Sneaky Bass Fishing Tricks For Serving The "Perfect" Bait At The "Perfect Time"

FACT: the mouth of a bass is so large (and it's stomach is so flexible), that it can actually take down prey half it's own length.

I mention this fact as an example of a piece of knowledge that can make you a better bass fishermen. The more you know about this species the more you can get inside their heads... and the more successful you'll be at hauling them in.

Fishing, is very simply, the act of dropping a piece of food (the bait) that has the best chance of triggering a strike. (Or... throwing something down that will make them mad. But this is a conversation for another day.)

The best rule of thumb here, is to serve up the type of food they feed on naturally. (Or, an artifical bait that shares the same characteristics as one of their favorite foods...)

2 general guidelines:

(1) Smaller, younger bass feed on small crustaceans.

(2) As they grow the begin to eat insects and small bait fish.

(3) When bass are full grown, they survive on frogs, crayfish, worms, and other small bait fish in your area.

As far as baits go, live bait is an excellent choice and typically pulls the best results. Most fishermen prefer to use artifical bait for the sport of it. If you're just out there to catch some fish with the family though, use live bait if you can.

Obviously, can get great results with artifical bait. It actually brings a lot more to the sport because of the challenge.

I highly recommend spinnerbaits.

You can use them near the surface of the water for shallow strikes, or you can use them in deep water where bass are typically found when it's hot.

You can work spinnerbaits into area and structure where the bass are... and you can use them to fish "fast" for when the bass are active, or you can work them slowly for when the bass are sluggish.

Plus...they're easy to use. Always a good thing for beginners.

Know The Habits Of Bass

If you know and understand the habits of bass (driven by instinct), you'll have an inside edge on catching them.

It would take dozens (if not hundreds) of articles and books to give you everything on the subject, but a few tips here:

1. Bass begin spawning in spring, and this is the time when they feed more aggressively than almost any time of year.

2. Bass are "pattern driven", and follow the same patterns in every season of the year... every year. Know the patterns and your catch count will go up.

3. Smallmouth bass like clear, calm water... and they seek areas with rocky or gavel bottoms. They also prefer deep pools in gentle streams... lots of shade, vegetation, and weed beds.

4. Spotted bass like non-flowing water in ponds, lakes, pools in rivers/streams. Obviously, food source must be plentiful along with a lot of structure to be used as cover. You'll find them in resevoirs, upper estuaries, ponds, and rivers. They are usually at a depth of around 20 feet, and like like warmer water.

When And Where Should You Fish For Bass?

If we knew the exact answer to this in every situation... we could all catch "bass on demand" at will.

For now, some tips:

- All species of bass have a tendancy to congregate around structures like docks, rocks, sunken trees, brush, and grassy areas. Any structure.

- Largemouth bass, specifically, hide under foliage near shorelines and around structure.

- Spring and fall are the best seasons for catching largemouth. Late evening and early morning are the best times to get out there and catch 'em.

Finally, remember: every piece of equipment is important, right down to your hooks. (Make sure they are sharp!)

When you get a bit, jerk up slightly with a snap of your wrist, and reel 'em in!