by Pros4- 1Sources Dave Landahl.
John Crews should know a thing or two about soft plastics. Specifically soft plastic bass baits. As the owner of Missile Baits he works closely with the research and development of all of the products they produce and sell.
So, what does this soft plastics guru think you should use during the late summer and early fall to catch bass, specifically in shallow and weedy natural lakes? Why, soft plastics of course.
Late Summer
"In my experience, most shallow natural lakes have two primary forms of cover," said Crews. "Some combination of weeds and docks. Pretty basic, but that is where you'll find the bass.
"During the late summer when it's still hot, look for the bass around the docks, or even some sort of isolated wood. This is where pitching or flipping a Missile Baits D-Bomb is ideal. I Texas rig it and use a 5/16 or 3/8-ounce weight, something you can flip it accurately with.
"Stick with natural colors. The shape of the D-Bomb is like a baitfish, like a bluegill or perch. That shape is a big deal when it is still hot. You'll hurt the bass' feelings using it."
Early Fall
"When the weather starts to cool, the dock bite usually goes away," said Crews. "You can try to get them really shallow with some sort of topwater, but I think fishing the deeper grass edge with a swimbait is the best idea generally speaking. I use the Missile Baits Shockwave.
"I use the 3.5-incher and rig it on a ball-head jig. I use 6-pound Sunline fluorocarbon and a spinning rod. I make long casts and retrieve the bait just under the surface and above the weeds.
"It catches a lot of fish. You can also fish vertical cover like seawalls with it too. Use the baitfish colors. It is a great option when the water starts to cool."
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