Bass sit in the pockets, gaps and shady sides of tules, and on tule points with current. In sparse tules, throw a wacky 5" Stick Bait. In thick tules, skin-hook a weightless Texas-rigged Stick Bait so it slides in quietly. To reach fish deep inside, flip a 4" Baby Hawg on a 1/2 oz weight. Fish the incoming and high tide, when bass push into the tules.
- Where
- Pockets, shady side, points
- Best months
- March – April
- Best tide
- Incoming and high
- Sparse tules
- Wacky Stick Bait
- Thick tules
- Weightless Texas or flip 1/2 oz
How bass use tules
Tules are the tall reeds that line the Delta's levees and islands. They give bass shade, cover and an ambush point.
Where to look:
- Pockets and gaps. Cuts and openings in a tule line are where bass wait.
- The shady side. Shaded pockets beat sunny ones. As the sun moves, fish slide to the shady side of a tule berm.
- Tule points with current. Moving water sweeps food past the point.
- Mixed cover. Tules mixed with grass, hyacinth or riprap hold more fish than plain tules.
- Deeper tules. Tules that still have water around their base at the current tide stage.
When tules are best
March and April are prime, while the tules are still short and bass move shallow for the spawn. In winter, the old stalks die off and lay down into mats that still hold fish.
Tide matters. On incoming and high water, bass push into the tules. As the tide falls, they slide out to the outside edges. Guide Luke Johns picks tules by how much water they hold at that tide stage, not by the stage itself.
How to rig each one
Wacky: rig a 5" Stick Bait wacky through an O-ring and skip or pitch it into openings. Let it fall on a slack line and watch your line.
Weightless Texas: skin-hook a Stick Bait on a 3/0–4/0 offset hook with no weight. A quiet entry matters in shallow tules.
Flipping: a 4" Baby Hawg Texas-rigged on a 1/2 oz weight. Go up to 3/4 oz or more if it won't punch through. Use 50–65 lb braid on a heavy flipping rod.
Colors
- Clear water around tules: Green Pumpkin, Ringo's Gift.
- Stained water: Midnight Blue, Bloodline.
- Shade and low light: darker colors stand out against the stalks.
Tips
- Be quiet. Bass in shallow tules spook easily. Use the trolling motor low and pitch, don't splash.
- Fish every pocket twice. Once on the fall, once with a few shakes.
- Set fast and pull them out. Tule bass wrap you up if you give them slack.
Three ways to fish tules
Match the rig to how thick the tules are.
Wacky (sparse)
Skip or pitch a wacky Stick Bait into openings. Most bites come on the fall.
Weightless Texas (thick)
A skin-hooked Stick Bait slides between stalks and falls slow.
Flipping (deep inside)
A Baby Hawg on 1/2 oz reaches fish buried in the thickest stalks.
JCB picks
5" Stick Bait
$6.99The go-to tule bait.
4" Baby Hawg
$6.99Reach fish deep in the tules.
Related questions
Where do bass hide in tules?
In pockets, gaps and shaded sides of the tule line, and on tule points with current.
What's the best bait for tules?
A 5" stick bait, wacky in sparse tules or weightless Texas in thick tules. Flip a creature bait to reach fish deep inside.
What tide is best for fishing tules?
Incoming and high tide, when bass push into the tules. On the outgoing, fish the outside edges.
What weight do I need to flip tules?
Start with 1/2 oz. Go heavier only if it won't punch through.