Suspended bass

[WRB]

We could do a new post on deep water vertical structure fishing for suspended bass in addition to the aforementioned scroungers, underspins and tailspins;

1. Structure spoons

2. Ice & airplane jigs

3. Buzz bombs

4. Doodling

5. Drop shot

6. Split shot

7. Bobber & jig (fly & bubble)

8. Dart jig

9. Deep swimbaits

10. Matty jig

During the cold water period, in deep structured lakes that don't freeze over, all of the above can be very good presentations. It's not always about power fishing cover or bottom contact, or crank baits and jerk baits, the above mid water column lures work very well.

WRB

[Triton_Mike]

LOL  I can relate to #7 .  Deadly!

[dodgeguy]

or you could do what i do.when the fish are in a funk i run and gun and try for reaction strikes from fish that want to bite.i have much better luck with this then wasting time on fish with lockjaw.

I don't think Aarons fish had lockjaw LOL. He just needed to find a bait that could get that he could suspend that deep and represent a shad. There aren't too many baits that you can effectively use for suspended fish compared to the amount of bottom baits, sub surface and topwater baits available. I personally think fishing for suspended fish is something the general public has garnered as uncatchable. I honestly feel my odds are better at catching a trophy fish that is suspended than one that is on the bottom. I know that's contradictory to what the books say but 90% of my 5lb + spots are suspenders. If your a spotted bass guy you'll be lost many times of the year if you don't learn how to catch suspended fish. There are ways around it but not as consistant.

i wouldn't know because up here we have no spots.from what i do know they react differently than largies.

[WRB]

This thread started out with a ? about a specific lake, Lake Casitas in CA that doesn't have a spotted bass population. Casitas is a world class trophy bass lake with a population of Florida strain LMB.

What difference does that have to do with suspended bass in other lakes around the country? Big difference.

Lakes located within 50 miles of Casitas with northern strain LMB for example, the bass are easier to catch, much more aggressive with predictable habits. The FLMB are still adapting to their new environmental niche out west, although it's been several generations, it takes a long time to change genetic memory. FLMB prefer large baitfish over any other type of prey; golden shiners were the primary forage fish for FLMB for centuries.

In Lake Casitas threadfin shad and planted rainbow trout became the baitfish of choice; both are off shore fish the majority of the time. The bass tend to roam the off shore areas targeting these bait fish and move up towards the bank during the night when both the shad and crawdads are located at that time.

NLMB tend to be more shore cover oriented, preferring smaller young of the year pan fish like crappie, bluegill and crawdads, plus threadfin shad when they are near cover.

It's been my experience that both spotted bass and smallmouth bass also like to roam, similar habits to the FLMB transplanted into deep structured lakes.

WRB

PS; note, before Casitas was planted with FLMB in '69, the lake was a very good NLMB fishery. I have fished Casitas since '58 and never caught a bass or watched bass chase or eat a trout and rainbow trout were planted weekly, until the FLMB were established. Now it's common to watch bass chase trout or see a tail in the throat. Threadfin are also fairly new out west, arrived in the early 60's at the Colorado river lakes and now are a primary baitfish everywhere.

[Catt]

11. Tail Spinners

12. Blade Baits

13. Deep Crank Baits

What one must keep in mind not all suspended bass are inactive

[WRB]

Sink or swim; bass have another choice, it can suspend, that is why they have air bladders and spend a majority of the time suspended. When the bass is suspended, neutral buoyancy at whatever depth is comfortable, resting and waiting for the dinner bell ring and it's up to the fisherman to figure out how to ring it.

When the bass is swimming, it's on the hunt, patrolling it's territory or alarmed, definitely active.

WRB

[WRB]

Bubbler, how about a response or update to your success. The bass in suspended about 40' now at Casitas.

WRB

[bubbler]

so yeah guys thank for all the help, actually i used a suspended jerkbait and a jig spoon last time i was out and got the ones suspended on bait balls in like 30 feet and the ones that were suspended around shallow cover (15-20) were super finicky.

[NewKidInTown]

ok guys i got a hard one for u. The water that i fish is clear and is about 70 degrees now in souther california. the bass are suspended in the brush and timber that has been suspended. i went out today and only got like a few small fish that were on the shore but i dont know how to catch those suspended ones.. any help is great and if you could give me some advice on baits to use....thanks guys.

Dropshotting is a possibility.

[TimJ]

I saw the bobber and fly mentioned but no other variations on the bobber. what tool do we use that keeps exact depths better than a bobber? I use it on StClair when bass are off the bottom in 18 ft or so. using a senko or other lighter drop type plastics works and a bit of chop just makes the lure work better. yeah, I know its only 18 ft...lol

TJ

[Crestliner2008]

One other technique, that has not been mentioned here, is to suspend a Senko under a slip bobber - to the depth that the fish are holding. Works for me in a very clear, deep reservoir that I fish for small mouths. It could work for you? Here's the link to the prior discussion we had here:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1251054672