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How to Fish Lake Mead in Sep/Oct
| Dear Pro Staff,
I am making plans to take a trip to Lake Mead in September or October. Could you give me a few tips on patterns, baits and spots to fish. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Kevin |
Russ Bassdozer says:
Hi Kevin,
Here is some info for you from long-time Lake Mead angler and inside Line editor, Jerry "Bubba" Puckett:
"I'd say that between the Sugoi Splash topwater popper and the soft plastic Senko, you should be all set for some fun Sep/Oct action in the shallows there at Mead. The two topwater patterns that have served me well there are both shad-related. Early mornings I like to "milk run" the cuts in the Big Gyps and Little Gyps area, throwing either the Splash or a buzzbait, and covering a lot of water. BUT, and here's the payday, you need to have a follow-up bait ready at ALL times, because those early morning cruisers will often swipe at, and miss, the buzzbait or Splash. If you can get that Senko in to the area immediately (rigged weightless, Tex-posed) it's almost a guaranteed hook-up.
Through the sun and heat of the day, I often retraced the morning's steps in cuts that have flooded grass beds - it's a quick-paced deal, the bass will cruise into those cuts (looking for shad) at various times through the day, and you should, too! But, if you don't get some activity in 10-20 minutes, move to the next cut. You need to move until you're at the right place, at the right time. Keep throwing that Splash, with the follow-up at the ready.
When the sun's up and blazing, the bass will often park in the middle of the heaviest brush in the back of those cuts - like the ones in the T-Bar area, Monkey Box, etc. That's a great time to rig up with really heavy tackle and pitch that big shad-patterned Senko OVER the brush, onto the bank (not to spook the fish) and then twitch it into the shallow, open water behind the brushline, or right into the midst of the
heaviest cover.
One last tip - if the midday shallow water bite just won't produce for you, try C-rigging that #177 Senko on long-running points and submerged ridges at 25-40 feet deep - same hold true for Hula Grubs also. And, whatever you do, DO NOT dip 1/2" of the tail of that #177 Senko in chartreuse dye - you're likely to GET YOUR ARM BROKE!" - Jerry Puckett
Additionally, the WON Bass US Open tourney is being held every year on Mead in mid-September. We will be providing you with info about the tourneys each year when they happen - and some late-breaking winners' tips for Mead - on our web site at www.insideline.net .
Finally, we have a few articles online in back issues of our magazine including how Gary Yamamoto won the Open in '95 there using a technique known as the "One Ton". It's still as effective today as it was then, and if you look around the back issues we have online at www.insideline.net , you will find several articles there about Mead including:
Overall, the patterns (with the exception of the "chase the bait" pattern that Jerry described above) are largely driven by the amount of flooded brush - high water, get out the flippin' sticks and move inside the flooded cover. If you can find clouded water in the brush banks, don't neglect spinnerbaits, and there's more info about using spinnerbaits in brush in an article I wrote at www.bassdozer.com, Best of Times? Worst of Times? It's Summer.
On the other hand, low water with the brush sitting high-and-dry, look for the points and walls pattern to come into play - 30-50' depths - like the one Gary worked in '95 with the One Ton. There's an effective point-running and jigging pattern described in an article I wrote at www.bassdozer.com, Fishing Deep Summer Points with Jigs. Since the article describes 1/2-5/8 oz jigs, I call it the "half-ton"!
Good luck on your visit to Mead, Kevin.
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