This Week @ Bass Edge

Fall Back On Docks For Bass

Pros like Edwin Evers know that boat docks become ideal hangouts for baitfish and bass during their annual fall migration. 

“Shad in the fall are up toward the surface, and the boat docks give the shad a lot of cover,” the Bassmaster Elite competitor said.  “Docks provide a giant canopy that generates plenty of shade extending from deep water to the shallows, thus making it ideal for bass to roam the length of the docks to ambush baitfish.”

Finding docks that harbor bass can be a real challenge on reservoirs loaded with boat houses, such as Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri and Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees in Oklahoma.

“Usually that first or second dock in the back of the creek is the best.”

Shallow docks near a creek channel swing are prime spots for bass. Evers also likes docks along secondary points or those in front of banks with rock changes.  Docks with Styrofoam floatation are Evers’ favorites, but he catches a lot of fish under stationary piers as well.

“A lot of times in the fall, the best spots are all in the back, either the back corner or the first float on the walkway or right underneath the walkway where it meets the dock.”

Evers believes bass move to the shallows of the floating structure during this time because the water is cooler and the shad are also close to the bank then.

Bass are easier to pinpoint when they move to the backs of the docks, but it becomes more of a challenge to target fish when they suspend on the main part of the structure. The fish can be scattered anywhere along the dock and will suspend at different depths depending on the weather, time of day and water clarity.

“Fishing pressure also has something to do with that,” Evers said. “I’ve seen a lot of times in tournaments that first day the fish will be up shallower, but then you go through there the second day and you are not catching them at all. So you just need to let that bait get down a little deeper, say five- to eight-feet deep.”

The weather influences a dock bass the same way it does a bass hanging around any other piece of cover. When a fall front comes through, dock fishing usually improves. Calm, sunny conditions cause bass to hold tighter to the shady areas of docks, but wind prompts the fish to look for another ambush point. 

 “They are going to be positioned looking into that wind.”

Lures that run on top or in the middle of the water column work best for bass suspending under the docks. When he believes bass are near the surface, Evers relies on a Zara Spook that he works at a quick pace.  If fish ignore his Spook, Evers switches to fast-moving lures such as a spinnerbait or a shad-pattern crankbait that allows him to cover more water quicker.

Anglers can catch bass around docks by running a spinnerbait or crankbait at high speed, but Evers induces more strikes by varying his retrieve to make his bait come alive. 

“A lot of times I’ll make the spinnerbait flutter at the end of the dock or I’ll do something different right when I get the lure to a corner or pole to make the fish react to it.”

Swimming a jig-and-chunk combo around docks works best in the post spawn for Evers, but the tactic is also effective in autumn.

“If the fish are not biting those other lures or just coming out and looking at them, a lot of times I will go to that jig. It is a little more subtle deal.”

The Oklahoma pro opts for a 1/2-ounce jig and 3.5-inch Yum Chunk in black-and-blue, green pumpkin or white hues.

“I can skip that bait a lot farther with that big chunk, and when I am throwing a jig I want a bigger profile.”

The large chunk also provides more buoyancy to make it easier for Evers to swim the lure just under the foam.

A bait-cast reel with a 6.3:1 gear ratio is Evers’ choice for all of his high-speed presentations. He opts for a 7-foot medium-heavy action rod for the spinnerbait and swimming the jig, but switches to a 7-foot medium action model for the crankbait and Zara Spook. He swims the jig with 20- to 25-pound fluorocarbon line and relies on 17-pound monofilament for his spinnerbait and Zara Spook.  The line size he selects for his crankbait depends on how deep he wants the lure to run. 

Fall fishing can be feast or famine, but by finding the right docks on your favorite fishery you can produce more consistent autumn action.