Cover provides inactive bass an ambush point for opportunistic feeding.
Why are Ambush Points Important?
It is important to understand ambush points to:
Identify Spots: Making presentations to the spots, sometimes repetitively, to where bass is residing to observe potential forage.
Identify Best Cover: Locate cover with the best ambush points, for example an isolated rock, where bass can see forage from long distances or location where more forage will be located. Some believe the best spots have the biggest bass.
Understanding Ambush Points
Bait Fish also Seek Cover: Baitfish also seek cover for shelter and as such the cover lures baitfish to the awaiting bass.
Isolated Cover: Some suggest isolated cover will provide the best ambush points as the bass can see forage from long distances without other cover interference. Even further distances in high lure visibility scenarios.
Distance: Depending on lure visibility bass and the bass’ desire to eat a bass can dart out a long distance, some say 15 to 20 ft, to ambush forage, but some suggest that most opportunistic bites the forage is close to the ambush point.
Near Deep Water: Some suggest cover on structures near deep water provide better ambush locations for forage coming or leaving the shallow water.
Near Open Water: Some suggest bass use speed to ambush forage and as such they suggest in some cases cover with opening to some open water, doesn’t have to be much, is better then thick cover. Others suggest that thick cover can provide more forage and more camouflage for the bass resulting in forage getting very close to the bass for consumption.
Active Fish Take Breaks: Some suggest that bass that are actively feeding by roaming will periodically take short breaks when coming across good cover or when amble forage has been identified.
Current Breaks: Current creates ambush locations either behind enough cover that create eddies and some structures such as drop offs.
Shade Lines: Lines in water where on one side is sunny and the other has shade for example a shadow from trees or a dock. Bass will reside in the shade and look to ambush forage on the sunny side.
Mud Lines: Lines in water where on one side is murky water and the other has clear water. Bass will reside in the murky side and look to ambush forage in the clear side.
Isolated Rock near Grass
Underwater Trees
Additional Considerations
Structure Provided Ambush Points: Generally, ambush points are considered an attribute of cover, but some structures provide an ambush point, for example a sharp ledge and a distinct point.
