While the action for striped has been on the slow side, those anglers targeting black bass species are being rewarded with tight lines. A creel census completed in the Cottonwood Cove area found that smallmouth bass were “plump, in excellent condition,” said Debora Herndon, NDOW fisheries biologist. The average fish measured 16.5 inches and weighed 2.4 pounds. The fish have been taking Gitzit tube baits and Tender Tubes in the green pumpkin color variation. Casting into 10 to 15 feet of water near grass beds and submerged brush can trigger a response from bass that will leave their beds to hit the bait.