All About Bass Fishing - Guide To Finding Bass During Falling Water Levels
By Rick Seaman and Dan Westfall
Falling water causes bass to move out of the backwaters and into deeper water. They will concentrate in areas that allow them to relate to structure that goes both out and down. Points and creek channels are the primary migration routes in this situation. If the drop is radical, bass may move to open water and suspend.
3 Most Important Factors About Falling Water Levels
- In falling water the bass move down and out.
- Bass may suspend during falling water conditions.
- Outside points, deep creek channels and submerged islands hold bass during falling water.
3 Most Effective Fishing Methods & Lures
- Artificial worms fished Texas style, drop shot or Carolina rigged.
- Crankbaits on suspended bass.
- Jigs fished on points and outside structure.
Falling Water Moves Bass Out And Down
Rule of thumb is that bass move up and in during rising water and they move down and out when the water is falling. The significance to the bass is dependent on how rapid the water is rising or falling and how common the level changes occur.
It is always a good idea to check water levels before heading for the lake. If you see that the water has been falling for some time, you should concentrate your efforts on the outside areas of points, flats and creek channels.
If the water is dropping at a significant rate, the bass may go into survival mode and may school over open water at a level with comfortable temperatures and oxygen levels. These bass are hard to locate and often hard to catch once you do locate them. Small, slowly-worked baits will generally out perform larger baits fished aggressively.
If the drop in level is happening at a slow rate, the bass become accustom and do not react as radically to the dropping water. They may even resume their normal activity for the season, but will choose to be out and down rather than in and shallow for the majority of the day.
AA Bass Fishing Knowledge Base
- Bass Fishing Overview
- Life Cycle Of Bass
- Seasonal Bass Migration
- Bass Migration - Mid to Late Winter
- Bass Migration - Spring
- Bass Migration - Early Summer
- Bass Migration - Late Summer
- Bass Migration - Fall
- Bass Migration - Early Winter
- Fishing For Bass
- It's Now WHAT You Throw, It's WHERE
- Research The Fishery Before You Go
- Review Contour Maps
- Types Of Cover Used By Bass
- Bass Fishing In Grass Beds
- Bass Fishing In Wood & Timber
- Bass Fishing In Brush & Vegetation
- Establishing Patterns
- Learn To Recognize Bites
- Review Lunar Tables
- Choose The Right Lures
- Find Bass Based On Conditions
- Conditions - Fold Fronts
- Conditions - Wind
- Conditions - Cloudy Days
- Conditions - Fishing In The Rain
- Conditions - Water Clarity
- Conditions - Rising Water
- Conditions - Falling Water
- Conditions - Fishing At Night
- Equipment & Tackle
- Equipment - Fishing Rods
- Equipment - Fishing Reels
- Equipment - Fishing Line
- Equipment - Fishing Lures
- Fishing With Live Bait
- Shallow Water Techniques, 0 -10'
- Shallow Fishing - Spinnerbaits
- Shallow Fishing - Crankbaits
- Shallow Fishing - Top Water
- Shallow Fishing - Pitching & Flipping
- Shallow Fishing - Artificial Worms
- Shallow Fishing - Jigs
- Shallow Fishing - Flukes
- Shallow Fishing - Stick Worms
- Shallow Fishing - Swimbaits
- Fishing Mid Range Depths, 10' - 25'
- Mid Depth - Spinnerbaits
- Mid Depth - Deep Diving Crankbaits
- Mid Depth - Artificial Worms
- Mid Depth - Jigs
- Mid Depth - Swimbaits
- Fishing Deep Water & Structure
- Fishing Deep Water - Jigs
- Fishing Deep Water - Jigging Spoons
- Fishing Deep Water - Artificial Worms
- Planning Your Attack
- Bass Fishing Questions & Answers
- Conservation - Protect The Fishery
Bass information by state.
Fishing Information
