The way you fish a place a bass may be hiding can make the difference between casting practice and hooking a fish. Cover is usually considered anything the bass can hide in or around, things like stumps, grass, trees in the water, docks and rocks. One of my favorites is a tree laying in the water, often called a laydown or blowdown.
When I approach a tree laying in the water, I usually start with a fast moving bait I can keep near the surface, like a top water plug or a spinnerbait. I fish these baits right along the outside edges of the limbs of the tree near the surface, trying to entice a bass to come out and hit. That way I have a better chance of getting him out, and not spooking other bass in the tree. I am also less likely to get hung up.
If that does not work I will slow the spinnerbait down or run a crankbait along the outside edge of the limbs, bumping some but again staying out of the mass of limbs. That gives the fish holding deeper a closer look at the lure. It is more likely I will get hung up, or the fish will wrap me up, but they may not hit otherwise.
If the tree is thick I will fish a spinnerbait right through it, keeping it moving and bouncing over limbs in the middle of the tree. You need heavy, tough line and a stiff rod for this kind of fishing, and you must be ready to set the hook hard and pull the fish away from the tree as soon as it hits.
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