January 14, 2025
By David A. Brown
Wesley Gore’s not a random guy. You don’t qualify for the Bassmaster Elite Series and finish third in Rookie of the Year points without direction and discipline.
That being said, the end of one year and the beginning of the next find the Clanton, Alabama, angler just kind of drifting. Casual, relaxed, going with the flow.
That could certainly describe someone kicking back and chilling during the off-season and, considering the demands of a pro angler’s lifestyle on and off the water, that would be completely understandable.
But this is not that.
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Rather, Gore takes a very specific and measured approach to “drifting” baits in his favorite fall/winter scenario—a tailrace. Pointing out this scenario’s fish-magnet appeal, Gore shared a game plan that’ll deliver in any such scenario.
“My favorite period of time to fish tailraces is late fall and the transition into wintertime,” he said. “The fish are still active; they’re still not in the complete wintering mode, but they’re feeding up and a tailrace always has an abundance of shad.
“It’s a whole ecosystem; it has everything to sustain life for (multiple species) and a fish can carry out it’s entire life cycle, so there’s always fish within a mile of the dam.”
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On the Coosa River where Gore cut his teeth, spotted bass typically comprise the largest chunk of the action, but largemouth, white, and striped bass add to the fun. Jump over to the Tennessee River, for example, and tailraces like the one behind the Wilson Dam also attract hefty smallmouth.
Why It’s Good Noting that a tailrace offers year-round potential, he said this time of year finds the fish packing on the weight they’ll need to survive winter’s lean menu. Quantity’s never a problem, he said, but late fall through early winter sees an influx of quality fish.
“The numbers are always pretty plentiful because there’s moving water, but the biggest thing is that size increases this time of year,” he said. “When that water temperature is between 52 and 60 degrees, that’s optimal tailrace fishing. You can catch a lot of good ones and just a lot of fish in general.
“They’re really active; it’s not too cold for them. They’re gorging themselves during this time period.”
He said a cold night generally foretells good tailrace fishing because it stuns the shad and makes them vulnerable. With baitfish hovering close to the surface and drifting like leaves, bass enjoy easy pickings.
He said January may bring cold fronts strong enough to drop the water temps below that preferred range, but until that happens, it’s game-on.
“There’s always a lull period when the fish go into winter patterns, but then the tailrace bite kicks back up with the prespawn,” he said. “When the shorter photoperiod tells the fish it’s time to transition to winter patterns, they’ll move to deeper structure where they don’t have to chase as much.
“They’ll reposition back up there right before they go spawn. There’s about a 6-week period, when the tailrace is not as active, but this time of year, it’s pretty wild.”
What They Like If ever there was a match-the-hatch scenario, this is it—but not necessarily in the manner we typically apply to trout streams. See, it’s less about what you throw—although that does matter—but more about how you present it.
In a sentence: Let the water do the work for you.
Gore’s tailrace arsenal comprises small swimbaits, small swimbaits, a 5-inch fluke style bait on a belly-weighted extra wide gap hook, a jighead minnow with a 4-inch fluke, and a 3/8- to 1/2-ounce Scrounger with a 4- to 5-inch fluke.
With any of these, he said it’s all about mimicking nature’s food delivery service. He calls “washing baits”—allowing his offerings to flow with the current on a taught line.
“I don’t reel baits in the tailrace, I throw them out at a 45-degree angle into the current,” he said. “I’m fishing shoals, depressions and rock veins that are at my 90 degrees, or actually right behind me. The fish can sit behind these spots and eat the shad as they drift past.”
Rules Of The Road Obviously, you want to keep that PFD zipped or buckled up, as cooler weather and swift water hold potentials we’d rather not discuss. You know what mean, so first and foremost, stay safe.
Beyond that, he points out the wisdom of managing your presentations to minimize costly hang-ups. Suffice to say, most any tailrace you visit has collected enough tackle to fill a big box store.
Follow his advice and you’ll not only make a fish-tempting presentation, you’ll also avoid enhancing the subsurface collection.
“Obviously, you have to be a little more conscious of an open-hook bait, but most of the stuff you’re fishing is parallel to you or behind you, so you’ll sit above most of the stuff you’ll fish, so you can keep your bait in the zone whenever it gets to the spot.”
Reading the water is key, so Gore watches for the boils and rises that indicate the current breaks and eddies fish will use for efficient feeding. Deeper structure requires electronics, but he finds a lot of fishable targets with his eyes.
“If you can find these seams with your eyes, you want to position gradually above them so you can cut down on snags,” he said. “Your bait will float up off the bottom when you put tension on it, so your bait will be just above whatever you’re fishing.”