I was recently asked to write an article on my top 10 tips to catch more bass. Some of these are really obvious, but it’s good to review these simple tips and not make fishing more complicated than it should be.
• Fish around fish. It’s been often said that 90 percent of the bass live in 10 percent of the water. I’d say that is a fair statement. In order to fish around fish, you have to keep moving until you find them visually or get a bite that lets you know they are there. The key here is to keep moving — you’ll never find them sitting in one place.
• Find a pattern. Once you find fish or get a bite, evaluate everything about that bite and duplicate in other spots. Ask yourself how deep, what cover (logs, weeds, rock etc.), what structure (point, channel, flat, etc), and even small details. How hard did it bite? What angle were you fishing? How fast where you reeling? You get the idea.
• Learn to cast accurately with a quiet lure entry. Many times anglers are around fish, they just can’t cast to them in a way that does not scare them. Everyone will make some bad casts, but practice until you can eliminate most of them. You can be around all the fish in the world, but if you scare them first, you won’t catch them.
• Use the best rods and reels you can afford. I’ve seen many newcomers fish with rod and reels that would make Kevin Van Dam finish last in every tournament. How can you make that work?
• Select the proper-action rods. While this is an ever-evolving subject, getting the right rod for the lure and conditions will make you much more successful. Most mistakes here are beginners typically fishing with a rod and line that is too light for the lure and conditions.
• If the water is clear, use natural-looking lures with slim profiles and fish them faster. For plastics, greens work well; baitfish colors for moving lures.
• If the water is murky or muddy, fish with brighter lures and fish them slower and in or near cover. White is my favorite; black works well in muddy water as well as chartreuse with some contrast.
• Learn to fish on small waters. Big lakes can be tough for even the most experienced anglers. A small pond or creek will enable you to get the confidence and experience you need before hitting the big lakes. I love to go to these ponds to try new baits and learn to fish them.
• Be aware of your surroundings. Birds can lead you to the fish; seagulls are my favorite. Listen for feeding noises. Often, small clues can lead you to great fishing.
• Never stop learning. Get all the information available. Get fishing magazines, books and DVDs. Learn from other anglers. Fishing as a non-boater in a PAA, FLW or BASS event is a great way to learn some new tricks.
Fishing is a wonderful sport, and no one ever masters it or learns it all, but it is fun to try.
Be the first to comment