Steve Grace’s top Columbia Lake tips, techniques

Steve Grace fights and brings in a bass along the edge of a pad field.

Vegetation is the key to success on this lake, Steve Grace said.

“I recommend fishing frogs in the pads, and working the edges, holes and anything different in the vegetation when the bass are active,” Grace said. “I look for the presence of a variety of grasses and vegetation when fishing a new lake, and look for areas with active bass populations.

“Sometimes just the presence of different sizes of pads will make a difference. Dollar-sized pads mixed with larger pads.”

Add one more ingredient, and the combination is golden.

“If you can find pads, grass and wood mixed together, —and baitfish — then you have everything a bass needs,” he said.

During the summer months, Grace also likes to work 10-inch Texas-rigged worms on the edges of the pads and off points.

“If the fish are not actively feeding, I’ll work the pads with soft jerk baits like a Lake Fork Hyper Stick or Senko-style bait, hitting the holes and letting the lure glide slowly down, and even dead-sticking them, will yield excellent results.”

He backs away from the vegetation as the day ages.

“Once the vegetation bite slows, I’ll work the points, drops and offshore humps with Carolina rigs and crankbaits,” he said.

Grace’s favorite grass lures include:

• Lake Fork Hyper Stick

• Lake Fork Craw Tube

• Lake Fork Hyper worm

• Texas-rigged worms and lizards

His choice of frog imitations are:

• Stanley Ribbit

•Academy Sports H20 frog

• Sumo Frog

Tackle choises include:

• Gary Dobyn’s 804C 8-foot Carolina rig rod

• Lake Fork Parallelium fluorocarbon line

• 50-pound or heavier braid for frogs when the pads get thick.

About Michael O. Giles 411 Articles
Mike Giles of Meridian has been hunting and fishing Mississippi since 1965. He is an award-winning wildlife photographer, writer, seminar speaker and guide.

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