alternative to craw patterns or during low-light feeding conditions.
With several islands and shallow water rocky hazards, the smallmouth can be caught post- spawn with topwater baits such as poppers, or with the dropshot when fish become pressured. If numbers are of importance, look to the Rapala X-Rap suspending jerkbait. If fished as a slashbait, the constant erratic retrieve will ensure hookups across the board.
If water clarity begins to fade, lipless crankbaits such as the Yo-Zuri Rattl’n Vibe use their high- pitched sound and holographic flash to attract nearby fish. Through trial and error, all of these lures have a place for the bronzebacks in Moses Lake. Crankbaits, jerkbaits and lipless crankbaits are the go-to techniques for smallmouth bass.
LARGEMOUTH BASS
The heavyweights here are without a doubt the largemouth that roam the shallows. They are active alongside the smallmouth and position themselves along cover, weed lines and the many rocky targets scattered throughout the lake.
Swim jigs, bladed swim jigs, spinnerbaits and swimbaits are fantastic choices. Each has its own place in the arsenal lineup, but a good rule of thumb is to start with a spinnerbait whenever there is light wind or chop on the water. If calm conditions are present, swim jigs and swimbaits are most effective around cover. There are many docks available for targeting but the key is to find
the individual docks that hold many fish under one roof.
Anglers in the northwest who fish nearby and connected Potholes Reservoir tend to do very well on Moses Lake. Even though both bodies of water set up differently from a feature standpoint, narrowing in on both species certainly helps mixed bag specialists in tournament situations. Bags of brown and green fish are beginning to prove that versatile anglers can and will dictate the payouts. With several years of continual improvement, numbers and size are sure to keep you coming back for more.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
There are three main horns that branch off of the main body of water. In clockwise fashion, they are Lewis, Parker and Pelican. Depending on the water levels, there are numerous areas that remain a hazard to you and your lower unit. Be sure to
study topographic maps and your GPS
electronics before blast off.
Many of these backwater
flats can
Dan Rice - Moses Lake Smallmouth
SPRING 2015
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