Fishing Tips For Bass

By: Mike Harris

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Using a few simple fishing tips for bass will greatly increase your fish catching potential, no matter when and where you’re fishing. Largemouth bass are one of the most popular species for anglers to go after. In fact, the bass fishing industry has grown to huge, multimillion dollar proportions.  But even with the inundation of conflicting guides and recommendations, some fishing tips for bass are nearly universal and have been proven successful for most all anglers. Read on to see exactly what those tips are.

  1. Know what to use when the water’s warm. If their environment is consistently above 55 degrees or so, bass tend to get very active. They are more willing to chase bigger bait because they’re not afraid to expend more energy in exchange for a tasty meal. Bass fishermen typically like to use crankbait, spinnerbait, and topwater lures during the warmer months of the year. For all three, use a technique where you “burn” or reel in quickly, the lure along sunken objects and plants in the water.
  2. Adjust your fishing method when the water’s cold. In the winter months, bass get lethargic and go into a semi-hibernation state. So instead of getting so called “reaction strikes” with fast moving bait, a good bass fishing tip is to stick to soft plastics and jerkbait. The preferred technique to use with these is called “dead sticking.” To perform it, simply cast your lure in a spot that looks like it might hold fish and leave it sit for lengthy amounts of time. Every twenty or 30 seconds, give it a little twitch to let any nearby bass know that it’s edible.
  3. Under any circumstances, stick to structure. As a species, bass love to hold near sunken objects no matter what the conditions are. So if you’re new to a body of water and don’t know where the best spots are, search for obvious underwater structure to fish. This includes docks and boat slips, trees and plants near the shoreline and natural points or rocky “riffraff.” Your odds of catching a bass are almost always better when fishing structure as opposed to open water.
  4. Adapt the size and color of your bait to match water clarity. In clear water, the most heralded bass fishing tip is to take an approach focused on finesse. This means using smaller, more natural colored baits. Things like soft plastic worms, darker colored jigs and minnow colored crankbait are proven. When the water is lower in visibility, you’ll need something a little more flamboyant to get the bass’ attention. Spinnerbait with big blades, brightly colored soft plastics and flashy crankbait are often used in these circumstances. 
Posted on: Feb. 03, 2011