Fall Bass Fishing

As you spend more and more hours and days on bass fishing, you will acquire lots of knowledge about the right lure and technique for the proper way to do this sport. The best advice most experienced and seasoned bass fishermen, is to examine the fishing conditions, ask for tips from anglers familiar with the waters you are fishing in, and finally, try many different lures and bass-fishing techniques until you discover what works most effectively to the situation, and which one you are most comfortable with.

Here are some Guides to Bass Fishing to become a better Bass Fisher.

The Technique:

The bait must fall to the preferred depth, then you have to shake the rod tip. By this, you’ll be getting the fishes attention. Do this for at least 30 seconds, then shaking again for about 2 or 3 seconds intervals, stop and pull slowly about six inches. Then dropping again, slowly back and down and repeating the process. The first thing to remember if they’re not biting is to slow down.

Tips:

•    During Springtime, fish uphill (position the boat in shallow water and cast to deep water) and use a 1/8 ounce weight.

•    Fish downhill in Fall.

•    Try to use a Texas rigged worm to prevent hang-ups.

•    Fish out the worm and keep suspended 90% of the time.

•    Always try to sharpen the hooks to make sure you have maximized your hookup percentage.

•    When doodling, it is critical to keep your presentation natural by downsizing your hooks to 1/0 or lower, and paying delicate, attention to how straight your bait is in order to maintain a natural presentation.

•    Crystal clear waters can be tough. The secret to fishing weenie worms is to keep slack on your line and “shake” the bait instead of dragging. The shaking of the rod and your light line gives your worm, grub or reaper an amazing action.

When to Go:

When the bass quit hitting during the daytime and when it becomes uncomfortably hot on the lake are good signals that it’s time to start night fishing. Night fishing is usually practiced when the water is in the mid-60s or warmer.

Places to Fish:

Where to fish at night is a question commonly asked by bass fishermen. Bass don’t move great distances in most situations. Smallmouth bass, especially, are proven stay-at-homes. As the summer wears on, the bass tend to move deeper and won’t come up shallow, even at night in many lakes. Night fishing is productive when the bass are within the 20-foot zone

Tips and Guides

•    Position yourself only as far away as water clarity dictates; stay close enough for consistent accuracy.

•    Try to make the lure land on the water with as little noise as possible. Cast past the target when possible.

•    In windy weather, put tension on the line just before the lure touches down. This will straighten out the line and prevent it from blowing across obstructions.

•    Learn casting techniques that permit a low trajectory, such as flipping, pitching, sidearm casting and underhand casting.

•    Use a quality rod and reel matched to the weight of the lure. Rods with a stiff blank but relatively fast (limber) tip are easier to cast than extremely stiff or uniformly limber rods.

•    Cast with the wrist, not the arm and shoulder.

•    Lower the lure a few inches below the rod tip before casting; this gives extra momentum for the cast.

•    Be sure to “load” the rod tip, causing it to bend backward, on the back-cast, then whip the rod forward smoothly.

•    Fill the spool of any type reel to within 1/8 inch of the lip of the spool. DO NOT OVERFILL!

The Flip-Cast; use your wrist, NOT your arm.

•    Concentrate on the spot you want to hit, not on what you want to miss.
•    Use plenty of scent when trying to penetrate thick cover – it acts as a lubricant.
•    Stick to basic jig colors (black/blue, brown/brown, black/chartreuse).
•    Use a plastic worm with a glass bead between the worm and the weight for inactive fish.
•    If you think it’s a strike, reel down until your rod is in a hookset position before you check.
•    A strike is anything different (something you wouldn’t feel in a bathtub!).
•    Tighten your drag all the way down for better hooksets.
•    Use 17 to 25 pound test line for bait casting gear, 10 to 14 pound test on spinning (for flipping finesse baits).

In order to establish a pattern it is essential you understand how a bass lives in its environment. Knowing where the bass can be found at any given time or place is something you must develop. Always go fishing with a plan in mind.

Remember that every fish you catch can reveal clues on how to catch another. After establishing a pattern, realize that when the action slows down in the area you were fishing, you can then search for more areas that would fill the same criteria.

photo credit: Kissimmee – The Heart of Florida

Bass fishing is really exciting and trilling knowing how big Bass you can caught. Many people involves themselves in bass fishing, so the more the people catching bass, the more the competition to have for the most heavy bass caught. Many places in the whole world have an activity of bass fishing tournaments for them to be known and to record the biggest bass existing on earth.

The tournaments are about luck, only God can say who can catch the largest bass present in the battlefield. Body flexibility is needed in the competition for carrying, and long stamina should be acquired by the players so that they can last the natures’ test. And the most important thing that the player should have is the skills and experience in bass fishing, this two is the key of success by each players. This will help them on how they will act and set up strategies on the tournaments.

There are many active tournaments like in Northwestern Ontario. There are huge tournaments to participate in, like the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship on Rainy Lake or the KBI on Lake of the Woods, and some bass fishing tournaments in Sunset Country.

Shoal Lake Bass Classic Tournament occurs in the 1st weekend in July held on Shoal Lake, Ontario. This is the primary fishery in the region with schools of Smallmouths that have never seen a lure before. Smallmouths usually win this tournament, but big Largemouths can be a factor. The winning weight for this two day tournament is usually in the 32-34 pound range.

English River Bass Challenge also occurred in Mid July, Tournament held on the English River System in Grassy Narrows, Ontario. It is a First Nation sponsored bass tournament on the mighty English River in Northwestern Ontario.

Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship is help every 3rd week in July. This is Canada’s Largest Live Release Cash Bass Tournament, with a total of $172,500.00 in cash prizes. With a $50,000 first prize, this event on Rainy Lake attracts many of the best bass fishermen from all over North America.. The winning weight for this three day event is usually in the 55 pound range. The tournament first ran in 1995 and has been growing in size and recognition ever since.

Kenora Bass International (KBI) happened every 2nd week in August. This event on Lake of the Woods offers a $30,000 first prize. Anglers here have the opportunity to fish for largemeouths or smallmouths. Largemouths have won the tournament more than smallmouths over the last few years. If the water is high, largest will win, if it is low, smallmouths will be more of a factor. The winning weight for this three day event will be in the 45-50 pound range.

Ding Wang Ford Bass Tournaments is held every 2nd Sunday in August. This a one day Bass Fishing Tournament that welcomes anglers of all ages. The tournament is held in Dryden on the Wabigoon Chain of Lakes (excluding Dinorwic Chain). The smallmouth bass fishing tournament held on Dashawa, Crowrock and Turtle Lakes near Atikokan, Ontario. This chain of pristine northern waters has an abundance of big scrappy smallies.

Anyone who likes fishing can enter the competition. The Atikokan Bass Classic is known as the “funniest bass tourney in the Northwest”.

There are lots of tournaments that are presently existing all around the globe, like Crow Lake Classic, Last Chance Bass, Other Fishing Tournaments and Derby’s, LOWS Annual Live Release Fish Tournament, Stratton Fish Derby, Agimak Lake Fishing Tournament, Whitefish Bay Fishing Derby and Crow Lake Classic.

Whether you are on a new lake, or on one that you call home, the main purpose is to locate and catch as many fish as possible. Each body of water has an endless supply of different forms of structure and cover in a variety of depths and water conditions. You can use many types of fishing equipments to be able to get a lot of fish in a proper and legal way, so we need to take good care of our equipments used for catching fish.

Here are some bass fishing equipment tips to be remembered:

•    Keeping your feet dry. Seal skin sox, a waterproof pair of shoe that can be worn in any shoe. It will help you a lot in putting your boat in a low lake that calls for a need for you to step in the water too push off, by doing this your feet will be dry all day.

•    Keeping your rods good as new. It is nice to look at, especially when you always keep your rod clean. Just use a simple prep pad in cleaning the cork handles on the rod.  If the cork of your fishing rods is very untidy then it makes your rods look like hundred years older than it really is. Take a very light grade sand paper and sand the cork handles, you will find out that all the dirt will go away leaving you with a brand new looking fishing rod. Plus it will make your rod last longer.

•    Hi- tech basin. Handheld computer and organizers such as the palm pilot can be very helpful to the bass angler. You may be able to log conditions, creating your own checklist to avoid forgetting stuffs, and store the numbers of your new friends you’ve met along the way. You can also download map for your destinations and when you reach home you can easily access all the information to your home computer for future purposes.

•     Being prepared. Always carry equipment and parts in the boat just in case some failures or problems occur.

•    Batteries. Always check if you have a good connection. Take care of your battery. Always bring a spare for emergency purposes.

•    Being organized. Instead of using a plastic filing box, and some hanging folders why don’t you just make an article and label them with general bass angling headings and file your articles as you finish them. Subscribing to a lot of fishing magazines and reading a lot of good articles will be able to help you for your future reference. You can put up a mini library that’s all about bass fishing.

•    Boat bearings. Many anglers forget to check their wheel bearings on their boat trailers. Every spring when you get your boat out of storage, always have your bearings checked. This could save you from a serious accident with your boat

•    Rod basic. The most accurate casting is accomplished when bait casting equipment is cast overhand. Bait casting gear is extremely well suited for “targeted” fishing. On some occasions placing a lure under a boat dock, under over lying limbs or between pontoon boats may be necessary. In this situation skipping a lure is ideal. A spinning outfit is perfect for this chore. Be versatile and be able to use both types of equipment.

•    Graphite rods. The biggest killer of graphite rods is impact against a hard object. It may not break in that spot the day it happens but there will be a weak spot at that point. Keep this in mind when stowing rods for travel. If you are keeping them on the deck, strap them flush against the deck so that the parts of the deck aren’t rapping against it during travel.

If you are storing them in a locker, do the same or put them in a horizontal holding system, where they won’t hit the side or floor of the locker. If you are the non boater and your partner doesn’t have room in his locker, try to find the spot that minimizes the repeated bouncing they will take if they are laid over the gunwale. If you have to, lay them over your leg when running the big engine. It’s never fun to set the hook on a good fish and end up with a three piece rod.

photo credit: Kissimmee – The Heart of Florida

Bass fishing charters are now in, because definitely bass fishing is really rocking our boats with a flowing number of patrons already.  It has been the talk of the town since it was introduced in the late 1700s and has reached its level of popularity to the extent that even young kids are enthralled to join such an activity.

Bass fishing may be fun and enjoyable while you’re your sitting beside the lake as you spend your spare time with your family and friends but if you want you may plan a charter for all of them and experience the thrill and excitement of watching a school of bass fish run after your baits.

Below is a list of the things that you should be reminded of when you plan to have a charter. See for yourself.

• You must have a fishing license so that you will be authorized to take or possess either saltwater or freshwater fish and have a chance to participate fishing games but you should be mindful that we are consistent with the state and federal regulations.  Securing a fishing license also contribute in ensuring the future of fishing in the state where we have the activity.

• It is also advisable that we wear a soft soled shoe for our comfort.  Boots, especially those that are intended for work, are big NO-NOs.

• Bring with you seasickness pills if you that it is needed.  It is important that you pack up enough of it for the whole trip.  You should make it sure that you are physically fit before going into a charter for you to enjoy every minute.

• Being on a charter means being exposed to the sun so you should not forget to have your sunglasses with you for protection.

• Coolers should also go with the trip.  This is intended for the fishes that are going to get caught.  It is one of the vital things that we should not fail to remember for the reason that it would help retain the freshness of the fish.  You do not want to have a spoiled-looking fish right?

• Check the weather forecast of the day.  You would surely want to go out if the sun is up right?  But you should always bring with you rain gear for special purposes.  You should always expect for a sudden change of condition.

Well, what else should you bring?

Food, of course.  You will be out there in the middle of the sea or lake so you better bring enough food and beverage for all of you because, for sure, you do not want to eat raw fish or gulp the salty water when you get hungry and thirsty, right?

To add up, have your camera, video cam or the like so you will have something that would remind you of your trip anytime you want. Be sure that you have all of these things to have a really pleasurable trip while you are in the fly fishing charter.

There are a lot of bass fishing guides that could offer you great charters.  You may check their websites for information or you may also ask some friends of where’s best, if they are also into bass fishing.  Find a charter now and go with bass fishing, it is one way of comforting yourself and have precious time with your loved ones.

photo credit: Alexandre E Silva

Splitshotting can mean the difference between taking a cold boat ride and a great day of catching fish. Invest the time to practice this technique and you will have more fun bass fishing in the cold winter months. This and other Bass fishing techniques are required to master the art of bass fishing.

If you put the time in, you will soon learn how to master the fall and winter bass fishery in British Columbia. Your efforts will be rewarded with exceptional smallmouth bass of trophy sizes. Remember though it takes roughly 8 to 10 years for a smallmouth bass to attain a weight in excess of 5 lbs., so conserve your catch by practicing responsible catch and release methods.

Well the cold weather has put the bass into their winter patterns. Forget about rip baits, spinner baits and crank baits. Now is the time to break out the finesse gear. One of the most common techniques for getting bass to bite during this season is splitshotting.  It is a fairly straightforward technique and requires little investment in terminal tackle.

The hardest thing there is to teach a bass angler learning to splitshot is detecting the bite. The bite will vary according to the activity level of the fish. There will be times when they pop the bait hard and you will know immediately that they are eating the bait. Other times there will be a soft, almost imperceptible tick and then nothing. And finally there is the dreaded pressure bite. The pressure bite will take two forms.

The first way to describe a pressure bite is you will feel a slight resistance to pulling your line forward. This is somewhat like hooking a soft, spongy rubber band. The second pressure bite is when you lose contact with the bottom.

A bass has picked up your lure and is just following along with your forward movement. This is why it is so important to maintain bottom contact. Once you realize that you’ve lost the feel of the weight against the bottom, and your depth hasn’t changed significantly, you have to put two and two together and get ready to set the hook.

The preferred hook set for this technique is called a sweep set. Once you have detected a fish holding your bait drop the rod tip towards the fish, reel down to the point of feeling resistance (or just shy of that point) and ’sweep’ the rod horizontally away from the fish.

If the rod loads up good and you’re sure that you’ve got the hook in the fish just fight him to the boat. If you set the hook and it didn’t feel solid you may want to set the hook a second time. The drag on your reel should be set tight enough that it doesn’t give on the initial hook set. But it shouldn’t be set so tight that a larger fish can’t take the line if needed.

British Columbia, Canada’s foremost sport fishing web site containing BC saltwater fishing, BC freshwater fishing, maps, fishing tackle news, sport fishing destinations, fishing tips and techniques, editorials, articles and much, much more. Inside you’ll find everything you need to tackle trophy fish of all varieties including salmon, halibut, steelhead, trout, bass, and sturgeon to name a few.   They also had their own approach and techniques regarding bass fishing.

Since the best spot to catch bass is never on weeds and cover, use weedless lures when possible. This will cut down on the expense of losing lures.

Bass exist in a wide variety of temperatures, but tend to get inactive during a cold front. Fish swim deeper during the sunniest part of the day. Sun seems to adversely affect bass fishing. Seek out shady spots or deeper water with cover. On cloudy or overcast days try shallower waters. In cold water, retrieve your bait slower. Fish tend to react slower in colder temperatures.

Freshwater Fish Identification is another technique used by anglers. So whether you’re watching a consummate professional angler check-in fish during a tournament, or listening to an on-air running commentary on a television fishing program, you know that he’ll be speaking the truth of the matter.