Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Sweetwater-Impoundments-Brackish » Fishing Deep Schooled Bass
Fishing Deep Schooled Bass
Fishing Deep Schooled Bass
Justin Willmer
One of my favourite times of year to target Australian bass is through the cooler months when they are in prime condition and school up in the impoundments. You can catch schooled bass on a wide range of lures, including hard bodies, soft plastics and spinnerbaits, but blades and more specifically the 3/8 and 1/2oz TT Lures Switchblade have really turned on the fish for us in recent times.
The great thing about the Switchblade is that it is extremely versatile. It can be fished into and around structure, hopped or slow rolled down banks or across the flats, or even throw a burn and kill retrieve in, with a few quicker winds to get the blade vibrating hard, to call a fish or encourage a reaction bite and then give it a pause.
When the water gets deeper than 20' though many anglers, especially those new to impoundment bass fishing, struggle to fish soft plastics and spinnerbaits in this deeper water. They lose touch with the lure and the bottom, are unsure of running depths and don't pick up on the bites.
Hard bodies are a similar story. Casting is out because the lure takes too long to get into the strike zone, so if you aren't into trolling you're looking for another option. Bibless minnows seemed to solve the problem for me and produced fish, but then along came the Switchblade and I can basically get two Switchblades, sometimes even three for the price of one premium bibless minnow. That's two different colours, or two of my favourite coloured Switchies!
All we do is locate the school and if they are shut down and appear as flat lines, either suspended or hugging the bottom, we throw long casts across the school, allow the lure to sink to the bottom and then commence our retrieve through the school.
On shutdown fish I normally use two retrieves. The first retrieve is a slow roll, in which the lure is wound very slowly, just fast enough to produce vibration. During this retrieve I will sometimes throw in a pause so the Switchblade can fall back to the bottom, or a burn (faster wind) to increase the vibration and possibly trigger a strike.
The second retrieve I use is a hopping retrieve where I lift the rod tip between 30 and 60cm, pause and then drop the rod tip as I wind up the slack. Fish will often smash the lure as it drops back, so be ready for a tick, or speeding up or stopping of the line as the fish picks it up... strike!
Both of these retrieves can also be used to target shutdown fish that are suspended mid-water. Simply allow the lure to sink to the desired depth and commence the retrieve. If you find schooled fish and they appear as diagonal lines on your sounder (similar to the photo included here) buckle up! These fish are actively feeding.
In this situation cast over the school, watch for takes on the drop, let the lure fall to the desired depth or hit the bottom and commence your retrieve. A more aggressive lift and drop has worked well for us, with two sharp lifts of the rod followed by a pause, then wind up the slack as you lower the rod tip. Bass will often strike on the drop so if you feel a tick on the line or see the line speed up or stop, set the hook.
I have worked the Switchy both slowly and aggressively with success, just mix it up until you find what the fish want on the day. The 1/2oz Switchblade is a great baitfish profile for bass; it will get down there quickly and emits plenty of vibration so the bass can easily zero in on it. The 3/8oz and 1/4oz are also deadly, especially in impoundments where the average fish size is smaller, the bite tougher, or the fish schooling shallower. Our catch rate has increased since we started using Switchblades, especially for deeper water bassin'. Give them a go in your local bass spot.