Largemouth bass are often found in the shallows around all types of cover. Weeds, rocks, docks, wood, overhanging trees and other types of shoreline cover will attract largemouth bass. You can usually find some largemouth bass in the shallows from spring through fall, although, the spring is usually the best time of the year to target largemouth bass. This is when you will find good numbers of largemouth bass along with some very big bass. Anglers target largemouth bass with many different types of artificial lures and live bait in the shallows. Take a look below to see some great shallow water bass fishing techniques.
Spring is the Right Time
Spring is the time of year that you will find a lot of bass moving into the shallows. As water temperatures get into the low 60s, you should be able to find a lot of largemouth bass in the shallows.
Sight Fishing for Largemouth Bass
Sight fishing for largemouth bass is one of the most exciting ways to target them. In the spring, largemouth bass will move into the shallows for the warmer water temperatures and the adult bass will get ready for the spawn. You can fish for bass on the beds when spawning starts or just for the cruising bass that tend to be all over the shallows during the spring. With sight fishing, anglers will usually use their trolling motors to slowly move along the shorelines or bays to find the bass.
Fish Cover
On many bodies of water, there will be a lot of shallow water, shoreline cover for you to fish. Target the weeds, wood, docks and anything else along the shallows that may hold largemouth bass.
Rocky Flats are Great
A large flat with rocky bottom will usually have crayfish. These flats can be great when the crayfish come out at night. During low light conditions, fish these rocky flats with jigs and soft plastics that imitate crayfish and you’ll catch a lot of bass.
Use Lighter Weights
Lighten it up so you’re not constantly on the bottom. Soft plastics, spinnerbaits, in-line spinnerbaits, swim jigs and crankbaits are super effective on the flats, but try keeping some of your baits off the bottom and you’ll entice plenty of strikes too.
Weightless Rigged Soft Plastics are Awesome
Wacky worms, curly tail worms, lizards and other soft plastics rigged weightless can be super effective on the shallow flats in the spring time.
Topwater Fishing is Tough to Beat
When the bass are in the shallows, topwater is a great way to get them to bite, especially during lowlight conditions. Getting a bass to come up and eat a bait on the surface in just a few feet of water is easier than getting them to come up from deeper water.
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