Try to picture this scenario.  You and your fishing buddy plan to fish your favorite body of water in late April.  As you hook the boat up and head to the lake you remember the areas where you caught a bunch of good fish this exact same time last year.  You hope that the fish that you hooked and lost is still sitting on the same stump as last year.  When you get to the ramp you are horrified to find that the lake is five feet higher than last year and you are now backing your boat into the lake from the parking lot instead of the ramp you used last year.  Instead of going into panic mode, just remember that the bass will typically follow some predictable habits.

        I categorize high water in two different categories to help me devise a plan of attack when heading to the lake: Rising water and falling water.  I follow a pretty simple rule of thumb for high water.  If the water is above fifty degrees and rising, then I put my primary focus on the backs of pockets.  These areas tend to be the first place fish move to when the water begins to rise.  I also focus on getting my baits as far back into this cover as I can since the bass typically follow the rising water back into the cover.  If the water is falling, I concentrate on the points and outer edges of the cover.  The fish tend to gravitate to the points when the water is dropping since it offers them a deep water access closer by then the backs of the pockets.  Bass will pull out of the cover with the dropping water so they will be located on the outer edge of the brush.

        There is one exception that will often trump the movements of the bass during high water conditions: Cold water.  Water that is in the 40’s tends to make fishing in high water very difficult.  The fish tend to stay around the old bank line and not progress into the shallows when the water is cold.  During the late winter, early pre-spawn time frame I focus on primary and secondary points leading into spawning coves to begin my search.  I also target the old bank line instead of the flooded cover.  For instance, if the water came up five feet, I would start looking at the five to ten foot depths for these fish.

        I use a pretty simple lure selection when faced with high water.  My two primary baits would be a spinner bait and a jig.  I tie these baits onto pretty heavy mono and cover water.  This is a very visual experience but there is a science to it.  It is very important to take note of which type of cover you get bites on.  For instance, on Buggs Island Lake in Virginia, you run into a lot of flooded trees.  The fish will relate to the willow bushes better than a sweet gum tree on one day but the next day it could be the complete opposite.  If you can find the “pattern in the pattern” by narrowing down the type tree the fish are relating to you will be able to cover a whole lot more water.

        The next time you are on the lake and face high water conditions, don’t worry, just pull out the ‘big sticks’ and have fun.  These techniques I have illustrated above cover a majority of the situations you will run into but not all of them.  Sometimes the bass don’t read the same book we do.  If you keep your lure choices simple and focus on your surroundings, you will be successful.