Greetings fellow bass enthusiast…
I realize this is a reply to an old post but I couldn’t resist not sharing some thoughts, as well as some very good experiences about this lake. I won’t belabor the points of hitting the banks and typical shoreline structure that smith affords as they’re proven tactics; however, there are other methods and they do include drifting off the banks during the summer season and onto the main lake sections and into a pile of BIG Fish.
Again, without writing an epistle here, here are some sound and proven points you may want to try. Speaking of points…when the wind (10plus) is up across the lake and after the sunrise hits 9:00am or so, look for the “slicks” across the lake and in the bays adjacent to major points. These are tell-tell signs of where the shad are and the birds typically confirm this by flying or diving over top. When I see this activity, I simply head out and dredge a crankbait (a foot or so deeper than the bottom) or maneuver a swimbait through the area at different angles until the first rap on the line signals they’re home.
In most cases these fish are suspended and are simply following the shad to wherever they roam. The key is patience and SLOW presentation of the swimbait. Get in front of the school (slick) and cast beyond them back into the wind swimming the bait up and then killing it on the edges of the slick –then watch the line carefully as it moves off or simply feels weightless – guess who’s on the other end? Important to note is staying off the trolling motor as much as possible (only to correct your angles) and let the wind push you back and away from the school – obviously staying within an overcast range.
I’ve been doing this for over thirty years and most of which has been in isolation from my bank buddies as I depart from the shores after the morning bite. I’ve had allot of great numbers and size during the summer season during the late morning through the afternoon periods when my friends have all but given up while waiting for the evening shadows to appear. Also, when you get into a nice school, try the pop –r or a loud surface plug to entice the Alfa bass in the group or a Carolina rig on a 3 foot leader – each will get the big ones attention.
I hope this helps and hope to see you offshore sometime in the future.
