|
 Capt. Mike Gerry says this disease is one you won’t mind catching
Judging by how fast rats fly off tackle shop racks this time of year, a lot of anglers have come down with a case of Guntersville Rat Bite Fever. Not surprising... it’s catching. The Rat is king on grassy Tennessee River lakes as late summer rounds into early fall.
However, rat fishing isn’t as easy as most folks think. There is more to rat fishing than just throwing that frog or rat out over grass and pulling it back. First, you have to find the correct type of grass, and second, there must be bait fish present.
Not all grass beds are equal; not all hold active fish, and sometimes the real thick stuff is just not holding the bait. Here are four things I look for when picking out a rat patch:
- Grassy areas coming to a point.
- Holes in the grass.
- Deep water nearby
- Thin spotted clumps where the top of the grass is so mushy that pulling a rat across it leaves a clearly discernable trail.
Add bait fish to these elements and you can count on it holding lunker fish.
If the grass patch you’ve located happens to be a hump with deep-water edges on three sides or more, all the better. The deep edges around the grass are ideal locations for the bass. They can move up from the deeper water and into the grass or retreat back to the depths.
Once you’ve found your rat patch, your presentation must cause a strike. Learn to work that rat with some erratic moves, then pause and let it sit for as long as 45 seconds. To be successful, you need to exercise a little patience.
Sometimes moving your rat very slowly and consistently but with pauses and twitches will entice a bite. Make your lure act like the bait fish you see on top as it turns or rolls, and move it with quick, sharp directional changes. This is what it takes to get big bass to attack.
If you’re in the Guntersville area from late summer through mid-fall, let me take you out and introduce you first-hand to rat fishing. It’s a lot of fun and can yield big rewards this time of year, and now you know where and how to use them.
Captain Mike Gerry
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
Web: www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
Email: bassguide@comcast.net
(256) 759-2270
|
