Pro angler Mark Davis says slow fishing is wise for catching big bass

Mark Davis shows one his favorite rigs for big bass.

Catching big bass in winter’s cold water equates to fishing lures slow, very slow. However, the same slow action applies to hot summer bass angling as well, according to Yamaha fishing pro Mark Davis.

In an interview provided by Yamaha’s media folks, Davis says slow fishing is a key anytime of the year, but especially when the water is really cold or hot.

“It will probably surprise a lot of anglers, but right now is one of my favorite times to go after a really big fish,” notes Davis, who caught his heaviest largemouth ever, a 12-6 giant, 

“On many lakes, the bass are still in a type of transition and haven’t completed their move to deep summer structure (June and early July). 

The real key to catching big bass anytime of year, however, emphasizes Davis, is fishing extremely slowly, which takes not only patience but also confidence. In fact, when Davis is really looking for a trophy bass, he fishes slower than he does during the winter months when bass tend to be more lethargic.

“Big bass will never be far from deep water, even in the spring when they’re coming to shallow flats to spawn,” continues the Yamaha Pro, “so that’s the first thing I look for. I like to find creek channels or ditches leading from deep water into the shallows, or points and ledges that have steep drops into deeper water.

“Then I look for cover like logs, stumps, bushes, or vegetation around those depth changes, because these are objects that bass use, and if they’re present, the fish will stay longer in that area.”

Davis prefers fishing soft plastic lures like creature baits, big worms, and stick baits on a Carolina rig when he’s hunting big fish. The reason is because these types of plastic lures are still extremely effective when fished slowly. He rigs them Texas-style, with the hook imbedded to make them weedless.

“When I feel my Carolina rig weight hit a piece of cover as I make my retrieve, I stop and let the lure sit there from 10 to perhaps 30 seconds,” he says, “because I want to keep the lure in that area as long as possible. Even if I’m fishing vegetation and feel the sinker hit it, I’ll still let the lure sit there a long time.

“I may be fishing with a leader as long as six feet, so I’ll shake my rod a time or two, let the lure sit there again, then crawl it into the vegetation. I know the bass know my lure is down there, and I want it to look as tempting to them as I possibly can.”

Depending on the type of lake and the water clarity where he’s fishing, Davis gradually works deeper water as the summer progresses. Instead of concentrating in eight to 12 foot depths like he might in May, for example, in June he works his way out to about 15 feet. The more off-colored the water, the shallower bass will be.

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HUNTING NOTES -- Squirrel season is almost here. Indiana’s season open Aug. 15 and continues through Jan. 31, 2014.

Kentucky’s fall squirrel season starts Aug. 16 and runs through Feb. 26, 2015.

Indiana’s early goose season is again scheduled for Sept. 1-15, and is designed to reduce the number of resident geese.

The daily bag limit: is five and and possession limit: is 15.. Shooting hours: half-hour before sunrise to sunset. HIP Registration Required  

The is no early season goose hunting on Kankakee FWA and Hovey Lake FWA., near Mt. Vernon.