Techniques aimed at slack water will prove unsuccessful at catching Suwannee Bass.

Most Suwannee Bass are limited to the Suwannee river basin and it’s tributaries including the Santa Fe tributary. They can also be found in the Picturesque river, the Withlacoochee river and the Ochlockonee river.

The Suwannee Bass does not like slack water. The department of fisheries has tried to introduce the Suwannee to various lakes and reservoirs, which have failed. The Suwannee Bass requires slow to moderately fast moving water and prefers to stay in shoals and riffles in those habitats.

Techniques aimed at slack water will prove unsuccessful at catching Suwannee Bass. Lures, baits and flies should be aimed at the shoals and riffles along the riverbanks.

The head of the river will yield more chances of catching a Suwannee Bass than the mouth of the river as the Suwannee Bass are populated with many fish populations including the large and feisty Largemouth Bass. And as crayfish is one of the top foods for most any fish, you are more likely to get a mixed bag of fish and if your line is not any higher than 8-pounds, there is a high degree of probability that it will snap when a lunker strikes if the drag is not set properly.

As we have reported in spring and summer techniques, crankbaits work well around a limestone rock bank with fallen trees or brush where the water depth is 10 feet or less.

We like the Rapala DT6, Storm WiggleWart and the Bass Hunter’s Bass Magnet on a 6-, 8- and 12-pound test line but make sure to set the drag or a linker could snap your line on a first strike. Effective colours are ones that imitate the crayfish.

Also successful at catching the Suwannee Bass are the 1/4- to 1/2-ounce spinnerbait such as the Snagless Sally in-line spinner, 4- to 6-inch plastic worms, grubs and 1/4-ounce jigs with plastic crawfish trailers.

However, we can’t stress enough that the most successful bait at catching the Suwannee Bass is the crayfish. And, being the top food for all fish, be prepared to a busy day of catching fish.