What depth do anglers need to use crankbaits?
Published 7:42 am Thursday, July 11, 2013
Last week we looked at the effectiveness of crankbaits in catching largemouth bass in Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair. I stated that most largemouth bass can be found in water that is 8-25 foot deep. Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair do not stratify during the summer months like other southern reservoirs.
The reason that the lakes do not stratify is caused by the regular mixing of the water from top to bottom by the pump-back operation at the Wallace Dam. The constant mixing of the water each day causes the water temperature and also, to some degree, the dissolved oxygen to be the same in both reservoirs throughout the water column.
Theoretically, that means that the fish can reside anywhere within the water column or at any depth. However, there is a limiting factor and that factor is dissolved oxygen in the water. Once the dissolved oxygen drops below 5 mg/l, fish become stressed and once the dissolved oxygen drops below 3 mg/l fish cannot survive for long periods of time.
Water temperature and dissolved oxygen studies performed on Lake Sinclair a few years ago have shown that Lake Sinclair and, most likely, Lake Oconee do not have optimum temperature and dissolved oxygen levels to support healthy fish populations during the summer. The fish are stressed to some degree throughout the summer months.
However, the largemouth bass in both lakes have adapted to the warm water with low dissolved levels and will even move into areas where dissolved oxygen is below 3 mg/l for short periods. The studies confirmed that the summer water temperature is the same throughout the water column. It also indicated that dissolved oxygen levels are approximately the same from top to bottom but do, in fact, nosedive to levels below 3 mg/l at 20-25 feet.
What that seems to mean is that largemouth bass can live anywhere in the water column down to a depth of 20-25 feet. Therefore, that is the water depth that anglers should consider when targeting largemouth bass in Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee during the summer months.
Even though the temperature and dissolved oxygen studies were performed on Lake Sinclair, fisheries biologists estimate that both lakes are quite similar in regards to water temperature and dissolved oxygen during the summer months due to the water mixing.
Southern lakes that do stratify during the summer create a zone in the water known as the thermocline level and that is where the fish will find the most comfortable temperature and levels of dissolved oxygen. That allows anglers to narrow there search for game fish like largemouth bass to that thermocline level which might be a very small area in the water column.
The challenge for anglers pursuing largemouth bass and other game fish in Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair becomes more difficult but there are some assumptions or factors that can help narrow the search.
Shallow water contains water just as comfortable as does the deeper water so fishing shallow is certainly an option early in the day. However once the sun is out brightly, the fish will tend to avoid the direct sunlight and either find shady areas around boat docks and boathouses or they will move to deeper water to avoid the sunlight.
The second factor is the presence of baitfish, both shad and bluegill, which largemouth bass and many other predator or game fish feed on to get their nourishment. Largemouth bass will almost always be around schools of shad in deeper water or around bluegill in shallower shady areas.
Those factors give the angler two options. Anglers can either concentrate on shallow water and at times shallow shady water areas dominated mostly by bluegill or target deeper areas where shad dominate and those deeper areas are where I personally think most of the largemouth bass will reside during most of the summer.
The deeper water areas where I have the most success in Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair are at the 8-17 foot depth. Areas at that 8-17 foot depth around humps, ledges, drop-offs, points and channels will usually provide the best summertime angling for largemouth bass.
The most effective lures for the shallow water areas are topwater lures, Carolina rigged plastics, Texas rigged plastics, Shakey head rigged plastics, jigs and small crankbaits. Effective lures for deeper water areas are Carolina rigged plastics, football jigs, drop shot rigged plastics, spoons and crankbaits.
Nothing in my estimation beats crankbaits that run from 8-17 feet for catching summer largemouth bass. The best time to use crankbaits is when the water is moving or when water is being pushed/pulled between the two lakes by the pump-back operation at the Wallace Dam. The movement of water makes the baitfish and the largemouth bass more active.
I usually begin the early part of the day using a light Carolina rig or a topwater plug and then when the sun is out I move to deeper water where I use a Carolina rigged plastics when the fish are not active and a crankbait for those times when water movement is present.
Use my game plan or create your own game plan using the information I have provided and I think you will be more successful in catching summer largemouth bass. Good fishing and see you next week.
Bobby Peoples can be reached by e-mail at brpeoples@windstream.net.