By Jonathan LePera
Special to BassFan
One of the more challenging aspects of the pro bass tournament scene is when events are held at fisheries that are impacted by the ocean tides. Whether it’s the California Delta, the Louisiana Delta or any of the rivers along the East Coast, figuring out how bass behave in certain tide scenarios can be an exhausting exercise.
For Luke Clausen, there are some simple rules he follows when fishing tidal water. He used them to his advantage in winning the 2011 FLW Tour event at the Potomac River, site of this year’s season finale.
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
“You don’t have to move very far to catch fish, you just have to figure out how to catch them,” Clausen says.
He pointed out that bass will bite in different windows due to water fluctuation and likened it to “fishing a new lake all the time.”
As areas replenish, anglers could find themselves constantly fishing for new fish as those moving in will relate to cover differently than those previous.
“I change as the tide changes,” Clausen said. “The biggest mistake anglers make is they have a preconceived notion of how they are going to catch them.”
Many anglers try and run the tide and hit a timeline of spots; Clausen’s experiences have taught him otherwise. He’d sooner stay in one area and adjust to the tides as the water rises and falls.
“I don’t like to run a tide, because it gives me more time to figure out what’s going on with that tide,” he said. “If fish are in grass and the water comes up, those fish tend to liven up and you’re going to catch them on moving baits a lot more. They’re up there to feed that’s the one reason they swam up to that log or rock bank that now has new water on it.”
The first hour of the water coming up means that flooded vegetation and cover will create the best opportunity to bulk up your livewell.
“When that water gets up on fresh cover, it’s best to be there as the tide gets high, as fish condense. Let the tide work for you,” Clausen added.
As the water falls, Clausen probes matted vegetation with a topwater frog and flipping baits.
“Those fish are a little more locked into their environment, they have less room to roam,” he noted.
The tide influences spots by the minute and grass lines, road beds, and hard structure all become focal points as the water descends.
“When it gets low,” he said, “you’ll catch those fish that pull off the last little bit of deep cover whether it's a lay down, or a peer with two pilings left in the water.”
Fish will pull off the flat behind it to relate to the last piece of structure.
Junk It Up
There aren’t too many times Clausen will fish tidal waters with fewer than 15 to 20 rods on hand to help him adjust to the ever changing conditions. Generally, when the tide is high, fish will be higher in the water column and low tide means the opposite.
Here’s a sampling of what Clausen has tied on for various tidal conditions:
> 7’ medium-action Megabass Orochi XX Shaky Head spinning rod, 1/8-oz. shaky head, 10-pound Gamma Teflon Tournament main line, 8-pound Gamma Edge fluorocarbon leader, Z-Man Finesse WormZ (green-pumpkin for grass; black/blue for hard cover).
> 7’9” super-heavy Megabass Orochi XX rod, 16- to 20-pound Gamma Edge fluorocarbon line, 3/8- to 1 1/2-oz. tungsten weight, Z-Man Palmetto BugZ (green-pumpkin for clear water; black red flake for wind-blown tide).
> 7’2” extra-heavy Megabass Orochi XX Perfect Pitch casting rod, 65-pound TUF-Line Tournament 8 braided line, topwater frogs (white when spawning or baitfish present; black all other times).
> Megabass Perfect Pitch rod, 50-pound TUF-Line Tournament 8 braided line, 3/8-oz. No Jack Dirty Jig Swim Jig (black/blue or dill gill).
> 7’ medium-action Megabass Orochi XX Flat-Side Special casting rod, Megabass S Crank (sexy shad or chartreuse/black back when tide is pulling; E2 craw or fire craw in spring time)
> 7’5” medium-heavy Megabass Orochi XX Extreme Mission casting rod, 16-pound Gamma fluorocarbon line, 3/8-oz. Z-Man Project Z ChatterBait (sexy shad, green-pumpkin or black/blue), Z-Man minnow-shaped trailer.
