By David A. Brown
Special to BassFan
A vertical (or nearly vertical) rock wall may appear less detailed than, say, a wood-strewn bank or a cove lined with docks. But don't let this deceptive simplicity fool you. A closer look reveals several reasons why fish relate to bluffs throughout much of the year – particularly in the fall.
With the exception of the spawn, there aren't many times when bluffs don't hold some seasonal relevance. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Casey Ashley, who earned a 10th-place finish on Lake Wheeler after dialing in certain bluff features, said he puts a lot of fourth-quarter faith in this habitat feature.
“This is the time of the year when lakes turn over and fish love to suspend,” Ashley said. “Bluffs allow them to do that. They have cover, they have shade at some point during the day and they have easy access to deep water.
“But during a turnover, the fish move up and down in the water column to find where the oxygen level is the best. So they have every scenario they need, as well as bait.”
Seasonal Stations
As Ashley notes, bluffs offer nearly year-round potential. With the exception of the egg-laying period, he knows he can always turn to bluffs to fill a limit or possibly bag a kicker.
“A lot of fish that live on bluffs never leave them (except to spawn),” he said. “In the fall, I’m a firm believer that fish like to feed up and they love to suspend, so bluff walls are a great place to target fish this time of the year.”
Ashley looks for oddities, like rocky outcroppings, cracks or undercuts in a bluff – anything that a bass might use to ambush passing bait. Mostly, though, he’s watching his sonar for the actual groceries. Wherever baitfish cluster, bluff bass won’t be far away.
“They’re going to be positioned in the water column where the oxygen level is best,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how hot it gets during the day or what the wind conditions are, they won’t deviate much from that.”
Essentially, it’s about matching the right depth zone to the season and realizing that it’s largely defined by baitfish positioning relevant to the comfortable conditions.
“You might catch fish in the spring on a bluff wall with a step at 10 feet, but that might not be where that fish wants to be in the fall because of the oxygen level,” Ashley said. “So, you may have to fish bluffs you’ve never fished before because the cover that a particular bluff has to offer is in the right depth range.”
As fall starts transitioning into winter, fish still dig this scene, but the attraction shifts. Therefore, understanding the fish’s seasonal needs will guide your engagement.
“The fish will still get on those stair-step bluffs (like those found in Lake Wheeler and other Tennessee River lakes), but they’ll also use those straight bluffs because the water’s getting cooler and those rocks hold heat and bait,” Ashley said. “Those fish are suspended on that wall, but they’re not necessarily using it for the contour. They’re using it for warmth, just like the baitfish are also using it for warmth.
“You may not necessarily see the fish, but you’ll mark the bait. This time of year, as long as you’re around the bait, you’re around fish. It may be 10 feet down, it may be 30 feet down, but they’re going to be around the bait.”
Jimmy Mason likes to throw a half-ounce jig at an wood that might wash into a crack or point on a bluff.
Early fall typically finds main-lake bluffs near the mouths of creeks and those near the front thirds most productive; but as the season progresses, Elite Series pro John Crews wants to push farther into the creek where heavier baitfish concentrations exert undeniable influence on hungry bass.
Alabama pro Jimmy Mason said creek bluffs are your clear indication of depth, as they’ll always stand opposite the creek’s flat side. This is particularly relevant in channel swings where a bluff end tapers into the point from which the channel flares outward. Baitfish tend to gather in these spots, so nearby bluffs can be key staging areas for fall bass looking for a passing meal.
Considering the geological forces that created a bluff, there’s often an interesting story waiting just below the surface. This is where low-water recon can cue you in on exactly where the fish may position.
Whether it’s a fall drawdown or just lack of rain, declining lake levels reveal great detail about what normally lies hidden. Where do bluffs remain vertical? Where are the steps? What areas have pronounced undercuts? Sure, you can check out such features with side-scanning sonar, but seeing it firsthand offers helpful insight for later presentations.
Play the Conditions
In the early to mid-morning, late afternoon or whenever cloudy skies give him low-light conditions, Ashley’s a big fan of topwaters. Poppers, buzzbaits and walking baits fit well with the fish’s instinctive interest in anything that resembles baitfish pinned at the surface.
During the harsh midday sun, bluffs with shadows cast by overhanging trees or undercut rock edges (especially relevant during drawdowns) may extend the topside action. Generally, though, subsurface baits carry the show during sunny periods.
This is where Crews turns to his Missile Baits Shockwave swimbait on a light round-head jig. He’ll select the 3.5- or 4.25-inch model based on forage size, but both do a good job of probing the water column for hungry fish that want a little more depth over their heads.
Ashley keeps a deeper-reaching jerkbait handy for sunny times, but a shaky head may very well be the all-time favorite bluff bait. Walk it down the shelves or steps flanking a bluff, probe any contour changes, or let it free-fall for spotted bass stubbornly holding at 30-plus feet.
For more targeted presentations – perhaps after finding an active area with the shaky head – wacky-rigged worms can be deadly for bluff fish that have seen too many reaction baits. If a fall cold front pushes the fish deeper, stick a nail weight in the worm’s nose and feed it a Neko look.
Last, but certainly not least, you’ll want to keep a moderate jig presentation on standby. Mason likes a 1/2-ounce Booyah Finance Jig with a green pumpkin/purple YUM Christie Craw for hitting any wood that falls or washes into a crack or point on the bluff. A Texas-rigged craw or creature bait also fits here.
In closing, Mason notes that when the fish are chewing, they need no prompting. Nevertheless, shad do their best to avoid the tonsil inspections, so manipulating natural tendencies is the angler’s secret weapon.
Because fall bass are ready to feed 24/7, Mason keeps his Hydrowave set on the Feeding Frenzy pattern to attract those that are trying to round up that next gorge session.
