Largemouth bass can be found basically anywhere. They are a very adaptable fish as well as a feisty eater. It takes a certain kind of fisher to be able to draw them out in any condition and this article will go over some of the best tips and tricks to become an excellent largemouth bass fisher.
Fishing for suspended bass
Finding suspended bass is easy catching them is a whole different matter. Often with a depth finder, you can find bass suspending far above bottom. Usually if bass are suspend in open waters at a depth of about 20 feet there is no point in trying to catch them because they are not actively feeding.
If a bass is suspended near some kind of cover they are a lot easier to catch. You can catch them fairly easily by jigging vertically along a sheer cliff or in flooded timber. Use a jigging spoon, vibrating blade or tailspin close to suspended timber and drop the lure into the water. Jig vertically and try to work the upper branches first. Drop the lure continuously until you reach bottom then retrieve it and continue the process.
You will often find bass suspending under schools of panfish in open water. Panfish will swim to a depth of five to 10 feet and bass will suspend several feet below them. Panfish will dimple the surface of the water when they feed on insects on a calm morning or evening. If you see a swirl of a bass grabbing a panfish, try to draw bass out with a topwater lure. Create a disturbance in the water by walking the lure across the surface and keep the lure moving while trying to cover as much distance as possible. You can also use the countdown method that is casting your lure and counting down as it sinks. Begin your retrieve at different intervals until you catch a bass. Once you know where the bass are you can use that countdown to wait until they strike.
Using a live bait dangling from a slip-bobber set up is also a good way to catch largemouth bass. The line will slip through the bobber as the bait sinks and will stop at a sliding knot positioned at the desired depth. Make sure to adjust the knot so the bait will hang right above the bass.
When fishing for suspended bass use a light line with a weight of about six to eight pounds. Light lines will subdue even the largest bass from cover when they are suspending in open waters.
Fishing for bass at night
Night fishing can cause a lot of problems: tangled line, snagged lures, the bass that got away. But the night is probably one of the best times to fish. Since the heavy traffic of water-skiers and other boaters is at a minimum, bass will come out of hiding in the deep to feed.
Bass will rarely move far from their daytime spots to reach nighttime feeding areas. Some of the best night spots are large shallow flats extending from shore, distinct points along shoreline breaks, and shallow mid-lake reefs. Place markers during the day to avoid spooking the bass at night. Once the sun goes down, sneak into position in the all ready marked spot.
The best time to fish at night is in the summer after a still, warm day that had clear skies. If the day was windy or overcast, the bass will have feed during the day and probably will not be back that night.
Some fishers will use dark lures that provide a lot of action, others will use plastic worms. Use a surface lure first to catch the active feeders since topwater lures are easily silhouetted against the light background at the surface. If this does not work, switch to deep-running lures and work a break that leads to deep water.
Use a slow steady retrieve at night because bass will use their lateral line more to home in on a potential meal. If you retrieve erratically, the fish may miss at biting your lure. The moon also has influences on night fishing. The best time to fish is two to three days before or after a full or new moon.
Fishing for bass in clear water
Oddly enough, fishing for bass in clear water is one of the toughest challenges bass fishers will face. In some bodies of water like strip pits, canyon reservoirs and natural lakes you will be able to see bass cruising along at 20 feet. And if you can see them, they can see you.
Since water will penetrate deeper in clear water finding bass quickly in clear water may prove to be more difficult than finding them in murky water. Because of the sun, bass will go deeper to escape the warmer temperatures and bright light. If the water is deep enough, bass will go to a depth of 100 feet or more to escape the sun and warm temperature but in murky waters they are confined to the shallows since the depths will lack oxygen.
If there is some kind of brush or other such cover, not all bass will go deep on sunny days in clear water. Docks, overhanging cliffs will also provide bass with the shade they need. Even though these bass are sticking to shallow water, it will not make them easier to catch. They will hang onto whatever obstruction is causing the shade so you must be extremely accurate with your casts.
When you are fishing on a sunny day on a clear lake, try to blend in as much as possible. Wear neutral colored clothing, keep a low profile and avoid moving suddenly or casting a shadow over the water. Even if bass are suspended by cover they are still easily spooked so you should be aware of where your shadow is.
The best time to try and catch bass in clear water is at dusk or dawn when there is a bit of wind or clouds. Most fishers will catch more bass on clear water during the night in the summer. Once the sun goes down, bass will move into shallower waters and out of cover in search of an easy meal.
Fast retrieves with a long cast work best in this situation. Use spinning tackle with a four to ten pound monofilament to increase your cast distance. Avoid fluorescent or gaudy colored lures that will easily be seen. Also avoid high visibility line.
If you can, avoid fishing in the clearest waters. Try to find murky water from inflowing streams or from waves washing against a shore line. The darker waters allow bass to escape from the sunlight and they will be feeding aggressively. Mud lines where the murky and clear water meet are one of the best places to look for bass.
Fishing for bass in low-clarity water
Murky water may seem like an ideal spot for fishing bass but sometimes murky water can mean trouble. Muddy runoff, heavy blooms of algae or plankton, rough fish that root up the bottom or the roiling actions of large waves will result in murky water. Many shallow fertile bodies of water will actually be turbid throughout the year.
Bass will be confined to the shallows in low-clarity water. Weed growth will usually end at about 12 feet and the water below 12 feet will lack the oxygen bass need. But these weeds and turbidity will make bass comfortable in low-clarity water at depths only about four to eight feet.
Surveys show that fishers will catch bass at a slower rate if the water is too turbid. Tie a white lure to your line and lower it into the water. Note the depth at which it disappears from view. This will help you check water clarity. If you can see the white lure at a depth of a foot or more, you will be able to catch bass.
Since very little light penetrates the waters bass will remain shallow all day so fish in the shallows. Target around obstructions but remember bass will stay further away from fallen trees, weeds and brush in low-clarity water. Use lures with a lot of flash that make noise and are relatively large. You can also add glitter or reflective tape to give your lure an extra shine.
Fishing for bass in fluctuating water
When avid bass fishers meet at the beginning of a fishing trip, their first question is: “What has the water been doing?” An excellent bass fisher will know that even a slight fluctuation in water levels will have a huge effect on where bass are.
Rainfall, whether it is a lot or a little, will cause water levels to fluctuate. During the summer, irrigation pipes will take huge quantities of water from rivers and reservoirs. In the fall flood-control reservoirs are drawn down to make room for the spring runoff. Dams may also brake water flow whether they are natural or man-made.
When water levels rise, fish go to shallow water. When water levels drop, they move to deeper water. Largemouth bass in shallow water are more effected by fluctuating water levels then any other bass in deep water. Rapid water level changes will effect how fish move through the water as well.
If the rain is heavy in a river bass will move to flooded vegetation near the shoreline. Willows are often where bass will hide. The best way to catch a bass in the willows is to flip a plastic worm or jig-and-eel as close to the bank as possible. Retrieve it through the branches of the willow. As long as the water is rising or is stable flooded brush will hold the most bass. Cast spinner baits into openings or parallel to the edge of the brush.
Any slight drop in water level and bass will go deep as fast as they can. This response is instinctual; bass want to avoid being trapped in isolated pools. In order to catch fish and be a successful fisher you will have to learn to move with the fish.
Water levels in lakes and reservoirs takes longer to change. Bass will go to shore as the water levels slowly rise though this may take several days. Fish will remain shallow as long as the water is stable or rising.
Fluctuating water levels can be a negative or a positive thing when fishing for bass. A rise will force inactive fish out of deeper waters to feed. Since the flooding shallows provide more food, bass formerly in deep water will feed heavily.
Bass will not bite well when the water level is dropping since they are being forced into deeper waters. But falling waters may cause bass to concentrate on holes and other areas where they may be easier to find. For example, bass may be scattered when the water is rising but as soon as it drops they could congregate in the channels.
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