Bass start leaving deeper water and heading for the shallows toward the end of summer and that throws a lot of fishermen off. They’ll say, “Well, the fish have moved out of deep water.” Maybe, but it’s more likely than not that the fish have just moved a few yards vertically or horizontally to adjust to what the baitfish are doing. Instead of holding in 15 to 25 feet of water, say, they might go to 8 to 15 feet. They might have moved from the deep side of a ledge to the shallower side. Or instead of holding around the outside edge of deep grass, they might have moved toward the shallower edge.

Don’t overestimate how far fish go when they move from where they were yesterday to where they are today. And don’t be surprised if tomorrow they might be back where they started from. Turn on your Lowrance and start idling around until you find them again. They might not bite on the same lures you caught them on before, but that’s something you’ve got to find out. That’s part of what makes fishing fun.

—- Evinrude pro Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn.

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