(Editor's note: In observance of the Columbus Day holiday, a new First Cast story will not appear until Tuesday, Oct. 13.)

By David A. Brown
Special to BassFan


The 3-pounder blasted Greg Hackney’s Strike King Sexy Dog like a fish twice its weight. As my host reeled in his catch, he turned and summarized the seasonal pattern.

“He was right where he was supposed to be,” Hackney said. “This falling water has pulled these fish off the shallow cover and they’re just running the bank looking for shad.”

The decline to which Hackney referred is the fall drawdown by which water authorities gradually drop reservoirs to winter pool. This change facilitates structural maintenance, while preparing water bodies to handle the forthcoming spring influx.

Drawdowns also impact the fishing scene. You might say it’s the bass world’s example of addition by subtraction – a seasonal occurrence that taketh and, through its collection, giveth also.

For one thing, remaining spots are hot property as fish pack into available cover. Also, as Hackney’s fellow Bassmaster Elite Series pro Keith Combs explains, any log, laydown or hefty rock left with at least a foot or two of water around it can be an absolute gold mine.

“Something different than your surroundings can make all the difference,” Combs said. “In the fall-winter drawdown, when you have just a little brush or (a few) laydowns in the water, it makes it a lot easier to pick them out.”

Indeed, spotting half a tree lying exposed on the bank is a lot easier than discerning an inundated structure with just a few twigs breaking the surface. Not all drawdown adjustments are so dramatic, but the depth change profoundly impacts the entire shoreline zone.

Standouts

Last year on Kentucky Lake, Combs pointed out the remains of an old road bed exposed by the declining water. A break indicated the spot where a small bridge once crossed a modest creek that led into a cove with lots of recently suntanned wood and stake beds.

The tiny channel held just enough water to scoot a bass boat through and the edges of the road bed were certainly deep enough to interest any bass looking to ambush bait flowing out with the dropping water.

Such manmade spots are few and far between, but Combs knows that the natural stuff is just as productive. One of his primary criteria for a promising drawdown spot is depth.



David A. Brown
Photo: David A. Brown

A topwater offering is highly effective during the drawdown and missed strikes can be followed up with baits such as a Strike King Caffeine Shad.

“I look for any irregularity – anything to set a bank apart from the rest of the lake,” Combs said. “Typically, in a drawdown, you get a lot of flat banks, but I like one with some depth.

“I like a channel swing that comes in close to a bank. You still have that flat up on top, but I want that channel close by.”

The next thing Combs will seek out is isolated cover. Any of that wood and natural rock still holding at a bass-friendly depth works just fine for him, but the Texas pro stresses this point: Don’t overlook the grass beds.

“With lakes that have grass in them this time of year, I like the patchy spots,” Combs said. “I want to be able to see the holes and the ambush points.”

Baits and Tactics

When anglers search open banks, it’s hard to beat a topwater – either a walker or a popper. The fish are keying on the sound of schooling shad, so give them an enticing performance. Hackney often follows up a missed topwater bite with a weightless Strike King Caffeine Shad.

For working remaining structure, one of Combs’ favorite baits for the fall drawdown is a 3/8-ounce Strike King spinnerbait, and white is his go-to color for most spots. For close-range work, he’ll go with a 1/2-ounce Hack Attack jig (black/blue or Okeechobee Craw) with a green pumpkin Strike King Rage Craw trailer.

Cranking also has its place in the fall game plan and Combs likes to mix it up with a Strike King KVD 1.5 or 2.5 in Tennessee Shad color, but if he thinks he’s around big fish, he won’t hesitate to send Strike King’s hefty KVD 8.0 into battle.

B.A.S.S./Gary Tramontina
Photo: B.A.S.S./Gary Tramontina

Keith Combs always makes his first few casts with quick-moving baits when approaching an isolated piece of cover during the drawdown.

“Day to day, I’m going to have all three tied on and just see what the fish are biting that day,” Combs said. “If the wind’s blowing hard and it’s difficult to make a great presentation and maintain proper boat positioning (for jig-flipping), then I’m going to go with the spinnerbait or squarebill.

“A lot of times, when I’m approaching a piece of isolated cover, my first two or three casts are going to be with those running baits. Once I get in close, I’m going to pick it apart with that jig.”

As Combs explains, this disciplined plan of attack can help prevent a spooked spot. Within this logic, he drills down even further into his choices.

“I think a squarebill gives me more options,” he said. “I think a lot of fish that will strike a spinnerbait will also strike a squarebill when they’re actively feeding. The advantage I’d give a squarebill is when the fish are inactive.

“Say you’re in a tournament, it’s the third day and the fish have seen a lot of baits. A squarebill will allow me to slam into that cover and trigger a strike. You can do the same with a spinnerbait, but the squarebill gives me that big deflection. Sometimes that’s the only way you can get them to react.”

In closing, Combs said he’s also partial to the squarebill because of its dual role. Essentially, this bait gets him the reaction bites, as well as the pure feeding bites.

“In the fall, a lot of the fish are feeding on small threadfin shad and a squarebill has that kind of look to it, especially when you go to a Tennessee shad or a sexy shad color,” Combs said. “It looks natural to a fish that’s keying on shad.

“So, this bait appeals to a bass on two levels: 1) ‘That looks like something good to eat,’ and 2) ‘I don’t like that being around me.’ That’s why these baits catch so many big fish.”