BASS Fisherman:

Sub surface can be broken down into several different areas. For my fishing, this means three different columns. The first column consists of just under the surface to about 5 or 6 feet. Now, many articles I read are broken down to about 8 feet. I differ for a reason that I’ll explain later. The Magic 8-foot zone is next this is where much of my big bass catching occurs and finally I have the bottom column. Often misunderstood or too intimidating, the bottom depths of many waters go ignored. Anglers only need to put in a little quality time to see that this area can be a goldmine.
Once I leave the realm of true floating plugs and I want to actually drown a bait, I start with a floating Rapala. I like the smaller models. Although I prefer to twitch them on the surface, I also pop them and pull them under. This is a deadly technique that I employ on hot summer nights around matted vegetation. One thing I always do to Rapalas is change their hooks to Gammie trebles. I will add a soft plastic jerkbait to this section as I work it just like the Rapala minnow. A 4-inch SlugGo or Bass Assassin Twitch worm darted on the edges of matted vegetation can be deadly. I can write about this method all day but you get the point. Another crankbait and one of the only ones I throw is the Bandit Footloose. This bait barely dips under the surface when retrieved steadily. It can be devastating in the shallows. I like using it in areas where the weeds grow about 10 inches from the surface. I know the bass are just waiting in the weeds to grab something buzzing overhead. The Footloose fills the bill on that. Hooks are OK and I usually do not replace them.
The only other hard bait I throw is the Fat free Shad. This crankbait is amazing. I like both the shallow and deep models. I prefer a firetiger or bluegill pattern for my shallow fishing as there two colors best represent the forage in my area.
Leaving the hard body baits, my next subsurface choice is perhaps one of the most versatile baits of all. The spinnerbait. Some guys just don’t get them, others throw them too much. I rely on a version of this bait that will change with the seasons. In the early spring, starting in February (legal on Long Island) I utilize a 3/8-ounce bait with a single large Colorado blade I call a thumper blade. This blade is at least a size 4 and goes up to a size 6 depending on where I am fishing. Although it is a big blade, it does not give as much lift as a Willow and therefore can be slow rolled into deep areas. We are talking 5 feet for the sake of this area but I do use this bait to depths of 15 feet or so at times.
Slow rolling basically means to turn the reel just so the blade spins and the spinnerbait sinks. It is a very slow presentation and it is perfect for ice out fish that I tend to slam on blades.
As the temps creep up into the 50′s I go to the opposite side of the spectrum as far as spinnerbaits are concerned. Here, the bass are becoming more active and I scale my baits down to match very small creatures. I turn to the beetle spin. Many people write this bait off as a small fish or panfish bait but it can be a devastating weapon. I like the Branson bug trailer with looks like a mini Hula grub. It has twin tails and tiny little legs that create a racket. If fish it on light gear for sheer fun and it covers the 0 to 5ft depth quite nicely despite its light weight.

Ok, here is where we will get technical. I believe, based on my experiences that more large bass seek out this depth at different times of the year. In the early spring, big fish spawn and then move out deeper. In the fall, they move out a bit deeper from the shallows, in the summer, they move out deeper to seek a little cooler temperature when they are not feeding shallow. My point is that I’ve noticed that the 8 foot interval is a great place to start specifically targeting bigger fish. You may not always get them but if you put in the time you will see that they can be had. I’m not basing this on one or two fish either. I’m talking several hundred over the last decade to prove to me that at times this can be a very reliable pattern.
I pick apart the 8-foot zone with a small handful of lures. Over the years one of my favorite intermediate area bait is the Slider worm rigged on a slider head. This bait is not fished like a typical Texas rigged worm. It is swept along the bottom and made to resemble a darter or sculpin which are bottom dwelling baitfish. It is a true ultralight technique and it is deadly.
I have a good friend who was in a season-long slump as far as big fish are concerned. Recently he got wind of this method and in the last two or three trips has cleaned up with several fish over 5-pounds……you know who you are! One of my top four largest Long Island bass fell to a black/grape Slider worm.
I’ve also taken a liking to the Brewers grub set up. This is a cast-and-slow retrieve method that works in the 8-foot range. I prefer to use watermelon Brewers grubs with the paddle tail. It gives off a decent vibration and that tail look like it is alive.
One method I like is dead sticking. I have caught more bass in the magic zone on this method than any other. It simply relies on a weightless Texas rigged bait in which you cast it out and kill it. Let it sink all the way to the 8 foot level and wait until something eats it. I’ve done well with a 5-inch Senko both Texas rigged and wacky rigged as deadstick baits.
One surprising method I use in this relatively shallow depth is drop shotting. This is a technique I really relied on this year for fun fishing. I use a basic rig consisting of a Gammie splitshot hook set about 18-inches above an Owner downshot weight. To me Tungsten does not make sense here especially if you are allowing yourself to lose weights. Any way, I use a 3-inch Do-Nothing worm by Green Eyes which is a tiny handpoured fry type of worm. It is amazing on this rig as it is quite flexible and had some action just by water movement. I cast this rig out and allow it to reach bottom. I use a light 1/16or 1/8-ounce weight. I keep constant pressure on the line to eliminate slack. At times I barely jiggle the rod tip to give the worm a bit of action. A strike feels like extra weight. It is similar to a wacky rig bite in feel and your response has to be the same, no hookset. Simply start reeling and lift the rod and the tiny sharp hook will catch. I won a tournament on Long Island recently with this set up. It was about the only consistent method used all day. I’ve really come to appreciate this scaled down flounder rig for bass fishing. It is a great way to catch intermediate depth bass.

exert-7':

First off, BASS Fisherman ALWAYS gives the best answer! Some people aren’t wise enough to realize it though.

Here’s what I like to use a model 15AP Pro Suspending Long A Bomber (any color as long as it has white on it with a red head) with 2 suspend dots per side attached just above the front hook. This gives the bait a nose down attitude in the water and still allows you to jerk the bait and have that enticing erratic retrieve that suspended bass can’t ignore. Jerk and pause, switching your cadence until you find the right one. I have caught several bass in the 2-6lb range doing this. I rig it on a medium action 6’6″ spinning rod and use 8# diameter braid (30# test) and a 6′ leader of 8# test XPS fluorocarbon line. Have also used this method on Smallmouth and Spotted bass….those killer Coosa bass should go for it very well also.
Another way I found to catch suspended bass although I use it in deeper water for fish holding in the thermocline (22′ out West where I live) is to vertical fish right through these suspended bass using a small swimbait ( a 1/2 oz leadhead and shad body). When I mark fish, I position the boat on top of them and fish this bait by jigging it up and down at a depth from 10′ below them bringing it up to 10′ above them and repeating this. I normally get bit on the fall but at times they will take the bait as it moves right past their biggo heads! I follow the bait down with my rod tip on a semi-slack line so I can see or feel any twitch of the line.

I hope you do well at your tourney.