How to Catch Bass

Largemouth bass are the most widely distributed and most pursued black bass.

I am lucky enough to live in California which is truly a fishing paradise. Bass fishing is something that I have enjoyed since I was a little boy. Fond memories of spending lazy days with family and friends waiting for that next big fish to bite.

How to Catch Bass will be an introduction to this wonderful world in easy to understand terms. I have included information directly from an excellent book on fishing by Ken Albert:

Fishing Techniques 

Bass fishing is best during the spring and fall. But ironically, probably most people fish for bass in the warm summer months. Why not? Family vacations fit best when kids are out of school. And the weather is comfortable "out on the lake." Don't get me wrong. Bass are caught in the summer, but it takes more effort since fish are usually down deeper.

The basic technique used in bass fishing is casting and retrieving a plug, spoon, spinnerbait, jig, plastic worm or live bait. Of course, the retrieve approach much match the lure. All types of casting equipment can and is used including bait casting, spinning, spin casting and fly casting.

How to Catch Bass success centers around the answer to three questions: Where to cast? How to cast? and What to cast? Here are some guidelines: 

-Bass are almost always on or near bottom, or near underwater cover like a fallen tree. The "bottom" could be near shore in 2 feet of water, or it might be in 40 feet of water on the slope of a sunken island.

-Largemouth prefer to be near structures, whether it be a rocky fall-off, a sunken log, a weed bed, standing timber, a rocky point, etc.

-Largemouth bass prefer a water temperature of about 70*F. This means that in the spring and fall bass are likely to be nearer shore, in shallow"seventyish" water. When the surface temperature is well above 70*F, bass hold out deeper, but do make feeding forays into shallow water, primarily at night.

-At an unfamiliar lake, seek information about "good spots" from other anglers, bait shops, marinas, etc. They will often tell you How to Catch Bass at that particular body of water.

-If you (or someone else) catch a bass at a particular spot, and the lake temperature conditions don't change, the spot will likely yield more bass.

-Cast your offering so it lands or is retrieved near structures. For example, put it next to a pile of boulders that are partially submerged, or place it right by a fallen tree. Retrieve parallel to a submerged log not across it. Try inlets where streams flow into lakes.

-Retrieve slowly. seventy to eighty percent of the time a slow retrieve is best. But if it's not working, don't hesitate to try a fast retrieve. A combination may also be in order - for example, a few quick turns of the reel handle just after the offering lands (to get the bass's attention) followed by a slow retrieve.

-Retrieve everything, except surface plugs, near or on the bottom. Since the bass are on the bottom, you've got to put your offering on the bottom. 

-With plastic worms and jigs "feel" the bottom during your retrieve. No doubt this practice will result in some lost rigs, but it will also result in more bass. Using snagless offerings will minimize loss. An important lesson in How to Catch Bass.

-Cast quietly. In fact, fish quietly. Minimize engine noise, oar lock noise, "scraping tackle box along the floor of the boat" noise, and so on. Bass fishing is akin to stalking.

-Catchable-sized bass feed mostly on smaller fish (like shad, minnows, bluegill, etc.) crawdads and worms. This means that offerings that are successful look and act like swimming fish, moving crawdads or worms. 

-At times, bass strike out of a reflex action. sometimes they attack an offering the instant it hits the water. At these times, you could be casting anything and it would work.

-Many professional bass anglers feel that bigger bass come on a bigger bait. 

That's it folks. I hope you are prepared now to get those bass! I will put up a picture of a nice 5 pound largemouth bass that I caught on memorial day 2007, so you can see that I practice what I preach! Click Here (if you have a MySpace account and are logged in) and go to pics.

Click Here to Learn How to Catch Bass