Accurate Casting is King for River Bassin'!

    As I introduce people to the sport of kayak fishing, and specifically to kayak fishing the rivers of Central Texas, I often find myself explaining a few simple tricks to increase the likelihood that they'll connect with a decent bass. I'll reiterate a few of those points here, but first, I must stress that accurate casting is King. Paramount. Requisite. Imperative. 

You get my point.

   What do I mean by accurate? I'd say you should be able to cast to an area 3' in diameter or less. Sometimes a difference of inches can mean no fish and a lunker. If you can cast to an area 1' in diameter, I'd say you've got the skill needed to target trophy bass in Central Texas.

   This brings me to my overnight camping trip along the Colorado River this last weekend. I landed 3 large Largemouth and 1 great Guadalupe Bass with accurate casting. Every now and then you'll get a dink, but the majority of the fish I'm pulling out of tight holes along bank cover are hogs. Bass are ambush predators, if you drop a lure 1' from their face they literally have a split second to respond. As a bass they have to make the decision so quickly, it's a reaction and the accurate cast gives you the advantage of surprise. They don't want that potential meal to disappear if it's that easy to collect. If your lure looks perfect, they literally have ZERO time to decide, and you have the advantage.

My tips for landing these.

1. Think small, cast small. Cast into the tightest of holes. Don't be afraid to cast over a log or limb. It might make the landing difficult (prepare yourself prior if you do hook up) but you will miss 100% of the fish you don't cast too. Big bass love pinch points and traps in the 1-2' behind between logs/branches and banks. The bass below was holed up between the tall reeds and water hyacinth you see over my right shoulder, right next to the fallen tree. Casting in that shallow, little transition point brought out this chunky LMB. 

2. Horse them out of the hole early. When I set the hook I horse them out early, before they realize the fight is as tough as it is. I'd rather yank them out in the open and fight them there then let them use all their energy near the cover and structure of the banks.

This bass struck the craw across the algae mat from me, under the cover of the elephant ears. Horsing her out early was key to keeping my line from getting wrapped around elephant ear stalks (hard to slice, even for braid) or algae matting (hard to pull through due to weight). Getting her out in the open early allowed me to fight her in the open water, which also makes for a safer release.

3. Hit the small eddies right above and below rapids. I especially can't stress this enough for Guadalupe bass and larger Largemouth and Smallies. An eddy that is 2' in diameter, or a shelf point along a rock wall that creates a current-less spot is a perfect ambush point for larger, predatory bass. This Guad pictured below was in literally a 6" deep eddy along a rapid, under a low hanging tree. Casting was difficult, I missed a few strikes (and I'll change my lure after missing two, so as to throw the fish off a little longer and increase my chances of a third attempt). This Guad hit a thinner craw on the 3rd time and NAILED it.

4. Get out there. Just go. Focus on every cast you make. Make every cast as perfect as you can. Don't let a lure hang sideways. The old and big fish don't get that way by being stupid. If something seems wrong or off about your lure, you aren't going to get a strike.

Good luck folks!