(Editor's note: "Catching Bass with Dustin Wilks" airs four times per week on Sportsman Channel – 6:30 a.m. ET Monday, 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, 5 a.m. Saturday and 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The six-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier provides BassFans with additional insight about each episode in these submissions.)
Last week’s show was all about fishing small creeks. If you watched, I explained that the little places with moving water typically get less fishing pressure and are less affected by cold fronts, as long as they don’t get blown out with mud.
As always, I try to make the show as action-packed as I can, striving for at least 20 fish per episode. Anyone who has fished in early November can attest that it can be a tough time to catch numbers. I chose a little creek as my best chance to catch a lot and put on a good show.
I really love rivers, and the moving water presents lots of ambush points to bass that are accustomed to having to ambush their prey. Reservoir bass are a bit different at times, roaming open water, schooling on bait, even just suspending while awaiting better feeding times. A certain number are always sit-and-wait ambush predators, but in a river, they are all that type, so the sudden bites and challenge of casting make rivers quite fun.
Casting is a big deal. If you miss your target even by a tiny bit, you will not catch the fish. My buddy and professional fisherman Bradley Hallman keyed me in on the best casting rod for a wide range of single-hook baits. That rod is a Falcon Expert Amistad. It has awesome power, but has the perfect tip to really cast with pinpoint accuracy. At 7’3”, I find it much easier to whip around all day than a longer stick. I love the big 8-footers for certain things, but that smaller size with the perfect tip just makes casting a breeze. On rivers, targets come at you so fast, you need to be quick.
This day the water was a bit murky, so I chose an Eco Pro Sick Boy swim jig with a Culprit Flutter Craw in albino as a trailer for covering water. Had the water been clear, a swimbait can be just a touch better, but it's hard to beat the Sick Boy in 3/8-ounce for casting accuracy and overall appeal, plus the tungsten casts like a bullet and has less bulk to impair hooksets.
I ended up finding one large school and cleaned them up pretty good on a 7’-inch Fat Max Culprit worm. They were mostly small, so we didn’t show them all.
The takeaway from the show is to really work on your casting and you will catch more bass everywhere you go. If you are struggling with accuracy, try different length rods and actions. I’ve found the one I like, but yours could be different.
Heavier baits of at least 3/8-ounce are always easier on casting gear than the light stuff. Braid also makes things easier as there is less worry about line twist and breakoffs. I generally go with 50- or 65-pound as the easiest to handle. Lighter can be more difficult on casting rods.
Good luck and have fun!
