Mark Davis: Picking Apart Points

Veteran Yamaha Pro Mark Davis has always liked the phrase “hiding in plain

sight,” because that’s how he looks at main lake points when he’s searching

for summer bass. Of all the places the fish can hide during the warm weather

months, points are among the most reliable places to find them.

“I nearly always start my summer fishing days on points, particularly those that provide close access to deep water,” explains the 1995 Bassmaster Classic winner and three-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year.

“In addition to depth, I look for cover like stumps, rocks, or logs on the point

itself that will help attract baitfish; and finally, I prefer to fish a point when it

has a breeze or light wind blowing in on it, which helps make that forage more

active.

“When I find a point with all three of these elements present, I feel like I’m

close to bass and just haveto work the water carefully to pinpoint them.”

The Yamaha Pro perfected this warm-weather fishing philosophy during years

spent as a full-time guide on Lake Ouachita in Arkansas, and continued it

throughout his successful professional tournamen tcareer. Because the

majority of lakes and reservoirs do have natural points along their shorelines,

Davis admits he is often surprised at how little time many anglers actually

spend fishing them.

“Bass everywhere relate to depth changes,” he explains, “perhaps because the

deeper water offers them a refuge as well as providing more comfortable

temperatures during the hot summer.  Even at other times of the year, bass

can often be found close to deeper water, and many times points will offer

that change.”

Deep water alone, however, may not be enough to keep bass on a point.

Summer bass stay close to a food source like shad or crawfish, which is why

cover on top of the point is important.  That’s why Davis also looks for logs

and laydowns, rocks, stumps, or small patches or vegetation, because these

will attract and keep the forage nearby.

“If I can’t see the cover visibly, I’ll idle slowly back and forth over the point

and study my electronics,” he notes. “The best thing is to actually see shad

or small sunfish swimming in front of the boat, but just seeing the cover will

be enough to make me start casting.

“I’ll normally start with a deep running crankbait that dives to about 15 or 18

feet, since it will bump into cover, too. Most of the time, this is about as deep

as I want to fish, although if the water is clear, I may have to fish as deep as

20 or 25 feet.”

This is one reason the Yamaha Pro also likes wind when he’s fishing in the

summer. The water movement, even a light but steady breeze, actually starts

a small chain reaction. Plankton get washed against the point’s upwind side

and quickly brings in baitfish that begin feeding.  Their increased

activity stimulates the bass to move in and start feeding, as well.

“We can’t control the wind,” laments Davis, “but I always pay attention when it

starts, or even changes direction. It does not have to be a strong wind,

either. A good breeze that simply ripples the surface is often enough to make

the baitfish start moving and bring in the bass.”

When he’s using a crankbait in these conditions, Davis actually prefers to cast

with the wind, rather than into it, a presentation that differs from the

one most anglers use. The Yamaha Pro believes bass will be facing into

the current or waves to see the forage, but instead of having his

crankbait swim into them, he wants it running away from them so he might

draw reaction strikes as well as feeding strikes.

He also likes to fish large eight and 10-inch plastic worms, either on a Carolina

rig or Texas-style. For this technique, he often moves to the shallow part of

the point and casts toward deeper water so he can crawl his lure up the slope.

In very windy conditions, it’s much easier to feel and stay in contact

with the worm this way.

“I’ll move around and fish the point from different angles, too, depending on

the depth, the cover, and the wind until I find the best presentation,”

concludes the Yamaha angler. “Whenever I have all three of these conditions

present, you can bet I’ll stay there awhile, too.

“It’s almost a guarantee the bass are there somewhere, hiding in plain sight.”