As the fall transition progresses, fish move shallow from their summer haunts to feed before the winter months. During this time, fish key on baitfish and other shallow water forage as water temperatures continue to drop. This is a great time to get up shallow and cover water using the Shimano Macbeth Shallow 50F Wake Bait.
These colder water temperatures often cause fish to scatter the bank in search of bait. They also tend to be more willing to chase down moving baits due to the quickly approaching winter. This is the perfect opportunity to capitalize on these feeding fish by using a reaction-style wake bait. The Shimano Macbeth Shallow 50F Wake Bait was designed with a few key features that make it an ideal choice when fishing any type of shallow-water cover.
BUILD
The Shimano Macbeth Shallow 50F Wake Bait is built with strong buoyancy and a Hybrid Edge round bill. This allows the bait to come through heavy cover with easy without fouling in rocks or timber. The bill on the MB-50F Shallow protects the front hook from cover, while the heavy duty rear hook remains exposed allowing added strength when winching big fish through cover. The one-piece weight system built into the MB-50F Shallow allows the lure to recover quickly after deflection while still maintaining its erratic hunting action.
This bait dives to 1-foot and is designed for covering various types of shallow cover. The MB-50F Shallow measures 2 inches in length and comes in 10 different colors. This lure can be cranked rapidly through cover, or slowly retrieved creating a sub-surface wake. The Shimano Macbeth Shallow 50F Wake Bait is a great option for numerous shallow fall fishing scenarios.
HOW TO FISH THE MB-50F SHALLOW
One of my favorite ways to catch fish on the MB-50F Shallow is by cranking it over shallow laydowns and rock. This can be a great way to catch fish keyed in on bait through the fall transition. Fish are often spread out this time of year, so covering a lot a water is a great way to get more bites.
I start by targeting main lake structure with deep water access. Cover such as shallow laydowns or rocks are great high percentage areas to get a bite, especially when baitfish are present. This can active fish to be more receptive to your bait. I like to cast this lure as close to the bank as possible, while making sure to vary the angles of my casts on a specific piece of cover. This is a great way to pick up a few extra bites when fishing lots of shallow cover throughout the day.
Another great place to fish this bait is the backs of pockets close to deep water. In the mornings and evenings, baitfish tend to congregate in these areas. This can cause bass to move up shallow in order to chase these baitfish. Fishing shallow cover in the backs of these areas using the MB-50F Shallow is a great way to trigger these fish into biting. I like to fish this bait slowly beneath the surface in calm conditions, while speeding up my retrieve in windy conditions.
THE PERFECT SETUP
In order to fish this bait around tight cover it is important to have the proper setup. When fishing the MB-50F Shallow, I like a 7-foot medium heavy moderate action rod with a 7:1 gear ratio reel. A shorter rod allows for more accurate casts around tight cover, which is important when fishing this bait. A moderate action allows your rod to bend when setting the hook, keeping you from ripping the hook out of the fishes mouth. My go to rod when fishing this bait is the Dobyns Champion XP 7-foot Medium-Heavy Cranking Rod.
For a reel, I like a medium sized spool with a 7:1 gear ratio. This moderate sized spool allows for enough line storage to accommodate higher gauged line. This is important when fishing this bait around heavy cover such as laydowns or grass. The faster gear ratio allows you to quickly burn your bait when trying to create a hunting action or generate a quick reaction bite. My go to reel for this bait is the Shimano Curado MGL 150 in the 7:1 gear ratio.
The Shimano Macbeth Shallow 50F Wake Bait is a great lure for covering shallow cover throughout the fall transition. This is an extremely versatile bait that can be used in a wide variety of shallow water applications. If your looking for a bait to cover water with this fall, the Shimano Macbeth Shallow 50F Wake Bait is a great option.
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