Keys to Red River bass

Focus on summer patterns for successful bass-fishing trips, guide says.

Courtesy of Russ McVey

Stick to the main Red River channel for September success when fishing for bass, local guide Russ McVey said.

The Red River is known for its catfish and crappie, but even in September it will produce a full ice chest of bass. It’s just a matter of knowing where to fish.

Anglers should take note of the different underwater structure along the river try different techniques to bag limits, local guide Russ McVey said.

"The bass are acting in typical late -summer patterns," the owner of Russ McVey's Guide Service said. "Most of the bass are in the main channel and main river."

Stopping to cast at underwater timber and other structures is very important while doing any kind of bass fishing on the winding river.

And choosing the correct bait during the specific times of the day is an integral part of McVey's bass-catching strategy.

"There will be some nice fish running those drop-offs," he said, "I'll use frog and chug baits for the early morning bite, but after that its all crankbaits."

McVey prefers the Bandit 200 series crankbaits in fire tiger and Louisiana shad for the post-dusk bite.

"Some good spots along the river are the main river rocks and the sandbars in-between the wing dams," McVey said.

The fish that occupy the sandbars are usually smaller but more numerous, he said. To put these bass in the boat, McVey turns to a Carolina rig, although success also can be had by slowly bouncing a plastic over the sandbar to attract bites from any fish probing the edge.