Where to Catch Spring Bass

Depending on where you live and fish, the time from mid-April to mid-June is a good time to fish for spring bass. At this time of year, there are many bass spending time on their spawning beds in breeding mode and other bass staged to begin breeding soon.

Bass that are on their beds for the spawn are not really feeding but are in aggressive defensive mode ready to attack anything that happens to get too close to the bed. These fish are in the shallows and are able to be fished by sight in many cases. The challenge is to entice them to attack your bait presentation by getting it close to their faces. These bass will defend the spawning beds!

Bass that are not quite ready to spawn yet are staged in a little deeper water but are feeding aggressively.

In order to catch as many bass as possible in the spring time, follow these seven guidelines to locate spawning and staged bass for some great bass fishing action!

Fish underwater ledges, ditches or troughs. Using a depthfinder, locate the contour changes that form these troughs or ledges. Staging bass will be there typically near cover or creek intersections. These bass can be fished for using a variety of baits. Perhaps your best chance at catching these bass however would be with soft artificial worms or lizards in pumpkinseed color.

Fish the deep grass. Staging bass often congregate along a grass bed's deeper edge. Cast artificial baits parallel to the grass bed edge, but staying close to the edge itself. Your bait should be retrieved fast enough so not to snag on the weeds. Rattling crankbaits in crawdad color may work well here.

Fish the creek channel bend. Staging bass will locate on the deeper side of the bend. Try casting a black or pumpkinseed jig tipped with a trailer of some type to entice the bite.

Fish the points. Staging bass often congregate on the side of the point closer to the spawning area. If there happens to be any cover in the area, the spot should definitely produce well. Cast a white or chartreuse spinner bait retrieved just under the surface close to the shoreline cover. An up and down jigging retrieve with the spinner bait can also produce well here.

For spawning bass, fish the pads and the stumps. Sometimes bass will make their beds on the roots of pads or underwater stumps. These fish will be close to this structure and can be fished with a lizard or large worm in chartreuse, white or black with a white stripe. The tactic here is to cast past the bed itself, then move the bed ever so close to the bed to entice the byte.

Fish the rocks and the docks. Spawning bass naturally seek out rocky areas to spawn. Those areas are especially good for producing bass if there is overhead cover like a dock or overhanging tree limb. Try a tube bait with a jig head cast into the bed area and retrieved with a twitching motion to entice a strike.

Fish the shallow grass. Spawning bass will make their beds among patches in underwater grass beds. To catch the bass located here, try fishing with some type of swim bait as it is common for bass beds located here to be visited by other fish species like bluegill.

All in all, tailoring your strategies to catch spring bass that are spawning or that are in pre-spawn mode can produce some exciting bass fishing adventure. When you are out on the lake, pay attention to the topographical features of the lake to locate these exciting catchable fish.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/where-to-catch-spring-bass-23937.html

Bass - Fishing Topwater Baits

Bass fishing with topwater baits is without a doubt the most fun you can have fishing for large or smallmouth bass. People watch these bass tournaments on the tube and see all these pros using plastic and spinner baits jigs and crankbaits, forget about the fun and excitement you get with topwater baits. Topwater baits create great action and stories to pass on to family and fishing friends.

The best time I find for topwater bass fishing is in summer, the colder the water the slower the response, and the more you have to work that bait. Early morning and evening are best for topwater bass fishing.

Of course weather effects your choice of lures also, on a bright sunny day it is better to have a light wind to go with it, a bit of a chop makes the bass less spooky. On a calm sunny day use a heavier lure and lighter line for longer casts. Bass tend to become real spooky in calm and clear water, so the further the cast from you the better off you'll be.

Wind can also change the type of topwater bait you can use I believe that when the wind comes up you should use a smaller bait that makes a lot of noise. The larger baits just plow through the chop, while the smaller baits ride the chop and still make that enticing noise to get the strike you want. Also try to fish through the troughs created by the wind.

Bass fishing topwater baits has some of it's own quirks you want to be able to make pinpoint casts to cover areas and make a clear retrieve. Most of your topwater bass fishing will be done in shallow water over weed beds, flats and around objects and shoreline cover. The majority of bass population remains in shallow water all summer.

To fish bass with topwater baits cast about a foot or two past your target and bring it as close to the cover as possible. If you do not get a strike after the first few feet reel in and try again and make another cast. Fishing cover like this there is no need to reel the bait all the way to the boat. Work the bait slowly to get that strike from the bass that is hiding in the shadows and under cover. Have patience when fishing topwater baits, let the ripples disapear, and let the bait sit a few seconds before you make you retrieve.

When the bass strikes a topwater bait, wait till you feel the fish before you set the hook. If you try to set that hook when you first see the strike you'll miss more than you will catch. I can't count the times that lure has been nocked back towards me by the bass striking that topwater bait.

Now for some of the most popular baits, Poppers are among the oldest of topwater bass fishing lures. They have the dished out face with the line tie in the middle. When retrieved they make a slash noise or "bloop" when popped. Poppers work best in warm, calm, shallow, clear water. You get your action from the rod tip not reeling. The harder you snap the bait the more noise and commotion created.

Stickbaits are rounded, hot-dog shaped lures usually plastic or wood. weighted to float nose up. The only action they have is what the angler ads to make them work. These baits have appeal for big bass, just using the jerk, then real up slack and jerking again produces a good eratic side to side motion that gets lots of attention from bass.

Propbaits are cigar shaped and fitted with propellers on one or both ends. Propbaits can be worked fast or slow, quiet or loud, but stop and go retrieves are best. The bass will let you know what is best so vary your retrieve. Be sure to experiment, propbaits are dynamite around sunken logs, lily pads, and shallow cover. Be sure the blades on the lure run freely,

Wobblers and Crawlers, these baits are particularly best at night or early morning, Examples of these are the Jitterbug or the Crazy Crawler. They make a loud plopping sound when retrieved steadily. Use a steady slow retrieve for the best results with this bass bait.

Buzzbaits are a little like spinnerbaits desingned to be fished on the surface. There are two types, the opposite wire types, with the blade above the hook, and the inline type with everything on one shaft. Excellent for clear water, and pick up less weeds. Again experiment with your working of this bait, twitching and vary speeds to create different noises.

Weedless Spoons are also in this category, designed to be fished in dense cover, either through the thickest weeds, lily pads, or grass. They go through the toughest cover you can find. Fishing with weedless spoons for bass you will want to be using heavy fishing tackle, rods and reels. I like to point my rod tip at the lure on my retrieve, and again here be patient and allow the bass to take the lure.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/bass-fishing-topwater-baits-54956.html

Jack Phillips has been fishing Canada coast to coast for over 50 years. Fishing Canada provides solid advice for walleye, bass, pike, muskie, a variety of trout and more. Ideas on when and where to go on your next trip to Canada. Ice fishing tips. Delicious fish recipes to boot!

The Best Way to Catch Largemouth Bass

There are several huge behavioral differences between Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. In a lake you generally find Smallmouth Bass in deep and rocky sections of the lake. Largemouth Bass on the other hand prefer weedy portions of the lake. Largemouth Bass also for much of the year can be found in much shallower water than Smallmouth Bass typically prefer. In rivers Smallmouth Bass are found more in the fast current, especially near rocks or near creek mouths. Largemouth Bass on the other hands prefer slower moving water and are often found inhabiting weedy backwater areas of the river.

To catch Largemouth Bass you need to use baits that work well in weeds and trees, both standing and fallen timber. The spinnerbait fits both these criteria. In my life I have only caught one Smallmouth Bass on a spinnerbait but have caught hundreds of Largemouth Bass.

The spinnerbait is versatile bait that can be fished many different ways. A favorite northern lake of mine has a large section of lily pads that holds Largemouth Bass.

The trick is finding where exactly the Bass are. With a spinnerbait you can fish many different ways. In this situation I have positioned my boat where I could retrieve the spinnerbait along the edge of the pads, trying to entice the Bass holding on the outer edge of the pads near deeper water. I typically start retrieving the bait with the top foot of the water surface. If I do not have success I then allow the bait to drop about 3 feet and try the area again.

Often you will see Largemouth Bass feeding right in the middle of the weeds or in this case the lily pads. The spinnerbait allows you to reach these Bass as well. It is important that you have a strong rod and powerful reel for this type of fishing. I like to cast the spinnerbait direct in the weeds and pull it through quickly. Often it will land on a lily pad. When this happens I pull it off gently and prepare for a strike. A large portion of the Bass I catch when fishing this method attack the spinnerbait while it is dropping in the water not while I am retrieving it.

Submerged weedlines are another great place to hunt for Largemouth Bass, especially during the hotter summer months. I look for two things when fishing these areas, which typically are in about 8 foot deep water.

I like a weedline that has quick access to both shallow and deep water. Largemouth Bass have much more to feed on in shallower water. An area that offers the fish varied opportunities to feed is much more likely to hold Bass than other areas. Remember 95% of the Largemouth Bass are in 5% of the water in a given lake. The most important factor in fishing success is choosing the right location.

The second area I like to fish when fishing a deeper weedline is near a shoreline point. It is always good to fish deeper water near shorelines, but if you are near a point it is even better. When I say a point I am referring to the land on shore extending out into the water. If you looked at it from above it would look like a finger or a large triangle with a rounded point.

My preferred method of fishing these areas is with a crankbait. You must pick a crankbait that cruises at the proper water depth. In this case right above the weeds. A crankbait is hardly weedless, if you choose a deep diver you will constantly be pulling weed of you lure and not have much success for fun. Try different colors and body styles as well.

When the crankbait does not work I next turn to the old reliable jig. You can fish a jig in many ways. You can fish it bare or you can put something on the back of it. I have used live bait, pork rinds, twister tails and plastic skirts on jigs with great results. You can also fish this bait in many different ways. You can retrieve it slow or fast. Or you can simply allow it to hit the bottom and slowly bounce it about. I like to fish in this manner and have found many strikes come as the jig is sinking to the bottom. The freefalling jig with a skirt is often something a Largemouth Bass cannot pass up.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/the-best-way-to-catch-largemouth-bass-261230.html

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is commited to providing the best bass fishing information possible. Get more information on largemouth bass fishing here: http://www.askbassfishing.com/

Bass Fishing: Hot Tips And Secrets To Landing Monster Bass.

Bass fishing is one of the most popular fishing sports around the world.

Landing a monster bass is the goal of the dedicated person who hunts for these prized fish whether to release the fish after an exhilarating battle or to fillet out a slab of the delicious white meat and deep-fry it along with hush puppies and cold slaw. Catching the monster bass is both an art and science and there are many hidden secrets for catching them.

Hot Tips:

The hunter becomes the hunted - learn how a small change in your paradigm, thinking and approach can lead to bass-angling success! Try to picture yourself as a bass in order to become and understand the bass as a hunter. Observe, learn, follow, study and use its natural habit, preferences, patterns, habits, prey and choice of food, in your bass fishing strategy, and you will have some interesting fish-tales to tell.

2. Equipment, site, lure and skill, dawn and or dusk, shallow or deep waters, fresh/salt water, from boat or shore - it does not matter! There are secrets and techniques for each of them.

3. Experts have proven that Bass almost figure the amount of energy it will take them to chase the prey vs. the return. If this be true , what are the implications for us anglers ? It is all in the fundamentals, the ideas, battle plan, allure, tease and methods we choose to use. This will decide and determine our success.

4. Most, if not all of the so-called 'insider' secrets, tips and stories to tell of big hauls of Bass, all revolve, around a very simple basic rule - understanding the fish, (their life-cycles, feeding preferences, habits and patterns, habit and menu of choice, their nature, their relationship with the broader eco-system and position on the food-chain, timing it right. Know your environment, your gear (tools), Learning the basics your and finally optimizing (each!) opportunity... For lots more in-depth bass information, go to the website listed at the bottom of this article.

Secrets of Bass Fishing

One secret to bass fishing is, what we can easily refer to as, 'predictable behavior'. Habits, patterns, life cycles, the natural rhythm that is life and nature - also applies to fish. This means that Bass exist within this natural reality. If you can capitalize on understanding it better, you will increase your chances of successful hooks/bites. Learn more, visit the website listed at the bottom of this article.

Familiarity with the Bass' favorite places to hang around is critical to success: Bottoms, stumps, trees , logs, weeds and plants, contours, structures, travel-routes, creeks, shallows/deeper passages, coves, channels, bluffs, banks and shorelines - all can be repetitive clues on habitual, predictable behavior of the bass. Most of the 'experts' came about their knowledge through reading, studying habits of their catch, in very similar fashion than what you are undertaking. Every time you get to know your fishy friends a little better, until you know instinctively where they will be and where their favorite spots are. Knowing and going where the fish are becomes demystified, but even more exciting, for it is now more than a hunch or random chance - it is a planned encounter where the watery predator, hunter par excellence, becomes the hunted! Find out much more about bass fishing by visiting the website at the bottom of this article.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/bass-fishing-hot-tips-and-secrets-to-landing-monster-bass-244644.html

Develop a Pattern With Your Fishing Techniques for Bass

It is not enough to know how bass behave and what they eat and to have all the right equipment when you are bass fishing. One of the fishing techniques you need to develop is knowledge of the water. The top layer of water is the first layer that becomes accessible in spring. When fishing bass in this season you have to use the proper lures, such as top floating lures that have darting and splashing action that will attract the fish.

The middle section of water separates the top from the bottom and acts as the barrier between the temperatures in both sections of water. Bass usually spend most of their time in this area as the transitional area of temperature and it is here you will find some of the best bass fishing. The lure you use here will be different from that of the top, with the best being action and rattle baits and medium diving plugs.

Even though the bottom area of the water has the coldest temperature, this cold water does sometimes rotate to the top and vice versa. Therefore, at certain times of the year, you will be able to fish for bass in deeper waters. They also drop down to this layer when they are in their inactive period or when something frightens them. The best lures to use in deep water are worm and flipping jigs and crankbaits for deep water.

You don't have to be out in the middle of a lake in a boat to be able to fish for bass. You can use the same techniques when fishing for smallmouth bass from shore. This is because they are found only about the length of your cast from the shoreline. However, you have to look at the shoreline. If you decide to cast off from a clear area, it is very unlikely you will be successful. The best areas along the shore to choose for fishing bass are those where there are lots of weeds and other vegetation. Bass sometimes hide in these areas.

Early morning and evenings are the best times of the day to fish for bass from the shore. This is because the low light gives the bass more confidence, which in reality makes it more vulnerable to anglers.

Learning to watch the weather is another technique that experienced bass anglers have mastered. You will rarely see any of them casting out their lines on the day after a cold front has passed through. This is because the instincts of the bass alert it to changes in the weather, such as colder weather and they will feed frenzily until they are full. Then they become inactive for a day. The following day they start feeding again, which would be the best time to have a day of fishing. However, just because they are inactive won't mean they won't bite at the lure. They just won't expend the energy needed to chase it down.

You do have to know the type of bass that inhabits the river or lake where you are fishing. This knowledge will assist you in choosing the proper lure for that fish.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/fishing-articles/develop-a-pattern-with-your-fishing-techniques-for-bass-481283.html

For more information on bass fishing techniques,bass fishing tricks and lots of other bass fishing related topics visit http://www.BassFishingTechniques.net

Killer Bass Fishing Tubes

There really are some killer bass fishing tubes available to enhance your bass fishing experience, particularly if you like fishing dock areas. Dock fishing is a favorite of many people, especially those who just want a few hours of quiet without the hassle of a boat. (But, hey, who doesn't like a boat?)

Now, there are times when it is not a good idea to fish the docks. One is during tournaments when every angler there is out in the dock area fishing for a big bass. Big bass love to cover of a dock, and they love to swim through shallow water (you can often see them right under docks and next to them in plenty of locations.)

Such heavy pressure really lessens your chances of catching a big bass, when there's a tournament happening, but when conditions are right, and big bass seek the shallow cover of the dock areas, you really should consider a heavy action rod and a tube.

A 7 foot flipping rod paired with a 4 inch Yum Garrett Mega tube really is a good choice, in spite of the fact that power fishing a tube is not your most common site. Look into this option for your first choice.

It all comes down to a choice between skipping some other lure under the dock, and hoping that you manage to land in a good spot or flipping and pitching a big tube into an exact spot where you know big bass are bound to be hanging out. The

Mega Tube is good because it is really heavily loaded to make it have the bulk it needs to get where you want it to go, but it is also exceptionally sleek, and unusually adept at coaxing big bass to take the bait. Another bonus is the Yum scent that just sets off the feeding response in these big lunker bass. When the bass think they have live bait, they hang on to it as long as they can giving you more chance to get them out of the water.

To rig the mega tube, try about a 17 pound fluorocarbon test line (for clear water) and tungsten weights. Then, tie on a 4/0 wide gap hook, Texas rigged. Peg your weight about half an inch above the tube.

When you cast your tube, concentrate your efforts on making your entry soft and accurate. Cast to areas near ladders, near the sides of docked boats, or other stationary objects providing cover for the big bass you seek. Practice makes perfect, but a good entry and a good location can make all the difference when it comes to catching or not catching the bass!

There are many types of tube lure designs. You can find those combined with various shapes such as crawfish shapes with the hollow body of a tube to create some really effective proucts. There are jig heads, rattles, hooks, trailers, and rattles to use with tubes. Tubes allow anglers to catch bass from the bottom all the way to the surface, and from the shallows to the deeps all year long.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/killer-bass-fishing-tubes-520206.html

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best bass fishing information possible. Get more information on bass fishing tubes here: http://www.askbassfishing.com/