Techniques For Bass Fishing Like A Pro - Worms, ....
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admin
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Aug 12, 2009
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Learn The Techniques to Bass Fish Like a Pro
Mastering basic casting is key. Most spinning and bait-casting reel and rod combinations today, are made for hassle-free, ease-of-use flexibility by a variety of anglers (multi-level at that too!) A good bass rod and reel combination for a variety of bass fishing situations is the Bass Pro Extreme Rod and Reel Spinning Combo.
Try to eliminate errors from your basic style and technique. Skill and accuracy should matter more than strength and it is not always about getting it as far out, as fast as you possibly can (although this might be important in certain situations and circumstances too!)
Casting, getting your line/hook/bait, sinkers, weights and leaders in and into the water, at the exact right depth, imitating 'prey', and doing so with extreme, pin-point accuracy, is what this is all about. Hitting your target with confidence is a very basic skill to master and refine. Getting the hook out to exactly where you wanted it to be, what you should practice and work for.
Casting is one part of this process, getting the lure to the right depth quite another. Advanced bass anglers suggest using a countdown OR counting method. Quite simple really. Form the moment the bait hits the water, start counting, 1000, 1000 and 1, 1000 and 2, 1000 and 3… estimating the seconds it will take for it to 'drop' into the water. This will help you know better what you are doing, when it hits the bottom for example, whether or not it got caught on something in the process etc. YOU establish reference points for yourself on and in the water.
Hands-on and rod in-hand is the best way. Practice-plugs in the park, or your own backyard (be it on 'dry land', so to speak), will make you that more effective and accurate, in and on the water, no matter what the body of water, or style of fishing you choose to pursue. Whether spinning, bait casting or fly-rodding, there is something for every taste. Even missed targets, attempts and failure, are also good teachers, as this technique is somewhat of a routine you can master and learn.
Casting a lure with a spinning reel for example, casting float and or leger rig, bait casting are very similar. Lure fishing, spinning, floating, spoons, plugs, surface or top-water lures, crank bait, trolling etc. are all basic techniques that require exposure, quick demos and hands-on practice. We suggest a video or DVD, or online in-depth explanation, watching a fishing show or two and getting pointers from other anglers and professionals, as well as finding and defining your own style that you are comfortable and successful with. The beauty of bass fishing, is that it offers something for everyone, no matter what your prior experience with fishing might be!
Focusing on your grip, spinning reels, bait-casters and or closed-face spin casters techniques and mastery, picking a target, aiming to land your lure (terminal tackle) in the middle of that target, is a good approach.
As a general rule of thumb, a good arch in the air as a travel path en route to the water, is a good reference and goals to have, as you set out to improve your casting technique and accuracy. Line-control is crucial to avoid overshooting, get a gentler landing, slow flight (by touching the lip of the spool with the tip of your index finger (also known to anglers as 'feathering') is useful.
Playing and landing fish
Getting to know the feel of a fish on your hook, line and rod is very important. Retrieval is about more than simply getting the fish into the eager hands/net/boat. Mastery, maneuvering, responsiveness, knowledge of your tackle, well-balanced control, reel-clutching, fighting curves and arching/bending rods and the various controls and settings, techniques (including casting, hooking, playing, reeling in, retrieving and landing is important. They are so much more than mere steps in a process and or sum-total of parts. To translate into a true blue-blood bass-fishing experience and success, appreciation of the symphony of the interplay of process and outcome, tactic, technique, angler, equipment, the catch and haul is what is at play here. When using a spinning reel/bait-casting, there are three key techniques to master that would include reel control: with anti-reverse on, back winding (anti-reverse off) and thumb-pressure control
There is nothing more exciting than a fish on the run, apply pressure, keep the rod up slightly and increase the 'drag' if required, using one of the techniques above. Watch tension and avoid line-breaks and allow the fish to tire. Battling big bass on my Sea Eagle Inflatable Boat is one of my favorite things in the world.
It is one thing to prepare, cast, tease and tempt, hook and eventually reel in. The process however does not stop there. More of the basic technique mastery includes methods of landing fish, like beaching (not suitable for catch and release), tailing (not suited for all species), lipping (watch the teethed species here!), netting or even gaffing (banned in most areas, due to the risk of the stroke injuring the fish).
The most useful tip we can provide or suggest, is remaining in control, alert and not upset or startle the fish even more. Allow the tired fish to turn, submerge the net and avoid lunging at it.
When lipping, grip the lower lip gently between your thumb and forefingers, unhook carefully or hold in the water while freeing it gently, but efficiently, without hurting the fish, adhering as far as possible, to current and accepted, catch-and-release practices.
Lure-fishing and spinning
Spinning tackle and artificial baits and lures are increasing in popularity and the most popular form of fishing worldwide. Rotation, color and movement, staying as true as you can to the natural diet and target prey of the bass will optimize your chances. The shape and thickness of the spinning 'blade' on the lure affects the action and mobility of the lure – how it responds and acts in and under water.
Floating lures are also common and effective especially for deep-water bass fishing. Watch for snagging on the bottom and ensure to weigh it done appropriately using suitable weights. This method ensures getting the bait at eye-level of the fish.
For spoons, there are two broad categories, namely trolling and casting spoons. Weed-less lures mostly have hooks with nylon or metal weed-guards that prevent snagging and or non-weedless spoons are also commonly used. How to tell which one to use, most bass anglers look for shape, weight and speed. The best way to find your way around in any tackle shop or box, is to practice and get to know the behavior and or success in different conditions. Trying to get to know the optimum retrieval and success rates, maybe even logging it in a personal journal as you undertake your bass journey/hunt for the NEXT BIG ONE!
Plugs, surface lures, useful at all fishing levels, at all speeds make these lures versatile, agile and an all-time favorite of many a bass angler. Matching the lure to the conditions you face and the circumstance, body of water and specific species you are fishing for (small-mouth, large-mouth, striped, spotted, rock, yellow, black, white etc.). Shallow-diving crank-bait and or surface or top-water lures have proven themselves most effective for bass fishing – great for fishing shallows. Stick-baits and jerking, minnow plugs (or the real thing!), prop-baits, surface disturbers, crawler-type top-water baits and even a floating, driving crank-bait can prove useful.
The true secret lies in what some call the 'one-two punch' – teasing and enticing with a top-water or teaser (surface disturber) and then following it up with a plastic worm for example on a second rod, for optimizing strikes and yet again tipping the scales in your favor.
Plastic worms and tubes
There are a vast array of worms and tubes available on the market (both live bait and artificial). For avid bass anglers they are a necessity. The technique to master is hooking them properly. When hooking a worm for bass fishing, it is of utmost importance to ensure that you thread it properly. Get a lot of the body onto the hook, hooking it twice, at top and bottom. This is to ensure that it does not fly loose when you are casting it out into the water. It also protects it somewhat in the submerged paradise that the bass shares with other fish, who might want to come and take a bite or sample! Using worms in combination with other baits/lures and enticing techniques like top-water and or hard-bait surface disturbers or frogs, eels or whatever species and body of water would deem appropriate "feeding prey" for the bass of your choice and preference is the key. Fishing bleeding tubes is a great fishing technique to use during the spawn. Again adapting your strategy when necessary and giving the bass a variety of foods to choose from, will all hopefully increase you odds of hooking your next bass! … even if it is not yet the BIG ONE!
4. Mistakes And Secrets Related to Bass Fishing
As we have discovered throughout these pages, there is a lot more the bass fishing than meets the eye. Once you are familiar with the species, different bodies of water, different and sophisticated fishing and angling equipment and accessories, as well as familiarizing yourself with habits, patterns and nature, behavior, natural diet and preferred foods, mastering some basic skills like preparation, presentation, tackle, bait and lures, casting accuracy, knots, hooks and the intricacies and complexities in retrieval and landing, the journey has but started. There is so much more to explore and learn about an through the activity, sport, art and competitive science that is bass fishing, that we can almost say no more than the water await and let's go!
Although, there are some last thoughts we can offer on some of the more common casting mistakes. These 'errors' are well-documented in existing literature and easily overcome, to optimize your bass fishing experience and haul. Here are but a few issues most beginners struggle with:
(i)overshot lure with too much power in the initial cast and the line release not slowed, or (ii) the lure falling short or being too light, with the line being release too early during the cast and or the rod held too high after the line was released. (iii) lure landing too hard, due to the release at too low of an angle and not arching enough in the air , and (iv) inaccurate casting (the most common) – missing the mark, where the lure goes off-course with too much side-to-side action/motioning of the rod while casting. Practicing reel and line control, as well as the overhead cast might help.
Lots of texts (like the Dorling Encyclopedia mentioned earlier, pg. 212-213), suggests thinking of 'casting', compared to the movement of the arms on a clock-face, beginning in the two o'clock position, pushing back to around the noon-position and back to the 2 again, with the rod slightly lowered as the lure drops deeper into the water. For most beginners this 'visualization' often helps refine technique.
5. Styles And Specialty Bass Fishing
Skipping
This technique might remind you a lot of throwing rocks onto the surface of the water to see it 'skip'. As a water/top-water disturbance and movement simulator, it triggers and teases our predator to come up and see what is there to eat/attack.
Spinning rods and reel combo is best used for this technique – perfect for fishing and reaching bass where they swim and hide under piers, docks and pontoons. Also useful for getting under and into underbrush and growth. Remember their 'comfort zone'. On sunny days, bass look for shade, food and shelter and often rest here in shady areas, under cover of structure.
Ripping
Some call this the throw it out, twitch, jerk and go method. A medium-action rod with parabolic bend and action to it. If might actually trick our bass-friend into thinking there is a 'wounded' prey around. Like a pro, let the worm drop and settle to the bottom, remaining there for a period of time. Reel some slack out of the line, picking up the worm with a long, sharp upsweep of the rod tip. Let 'er rip! Let it drop down again to the bottom, under tension while slowly lowering the rod tip – keep on imitating live prey like this, moving, swimming and bobbing about and your predator will strike it with a vengeance.
Drift Trolling
Trailing behind the boat, covering the bottom worms crawl and move, simulating prey in its purest form. Raise and lower it occasionally, looking natural and alluring to any bass in the vicinity hunting for a tasty morsel.
Fly-rodding
In ponds, rivers, streams and lakes this approach is quite effective. Fly-fishing like techniques are very effective with bass. Begin by preparing and rigging a plastic worm, weed-less adding a small split-shot just before the hook. This will enable it to sink slowly. Flip or cast and allow it to drop and bob to the bottom. Quite the tease and hard for the bass with keen sight, sound and smell to miss. Keep the tip of the rod very low, to make it possible for you to make a well timed, strike when you feel a bass hit.
Night and Ice-fishing
Schooling, effective tackle and dropping the lure/bait right in front of the fish, not having them expend a lot of energy is the key for these timings and conditions. Water tends to be cooler and all your approaches, strategies and techniques need to slow down a notch. Bass also tend to school, during these times. Knowing this fact can help you in acquiring your target better and increasing your odds of getting a hit under these unusual or specialty conditions.
It is almost an impossibility to provide here for every unique condition and we barely scratched the surface on most of the contexts bass anglers might find themselves. We look forward to sharing more secrets with you and learning from your journey!
6. Final Thoughts: Summary and Conclusions
Catch-and-release fishing
Doing your part to protect nature and conserve it for future generations, is mandatory and regulated. Use barb-less hooks or remove the barbs with a pair of pliers. Holding the fish in the water, gently while unhooking, minimizing the trauma and damage to the fish is crucial. Support the fish and let it go with the current, swimming away and left to live another day, for many battles more to come!
Do all you can to understand and adhere to licensing, permits, closed season stipulations, minimum size and catch limits. These and other measures are there to protect and serve, to minimize the risk of over-fishing and species becoming extinct.
This might not be the utter finest book on bass fishing ever written, but may the passion and contents inspire you to greatness as an avid and successful angler. If we can but ignite confidence and hints of excitement for fisher-folk, young and old, than these words have succeeded!
May the road (and the waters, The Bass), come up to meet you… May your journey and journal grow, each entry teaching more, increasing confidence and aptitude!
May the pleasures of Bass fishing and the many ways we can choose actively to partake of it, bring you continued and continual enjoyment, reward, haul and immense pleasure!
Also check out my other bass fishing articles:
How the Water Conditions, Weather and Time of Day Affect Bass Fishing
Bass Fishing Equipment to Catch Your Lunker
Bass Fishing Basics
How To Find Bass - Understand Bass Habitat and Habits
Bass Fishing 101
Techniques for Fishing Like a Pro - Worms, Skipping, Ripping, Trolling, Flyrodding
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