Throw a green pumpkin jig or a black/blue chatterbait first, skipping it deep under the dock shade. After rain, bass often tuck tight to the darkest cover and use the first good edge or post they can ambush from. With overcast skies, warm late-spring water, and a rising barometer, they’ll still feed, but they usually want a reaction bait close to cover.
First move
- Primary pick: a 3/8 oz chatterbait or compact jig in green pumpkin or black/blue
- Target: the shadiest dock corners, back slips, floating docks, and the deepest posts nearest channel water
- Retrieve: skip in → let it fall 2–3 seconds → slow swim or hop it out
- If the water is stained from rain, use more vibration and darker colors
Why it should work
- Rain + overcast = bass can feed shallow longer
- Docks give shade, overhead cover, and ambush points
- A chatterbait covers water fast, while a jig gets bites from fish that won’t chase
Videos to look at
- Chatterbait Fishing Lure Tips and How They Work Underwater
- Dock Fishing Bass With Underspin Jigs
- How to Catch Bass Around Docks with Wacky Rigs
- How to Skip Docks
- In-Depth Look | How To Skip Docks
Products and lures to look at
- Blackwake Spinnerbait — good for windy, stained dock water
- Davy Jones’ Buzz — best if the sun pops out early or fish are shallow
- Bass Mafia Custom Balsa Squarebill Crankbait — for banging dock posts and riprap nearby
- 4.75” Twitch Jerkbait — skip it or twitch it beside posts when fish want finesse
Backup plan
- If you get no bites in 10–15 casts, switch to a wacky rig or tube and deadstick it in the darkest pocket under the dock
- If the water is muddy, go black/blue; if it’s clearing, go green pumpkin
Next cast: skip a green pumpkin jig to the deepest shaded side of the nearest dock and work it with a slow hop-pause retrieve.
