| Actually, many lakes we fish are not
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| | enhanced food chains on and about the
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| lakes. They're impoundments. Originally,
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| | drips - more terrestrials, insects, moss,
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| river drainage systems that have been
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| | algae - and right on up the food chain
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| dammed by humanity.
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| | that ultimately attracts bass.
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| A golden concept that applies to
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| | SHINING SAND OR WET SPOTS. I'd hardly
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| impoundments year-round but especially
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| | call these any sort of serious water
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| each spring is this: Fish impoundments as
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| | inflow, but still bass have an uncanny
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| if they still are the original rivers.
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| | affinity for such areas, especially in
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| This means targeting the locations that
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| | the spring. Usually, they're a dimple or
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| were active flowing parts of the original
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| | depression in the back of a bowl or a
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| river system before being dammed by man.
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| | teacup-type sand flat. They may be the
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| Even though their banks may have been
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| | last spot of shoreline to dry after a
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| overflowed and flooded over decades ago,
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| | rain, or the last spot to stay wet as
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| the age-old creek channels and feeders
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| | lake water levels decline. A good way to
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| can still be important to the bass. The
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| | notice them is simply sun reflection
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| creeks and gulches and washes and
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| | shining off wet sand rimming the
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| trickles were the oases of life before
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| | shoreline - or a darker, damp tongue of
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| being flooded by the dam - and may still
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| | dirt impressed on an otherwise drying
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| be the meccas of motherlodes of fish.
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| | shore. Upon closer inspection, the spot
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| Although buried under water now, the
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| | may reveal an old channel cut either
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| riverine environment is still intact
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| | coming out of or bending in close to the
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| under the impoundment, and the bass still
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| | shoreline.
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| use the impoundment as if it still is a
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| | I may have lost many readers here with
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| river system.
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| | the drip rocks, shining sand and wet
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| A river system (and hence an impoundment)
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| | spots - but hopefully at least a few of
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| is a mesh of countless connecting feeder
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| | you are nodding wisely about these
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| veins and water flows of the following
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| | heretofore undocumented bass hotspots in
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| exemplary types which you should learn to
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| | every impoundment.
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| recognize and target.
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| | Some of these spots, the smaller ones,
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| Some of the larger constructs can be
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| | are only recognizable from a certain
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| recognized from far away, and may extend
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| | angle, and you really do get better at
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| down into the impoundment from far back
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| | spotting them with experience. Often
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| on the adjacent land. Some of the smaller
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| | times, on a steep shoreline, such spots
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| constructs often have an additional
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| | can be more easily seen far up the land
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| traipse of garnishy greenery on the way
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| | mass, and then traced down to where their
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| down to the shoreline, which is a
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| | journey descends into the impoundment
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| surefire cue to a few water veins that
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| | MORE ON MAPS
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| fish like gold veins.
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| | Maps can be extremely important and often
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| However, many original river features may
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| | are the only way to get a full picture of
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| be far offshore underwater now, and
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| | the rivers and creeks still flowing under
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| spottable only on a map (more on maps
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| | and into an impoundment.
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| later).
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| | Impoundments can range from several
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| Here are some of the key river constructs
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| | hundred acres to several hundred miles
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| underneath an impoundment: MAJOR
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| | long. On some of the smaller
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| CONFLUENCES. Where two rivers or streams
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| | impoundments, map availability may be
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| that rarely dry meet (or would have met
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| | limited.
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| if they were not flooded under water by
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| | On the larger impoundments, new and
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| man). Confluences can be great summer and
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| | different maps can be ferreted out
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| fall staging spots for bass.
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| | readily - and each new map has a habit of
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| PERENNIALS. These are more or less steady
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| | showing different creeks, different
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| creeks that never completely dry up or
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| | inflows than the other maps. Not just
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| only stop flowing during the very driest
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| | fishing, boating and topo maps, but
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| spells. These usually have silty flood
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| | shoreline camping/hiking maps/books often
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| plain deltas in the back, and may be
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| | note or describe water flows not
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| marshland or flooded brush basins in the
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| | documented elsewhere. I've come across
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| back.
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| | snow melt maps, rainy season drainage
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| NON-PERENNIALS. These are where an
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| | maps, water rights usage maps,
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| intermittent creek or wash, which may
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| | environmental impact statement maps, even
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| have been dry for most of the season, is
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| | forestation/vegetation density maps can
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| now underwater. The confluences where
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| | give clues to creeks and water seeps.
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| non-perennial or lesser side creek would
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| | Bottom line, most every map I come across
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| have met a stream or bigger creek - some
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| | on a large impoundment may reveal yet
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| of these MINOR CONFLUENCES can be great
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| | another feeder creek clue or riverine
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| winter or summer deepwater holding areas
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| | perspective not previously marked on
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| for bass.
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| | other maps.
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| SEASONAL INFLOWS. Places that don't flow
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| | Now, never go target any of these areas
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| year-round but bring water in
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| | while they are still gushing or spewing
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| predominantly during the snow-melt season
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| | water or even soggy rain-drenched - and
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| and/or only during the rainy or monsoon
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| | most of the time, most places, they
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| season. Snow-melt is more "systemic" and
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| | probably aren't like that. But I take
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| runs off from deeply-saturated grounds
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| | great caution to avoid any such areas
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| whereas rainy season inflows can often be
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| | while they are gushing or active or
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| but are not necessarily shallower surface
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| | rain-drenched or whenever inclement
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| ground run-offs. In other words, snow
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| | weather advisories are broadcast for an
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| versus rain water may not necessarily
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| | area, since the land around them (which
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| journey across the same terrain nor enter
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| | may be above you) seems to have a higher
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| the impoundment at the same places.
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| | chance to be unstable when wet - as in
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| INCIDENTAL INFLOWS. Places that usually
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| | landslides, rock slides, cliff walls
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| do not flow but only convey excess water
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| | falling, and flash flood surges of
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| as a result of heavy downpour or flash
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| | uncontrollable dangerous water can enter
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| flood incidents. These can come from high
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| | an impoundment from rainstorms happening
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| ground, and may result in temporary
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| | many miles away.
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| waterfalls or spills. The area may be
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| | Always keep in mind, if your favorite
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| highly dangerous to approach on rainstorm
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| | lake was once a river, it probably still
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| forecast days or during the wet or flood
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| | fishes like a river. Many anglers I've
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| season, but during dry and stable
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| | met never realize this about
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| conditions, you may find a sand or
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| | impoundments. Much of the rest of an
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| sediment delta and washed-in debris
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| | impoundment (which was formerly dry
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| deposits at the base. Sure spots for
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| | ground) may be a poorer fishing prospect
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| bass.
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| | at times, although the original river and
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| SEEPS AND SPRINGS. Water squeezed out of
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| | all its tributaries and veins still teem
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| rocks or coming out of the ground.
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| | with life. In a very real sense, even
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| Actually, I don't think such water gets
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| | though dammed by humanity, the original
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| wrung right out of the rocks, but
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| | rivers remain the oases of life, and the
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| squeezed between the thin space between
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| | connecting mesh of hidden underwater
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| two layers of rocks. Nevertheless, even
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| | creek channels are often the premier
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| such innocuous "drip rocks" seem to have
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| | places to be for bass.
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