Clear water and stable weather push bass to shallow wood and gravel

We are working with a couple of reports from late October, but the seasonal pattern holds true as we move into November. The lake is sitting right around winter pool at 354.7 feet with clear water and surface temps in the mid-60s. We have some mixed signals on the bite right now. One report notes a strong, active fall transition, while another calls it fair and tough during the midday hours. The difference comes down to the stable, calm weather. High skies and no wind make the midday bite difficult, but the crisp mornings and mild afternoons are keeping fish active if you time your outings right. With the water down, bass are following shad and setting up on the remaining shallow cover. You will find largemouth holding tight to shallow stickups and wood, while smallmouth are showing up on gravel points, riprap banks, and offshore sandbars where the bait is schooling. Topwaters, suspending jerkbaits, and spinnerbaits are doing the heavy lifting around the shallow wood, while lipless crankbaits are better suited for the gravel and riprap. For this weekend, get out early to take advantage of the low light with a topwater or jerkbait around shallow wood. As the sun gets high, switch to a crankbait and cover water along main lake sandbars and roadbeds looking for shad.