Throw a green pumpkin jig or black/blue chatterbait first, skipping it deep under the shady dock lanes and posts. After rain, bass often slide tight to cover, and the rising pressure plus cloudy cover makes a moving bait a strong first swing. Keep the retrieve slow and steady with occasional pauses right beside posts or the darkest pockets.
First move
- If the water is stained: start with a 3/8 oz black/blue chatterbait or spinnerbait and run it parallel to dock edges.
- If it’s clearer: skip a green pumpkin jig or wacky/soft jerkbait under the walkways and let it fall on a semi-slack line.
- Target shade, floats, ladders, and the first deep water under the dock.
Why it should work
- Late spring bass are often shallow and dock-oriented.
- Post-rain cloud cover reduces light, so bass sit tighter to cover.
- Today’s south wind and gusts can push bait to the more protected bank, so work the dock side that gets the best bait funneling and shade.
Videos to look at
- Chatterbait Fishing Lure Tips and How They Work Underwater
- How to Catch Bass Around Docks with Wacky Rigs
- Dock Fishing Bass With Underspin Jigs
- How to Skip Docks
- Catch 10x MORE Fish Using a JIG
Products and lures to look at
- Blackwake Spinnerbait for stained water and dock edges
- Davy Jones’ Buzz if fish are pushing shallow early
- Bass Mafia Custom Balsa Squarebill Crankbait for deflecting around dock corners
- 4.75” Twitch Jerkbait for skipping under docks and pausing in shade
- Blackwake Spinnerbait
- Davy Jones’ Buzz
- Bass Mafia Custom Balsa Squarebill Crankbait
- 4.75” Twitch Jerkbait
Adjust if
- You get follows but no bites: switch to a soft jerkbait and let it sit longer.
- You snag too much: go weedless jig or skip a wacky rig.
- The water clears quickly: downsize and fish slower, more precise skips.
Backup plan Work the most protected dock in the stretch first, then fan out to the next two docks with the same bait before changing lures.
