Bass Fishing

By: admin Mood: - Bass Articles Date: May 15, 2007 Music: None

Bass fishing involves angling for the fish known colloquially as black bass. There are numerous species including largemouth, smallmouth bass and Kentucky bass or spotted bass; these are all considered game fish of North America. The sport has grown into a multi-million dollar industry, driving the sales and development of rods, reels, clothing, various other equipment, and of course the formation of competitions. Everyone is after the big one - the "million dollar fish." Just recently, on July 2, 2009 a new world record largemouth bass was caught in Japan on Lake Biwa.

 Black bass are known as strong fighters, and recreational fishing gives an opportunity of testing one's strength against nature. As you acquire more experience, you will come to realize what technique and set of tools works best for you. Different techniques are used in different waters, and depending on what type of bass you want to catch. The best method when fishing in a new area is to ask angler's familiar with the water what bass fishing techniques will work best, as well as personally examining the water conditions. The bass prefers clear non-flowing water with vegetation which provides food and cover. A good depth reader and fish finder such as the Hawkeye Digital Handheld Depth Finder Sonar System PX and Hawkeye F33P Portable Handheld Fishfinder with Weed ID will help you to find and catch more bass.

 The most straight-forward rod casting technique is the overhead technique. Move the rod back to the 10 o'clock position (12 being straight up, 3 straight in front of you), and then use your wrist to whip the rod forward, releasing the lure at the 11 o'clock position, and follow through using the movement of the rod to control the cast.
     
If you are dealing with clear water conditions and suspended bass, doodling is your technique of choice. This involves using a worm, and placing a small glass bead between the worm and a brass sinker. Use a 6-food medium-light action rod for best results. Let the lure sink to the preferred depth and shake the rod. This provides a motion that will get the bass' attention. Do this for about 2 to 3 seconds, then stop and wait about half a minute. If you do not feel a tug, pull the bait a little ways and repeat the process. At sufficient depth, the pull of a bass feels like the stretching of a rubber band, so it is not wholly noticeable. Once you feel anything that resembles this, you need to set your rod and reel in your catch! 

Purple lures are the preferred choice on overcast days, while red works well during the bright daytime. On darker days, use darker colors, while cinnamon-blue is said to represent natural crawlers and is an overall good choice. This technique is best suited for fishing uphill in the spring and downhill in the fall. With doodling, the most natural presentation occurs when downsizing your hooks to about 1/0, and making sure that the bait is straight. A subtle hook set will keep the line tight and catch more fish, so don't use anything oversized. In general, this technique works best when you shake the worm instead of dragging, especially in clear waters.

When the weather is hot fishing during the day can be uncomfortable to say the least, so fishing at night becomes an option. This is best used in clear deep reservoirs, although during the nighttime the bass move to shallower areas to forage, so although an ideal spot has deep-water access, one with shallower shorelines as well would be ideal. Underwater man-made structures are congregation areas for bass at night, as well as boat docks lit by artificial light. At night, it is preferred to use heavier lure, because it is easier to feel the tug. Some to try would be plastic worms and top water lures such as poppers and wobblers. For smallmouth bass, 3/8 ounce hair jigs are used, while largemouth bass require 3/8 or heavier rubber jigs. For top water lures, black is the best color, while subsurface lures work best when used in contrasting dark colors. Single-hook lures are often used for ease and personal safety after dark, and to avoid tangling which would be hard to resolve with minimal light. Always carry a flashlight and make sure your boat has a working light when fishing after dark.

Once your bass has bit, you want to get it into your boat without losing the catch. When you feel a tug on the line, snap back the rod hard to lodge the hook in the bass' mouth – this is called setting the hook. The jaws of the bass are tough and the use of strength is absolutely necessary. By maintaining pressure you can usually bury the hook deeper and prevent the fish from escaping. When using a top water lure, it is important to wait a moment before setting the hook, since you may jerk the bait from the bass' mouth. You must wait until you have felt a few tugs, which means the hook is at least partially lodged in the fish's jaws. When setting the drag, do not exceed half the pound test on your line (drag is the feature some rods have which allows some of the line to be pulled out under pressure); this will prevent accidental escape, as well as ensuring that your line doesn't break under severe pressure or if there is an obstacle between you and your catch.

Bass can be landed without the use of a net. This is done by drawing the bass close to the boat, and then pulling the rod back over one shoulder, and extending your arm. Press your thumb against the tip of the jaws, and this will cause them to open. Grasp the lower jaw between thumb and forefinger, put down the rod and pull the bass aboard. On the other hand, netting the bass can be a much easier alternative in most cases. However, if you find yourself in the middle of a lake with a bass wriggling at the end of your line and no net to grasp, it is useful to know how to land a bass without the use of a net. As a last note on bringing the bass in, don't fight too hard; the harder you fight the fish, the harder it will fight in return. Bring the bass in sufficiently close and then let him tire out before reeling him towards you.

The bass is known for its aggressive attack on almost any fishing bait present in its environment, and this has promoted its status as a sport fish. However, in some areas there is an obvious stunted-growth population of bass, and catch-and-release tactics are preferred. If you are fishing catch and release, make sure you pinch down the barbs on your hooks.