SHORELINES

19 Shor e l i n e S | 2016 Vol :2 weight on it," Keel said. "That keeps me from getting caught on the brush." The crickets are a deadly attraction for bedding or spawning bream. Depending on the weather and water temperature, bream begin spawning in late April or May around the full moon. The fish use their tails like a fan to brush clean an area on the lake bottom about the size of a dinner plate. The areas look like dark circles to an angler in a boat. During spawning, the fish hang out around their beds and anglers can often see them. A good pair of polarized sunglasses can be helpful. "That's where the cricket comes in," Keel said. "You throw it in there and the cricket floats over them and they can't resist it." Bream typically bed in shallow sandy areas with overhanging trees, Keel said. But unlike many anglers, Keel doesn't depend on finding bedding bream. That's where he uses the weighted worm, set about 3 feet below the cork. He uses it with a No. 10 short shank hook with a small split shot for weight to probe deeper water. "If you're depending on bed fishing, you have to do a lot of looking around," Keel said. "I know the fish are going to bite. I like to drop the trolling motor and go at it. A bream will not fail you." Unless he finds a bed, which can sometime produce 20 or 30 fish, Keel prefers to stay on the move. Finding bream when they aren't spawning requires Keel to "hunt and peck" along the banks. "I look for shade and laydowns – trees in the water, cover," Keel said. "A bream finds a place it can hide and also feed." The shade means overhanging trees. The fish prey on bugs and various kinds of grubs and worms that fall from the trees into the water where bream snap them up. Among the best natural baits are larvae that can be robbed from wasp nests, Keel said. Above: Photo by WynteR ByRd – Unless he finds a bed, which can sometimes produce 20 or 30 fish, Keel prefers to stay on the move, probing the bank.

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