Summer in the snags by Roderick Walmsley

I knew I was in trouble even before I took up the slack. The little deep-diving minnow had travelled 60cm further than I intended it to, landing just past the branches of the snag.

I let the lure sit there as I started to manoeuvre the boat with the electric motor to clear the branches.

The bass gave me no chance. It materialised under the lure just as I was thinking I would be OK, eyeing the lure for a split second before making its mind up.

The minnow disappeared in a large swirl and I hung on, dangerously high-sticking the rod to try to clear the leader. It was to no avail and the rod tip flicked up as I felt the sickening feeling of slack line.

My mate just about split his sides laughing at my expense - another lure donated to the Snag Fishing Foundation!

With full Summer clearly on us, the hinterland creeks and far upper reaches of our rivers fire for Australian bass.

One of the key ingredients when chasing these feisty fish on lures is usually some sort of structure, with snags being No 1 on the list. Find a good-looking snag in a reasonable depth of water and you should find a bass.

Persuading the bass out of the snag can often be another story but if you try to stick to certain key pointers, your success rate will improve significantly.

When I use the word snag, I use it loosely, referring to some sort of timber that has fallen into the creek or river system.

These snags are home to myriad little baitfish and various forms of insects that the bass feed on. They can also retreat deeper into the snags to use the shade to shield them from the sun...