Bass Fishing Secrets

Truth be told, just about every angler has his or her own bass fishing secrets. How much they work, of course, is debatable. After all, one of the components of bass fishing—no matter how many times anglers tell you otherwise—is luck. But there are certain little known tricks that pretty consistently work. Though they’re not foolproof secrets to bass fishing success, they can help improve your odds significantly on the water.

1. When in doubt, bust out the soft plastics. Many bass anglers believe that using a spinnerbait or crankbait is usually the way to go in unfamiliar territory. The reasoning is that they allow the bass fisherman to cover more water in a shorter amount of time— theoretically improving the chances of happening across fish. But the truth is, going more natural is one of the best solutions to the problem of unfamiliarity. And baits don’t get more natural looking or acting than soft plastics.
2. Bass actually do bite in the winter. Common bass fishing knowledge dictates that fishing in the wintertime is bound to be unsuccessful. Fish at large get lethargic, slow, and reluctant to bite, so it’s typically not even worth making the trip out there. While partially true, this belief is rooted more in the fact that fishermen hate the cold than that fish hate the cold. In fact, it is quite possible to catch bass in cold water. You can do it by fishing with slow presentations and larger baits in deep water.
3. Bigger lures don’t necessarily catch bigger fish. When bass fishermen go out for really big fish, they tend to use larger-than-normal lures. While it may seem like your odds for big fish are better with big lures, it’s not really the case. During the spring spawn, for instance, smaller male bass will chase after just about everything moving—even if it’s bigger than they are. The big bass fishing secret that can be deduced from this is that it’s not so much bait size that counts, but bait placement and presentation.
4. A few general purpose rods and reels are enough to do the job. Many experienced bass fishermen have a different rod and reel setup for every type of bait they fish. While the vast majority of information about bass fishing out there supports this, one little secret that fishing gear companies don’t want you to know is that that much equipment isn’t really necessary. You really only need a shorter, more flexible rod for swimming-type baits like crankbaits and spinnerbaits, and a longer, more sensitive rod  for soft plastics and jig types.