High Water Bass Tactics


Many anglers do not realize that high water bass fishing can be some of the best fishing to be had, that is if it is done correctly. By following a few simple rules, you can turn perceived wash-out into a banner bass fishing day.


Make Some Noise
Since visibility is low and the water may be moving, you need to make some noise! One of my favorite things to fish in high water is a rattling crank bait. The more vibration and noise that your lure makes when moving through the water column, the better.


A little known fact is that an increase in water level sets off a chain of events throughout the entire lake ecosystem. Bass prey items like crayfish begin to move around and feed off of the newly submerged plant life and decaying animals that may have been washed into the lake. When crawdads move around the lake bottom, they make a clicking noise which bass find hard to resist. If you can make a similar ruckus with your lure, all the better.


Don’t be Afraid to Fish Flooded Territory
As spring rains fall, creeks and rivers start to rise and they of course have to flow somewhere, meaning that your local lake, reservoir or fishing hole will most likely experience drastic increases in water level. When the pool level rises, this is an excellent opportunity to fish newly found cover. Off-shore rocks, trees, fence posts, etc. that were once free of the lake now prove to be excellent hiding spots for bass. For anyone that has fished after a big rain, the most noticeable visible change in the water is it’s color. Water that held decent visibility before is now a seemingly muddy mess. The best way to content with the decrease in visibility is to fish bigger lures. A bigger lure creates more vibration / wake as it moves through the water. Since bass are predatory and opportunistic feeders, they will be hard-pressed to miss out on a large spinner bait or something similar.


Fish Directly After Rains
During the Spring water temps are still fairly low and due to this, bass and other predatory fish are sluggish. When the warm rains of Spring begin to fall, this is an excellent opportunity to move into feeder streams and rivers to fish the warmer inflow of water. Bass will definitely be more active in this zone.


Utilize Cover
Typically what happens in a lake that is in a flood pool state is more movement of water. Whether is is feeder streams and rivers or water outlet from a dam – water will definitely be moving. Since bass like to conserve as much energy as possible, they can be found nestled up to a rock, tree or other type of cover. Another by-product of high, murky water is a decrease in a bass’ strike zone, meaning that you need to wake them up a bit by purposefully knocking cover with your lure. Doing this will most surely elicit a strike.

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