Friday

LARGEMOUTH BASS – LAKE NACONICHE

Fall — It's Time to Catch Some Big Bass


Big-bass haven Naconiche is a small body of water (692 acres) not far from Nacogdoches, but the lake fishes big. It’s pretty much a flooded forest. Leaving from the boat ramp, you’ll find safe navigation going toward the dam; if you venture away from the ramp, the channels become narrower, so be cautious.
Lake Naconiche for big bass
The boat ramp splits the lake. The left side (as you leave the ramp) is more open until you pass the fishing pier on the left.
Going to the right of the ramp means traveling in the midst of flooded trees for several miles. A boat lane is staked, but it’s very narrow and winds around with unexpected turns. Even in the lane, you’ll encounter obstacles, many barely below the surface. Expect to bump into stumps with your boat and motors. Many times, you’ll scrape your boat’s rubrail along a tree as you maneuver around tight cover while fishing. You might not mind, because that’s where the fish can be found.
Look for aquatic vegetation — these are productive fishing spots, too.
With so much cover, the bass could be anywhere, right? Not really. Bass are apt to move around in October — they could be shallow or deep — but you can pinpoint likely areas by observing the surroundings.
Watch the shoreline for changes in contours. A keen eye can spot areas that are more open, such as where an old road ran through the area before it became a reservoir. Another trick is to look for places where a row of trees forms a line delineating an edge (such as a channel or road). If you can find a spot where a channel and road come together, you may have found a sweet spot.
Here are some successful techniques and lures.
  • Retrieve swim baits rigged weedless.
  • Flip Texas-rigged plastic worms, creature baits or lizards.
  • Run spinner baits as tight to the tree trunks as you can.



If you spend time looking, you’ll find moderately open areas where you can test other techniques. In areas where it is feasible, a deep crankbait can be very effective. A square bill can be fished around the shallow trees.
If a cold front moves in, try jerk-baiting areas along the dam. Because the lake is small, you can fish a lot of it in a day.
If you want to learn flipping/pitching techniques, Naconiche is the lake to practice on. You can do this all day. Start with heavy line such as 20- to 25-pound fluorocarbon or monofilament or 50- to 80-pound braid. (A medium-heavy rod is on the light side of what you’ll need.) You may hook more bass on lighter line and gear, but if you try wrestling an 8-pounder out of a tree on lighter gear, she will win most of the time. 
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