Start with a skipping jig or a compact chatterbait, then a weightless soft jerkbait. After rain at Lake Austin, the water is likely a little dirtier and bass will pin to dock shade, posts, and the first darker water edge. With falling pressure and overcast/thunderstorm conditions, you’ve got a short feeding window, so fish a moving bait first.
First move
- Primary bait: 3/8 oz black-blue or green-pumpkin jig or a chartreuse/white chatterbait
- Where: skip it deep under docks, along post lines, and into shadow pockets on the downwind side
- Cadence: cast, let it hit bottom or fall on semi-slack line, then use 2–3 short hops or a steady slow roll
- If the water is more stained, lean darker; if it’s only slightly off-color, go natural
Why it should work
- Rain + cloud cover lets bass stay shallower and commit to cover
- Falling pressure often sparks a bite before the front fully passes
- Docks give bass shade, ambush points, and a roof from chop
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
- In-Depth Look | How To Skip Docks
- Four Best Lures for Skipping
Products and lures to look at
- Blackwake Spinnerbait — good for dirty water and windy dock banks
- Davy Jones’ Buzz — better only if the rain eases and they’re pushing shallow
- Bass Mafia Custom Balsa Squarebill Crankbait — run it off dock corners and riprap near slips
- 4.75” Twitch Jerkbait — great when fish are suspended under docks
- FONMANG 322-Piece Fishing Lures Kit — solid starter box with jigs, frogs, and spinnerbaits
- FONMANG 126Pcs Fishing Lures Kit — cheaper beginner option with rig components
Backup plan
If they won’t eat the moving bait, switch to a wacky rig or small tube and let it fall beside dock posts, rope lines, and shaded pilings with a dead-slow shimmy.
Next cast: skip a 3/8 oz dark jig to the darkest back corner under the next dock and let it sit 2 seconds before two hops.
