Much of bass fishing is about casting out and bringing the bait back in and chunking and winding, as some say. But there are plenty of times when all you need to do is drop a bait straight down and work the bait vertically to catch a bass and the colder months are a great time to do it, according to pro angler and massively popular YouTuber Brian Latimer. "B.Lat," as he's known, loves to fish this way, and although it's a killer in the winter months, he'll utilize it all year long in the right situations.
It's nothing new
While forward-facing sonar has changed the game in more ways than one, it's greatly helped the popularity of anglers fishing for suspended bass both in front of and below the boat. One of the most popular baits is a simple fluke-style bait on a jighead and it's everywhere. This is one of the best ways to target fish vertically, but plenty of other baits shine when fishing this way.
Latimer and other anglers in the Carolinas have been using this method and others for years, even without the help of forward-facing sonar.
"It's all changed with forward-facing sonar, but fishing vertically is something I have been doing since the flasher days," he said. "Back in the day, it was all jigging spoons, and I still probably use that as much as anyone does in the winter, but now there are a lot of baits that will catch fish for you right under the boat."
In addition to the jighead fluke and spoon, Latimer also has a few other baits that he finds excel when fishing directly below his feet. "I also do it a lot with a Neko Rig and a drop-shot," he said.
When to do it and what to look for
Typically, the winter months will be the best opportunity to get vertical and catch bass, but Latimer said he utilizes it throughout the year in the right situations.
"It all depends on the fishery and what you are targeting," he said. "Spotted bass, you can do it year-round, especially if the water is clear. For largemouth, it's more of a winter deal and peaks when the water is in the high 40s and low 50s, which is right now where I live. I'll do this all winter until the temperatures bottom out and then start to warm up and the schools of fish start to split up."
Latimer says forward-facing sonar and even 2D sonar are vital for knowing where to do it, but he always starts at the proven areas that gather baitfish and bass.
"The biggest thing is finding the bait," he began. "I like to look around standing timber, drains and ditches, and saddles between islands. Some other good places to look for are road beds, bridges, and humps. All of those are fair game."
Vertical gear
When fishing below the boat, Latimer keeps things simple with all his soft plastics fished on spinning gear and the spoon on a baitcast setup.
His spoon of choice is a handmade version that weighs around ¾-ounce and he fishes it on a 7-foot rod with a 7.5:1 13 Fishing Concept A2.
"I like the faster speed reel because it allows you to catch up to a fish that grabs it and is coming right at you," he said. "The length of the rod is also really important, and I'd use as short of a rod as you can find because it's so much easier to jig right below the boat."
He uses a 7-foot, 1-inch medium spinning rod and 13 Fishing Axum in the 3.0 size for all of his plastics.
"I use the same setup for all of my spinning setups and just alternate between different leader pound tests and between braid to fluoro or straight fluorocarbon," he said. "That reel has an excellent drag system, which is important, especially if you are using light line. It's also very smooth."
Latimer alternates between different line setups and says that straight fluorocarbon has a place when fishing vertically. "If it's really windy, you want that because it helps to keep your bait down," he said. "The light braided lines we all use will get caught in the wind and fly away and you lose a lot of contact with your bait. When fishing vertically, that is the most important thing to be efficient."
Fishing vertically is something Latimer leans to every winter and he keeps it up well into the spring. He's found it's an effective way to catch bass grouped up, eating shad, and hard to target with other methods.
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