Hi All,

 

There are endless tips, videos, tackle reviews on how to catch monster largemouth bass.  I tend to fish smaller lakes where there are lots of largemouth bass around 1 to 2 1/2 pounds and catching a 3 pound LMB is considered a big deal, but either way, it's just a lot of fun to get out there and fish!  

 

So here's my question.... what worms/lures/tackle, presentation, etc work great for catching LMB's on the smaller side at the end of the summer in clear lakes that don't have much structure? 

 

Thank you, 

el Largo

 

 

Clear lake, not a lot of structure, end of summer... hmmm... start with a topwater early, a spook/walking topwater or whopperplopper in bone or white.  Use these to cover water and find fish.  Once the sun gets on the water, a weightless senko, 4" dropshot, shakey head, or ned rig in green pumpkin or watermelon candy around every stick, dock, limb in the water.  Good luck dude!  

A wacky rig catches all different sizes and works great in clear water where there isn't a lot of cover provided it isn't too deep. 

Fish at night... especially that time of year.  You might be pleasantly surprised

snag them, works for big fish, should work for smaller ones...

Pretty much everything that people post about catching monster bass will catch smaller ones too. Where I fish we have a lot of smaller largemouths too. They will bite any of the baits that people recommend for giants.

I seem to catch a ton of little bass in my grandma's condo system's lake, and I always seen to catch them on 4-5 inch senkos, mostly in green pumpkin color with black flakes. Yes, IK this thread is a year old, but this should help! You could also catch the occasional 3-pounder on senkos too!

Ned rig of some sort...

Yeah, senkos are very good. I fish in a lake similar and they only bite senkos. 5 inch works great for all sizes. Texas rigged or wacky.

I would say small poppers, flukes and trick worms. 
 

 

 

Mike

Weightless wacky rigs are what I found a TON of success on this summer. Blues, green pumpkins work great.

Whenever I want to catch "small" bass, I just fish a tournament. LOL!

 

Seriously though, I've fished a TON of small clear-water lakes that only trout anglers fished. The bass were unmolested....which meant a very large population of stunted bass.

 

3" grub, T-rigged on a jighead or bullet sinker is pure gold. Clear water?  Clear with Salt & Pepper flake, or smoke colored are the bombs.  I had 60+ days on those, with a few surprisingly big girls thrown in (6+ pounds).

 

Not only is that a lot of fun, but you really get to understand bass behavior, and figuring out patterns under those circumstances.  Clear water also lets you see how they react to different presentations.  Probably the best on-the-water learning I've ever had.

 

I hardly catch fish over 2 pounds, never mind 3, so everything I throw counts... ?

The Keitech Easy Shiner would fit the bill for me.  Not as bulky or aggressive as the Fat Swing Impact.  I like a 4" on a 1/8oz swimbait jig head.  They have a ton of colors that would suit your situation.

 

Senkos and ned should work too, but sometimes I just need to be turning a handle.  Even if its just enough to keep it moving.  

I fish a lot of lakes like this. Try smaller jerkbaits and 1/4oz poppers early and late in the year, wacky rigged 4" senkos, T-Rigged powerworms and the secret weapon a nose hooked Roboworm Alive Shad on a drop shot.

Small fish are my specialty lol! 

 

When I am looking to just find fish, the first things I throw on clear lakes are:

 

1. Dropshot with GYB Shad Shape Worm in Baby Bass or Natural Shad - Work it slow around points and creek channels.

2. Any stickbait rigged wacky - Work it in the same areas as the dropshot, but also around shallow logs, rocks, stumps, etc.

3. Ned rigged Z-Man TRD in Canada Craw - Work it in all the areas mentioned above.

 

A few things I know about my local clearer lakes are:

 

Do NOT always assume the fish are deep. I have seen fish laying in 2 feet of water on a sunny day in August in a lake where you can see bottom in 25 feet.

 

Fish SLOW! Especially if there are a lot of other boats and anglers. Fish in clearer lakes tend to spook easier because they can see better. Long casts and lighter line can help.