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John N. Felsher's Bass Fishing Adventures
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Ugly clay structures sometimes
produce pretty largemouth bass
produce pretty largemouth bass
TOP: Ish Monroe, a
professional bass angler
from Phoenix, Ariz.,
fishes near a red clay
bluff on the Tennessee
River near Knoxville,
Tenn. RIGHT: Such red
clay bluffs can often
produce big bass, such
as the one landed by Ish
Monroe, a professional
bass angler from
Phoenix, Ariz, caught
while fishing with a Zara
Spook on Tellico Lake
near Knoxville, Tenn.
professional bass angler
from Phoenix, Ariz.,
fishes near a red clay
bluff on the Tennessee
River near Knoxville,
Tenn. RIGHT: Such red
clay bluffs can often
produce big bass, such
as the one landed by Ish
Monroe, a professional
bass angler from
Phoenix, Ariz, caught
while fishing with a Zara
Spook on Tellico Lake
near Knoxville, Tenn.
Sometimes, the ugliest pieces of geography attract the most beautiful
fish, although people might bypass them en route to more “fishy” looking
places.
Because of wind, rain or wave erosion, huge chunks of earth often
crumble into lakes and rivers, exposing the reddish soil of the South.
These red clay bluffs often provide bass everything they need. When
chunks of clay fall into water, they frequently expose crawfish, insects,
worms, grubs and other creatures living in the dirt. In addition, years of
erosion create mud lumps, log piles, grass clumps and other cover where
bass can feed at the base of bluffs.
“Red clay banks often don’t get much pressure because they are so
ugly, but they are some of the best places on a lake to fish,” said Rufus
Johnson, a professional bass angler who fishes many red clay banks along
the Tennessee River. “Really close to the bank, there might be some
undercuts or washed out eroded banks. That’s an awesome place to flip a
tube, a jig or a worm. I like a red clay bank to run flat for about 100 yards
off the bank to about 15 feet of water with patches of pea gravel on it. A
scattered stump or two would make it a good place to run spinnerbaits or
topwaters.”
Since they rise so high and sheer, bluffs often mark the edges of deep
channels. Over time, currents may smooth eroded soil deposits, creating
points or flats that drop off from channel edges. Bass rise from the depths
to feed in the shallows and return to deep water to escape pressure or
temperature extremes. Often, they hang just over the drop-off edges at the
bottom of red clay bluffs.
“Bluffs usually have a good drop,” Johnson explained. “No telling how
much of the bluff is underwater. “I like to fish small crankbaits around red
clay banks with flats or tapered points. They usually have a bunch of
pockets almost like a miniature creek.”
Waves and boat wakes smashing against exposed mud shorelines
increases erosion. Waves pounding the base of bluffs rip out insects,
worms and other creatures that live in the mud. Waves can also disorient
baitfish or break up tight schools, making shad easier to attack.
A line of muddy water might form at the base of an exposed bank.
Many people avoid muddy water, but stained water can attract and hold
fish. In clear water, a mud line can become a form of cover, almost like a
false shoreline. Bass might hide in the mud, dash out to ambush bait and
then dart back into cover much the same way fighter pilots use clouds to
hide from their enemies. Stained water can also provide some shade for
bass as a brutal sun begins to bake the reservoir.
In dingy water, use large Colorado-bladed spinnerbaits, which push
more water and cause more commotion than other types. Also use large
rattling crankbaits in bright or contrasting colors, such as chartreuse,
orange or red. Odd, black makes an excellent silhouette in muddy water.
Make as much noise and vibration as possible so bass can locate the lures
in the “clouds” despite the noise caused by waves. Use rattling jigs
sweetened with creature baits to fish below muddy water along deep ledges
or the perimeter of humps.
“Often, a mud line is not all the way to the bottom,” Johnson said. “It
might only drop a foot or two deep. People make a mistake by not fishing in
the mud line. I’ve caught many big fish out of mud lines on spinnerbaits. I
burn a spinnerbait through a mud line or stay parallel to it and a little
outside it.”
In deeper waters around bluffs, anglers might throw jigs or Carolina-
rigs. In places where sheer vertical bluffs disappear into deep water,
jigging a chrome spoon or a drop shot with a 4-inch plastic worm or grub
might entice strikes. Position boats almost against the bluff and fish
vertically. Also try running deep-diving shad- or crawfish-colored
crankbaits into and parallel to bluffs. Allow the lips to dig into the mud to
produce telltale mud trails that resemble scurrying crawfish.
Easy to spot, red clay bluffs might also stand out because of the lack
of boats around them as people race to the stump fields, brushy flats, creek
channels or weed patches. However, anglers who know how to fish
exposed banks might find some of the best catches on the lake — and
that’s no idle bluff!
fish, although people might bypass them en route to more “fishy” looking
places.
Because of wind, rain or wave erosion, huge chunks of earth often
crumble into lakes and rivers, exposing the reddish soil of the South.
These red clay bluffs often provide bass everything they need. When
chunks of clay fall into water, they frequently expose crawfish, insects,
worms, grubs and other creatures living in the dirt. In addition, years of
erosion create mud lumps, log piles, grass clumps and other cover where
bass can feed at the base of bluffs.
“Red clay banks often don’t get much pressure because they are so
ugly, but they are some of the best places on a lake to fish,” said Rufus
Johnson, a professional bass angler who fishes many red clay banks along
the Tennessee River. “Really close to the bank, there might be some
undercuts or washed out eroded banks. That’s an awesome place to flip a
tube, a jig or a worm. I like a red clay bank to run flat for about 100 yards
off the bank to about 15 feet of water with patches of pea gravel on it. A
scattered stump or two would make it a good place to run spinnerbaits or
topwaters.”
Since they rise so high and sheer, bluffs often mark the edges of deep
channels. Over time, currents may smooth eroded soil deposits, creating
points or flats that drop off from channel edges. Bass rise from the depths
to feed in the shallows and return to deep water to escape pressure or
temperature extremes. Often, they hang just over the drop-off edges at the
bottom of red clay bluffs.
“Bluffs usually have a good drop,” Johnson explained. “No telling how
much of the bluff is underwater. “I like to fish small crankbaits around red
clay banks with flats or tapered points. They usually have a bunch of
pockets almost like a miniature creek.”
Waves and boat wakes smashing against exposed mud shorelines
increases erosion. Waves pounding the base of bluffs rip out insects,
worms and other creatures that live in the mud. Waves can also disorient
baitfish or break up tight schools, making shad easier to attack.
A line of muddy water might form at the base of an exposed bank.
Many people avoid muddy water, but stained water can attract and hold
fish. In clear water, a mud line can become a form of cover, almost like a
false shoreline. Bass might hide in the mud, dash out to ambush bait and
then dart back into cover much the same way fighter pilots use clouds to
hide from their enemies. Stained water can also provide some shade for
bass as a brutal sun begins to bake the reservoir.
In dingy water, use large Colorado-bladed spinnerbaits, which push
more water and cause more commotion than other types. Also use large
rattling crankbaits in bright or contrasting colors, such as chartreuse,
orange or red. Odd, black makes an excellent silhouette in muddy water.
Make as much noise and vibration as possible so bass can locate the lures
in the “clouds” despite the noise caused by waves. Use rattling jigs
sweetened with creature baits to fish below muddy water along deep ledges
or the perimeter of humps.
“Often, a mud line is not all the way to the bottom,” Johnson said. “It
might only drop a foot or two deep. People make a mistake by not fishing in
the mud line. I’ve caught many big fish out of mud lines on spinnerbaits. I
burn a spinnerbait through a mud line or stay parallel to it and a little
outside it.”
In deeper waters around bluffs, anglers might throw jigs or Carolina-
rigs. In places where sheer vertical bluffs disappear into deep water,
jigging a chrome spoon or a drop shot with a 4-inch plastic worm or grub
might entice strikes. Position boats almost against the bluff and fish
vertically. Also try running deep-diving shad- or crawfish-colored
crankbaits into and parallel to bluffs. Allow the lips to dig into the mud to
produce telltale mud trails that resemble scurrying crawfish.
Easy to spot, red clay bluffs might also stand out because of the lack
of boats around them as people race to the stump fields, brushy flats, creek
channels or weed patches. However, anglers who know how to fish
exposed banks might find some of the best catches on the lake — and
that’s no idle bluff!
