Bass Under the Lights

Anglers who have fished the lights off piers or crappie off lighted docks or crappie houses know that lighted areas know fish. The practice is less common with bass anglers, but some target bass staging nearby to ambush prey in an around the lights. Fall through spring are prime time to pursue bass under lights. Bass start to hunt for shad and other faster-moving prey, and bait schools up in the lights.

"There are a couple of different zones, there's the couch where they're not eating and then there's the kitchen," said Collin Edwards, of Lake Conroe Fishing Adventures. "The lights are the kitchen."

Areas to target when you come up to a dock light are the dockside, the deeper lakeside, and the inside and outside edge of the lights.

"Fish them as you would structure," Edwards said, "And keep back as far as you can. Even when you don't see them, they are there, either deep or just on the edge."

When the lights shine from the dock to the water, Edwards favorite lures when fishing lights have chartreuse in them, and include Texas rigs, crankbaits and jerkbaits. When the light shines from in the water, he prefers a sexy shad or citrus shad color combination.

"If the bite begins to slow down then the bass have moved out of the light," Edwards said. "The fishing isn't done there, though. Give the bass a brief break and they will start to crash baits in small packs. Once the action has cooled off completely then it is time to move to the next light."

Come springtime when the water warms, he choses larger, darker-colored baits.

"Slow down," Edwards said. "Big 10-inch ribbon tail worms, Texas rigs and lizards or creatures dragged on the edges will still produce bass.

This time of year, especially as bass are getting ready for winter, the bass tend to be chunky and healthy.

"I have caught some of the biggest bass of my life off of dock lights," Edwards said.

As Featured in Lone Star Outdoor News: https://issuu.com/lsoneditor/docs/lson_10_11_24_v16fullpaper