Went out this morning to take a break from packing to move back to Virginia and wet a line for a while. 50 degrees or so, total overcast, and lots of rain the past week has completely clouded up the normally remarkably clear (for this region) pond I usually fish. I figured I could take advantage of these conditions to really narrow down optimal lure selections and went with one rod and a handful of my loudest chartreuse/black themed lipless crankbaits.

 

After getting one early at the end of a long cast toward an opposite bank, I picked up another just as my lure was leaving the water for another cast. Wow, what a heartstopping strike! I just happened to be looking for the lure to come into sight in the foot or less of visibility so I could do an early check for weeds and instead of seeing a chartreuse/black back Cotten Cordell Super Spot, I saw what could only be described as a black hole open up and absolutely smash it!

 

I've actually come to generally not enjoy on-the-bank strikes as I enjoy the fight as much as the next guy, but tomorrow morning looks like literally my last opportunity to enjoy perpetual (Virginia) fall-conditions fishing in the Deep South before I move and at this point, a fish is a fish. After that fish, I started throwing in my best rendition of musky figure-8s before taking the lure out of the water whenever the water at the bank was deep enough to incorporate it. Out of 8 hookups and 5 fish landed, doing this accounted for no less than 3 of my fish. After those first two fish, I got the feeling that numerable fish were holding in pockets found wherever water was 2-3 feet deep about 6-8 feet off the bank, a fairly unusual pattern for this body of water, in my experience. Having such a shore accessible pattern (or at least theory) gave me my most productive outing to this pond ever, as I was pretty much able to work my 2-legpower trolling motor in a lap around the pond.

 

Does anybody else purposely keep their lures in the water for a few more moments before pulling it out? I imagine it looks to a bass like whatever baitfish they were chasing suddenly ran out of room, driving them to strike at it while it's confused.

 

 

I have only caught two bass doing a figure eight, one on a squarebill and another on an 8" BBZ. I do a lot of swimbait fishing and with followers most of the time they shy away once they see you in a boat (usually its a kayak for me) so you don't have the opportunity to figure 8. However, when you fish from the bank they don't spot you as quickly, and followers will strike a lot closer. I would imagine this is what was happening with you but I could be wrong. Fish do "follow" crankbaits from time to time.

 

Don't know as I'd waste too much time doing that because I feel I could catch em better in other ways but still pretty cool.

That's pretty cool! ^

Interesting video. Long poling for bass does 

similar, with short line and presentation right 

in the strike zone.

anything acting not normal gets nailed. Even baitfish jump a lure doing back & forths. I use a wet fly with the flyrod tip underwater & about12 to 18" of line out.

 

After catching a couple of shiners a NICE LM darts out & grabs the next hooked shiner.  Funny. I let him take some line to a stop place. wait. then slowly increase pull. He is coming along nicely.  ZIP    He is gone.   I have my wet fly back.