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Bass Fishing Tips
| Bass Fishing Tips |
Tips to help make you a better Bass fisher:
* A pork frog or pork crawfish can be deadly for bass when fished without a jig by using a keeper
hook. Press the pig onto the hook. Take an old plastic worm that is no longer useable. Break off a
piece of the worm and push it onto the keeper. Then measure the distance past the barb on the hook
and break the remainder of the worm off. Now push that end of the worm onto the point of the hook,
past the barb. You now have a weedless pig. If more weight is desired, use a slip sinker and a bead at
the knot. This bait is ideal in heavy cover because it is more weedless than a traditional Jig & Pig.
*Although we prefer and recommend live bait when fishing for rock bass, for those who prefer to use
lures, or simply don't have live bait handy, we recommend small and light tail spinners with very little
or no weight. Lures should be just heavy enough to cast into a light breeze.
*Largemouth Bass have excellent hearing. Sounds travel from their deep-set ears through a series of
connected bones and to an air bladder that doubles as an amplifier. Lateral lines on either side of
their body contain highly sensitive nerve endings that also detect sounds and vibrations. A carpeted
boat deck can help absorb sounds that may startle the bass. Generally, fish that are in water deeper
than five or six feet are not bothered by the noise of electric or outboard motors.
* Fish the down-wind side of a lake or pond in sustained, heavy wind. In this situation forage will be
concentrated on that side of the lake or pond and bass will move in to feed. A spinnerbait is a good
choice when fishing for these aggressive fish.
* When fishing on high-pressure days, fish deeper water. Bass are often suspended right off the
bottom because the barometric pressure has decreased the amount of air in their air sack. This
causes them to move into deeper water because they have to exert more effort to hold in shallow
water.
* Floating crayfish crankbaits produce bass well on rocky points, dams, and shores. Crank it until you
hit bottom and pause. This resembles a crawdad it it’s natural, defensive position.
* Don’t get locked into using a particular lure and presentation method just because it worked the last
time you went bass fishing. Because the environment in which bass live is constantly changing, you
also must change your strategy to match the current conditions in order to increase your success.
* There are thousands of different bass lures on the market, but you only need a few to consistently
catch bass. Jigs, spinnerbaits, plastic worms and topwater lures will catch bass wherever these great
gamefish swim. Other lures will work, too, but always keep these basic baits in the top drawer of your
tacklebox.
* Bass are cold-blooded creatures, so their activity level is directly related to the temperature of their
surroundings. If the water is below 60 degrees, fish slow-moving lures like jigs and plastic worms close
to the bottom. In warmer water, faster-moving lures like crankbaits and spinnerbaits fished off the
bottom will usually work better.
* Bass can see colors about as well as humans can. In clear water, use realistic lure colors that mimic
living prey - silver or gold crankbaits and topwater plugs, black or brown jigs. In murky water, use
bright colors that can be easily seen, such as chartreuse crankbaits or white spinnerbaits.
* Bass often display strong seasonal habitat preferences. In spring, they prefer shallow bays and
tributaries protected from cold north winds. In summer, they gravitate to dropoffs, ledges and
submerged islands and other offshore structures. In winter, look for them on deep points, sloping
banks and channel ledges.
* When retrieving a weedless lure across the top of lilypads or pond scum, keep it moving at a fairly
slow, constant pace. This gives the bass plenty of opportunity to track down the lure. Avoid using a
stop-and-go retrieve, for the bass may strike at the lure and miss it.
* A flat-sided crankbait is a great choice in cold water. These lures don't vibrate as hard as a rounded
crankbait, making them better suited to sluggish bass. In early spring, many bass pros fish 'em around
shallow logs and stumps, the same places you'd normally fish a spinnerbait.
* When you feel a bass bite your worm or jig, immediately lower the rod tip and bring it back sharply,
so you snap the slack out of the line. This hookset will drive the point through the tough jaw of bass in
much the same way that the blow of a hammer drives a nail through a board.
* Nothing is more thrilling than the sound of a lunker bass smashing a surface lure at night. Cast a
big, dark-colored top-water wobbler, popper, prop bait or buzz bait close to weedlines or shallow
shorelines after dark. Use heavy line, and don't set the hook before the fish pull.
* Bass are drawn to isolated objects - a lone stump on the end of a point, a small patch of grass
growing a couple of boat-lengths from a large weedbed, etc. Target this randomly-scattered cover
first - often that's where the biggest bass in the area will be.
* Can't buy a strike? Try a spinnerbait or jig in a hot color such as blaze orange or chartreuse. These
outrageous hues don't look like anything in nature, but they can provoke a reaction strike from a
moody bass.
* The most obvious spots to fish for Smallmouths are rock shoals and drop off points. They also can
be found in deeper water where the concentration of feeder fish are more abundant. A depth finder is
invaluable in finding the best structure.
* To cover large areas of water, diving crankbaits like Cotton Cordell's Rattlin Spot and the Rapala
Shad Rap in silver or crawfish patterns are quite effective. When fishing shallow rock shoals, white
and yellow spinnerbaits as well as shallow diving crankbaits have proven deadly. In deeper waters, a
¼ to ½oz jig head tipped with chartreuese, yellow or white Mister Twister grubs are also effective.
Slowly bouncing these jigs off rocky bottoms will surely entice the most wary Bronzeback. If fishing
deep water in late summer or early fall, try bouncing a worm colored Tub Jig off the bottom. When
Smallmouth do go deep, they seem to like the 30 to 40 foot depth range.
* Cast your big worm at the shore's edge or over top of a shoal and let the worm slowly sink. As soon
as it sinks down a couple of feet, gently pull the worm towards you until it hits the surface then let it
sink down again. It's almost like you are taking long slow jigs. But make sure you pull it very slowly and
gently. You will find that most of the time, the Smallmouth will hit the worm as it is sinking. You could
put a weight about 3 feet up the line like a stretched Caroline Rig but when you are fishing in the
rocks, a weight will get snagged. It's best not to use a weight even if you find it frustrating to cast.
* A pork frog or pork crawfish can be deadly for bass when fished without a jig by using a keeper
hook. Press the pig onto the hook. Take an old plastic worm that is no longer useable. Break off a
piece of the worm and push it onto the keeper. Then measure the distance past the barb on the hook
and break the remainder of the worm off. Now push that end of the worm onto the point of the hook,
past the barb. You now have a weedless pig. If more weight is desired, use a slip sinker and a bead at
the knot. This bait is ideal in heavy cover because it is more weedless than a traditional Jig & Pig.
*Although we prefer and recommend live bait when fishing for rock bass, for those who prefer to use
lures, or simply don't have live bait handy, we recommend small and light tail spinners with very little
or no weight. Lures should be just heavy enough to cast into a light breeze.
*Largemouth Bass have excellent hearing. Sounds travel from their deep-set ears through a series of
connected bones and to an air bladder that doubles as an amplifier. Lateral lines on either side of
their body contain highly sensitive nerve endings that also detect sounds and vibrations. A carpeted
boat deck can help absorb sounds that may startle the bass. Generally, fish that are in water deeper
than five or six feet are not bothered by the noise of electric or outboard motors.
* Fish the down-wind side of a lake or pond in sustained, heavy wind. In this situation forage will be
concentrated on that side of the lake or pond and bass will move in to feed. A spinnerbait is a good
choice when fishing for these aggressive fish.
* When fishing on high-pressure days, fish deeper water. Bass are often suspended right off the
bottom because the barometric pressure has decreased the amount of air in their air sack. This
causes them to move into deeper water because they have to exert more effort to hold in shallow
water.
* Floating crayfish crankbaits produce bass well on rocky points, dams, and shores. Crank it until you
hit bottom and pause. This resembles a crawdad it it’s natural, defensive position.
* Don’t get locked into using a particular lure and presentation method just because it worked the last
time you went bass fishing. Because the environment in which bass live is constantly changing, you
also must change your strategy to match the current conditions in order to increase your success.
* There are thousands of different bass lures on the market, but you only need a few to consistently
catch bass. Jigs, spinnerbaits, plastic worms and topwater lures will catch bass wherever these great
gamefish swim. Other lures will work, too, but always keep these basic baits in the top drawer of your
tacklebox.
* Bass are cold-blooded creatures, so their activity level is directly related to the temperature of their
surroundings. If the water is below 60 degrees, fish slow-moving lures like jigs and plastic worms close
to the bottom. In warmer water, faster-moving lures like crankbaits and spinnerbaits fished off the
bottom will usually work better.
* Bass can see colors about as well as humans can. In clear water, use realistic lure colors that mimic
living prey - silver or gold crankbaits and topwater plugs, black or brown jigs. In murky water, use
bright colors that can be easily seen, such as chartreuse crankbaits or white spinnerbaits.
* Bass often display strong seasonal habitat preferences. In spring, they prefer shallow bays and
tributaries protected from cold north winds. In summer, they gravitate to dropoffs, ledges and
submerged islands and other offshore structures. In winter, look for them on deep points, sloping
banks and channel ledges.
* When retrieving a weedless lure across the top of lilypads or pond scum, keep it moving at a fairly
slow, constant pace. This gives the bass plenty of opportunity to track down the lure. Avoid using a
stop-and-go retrieve, for the bass may strike at the lure and miss it.
* A flat-sided crankbait is a great choice in cold water. These lures don't vibrate as hard as a rounded
crankbait, making them better suited to sluggish bass. In early spring, many bass pros fish 'em around
shallow logs and stumps, the same places you'd normally fish a spinnerbait.
* When you feel a bass bite your worm or jig, immediately lower the rod tip and bring it back sharply,
so you snap the slack out of the line. This hookset will drive the point through the tough jaw of bass in
much the same way that the blow of a hammer drives a nail through a board.
* Nothing is more thrilling than the sound of a lunker bass smashing a surface lure at night. Cast a
big, dark-colored top-water wobbler, popper, prop bait or buzz bait close to weedlines or shallow
shorelines after dark. Use heavy line, and don't set the hook before the fish pull.
* Bass are drawn to isolated objects - a lone stump on the end of a point, a small patch of grass
growing a couple of boat-lengths from a large weedbed, etc. Target this randomly-scattered cover
first - often that's where the biggest bass in the area will be.
* Can't buy a strike? Try a spinnerbait or jig in a hot color such as blaze orange or chartreuse. These
outrageous hues don't look like anything in nature, but they can provoke a reaction strike from a
moody bass.
* The most obvious spots to fish for Smallmouths are rock shoals and drop off points. They also can
be found in deeper water where the concentration of feeder fish are more abundant. A depth finder is
invaluable in finding the best structure.
* To cover large areas of water, diving crankbaits like Cotton Cordell's Rattlin Spot and the Rapala
Shad Rap in silver or crawfish patterns are quite effective. When fishing shallow rock shoals, white
and yellow spinnerbaits as well as shallow diving crankbaits have proven deadly. In deeper waters, a
¼ to ½oz jig head tipped with chartreuese, yellow or white Mister Twister grubs are also effective.
Slowly bouncing these jigs off rocky bottoms will surely entice the most wary Bronzeback. If fishing
deep water in late summer or early fall, try bouncing a worm colored Tub Jig off the bottom. When
Smallmouth do go deep, they seem to like the 30 to 40 foot depth range.
* Cast your big worm at the shore's edge or over top of a shoal and let the worm slowly sink. As soon
as it sinks down a couple of feet, gently pull the worm towards you until it hits the surface then let it
sink down again. It's almost like you are taking long slow jigs. But make sure you pull it very slowly and
gently. You will find that most of the time, the Smallmouth will hit the worm as it is sinking. You could
put a weight about 3 feet up the line like a stretched Caroline Rig but when you are fishing in the
rocks, a weight will get snagged. It's best not to use a weight even if you find it frustrating to cast.
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