Finding the Time
to go Fishing

By Chris Jenkins

There are not two consecutive days that ever seem to go by that I don’t find myself saying, “I just don’t have time”. I have heard others say that the older you get the faster time flies. Looking back that statement seems to hold true. Regardless of how fast it passes or where it goes, you can never get it back once it’s gone. One thing is certain though; you will never find someone lying on their death bed wishing they would have worked more.

Time is probably what they would wish more of. Just one more deer season, just one more striper run, just one more big bass to stretch my line. Well I love to fish and I will not let this November pass me by wishing I had just a little more time to do the things I love. Typically the water temps gradually fall back into the 50’s this month and big bass are still looking for an easy meal. The first couple of weeks of November I usually do well cranking laydowns, rip rap, and points. I like using cranksbaits with a wide wobble but as those water temps drop into the lower 50’s and even 40’s I will switch to a tighter wobble or even a suspending jerk bait. Truth be known, I have much better success this month with a jig. Maybe that is because I have a lot of confidence in a jig and I have nailed thousands of bass using it. Every lake fishes differently though and if you are not comfortable using a jig, try a Gambler Ugly Otter or Yum Craw Papi. Any small creature bait like these will catch bass all year long if they are fished properly and patiently. Don’t just toss it against the shoreline and bounce it a couple of times before reeling it back in. Using a half-ounce weight I will throw the bait to a steep wall, drop off, or some form of cover and slowly hop and drag that bait from shallow water out into sometimes twenty feet of water.

Notice I mentioned some form of structure or cover. Don’t waste your time fishing these lure on barren flats. I tend to move these bait with my rod rather than my reel. I will slowly raise my rod, drop the rod, and give it a quick pop or two before even turning the reel. I use ST. Croix rods, which are very sensitive and Berkley Braided line which will transmit the slightest vibration back to my hand. (If the water is clear I will use Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon.) Often times the bite will be very subtle or you may just see your line moving sideways when fishing soft plastics or jigs this month, so pay attention. There is one soft plastic that I almost never mention but have had great success with in cold water and that is a Lake Fork 4 inch Ring Fry in Red bug color. It can be Texas or Carolina rigged to get the attention of any lethargic bass in its vicinity. For the past few years I have had trouble finding these baits and had to order them directly from Lake Fork tackle so I will provide the number for you. As I stated earlier, every body of water fishes differently and in some places as long as there is food, cover, and some stain to the water, a few fish will remain shallow until the H2O gets thick. (39 degrees) I try to make it a point to visit a lake in North Carolina that will hold shallow fish just about all year. It is a lot more fun to flip and pitch a jig into submerged bushes that are in four feet of water versus twenty feet. However that is not always an option and a slow deep approach is necessary as old man winter approaches. Used in the right spots with a little patience, these techniques will catch bass this month if you make it a point to find the time.

If you have any questions, comments, or a good story you would like to share, send me an email
sowbelly.hunter@yahoo.com Lake Fork Tackle can be reached at 800- 408-2028 or online at www.LFTlures.com