Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Sweetwater-Impoundments-Brackish » Impoundment Bass on Plastics and Blades

Impoundment Bass on Plastics and Blades

By Sean Bekkers

Catching bass for some is a fun pastime and for others a complete passion and obsession. For me personally, I find chasing Bass a great way to step away from my usual saltwater estuary species and target a species that can be both challenging and rewarding. Usually, I find myself chasing them in tight creeks and waterways that are loaded with structure, however over the past twelve months I have spent a lot of time fishing from my kayak. With this in mind, I have extended my bass fishing to include exploring and fishing the local impoundments. So, I thought I would take this opportunity to share my experiences targeting impoundment bass.

Probably the first thing that I noticed when I started researching the different ways to target impoundment bass was the sheer quantity of techniques that are available to anglers. Bass, depending on the session, will hit everything from plastics, spoons, and metals, to spinnerbaits, vibes, jigs and ChatterBaits. Honestly, the list goes on and on but as with any fish, they can be moody and suffer from a case of lock jaw, depending on the conditions. Throughout my sessions the main presentations that have been successful for me have been a selection soft plastics and TT Switchblades. Where I am chasing the bass, in terms of location and environment, will often dictate how I fish them.

Now I’ll be totally honest here, I am no expert in chasing impoundment bass, however this is what’s worked for me so far. First up, depending on the dam and season, bass can be quite tricky when it comes to tempting a bite. With this in mind, I often start my session with a selection of different presentations tied on and cycle through them. For example, I will usually start with a ZMan 3” MinnowZ or ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ, and a couple of different TT Switchblades.

Bass, like a lot of impoundment fish, move around the dam and hold in different areas throughout the year. Generally, bass are likely to school up closer to the dam wall, in deeper water and the main riverbed, in the cooler months, spreading throughout the entire impoundment and along the edges during the summer.

Now I did say ‘generally’ because this can vary depending on where you are in Australia and the impoundment that you’re intending to fish. Conditions will change and each impoundment seems to have its quirks.  For example, one dam can have fish stacked up in the deeper water against the dam wall in winter, while the very next dam down the road will have the bass up along the edge in shallower water.  So, if you’re new to chasing impoundment bass, do some research and find out what’s likely to work in the chosen area. Okay, back to the presentations.

Soft Plastics

A go-to of mine is my selection of ZMan soft plastics and, depending on the impoundment that I’m fishing, I will carry a selection of 2.5” Slim SwimZ, 3” MinnowZ, and even the odd 4” DeZiel MinnowZ, along with a selection of TT HeadlockZ, RevlockZ, and DemonZ jigheads to suit each of them.

Colour wise, I usually try and match the type of bait that is found in the impoundment, such as small bony bream. Along with this, there are colours that just seem to work for a particular impoundment and in some of mine purple can be the go-to colour. Usually though, I will have a selection of lighter and darker plastics, with Baby Bass, Blue Glimmer and Slam Shady being some favourites. So, how best to work them?

First up we need to find the fish, and depending on the impoundment this could be quick or require some long hours with your eyes peeled on the sounder, looking for clues on where the bait and fish are holding. If they seem to be on the edges, I’ll often sit a cast length off and cast back toward the bank, changing between a slow roll and a standard hop and pause retrieves. The idea here is to keep changing it up until you get one to strike. Once this happens you can refine your approach until they start hitting your presentation consistently.

Once I find a school of fish out in the open, I’ll either sit off the school and systematically slow roll and hop the plastic through the school or sit on top of the school and almost vertically jig my lure right in amongst them. Once again, I’ll cycle through retrieves, presentations, and colours, until I find one that works. On a recent trip, I was lucky enough to have a bass cough up some baitfish that were almost white in colour, so a quick change of my presentation was made. Changing to a ZMan Slim SwimZ in Blue Glimmer colour dramatically increased my strike rate.

TT Switchblade (Switchy)

Now, it’s no secret that this little presentation is a bass catching machine. By design the TT Switchblade vibrates on the retrieve and when on the drop flutters all the way to the bottom, representing and injured or dying baitfish. With a variety of effective techniques for use, and a selection of sizes in every colour that you can think of, it’s definitely a staple in my bass kit.

The Switchblade comes in a selection of sizes, from 1/8oz to 1/2oz, and size wise I usually keep a selection of 3/8oz and 1/2oz models handy, in colours covering dark, natural, and bright presentations. Often though I have either a natural or dark colour tied on, such as a Silver Minnow or Red Nightmare for example. The Switchblade has two trebles, so it isn’t exactly weed resistant. That being said, if you’re not tight in structure it can be an excellent lure for searching and covering water as it casts well, sinks quickly, and is fantastic on both a hopping and slow rolling (winding) retrieve.

Once I’ve found the bass, I get to work cycling through colours and retrieves that are going to tempt a bite. First up I’ll send a cast out, let the presentation hit the bottom and start with a hop and pause retrieve. Whilst on the hopping retrieve, I’ll change up the length and speed of the hop, working through a selection of short sharp hops to long drawn-out hops. By doing this I’m trying to home in on what’s going to get them to bite. Likewise, on the drop I’m waiting to feel the slightest of taps, indicating that a bass has hit it or grabbed the lure. If it’s the later my reel usually starts spewing line out as the bass runs for cover.

Another retrieve that has been a proven bass catcher is the slow roll (wind). In short, I cast the Switchy out, let it hit the bottom and just wind the lure back up through the water column. Again, I play around with the speed of the retrieve until I find a pace that works. Some days it’s all about getting the lure to just start vibrating, while on other days they chase it down a fast burn. It really comes down to what mood they are in.

Last and definitely not least is vertically jigging the bass. In this case I sit above a school of fish, drop the Switchy down to them and literally hop the lure on the bottom or in a part of the water column that the bass are feeding in. Again, if that doesn’t work, a slow wind off the bottom can be an effective retrieve option.

Rod & Reel Combos

For both my Switchblades and plastics I use a combination of 1-3kg rods matched with 1000 size reels for the lighter presentations and for the heaver presentations I’ll step up to a 2-4kg rod and a 2500 or 3000 size reel. Both combos are loaded with 6lb and 8lb braid respectively, completed with a 10lb leader. I’ll drop some details on my go-to combos below.

I hope this article gives you some tips for getting stuck into a few bass. It’s definitely a type fishing that I really enjoy, especially when fishing from a kayak. Cheers for reading.

Screaming Dragz, Sean

Sean’s Bass Tackle Box

TT Red Belly Spin Rods – RBS701L 7’0”, 1-3kg
Okuma Ceymar HD Spin Reels – CHD-1000HA
Platypus Pulse X8 Braid – 6lb
Platypus Hard Armour Leader – 10lb Supple

TT Red Belly Spin Rods – RBS701ML 7’0”, 2-4kg
Okuma Ceymar HD Spin Reels – CHD-2500HA / CHD-3000HA
Platypus Pulse X8 Braid – 8lb
Platypus Hard Armour Leader – 10lb Supple

TT Switchblade - 3/8oz & 1/2oz
ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ
ZMan 3” MinnowZ
ZMan 4” DieZel MinnowZ
A selection of TT jigheads to suit