Learn why bluffs are excellent structures for targeting summer bass and how to identify key spots and fish them effectively.
When Jimmy Mason says he spends a lot of his summer days against the bank, he’s not bluffing. In fact, bluff banks are often what he’s fishing.
From a distance, a high, mostly vertical rock boundary may seem abrupt. Compared to a flat pocket with points, docks, laydowns and stumps, a bluff probably seems monotonous — until you take a closer look.
“A bluff can be a very complex piece of structure, because in a very small area, you can have several depths that fish can use,” Mason said. “Also, you have a lot of threadfin shad and gizzard shad running up and down the bluff, feeding on the algae, as well as crawfish around the rocks and shells.”
Mason pointed out that lakes lacking significant flats often have fish spawning on bluff steps. And any time of the year, the verticality allows fish to relate to something solid where they can easily access significant depth variances with minimal travel.
“The fish has a very short distance from shallow to deep and that’s important during postfrontal conditions, temperature changes, or whatever,” Mason said. “Also, when you have a current situation, you get a lot of eddies off of a bluff and current-protected areas.”
Another bluff benefit — it’s like a football field sideline, in that fish can pin their meals against an immovable boundary.
Summer Bluff Considerations
Looking specifically at the warmer months, Mason offers some seasonal perspective on the bluff appeal.
“One of the reasons is that you get those shade pockets, which are good for fish and fishermen,” he said. “Also, in the summertime, bluffs are one of the areas where you have a lot of willow fly hatches in the overhanging trees along the bluff. That attracts a lot of bluegill and bass.”
Summer sees a lot of bass moving up to the bluffs in the morning and the evening. To that point, Mason noted that bluffs rank among his favorite night fishing locations.
“In addition, when current hits a bluff, it produces seams and magnifies the current,” Mason said. “In the summertime, the more current the better, because it positions the fish.”
And one more for good measure — Mason pointed out that on highland reservoirs, where current is far less prominent than, say, a Tennessee River lake, thermoclines create a vertical boundary for bluff action. With fish remaining above the thermocline, that creates a well-defined target zone.
Strategy Points Along Bluffs
Specific bluff design varies lake to lake. Some comprise solid sheer walls, while others present more of a stacked form with a prominent subsurface stairstep design.
“I’m always gonna like some type of stairstep, but in the summertime, I think you’ll catch them deeper on bluffs,” Mason said. “Realistically, 20-30 feet isn’t very far off a bluff, so you’re still getting that shade.”
As far as bluff location, the sections leading into spawning areas see steady springtime parades of fish coming and going, while summer’s dog days move the emphasis to bluffs with broader main lake proximity. Moreover, Mason said bluffs on the shallower side hold more appeal during spring and fall, while the deeper “channel side” bluffs are tops for summer and winter.
Among the bluff details that Mason seeks, points and indentions break current and offer ideal ambush spots. These little alcoves host a lot of bream bedding, and this activity does not go unnoticed by opportunistic bass.
“On Pickwick and Wilson lakes, we have a lot of rock bass that will spawn in those bluff indentions,” Masons said. “Big smallmouth feed on those rock bass.”
Look closely at those indentions and you often see rock slides of various sizes. Often mixed with red clay, Mason pointed out that these piles of tumbled debris extend well below the surface and represent prime crawfish habitat. Bass love their crustaceans, so just do the math.
And here’s an insightful tip from Mason’s observations: Given the considerable facelift the Tennessee River received during the creation of its reservoirs, Mason’s keen on spotting drill holes and obvious construction/demolition marks.
“Where you see that, there will be more rubble down below,” he said. “That indicates something in the water, and that can attract bass.”
Best Bluff Baits
Topwater: One of the most exciting ways to catch bass is a topwater, and that holds true for fishing along bluffs. When those willow flies hatch, Mason will target the key areas with a BOOYAH Boss Pop. When he’s just covering water, it’s a Heddon Spin’N Image.
“When I’m fishing current-oriented bluffs, I like to get on the shady areas in the morning and get that Spin’N Image as close as possible,” Mason said. “In the morning, they’re not running much current, so it’s easy to go (upstream) with the trolling motor.
“My goal is to have the blade on my Spin’N Image tapping the bluff every few turns. If I had to pick the topwater to catch the biggest fish on a bluff, this is the bait I’d choose.”
Mason expects to find the fish sitting in little current breaks, where they wait for passing meals. You typically only get one shot at these fish, as they’ll dash out to try and grab what they want and then quickly return to their spot. If Mason misses the bite, he’ll keep going, but he’ll circle back later to give the fish another look.
Jerkbait: “When I see fish chasing shad that are running the shade line, most of the time, I’ll throw the BOOYAH Flash Point. A lot of times in the summer, they prefer small baitfish and most of the time, those schooling fish like to feed up, so I’ll start with the Flash Point Jr. If I see them schooling on big gizzard shad, then I’ll use the full-sized Flash Point.”
Jig: Mason’s choice here is a 5/8-ounce War Eagle JIU-JIGSU in Green Pumpkin Orange or Black Blue Shiner with a Green Pumpkin YUM Hammer Craw trailer.
“The Hammer Craw’s active legs are important because so much of the appeal is on the fall, so it’s all about getting that reaction bite,” Mason said. “Making contact with the bluff is key. Very seldom will I get bit unless I’m making step-to-step contact.
“I want to make continuous motion down the steps. It's a fairly fast way to cover a lot of water on the bluff.”
Best part about it — there are plenty of bluffs to choose from, and the next one you pull up to could be holding that day-maker.
