To minimize hangups, do not set the hook when you feel the fish, just keep cranking; if you set the hook and it is cover and not a fish, you'll be using that lure retriever. If you are sure it is cover you bumped, try just stopping the bait for a moment to entice that reaction bite.

Once structure with cover has been located, fishing that cover successfully requires approaching it from several different angles to locate exactly where the fish are. Position the boat so you can cast past the cover and allow enough time to crank the bait down to the bottom.

Working a spot from several directions will help you locate fish on that cover, and puts your bait right in the fish. Often there will be more than one fish on good cover.

"You may have to come at it from several different angles to find the 'sweet spot'," Thomas said.

Mark Smith, local tournament angler, part-time guide and general contractor from Raleigh, also tries to find the exact location of these fish.

"I look for breaks in the (creek or river) channel, anywhere the channel does anything funny and has stumps or rocks," he said. "Most holes we fish certain spots, little knots on rockpiles. When we get in the right spot, I line up on a tree here and a tree there. If you're off by 5 feet, it makes a big difference. If you're on the right place, you can put 20 pounds of fish in the boat right quick."

Smith and his tournament partner Shannon Stewart have won numerous tournaments on Falls Lake, their "home" lake. They are die-hard Carolina rig anglers, but when the heat is on, they switch from their bread and butter to crankbaits.

"I like a Norman's DD-22 deep-diving crankbait in Mountain Dew (Smith's name for chartreuse with a brown tint) or chartreuse colors. This bait will get down to about 18 feet," Smith said.

Crankbaits come in endless color choices, but a couple of colors are about all you need on a summertime pattern in early September. A form of chartreuse or blue in shad patterns is a best bet. Use chartreuse in stained water and blue in clear water.

Bumping the right color bait along the bottom is just one enticement for a bass to strike; adding sound can get that reaction bite from the fish. Most crankbaits have rattles in them and a Rapala DT 16, Bomber Fat-free Shad, Norman's DD-22, Poe's 400, Carolina Custom Lures Cull 13 or Prey 18 or a Berkley Frenzy are good choices.

Carolina rigging can be just as effective as a crankbait in the same spots. For a Carolina rig, use a 7-foot medium-heavy rod. In deep water, you will need a stiffer rod than used for cranking to help you on hookset. The reel does not have to be high speed but should be spooled with 15- to 20-pound-test line.

Run a 1-ounce bullet weight up the line, followed by a plastic bead and terminate with a two-way swivel. Attach a 4- to 6-foot leader in 12- to 16-pound-test line with a 2/0 worm hook on the end.