In a reservoir without much shoreline vegetation – where will I find the Bass?

Don’t let your senses fool you on this one, shoreline vegetation is not always the prime pick for bass to hide out in a reservoir. You need to keep a few things in mind here, such as season, spawning habits, diet, and even the shape of the bottom bed and shore. The biggest thing to keep in mind is your primary lake points, specifically where the shore goes underwater at about 45 degrees (if possible). That’s where the big boys will be hiding, for the most part, vegetation or not. After Spring begins, find where natural creeks, streams and rivers pour warm rain water into the reservoir. Try testing the coves and in channels leading to coves if you are fishing post spawn. One thing to try is to chum a few areas that you think look interesting with bread or corn and come back to each spot 10-15 minutes later to see what’s biting. Crawfish are going to be the main diet of your bass in most reservoirs, so find the crawfish and you will find the bass. Bass usually love the thermocline of any body of water, which is a certain depth where the temperature starts to drop real fast all of a sudden. This depth will vary depending on where you are fishing and at what time of year, but usually, you can find your thermocline between 25-35 feet down at most reservoirs, and you should try fishing for bass at these depths especially near any rocky areas. Overall, your best bet is to do a little research at local bait shops by making friends with any willing to chat it up about the area.