Bass Patterns

Quite often, people will skip out on fishing because they are uncertain of how to actually fish or where to fish. Learning to fish is like anything else ... if you don't get out there and try it, you'll never learn.

One of the best ways to find good spots to fish is by recording what happens when you are on the water. Weather probably plays the biggest role in this. Figuring out what triggers the fish into feeding frenzies is key. Rain is usually one thing that sends largemouth bass into that feeding frenzy. Largemouth are light sensitive and seek cover most of the time. Cover is anything like brush or rocks in the lakes or rivers that the bass can hide under or stay close to. So, with rain comes clouds, and that will help trigger the largemouth.

Another positive thing about the rain is that it will wash bugs into the water. Bass, like I said earlier, will hang around shaded areas. When it rains, the bugs fall off the trees and into the water. Throwing your line in those circumstances will definitely up your chances for catching something.

Personally, I have found that your best chances of catching a fish are during early morning hours and late evening hours. Again, this is because the bass are light sensitive. Hopefully this will help you to not waste much time next time you are deciding to go fishing.

Striper Fishing

 Today I want to focus on striper fishing. This is still bass fishing, but the techniques are a little different.

 During the springtime, an obvious place to fish for striper is near spawning areas for shad. A shad looks like the swimbait that I showed a few blogs ago. In this season, the shad will be spawning as well. It's smart to look in areas where the wind might blow the shad against banks. Also, if you see heron birds hanging out around certain areas you should try to fish there as well. Heron birds are better than professional fisherman. In a sense, they are the professionals.

 When I fish for striper in streams during the springtime I like to throw a chartreuse rooster tail. I have had a lot of success with this bait. It's good to throw something different looking at times. The fish get suspicious and are drawn to it.

  Another lure that is super simple to use is a spoon. No not a spoon you eat with. You lower this lure to the bottom of the lake and gently raise it up and down. A few years ago, a friend and I were fishing with his grandpa on lake douglas and I caught white bass in one night with this lure. It's simple and fun.

1) Shad

2) Herron

3) Spoon

The fish that bit Danielle

Spring Fishing

  I thought it would be appropriate to continue talking about spring fishing considering that the season will be here soon.

  We already know that fish will be spawning when the water temperatures hit around 60 degrees. We talked about using salamanders and rooster tails for productive results. Today, I'd like to talk about a few other tips and baits to use during the spring time.

  There are many ways to fish in the spring time, but one thing that will help more than anything is location. You need to know where you are fishing, what structure you are close to and how deep the water is. It would be good to have a depth finder on your boat. It makes it a lot harder trying to fish by guessing. A big tip is to fish shallow water that is close to deep water. This might confuse some of you. What I mean is, fish  from areas like the mouths of major creeks all the way back to the ends of creeks, points, coves and banks with deep cuts or breaklines in 10-to-15 feet of water. Fish will stage near these areas. Bait fish (school's of fish) will swim off the points or drop-off areas and the bass will attack there. Finding a good drop helps your chances of catching the big one.

  There are several other lures we haven't discussed that will work well during this time. Spinnerbaits and jigs are very helpful. Rotating the two can be effective if done correctly. Here are a few samples ...


1) spinnerbait

2) Jig-n-craw (crawdad connected to the jig). You would work this bait on the bottom of the lake or river.

More tips for you to be successful. Get on the water and try them out!

Getting Ready for Spring Fishing

  With warmer temperatures creeping in here and there, it's evident that springtime fishing will be here quicker than we realize. That means that fish will be coming to the more shallow waters to spawn. Spawn means that fish will come to lay their eggs. When temperatures start getting close to the 60s and 70s, we can expect the spawn to take place soon.

  Springtime is my absolute favorite time to fish. It's not too hot and its not too cold. You start your day off wearing a jacket and by the end of the day you're in a shirt and shorts. There are several advantages to fishing during the springtime. I will share a couple of those reasons with you today. These are things that have helped me in the past and will hopefully help you.

  With fish coming to spawn, it should be obvious as to where you might find people fishing. If you are thinking close to the banks, then you are right. I have found that trolling in a cove, casting onto the banks and then dragging my bait down the bank is an effective way of fishing during the annual spawn. By doing this, the bass think that the bait is coming to attack their eggs. In return, this makes the bass attack the bait. This basically doubles your chances of catching a fish. That is why so many people get excited around springtime for fishing. 

  My favorite bait to throw during the springtime is a lizard. The lizard and salamander are both natural predators of the bass. These little guys are especially fond of the bass eggs. You are going to have a pretty good chance of catching something during the spawn if you know what you are doing and find some good spots to fish. I have had really good luck by throwing lizards during this time. Another bait that really helps me when fishing rivers during this time is a chartreuse (lime green) rooster tail. You simply throw this lure downstream and bring it up at a moderate speed. If you are fishing from a bank (not wading) then it's good to throw upstream and reel in the lure as it floats downstream. 

  I hope these tips have been helpful today. Give them a shot and let me know how you do.

Listed below is a  1) lizard and a  2) rooster tail.