With drought conditions expected to persist throughout much of the southeastern United States, low water at many of the region's most-frequented fisheries may be a fact of life bass anglers have to learn to cope with.
Low water can be a blessing and a plague for anglers dedicated to chasing green fish. Less water equates to fewer places for fish to hide and can lead to large concentrations of bass holding tight to structure, especially on natural, dishbowl-shaped lakes like Florida's Toho and Okeechobee.
But subtracting surface acres from highly-pressured lakes can put bass in a funk that even the nation's top pros have difficulty figuring out. FLW Tour pro J.T. Kenney has accrued plenty of experience with finicky, low-water bass in Florida's fluctuating lowland lakes. "You can go out and catch 25 pounds one day and then 8 pounds the next, and there's really no logic or reason to it," he said.
Like most Florida pros, Kenney said he prefers to make a living floating over a thick grass mat with a flipping stick in his hand. But his recent years on the FLW Tour have forced him to step out of his comfort zone and become a more rounded angler.
That's a good thing, because according to him, you have to be willing to adapt if you want to stay consistent during low-water periods. Here's his advice for putting bass in the boat when lake levels recede.
Rule Number One: Don't Be Foolish
Aside from the challenges of finding and catching fish in a lake that's on the fall, low-water conditions can make navigation hazardous if you're unprepared. Before you hit the water, Kenney suggested doing a little research.
"I would never recommend going out on an unfamiliar lake when the water is lower than normal without doing some research first," he said. "I've been fishing Toho and Okeechobee for years and I still manage lose a lower unit every now and then when the water gets low."
He's got a three-step approach for preparing to head out on a lake that's dropped below pool. "The first thing you want to do is get with the locals," he said. "A conversation with a park ranger or a local angler can give you a pretty good idea of how hazardous the lake really is. Ask them what areas you should be extra cautious in. They usually know where the worst stuff is.
"The second thing I do is look at all the maps I can. If you can find some up-to-date satellite images or images from a time when the lake was at a similar level, that can do wonders for your confidence. You can mark areas that look potentially dangerous or structures you need to avoid when running."
And finally, once you head out on the lake, he urged a slow and steady approach until you're fairly comfortable with how the lake is laid out and what the hazards may be. "When you're on the water it's easy to get impatient and run wide-open from spot to spot. That's a quick way to damage your boat or hurt yourself. You're better off moving slowly around the lake until you get a handle on things."
Contour is Critical
Kenney said there's no secret formula to finding concentrations of bass in low-water conditions, but catching them usually proves to be the greater challenge.
"If I were heading out on a Florida lake in January or February, when the water gets low, I'd start off by identifying some areas that looked good for spawning. Then I'd back off and find the closest deep water. Usually that's where you'll find your bass."
However, he said if you hit a few of those areas and can't find fish right away, don't get discouraged. "When the lake level's low you have to commit to covering a lot of water. Sometimes there's no rhyme or reason as to why fish will stack up in one particular area, but not in another. Just keep moving and fish thoroughly and you'll eventually find what you're looking for."
He noted that on shallow natural lakes, even the slightest change in contour can make all the difference. "On a man-made reservoir, you might be looking at channel bends or a drop that goes from 12 to 25 feet. But on a lake like Toho, if there's a drop that goes from 2 to 3 feet, that's significant."
With most of the usual cover high and dry, he thinks the biggest challenge of fishing low water is the mental aspect of "fishing what looks and feels like absolutely nothing."
"Sometimes you feel like you're just fishing a bunch of dead sand," he said. "The grass is either gone or too shallow to be fishable and all you're left with is open bottom. If you can get over that feeling of fishing no visible cover and get confident in working those slight bottom changes, you can be successful."
Throw What You Know
Concentrated bass are often pressured bass, and some anglers may choose to attack the finicky eaters with finesse presentations. Kenney said if that's your thing, go for it. But if you're like him and your confidence is more in the power-fishing game, stick with what you know.
"Some guys try to change things up to coax those fish into biting, but I'm not really into that," he said. "When those bass are grouped up they can act really strange. You might go 2 hours without a bite and then you put 15 pounds in the boat in 5 minutes. I just stick with what I know and when they're ready to bite, they'll bite.
"That sounds really vague, but that's how it can be when the water gets low," he added. "Being willing to grind it out in that situation really pays off."
Because of the unpredictable feeding habits of concentrated bass, he said it's vital to use a bait you can throw for long periods of time with confidence. He likes to throw a Berkley Frenzy Rattl'r to cover lots of water. "I usually just keep chunking and winding until they eat it. I have confidence in that bait so I can stick with it for a long time without getting discouraged.
"I don't like to switch up baits a whole lot when bass are grouped up like that," he noted."If you start changing up all the time you might miss that period when the bite turns on and they get aggressive. In my opinion, you're better off picking something and staying with it."
Notable
> Kenney said he's a diehard inshore fisherman and rarely fishes for bass during the off-season. "I come straight home after the season is over and get all my saltwater gear ready. I bass fish for a living, but I fish the salt for fun."
