Late one August evening I waded across the South Fork of the Shenandoah River just downstream from Luray. I was headed toward one of my favorite riffles. As I came within 40 feet of the far bank I saw a large smallmouth bass chasing shiner minnows through an aquatic grassbed. This was in water a foot deep along the bank just upstream of me. So I have to decide where to fish. I cast a Silver Outcast Streamer out in front of the bass’es path and he took it instantly. Releasing the bass I saw several more bass chasing minnows through other grassbeds just upstream of the first bass. So I eased my way upstream and caught one of them. Fighting this bass scared the second bass.
This shallow grassbed continued upstream for several hundred feet and I could see other bass chasing minnows all through it. Wading cautiously upstream I caught many nice bass on the Silver Outcast Streamer for the rest of the evening until it became dark.
I never did get to my riffle that evening. But the fishing was outstanding because I let the bass tell me where to fish.
Often the aquatic grassbeds are so loaded with bass chasing minnows that when I have fishing guest in town it is difficult to get them to fish other areas.