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All About Bass Fishing - Guide To Wood & Timber

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By Rick Seaman and Dan Westfall

Bass Knowledge Center

Timber is ideal cover for bass at any depth timber exists. Fallen timber laying down in any depth is a premiere spot to locate bass. Often larger bass acquire the best spots on these logs driving smaller bass to other cover.

3 Most Important Factors About Bass Fishing In Heavy Wood or Timber
  • Bass hide in timber for shade and ambush opportunities.
  • Shad, baitfish and sunfish feel safer around this cover.
  • Crawfish eat moss and algae off the flooded timber and heavy wood.
3 Most Effective Fishing Methods & Lures
  • Top water and soft jerkbaits.
  • Spinnerbaits and crankbaits.
  • Artificial worms, jigs and Senkos.
Timber and heavy wood offer great cover for bass.
Wood Cover

You can find timber in three basic locations. Timber in shallow water creates shade and cover for bass that are wary in shallow water, especially if the water is clear. In mid-depth water, timber may be present as standing timber with some branches below the surface or may be lay downs with none of the wood visible above the surface. It can also be submerged timber, standing or laying down, in deep water.

Shallow Timber

When bass are holding in shallow water timber, the first thing one should do is determine the lay of the land where the timber exists. If there is a creek channel the timber near it is likely to be the better spot in the area. To locate bass it requires a search bait to cover lots of water and determine where the bass are holding in the timber. A top water bait, spinnerbait or crankbait works well for this searching. When the bass are active, normal speed retrieves work well. If they will take top water and are active, a buzzbait is the ideal lure for covering a lot of water quickly. When the bass are inactive, it requires a slower retrieve fished tight to the timber. Once you locate the bass, try a worm or jig worked tight to the timber. The heavier the timber the greater need for heavy line, preferably braid for spinnerbaits and buzzbaits.

Timber in Mid-Range Depths

These intermediate-depth trees should be attacked two ways. First fish the branches in the water near the surface as you would fish shallow water, using top water, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. If the bass are deeper in the trees it becomes necessary to pitch into the center of the tree to get the bait deep near the trunk and heavier branches. The bass may be 15’ down in 20’ of water so jigs or worms work well to get a lure in front of the bass. Vertical free spooling near the trunk can often produce excellent action.

Deep Timber

Finding bass in deep timber can be very time consuming as you first have to locate the timber, then search out the area of timber holding the bass. Again creek channels and drop-offs nearby can be a major factor. The bass hold in the standing or lay down timber as they would in shallower depths except that they might not be as deep in the branches because sun is not as great a factor. Use heavier jigs and worms to get the lure into the strike zone quicker, but work it slowly once you reach the desired depth.

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