| As you spend more and more hours and days on | | | | productive when the bass are within the 20-foot |
| bass fishing you will acquire lots of knowledge about | | | | zone |
| the right lure and technique for the proper way to do | | | | Tips and Guides |
| this sport. The best advice most experienced and | | | | Position yourself only as far away as water clarity |
| seasoned bass fishermen give is:to examine the | | | | dictates; stay close enough for consistent accuracy. |
| fishing conditionsask for tips from anglers familiar with | | | | Try to make the lure land on the water with as little |
| the waters you are fishing intry many different lures | | | | noise as possible. Cast past the target when possible. |
| and bass-fishing techniques until you discover what | | | | In windy weather put tension on the line just before |
| works most effectively to the situation and which | | | | the lure touches down. This will straighten out the line |
| one you are most comfortable with. | | | | and prevent it from blowing across obstructions. |
| Here are some guides to bass fishing to become | | | | Learn casting techniques that permit a low trajectory |
| better. | | | | such as flipping, pitching, sidearm casting and |
| The Technique: | | | | underhand casting. |
| The bait must fall to the preferred depth and then | | | | Use a quality rod and reel matched to the weight of |
| you have to shake the rod tip. By doing this you'll be | | | | the lure. Rods with a stiff blank but relatively fast |
| getting the fish attention. Do this for at least 30 | | | | (limber) tip are easier to cast than extremely stiff or |
| seconds and then shaking again for about 2 or 3 | | | | uniformly limber rods. |
| seconds intervals. Stop and pull slowly about six | | | | Cast with the wrist not the arm and shoulder. |
| inches. Then dropping again slowly back and down | | | | Lower the lure a few inches below the rod tip before |
| and then repeating the process. The first thing to | | | | casting; this gives extra momentum for the cast. |
| remember if they're not biting is to slow down. | | | | Be sure to "load" the rod tip, causing it to bend |
| Tips: | | | | backward, on the back-cast, then whip the rod |
| During springtime, fish uphill (position the boat in | | | | forward smoothly. |
| shallow water and cast to deep water) and use a 1/8 | | | | Fill the spool of any type reel to within 1/8 inch of |
| ounce weight. | | | | the lip of the spool. DO NOT OVERFILL! |
| Fish downhill in fall. | | | | The Flip-Cast; use your wrist, NOT your arm. |
| Try to use a Texas rigged worm to prevent | | | | Concentrate on the spot you want to hit, not on |
| hang-ups. | | | | what you want to miss. |
| Fish out the worm and keep suspended 90% of the | | | | Use plenty of scent when trying to penetrate thick |
| time. | | | | cover - it acts as a lubricant. |
| Always try to sharpen the hooks to make sure you | | | | Stick to basic jig colors (black/blue, brown/brown, |
| have maximized your hookup percentage. | | | | black/chartreuse). |
| When doodling, it is critical to keep your presentation | | | | Use a plastic worm with a glass bead between the |
| natural by downsizing your hooks to 1/0 or lower and | | | | worm and the weight for inactive fish. |
| paying delicate attention to how straight your bait is | | | | If you think it's a strike, reel down until your rod is in |
| in order to maintain a natural presentation. | | | | a hookset position before you check. |
| Crystal clear waters can be tough. The secret to | | | | A strike is anything different (something you wouldn't |
| fishing weenie worms is to keep slack on your line | | | | feel in a bathtub!). |
| and "shake" the bait instead of dragging. The shaking | | | | Tighten your drag all the way down for better |
| of the rod and your light line gives your worm, grub | | | | hooksets. |
| or reaper an amazing action. | | | | Use 17 to 25 pound test line for bait casting gear, 10 |
| When to Go: | | | | to 14 pound test on spinning (for flipping finesse |
| When the bass quit hitting during the daytime and | | | | baits). |
| when it becomes uncomfortably hot on the lake are | | | | In order to establish a pattern it is essential you |
| good signals that it's time to start night fishing. Night | | | | understand how a bass lives in its environment. |
| fishing is usually practiced when the water is in the | | | | Knowing where the bass can be found at any given |
| mid-60s or warmer. | | | | time or place is something you must develop. Always |
| Places to Fish: | | | | go fishing with a plan in mind. |
| Where to fish at night is a question commonly asked | | | | Remember that every fish you catch can reveal |
| by bass fishermen. Bass don't move great distances | | | | clues on how to catch another. After establishing a |
| in most situations. Smallmouth bass, especially, are | | | | pattern realize that when the action slows down in |
| proven stay-at-homes. As the summer wears on, the | | | | the area you were fishing, you can then search for |
| bass tend to move deeper and won't come up | | | | more areas that would fill the same criteria. |
| shallow even at night in many lakes. Night fishing is | | | | |