavy cover with quick access to
deep water nearby. While the nearby deep-water access is good news for anglers
(you need someplace to float your boat), pulling bass out of water in or near
heavy cover can pose some access problems.
Safe and secure in these surroundings, the bass has an ideal
ambush point should it decide to feed on baitfish or crawfish. This bass isn’t
going to have a very big strike zone, so don’t expect it to come charging out
from the cover to devour any fast-moving bait that just happens to be in the
area. You are going to have to put this bait right where the bass lives. You
may have to get the bait in through an opening no bigger than a coffee can or
under low-hanging trees — all the while making sure not to spook the fish
by causing a big splash with every cast. You are going to have to pitch.
Pitching is a technique that anglers have employed for centuries —
since the days when they tied lengths of line to the end of cane poles. It
allowed them to guide the bait to a desired location. They did this without the
high-tech rods and reels we now have at our disposal. It worked fairly well
then, but it works even better today. Whether it’s getting your bait in a small
opening near heavy cover, under low-hanging limbs or around boat docks, being a
proficient pitcher can make your days on the water much more successful.
Ideal for use in off-color or muddy water (as most lakes tend to
be this time of year, because they are stirred up by the wind and hard rain),
pitching is best for targets between 10 and 30 feet away and provides a very
quiet lure entry. Standard equipment for me is 25-pound test Berkley Trilene
100% Fluorocarbon line and a 7-foot-6-inch Flippin’ Stick (at least 7 feet in
length is a must for a casting rod). It’s a heavy rod with plenty of backbone
to wrestle big fish out of cover, with a moderate action for easier strike
detection.
A must for anglers who use jigs, nearly any single-hook bait can
be pitched, but my all-time favorite bait is a Berkley PowerBait Chigger Craw,
either as a Texas rig or tipping a large jig. With this Texas-rigged bait on
the line, I face the target, depress the line release trigger and let out
enough line so that the bait is even with the first guide. With the bait in my
off-hand and about waist level, I lower the rod tip toward the water and put
some tension on the line. In one smooth, quick motion, I swing the rod tip
toward the target and upward, letting go of the bait in my free hand. This is
all controlled with the wrist — arm movement is not a factor. As the bait
moves beneath the rod tip, release the line and continue raising the rod tip
and control the spool with your thumb. The bait should fly just above the water’s
surface and should land in its desired location through a combination of line
tension and rod movement. Stopping the bait just before it enters the water
almost always ensures a smooth, splash-free entry.
Pitching has been a go-to technique for anglers for years. But it
takes practice. Set up some drills in the backyard or anywhere else you have
room. Even if you can’t be on the water, you can still be sharpening your
skills to make the next trip a success. Learn to make accurate, quiet casts,
and pitching will likely become one of your favorite ways to target big fish.
Boyd
Duckett, from Demopolis, Ala., is the 2007 Bassmaster Classic champion and
currently fishes the BASS Elite Series.