Flipping: Fall's Forgotten Presentation

Editor's note: This blog installment comes from Fishhound pro staffer Capt. Mike Gerry.

One of the conditions we see on a regular basis in the fall is clear water. That's because we don't in general see a lot of rain, and the thick hydrilla here on Guntersville and elsewhere quickly filters the water after any rain that does fall. It's a common scenario in reservoir fishing.

Faced with such clear water, too many anglers go to long casts with finesse bait. Instead, it's prime time to flip a heavy jig or creature bait, or maybe even a tubebait into the holes in and around the hydrilla.

Over the years, I've found that when flipping this clear water in the fall, the faster your bait gets to the bottom, the more bites you'll get – especially when it's sunny and the bass are buried deep inside the grass. If you enjoy flipping, there may be no better time than the month of September on Guntersville. The grass is thick, yet there are holes in it and you can generally catch good, decent-size flip-fish.

One of the best areas of Guntersville for flipping is the mouths of creeks, where the bass will start to stage as soon as it gets cool. Once the first chilly, 50-degree nights arrive, the bass will move more and more toward the creeks. September's just the ideal month and we'll shortly be seeing these cool nights. If the bass haven't already moved, they will shortly.

One key to flipping in September is that the larger your bait, the heavier it should be in order to reach bottom more quickly. The larger your bait profile, the slower it drops, so if you don't weight it more heavily you may not get bites.

Flip the holes in the grass, account for the size and profile of your bait, let it drop once or twice and repeat the process. This forgotten fall presentation can be deadly.

Capt. Mike Gerry has lived in north Alabama since the 1970s and has been fishing Lake Guntersville for over 35 years. He owns and operates Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service and books individual, group and corporate trips. He also offers pre-tournament trips for competitive anglers. Visit FishLakeGuntersvilleGuideService.com, send him an email at bassguide@comcast.net or call (256) 759-2270. He'd love to hear from you!

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