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Fish Habitats Every kind of
gamefish has its own unique habitat requirments. Even closely related species, like smallmouth and largemouth bass have
a slightly different set of preferences. In order to target a particular species of fish, you must understand its
habitat. For game-fish, this includes the right kind of cover, spawning conditions, water temperature, oxygen levels
and efficient supply of food. One of the most important pieces of survival for a fish is cover. Fish need cover not only
to escape from the sun, but for oxygen and for feeding. Ambush cover - conceals predator fish so that they can hide in
them an attack smaller fish as they come by. Thickweeds (hydrilla) is a very common form of this on Lake Gaston.
When fishing for bass, throw a spinnerbait or shallow crankbait along the edge of a weed bed to attract fish out towards your
bait. When fishing a submerged weed bed, throw a similar bait over top of it to attract bass upward. Many anglers also
you different worm presentations to get down into the hydrilla which will also catch the bass that cannot be persuaded to
come out and hit a reaction bait.
Overhead cover - conceals fish from the hot sun and keeps the water slightly cooler. Can be undercut bank, fallen tree or other structure, any type of floating vegetation and the most common type, boat docks. Boats docks, the most common form of overhead cover on Lake Gaston and the can be a very productive place to fish. In June, July, August and early September are the best times to fish boat docks. As the water warms, bass and many other species will go under them to get shade. You can use a crankbait or Rat-L-Trap to fish in the shady spots around the dock or any variety of soft plastics like worms, lizards, or tubes to throw under the dock.
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