Throw a skip-able jig or a paddletail/swimbait under the shadiest dock first. After rain on Lake Austin shoreline, the water is likely a touch dirtier and bass will pin to dock shade, posts, and the first deeper edge. With steady pressure and a south-southeast wind, fish the wind-facing docks and any slips where bait gets pushed in.
First move
- 1/2 oz black/blue jig with a compact craw trailer, or a 4.75” soft twitch jerkbait on a light weighted hook if the water has some visibility.
- Pitch/skips to the back corners, walkways, and post shadows.
- Use a slow hop-hop-pause on the jig; with the jerkbait, do twitch-twitch-pause and let it glide.
Why it should work
- Late spring means bass are still comfortable shallow, especially around dock shade and bluegill/shad forage.
- Rain often muddies the bank a bit, which makes docks and shade better ambush spots.
- Mainly clear + 20% cloud cover still favors moving a bait around cover, but the 17 mph gusts mean heavier, easier-to-cast lures will be more reliable.
Videos to look at
- Dock Fishing Bass With Underspin Jigs
- How to Catch Bass Around Docks with Wacky Rigs
- How to Skip Docks
- Chatterbait Fishing Lure Tips
- Catch 10x MORE Fish Using A JIG
Products and lures to look at
- 4.75” Twitch Jerkbait – Large Soft Jerkbait for Bass & Inshore
- Blackwake Spinnerbait
- Davy Jones’ Buzz – Topwater Buzzbait
- Bass Mafia Custom Balsa Squarebill Crankbait
- Bass Mafia Money Bag
- FONMANG 126Pcs Fishing Lures tackle box
- PLUSINNO 137Pcs tackle box
Backup plan
If they won’t eat the jig, switch to a white/chartreuse spinnerbait and slow-roll it along the outer dock edges; if the water’s dirtier than expected, go to the buzzbait right at daybreak.
Next cast: skip the jig to the darkest back corner of the nearest dock and let it sit 2 seconds before the first hop.
