Entry 74-1

Fishing With Chad Brauer

Cloud Cover Fishing

Editor's Note: Chad Brauer of Osage Beach, Missouri, son of fishing pro Denny Brauer, has grown up in a fishing family and has fished professionally for almost a decade. Brauer has made a name for himself on the professional bass-fishing circuit, finishing in the top-10 in many tournaments, and has competed in the Bassmaster Classic. This week he discusses with us how he reels in success in situations where most fishermen want to bring in their reels.

Question: How will you change strategies if cloud cover rolls in?

Brauer: When cloud cover rolls in, the first thing I think about is how the fish will react. The fish won't hold as tight to structure, and they get more aggressive. You don't have to have a bait on top of the bass to get them to bite, and you can start using faster lures. If you’re flipping a jig around bushes, you can switch to a spinner bait or a top-water bait and run it by the bush and catch the fish. When the cloud cover rolls in, generally the fish get a little farther from cover, and then, you can expand the strike zone and experiment a little bit.

Question: What would you do if the cloud that rolled in produced heavy rain?

Brauer: If the cloud brings in rain, you get the opposite effect of when a cloud cover rolls in. The bass get more active as the cloud cover comes. However, when the rain actually starts, the fish will return to the cover. Then you have to put something right on top of the bass to get them to bite. When heavy rain starts falling, it creates tough fishing conditions. Often, the half hour right before the rain hits will be your best bite of the whole day.




 

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