Our state is peppered with some of the best bass fishing waters in the world. From the famed Stick Marsh, to Lake O, we are all fortunate enough to have a world class bass fishery within an hours drive of our front door. What some of us fail to realize is that there are opportunities that exist within a 5 minute walk from our front door. Yes, I am talking about that lake that you drive by every day to get to work. Yes, I am talking about that lake off the Turnpike that you always look and tell yourself "hmmm?". A quick trip, a pocketful of lures, and you will quickly discover that you can bend a rod without hitching your trailer.

Most residential man-made lakes are primarily the same when it comes to structure. Either they are shaped like "bowls," or they are steep and deep because they were likely dug in order to develop those ramps, roads, and foundations. For the both lakes, a few basic lures will cover most situations.

A good bet is to start with a search bait. A search bait is one that covers water, and lets the angler get a feel if the fish are active or sluggish. Many lures can be used as search baits, such as spinnerbaits, crankbaits and jerkbaits. I prefer the later, with the plastic versions getting the nod. Zoom Super Flukes are a top choice nationwide, and watermelon seed and white/albino will cover most situations. Rig with a size 3/0 or 4/0 wide gap hook with a loop knot when using line heavier than 15lb test. Experiment with different retrieves, starting fast and then slowing it down.

If the fish are sluggish and not aggressive, your basic texas rigged plastic worm will do just fine. Although with the advent of modern plastic lure designs, many anglers are putting the old fashioned Mann's Grape Jelly worm on the bottom tray of their tackle boxes. The senko-type baits are sweeping the nation by storm. They could be rigged texas, carolina, wacky, or just plain weedless. Let the water clarity dictate what you should use. Natural colors in clearer waters, and brighter colors in stained or muddy waters. Cast this to "bassy" looking spots, such as weedlines, dropoffs, culverts, and those silly fake ducks you see in most residential lakes.... allow the lure to do its own thing by falling naturally, and hold on.

During winter cold fronts, and during the afternoon dog days, scaling down proves effective. Scaled down lures can be anything from small crankbaits to small in-line spinners, but I prefer smaller plastics. Zoom manufactures quite a few scaled down plastics, from the double ringer, to the centipede, all these smaller baits are deadly when carolina rigged. Experiment with retrieves, starting with a fast paced drag, then slow it down to a lift and pause retrieve.

If you arrive at a spot, and the fish are chasing shad, you are in luck. Many lures that mimic shad will draw arm jolting strikes. Storm makes a great line of baits called Storm Wild Eye Swim Shad. The three inch model in shad color seems to match the hatch more than any lure I have used on the market. This can be used right out of the bag (first remove the plastic hook guard), and many retrieves work. If you see busting bass, try retrieving the lure up top with a pretty consistent medium retrieve. If they were up top, but have gone down, try a lift and drop retrieve. If they were up top, but you have not seen them in quite some time, try bouncing the bait along the bottom. Topwater baits such as Zara Spooks and Chug Bugs will also get their fair share of strikes when the fish are harassing bait up top. Remember to match the hatch with the topwaters. A Super Spook will get you bites, but scaling it down to a junior will give a more natural presentation, same applies to the Chug Bugs.

Are Saturday afternoon plans with the wife and kids hampering your plans to hit the Big O with your fellow forum buddy? If so, grab the mentioned lures, go down to that little lake in your development and see what a wonderful little fishery exists so close to home.

FFAH-