Submitted by Reel Bass Adventures

Date Fished: 10/31/2009
Water Temperature: 59
Water Clarity: 1 foot

Water temperatures have remained fairly stable this week, dropping from a high of 62 to the current temperature of 59. As a result, the fish have remained fairly consistent to locate, with a number of them found near the edges of grass that has not died. We have been catching a good number of "grass bass" with soft plastics, and a good choice has been a pumpkin/green flake soft plastic stickbait rigged with a 1/16 oz. weight and fished near the outer edges of the grass mats. Grass bass have been spitting up a large number of crawfish, and the crustaceans are brown and orange with chartreuse on their claws. More bass are heading to wood, rock, and creek channel ledges each day, and we are targeting these bass with a variety of soft plastics. The discontinued Berkley Pulse Worm in blue fleck is a great producer around wood, but for bigger bass we have been using a Berkley Crazy Legs Chigger Craw in pumpkin/green or green pumpkin/blue and have caught bass this week over 6-1/2 pounds. Depending on the current, we have been rigging the Chigger Craw on a 3/16 or 1/4 tungsten bullet weigh and a 5/0 wide gap X-Point hook. Because of the thickness of the body of the Chigger Craw, a large gap hook is necessary to ensure good penetration when the hook is set. In creeks, we are finding that bass, large yellow perch, and the occasional slab crappie are falling for the Mann's Stingray Grub rigged on a 1/8 or 1/4 oz. ballhead jig and coated with a fish attractant (we recommend Smelly Jelly). While the bass are striking the grub best, when the water temps drop to around 50 we will begin to see yellow perch and crappie school in deep water.

REEL BASS ADVENTURES