Largemouth Bass Fishing Tips
Jan
11th,
2009 by Jake
To become more successful at anything, we must first
understand what we are up against, and how to overcome it. In the game
of bass fishing, in order to grow and become a stronger angler, we must
know as much as possible about our opposition, the bass. Knowing and
understanding where the bass will be is the first obstacle we must
face. After this, addressing what they would like to eat is the
natural approach. Knowing this will give us the upper hand in
approaching the
bass and knowing what to put in front of his face that has the best
probability
of ending up in his mouth. First let us take a look at the
largemouth bass as a species of predatory fish, and then dive into
understanding what makes them tick.Largemouth Bass Fishing Basics.
The Basics
Originally, largemouth bass were native only to Eastern United States. As bass fishing grew in popularity, however, stocking programs began introducing bass across the continental Unites States as well as other countries. Two subspecies of largemouth bass, "Florida Largemouth," and the "Northern Largemouth" live in the waters of the United States. The main differentiation between the Florida largemouth and the northern largemouth lies in their growth rate. A Florida largemouth bass weighing over 10 pounds is considered of trophy size, where a Northern largemouth over 6 pounds is considered a trophy sized catch. The extreme size difference is a result of growing season durations. Southern states are warm year round and allow for bass to eat and grow more yearly, where Northern Bass will not grow during the winter months when water temperatures plummet.
Being a predatory fish, largemouth bass utilize their five senses of
sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch to locate and attack their
prey. In addition to these senses, the largemouth bass has what is
referred to as a "lateral line"
running down its side (see picture below). The lateral lines are why
lures with rattles and/ or lots of vibration can catch bass in the
murkiest water, and even at night. The lateral line is composed of
clusters of nerve endings with an acute ability to detect vibrations in
the water.
As far as
sight goes, in prisitine
water clarity bass can see roughly 25 to 30 feet including objects that
are above the water. This means that as an angler you must take extra
care not to spook the bass before you can put the bait in the strike
zone. It is up for debate, however, if color selection is of great
importance, or making lure selection based on pattern is a more
effective approach. It has been proven, however, that in clear water
conditions natural, Earth tones are more effective. Likewise, in
stained water, darker lures that create a stronger shadow have shown to
be more productive.
The bass may either see your bait, smell it, or sense its vibration via its lateral line. The latter two occur more frequently in stained water where it can be beneficial to use baits that create a lot of vibration and/ or have a strong scent. As far as scent is concerned, similar to many aquatic animals, bass have a very strong sense of smell.
A largemouth bass' senses of taste and touch go hand in hand when considering tricking them into eating your bait. These two factors come in to play after the bass has seen (or sensed, with its lateral line) the bait, or even smelled it and decided to suck it into its mouth. Bass have very few taste buds, therefore once the bait is in its mouth it will rely more heavily on its sense of touch to decide whether to swallow the bait or spit it back out. It is known that a bass will hold on to a soft plastic lure much longer than a hard crankbait, and their sense of touch is the reason for this.
Every spring it comes time for bass to spawn. Spawning is when bass come up to shallower water (around 1 to 4 feet deep) to lay their eggs. Spawning begins when the water temperature hits an optimal temperature. Male bass move to the shallower water and create a round spot of sand on the bottom often referred to as a "bass bed." This is created by the bass beating its fins brushing all debris out of the way and creating a clear surface for the female to lay the eggs. The female then lays the eggs and the male fertilizes them. Once the eggs have been laid the female will not eat for a couple of weeks while she retreats to deeper water. The male stays by the fertilized eggs to protect them until they hatch, which can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks to hatch depending upon water temperature. Male bass will stick with the eggs to defend from predators without eating until they hatch. The only way to trigger a bass to strike during this period is to cause an aggression strike with a faster moving bait.
The bass may either see your bait, smell it, or sense its vibration via its lateral line. The latter two occur more frequently in stained water where it can be beneficial to use baits that create a lot of vibration and/ or have a strong scent. As far as scent is concerned, similar to many aquatic animals, bass have a very strong sense of smell.
A largemouth bass' senses of taste and touch go hand in hand when considering tricking them into eating your bait. These two factors come in to play after the bass has seen (or sensed, with its lateral line) the bait, or even smelled it and decided to suck it into its mouth. Bass have very few taste buds, therefore once the bait is in its mouth it will rely more heavily on its sense of touch to decide whether to swallow the bait or spit it back out. It is known that a bass will hold on to a soft plastic lure much longer than a hard crankbait, and their sense of touch is the reason for this.
Spawning
Habits
Every spring it comes time for bass to spawn. Spawning is when bass come up to shallower water (around 1 to 4 feet deep) to lay their eggs. Spawning begins when the water temperature hits an optimal temperature. Male bass move to the shallower water and create a round spot of sand on the bottom often referred to as a "bass bed." This is created by the bass beating its fins brushing all debris out of the way and creating a clear surface for the female to lay the eggs. The female then lays the eggs and the male fertilizes them. Once the eggs have been laid the female will not eat for a couple of weeks while she retreats to deeper water. The male stays by the fertilized eggs to protect them until they hatch, which can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks to hatch depending upon water temperature. Male bass will stick with the eggs to defend from predators without eating until they hatch. The only way to trigger a bass to strike during this period is to cause an aggression strike with a faster moving bait.
Locating
Bass
After spawning, "post spawn," largemouth bass can be located in many
different locations based on an array of conditions. Structure,
weather, and water clarity being a few factors affecting where bass can
be found. The number one rule of thumb in locating bass is "structure."
Structure is anything different from the surrounding area. For example
a dead tree at the bottom of a otherwise empty pond (shown below) is
considered structure, and a hotspot for any bass in the area. Bass will
hold to anything different about their environment even if it isn't an
obtrusive object. When looking to locate bass use your fish finder to
find sudden depth changes as well as change of bottom composition.
Depending on the type of structure that the bass are surrounding, lure selection will vary. Water clarity will also play a big factor in the approach you will need to take to lure the fish off of the structure.
When it comes to weather, a bass' location will vary, as well as its willingness to bite. Anyone who has ever been out fishing while a cold front moves in understands how quickly and powerfully weather can change fishing conditions. Since bass are cold blooded animals, water temperature governs the manner in which they behave and feed above all else. Bass seem to be most active in water temperatures ranging from 75 to 85 degrees fahrenheit, and less active in temperatures greater and less than that window.
-Happy Bassin'
Depending on the type of structure that the bass are surrounding, lure selection will vary. Water clarity will also play a big factor in the approach you will need to take to lure the fish off of the structure.
When it comes to weather, a bass' location will vary, as well as its willingness to bite. Anyone who has ever been out fishing while a cold front moves in understands how quickly and powerfully weather can change fishing conditions. Since bass are cold blooded animals, water temperature governs the manner in which they behave and feed above all else. Bass seem to be most active in water temperatures ranging from 75 to 85 degrees fahrenheit, and less active in temperatures greater and less than that window.
-Happy Bassin'