With all the rain putting the Sabine River on the rise, bass might move even closer to the bank than they've been all week. That would suit Stephen Browning just fine.
"I call it mud-daubing," Browning said. "It's the time of year where they like to get shallow, and that's where I like them."
BASSTrakk currently shows Browning with only one keeper today. He started in 22nd place with 15-15. Browning is a self-described "river rat" who grew up fishing the lower White and Arkansas rivers in southern Arkansas.
When I mentioned it might be time to do some doodle socking, Browning knew exactly what I was talking about.
"I've seen it here this week," he said. "They still do it. They haven't lost the tradition down here. Most of them were doing it in aluminum boats though."
For the uninitiated, doodle socking requires a long, stout rod – 10 to 15 feet long, with a short length (12 to 24 inches) of stout line tied to the end of it. Dacron was used back in the day. A topwater plug of some type is tied to the end of the line. The noisier it is the better. A buzzbait can be used as well.
When the water is up in the bushes, you stick the pole as far back in the thick stuff as you can, then start working the lure in a figure eight pattern or simply sweep it back and forth.
You wouldn't believe the size of the bass that come up to kill that lure.