Bass fishing as effectively as knowledgeable angler starts with mastering the fundamentals , finding the perfect bass boat (or another suitable freshwater fishing boat), then incorporating the ideas and tricks the pros use to catch more fish. Here are 10 bass fishing secrets from professional anglers who have proven their mettle on the tournament trails.
10 Bass Fishing Secrets from Professional Anglers
1. Save Shredded Worms
When your plastic worms get torn up, save ’em. Bass wish to ambush wounded prey, so a beat-up worm is ideal to use, especially in shallow water.
- Anthony Gagliardi, 2006 FLW Tour Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year
2. Red Fools the Fish
In shallow cover—wood, stumps, clumps of grass—I wish to use a spinner bait with a red or pink head, and a crank bait with red hooks. The red makes the fish think the bait’s injured, and they’ll bite at it.
- George Cochran, 2005 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship winner
3. Skip Your Bait
When you cast, stop halfway rather than following through, almost like a check swing in baseball. This makes the lure hit the surface of the water a couple of feet before your target, therefore the lure skitters over the water. It’s an honest thanks to get under docks and other structures.
- Mike Iaconelli, 2004 CITGO Bassmaster Classic champion
4. Keep Your Hooks Sharp
I use a file to sharpen my hooks whenever I catch a fish and before every trip. It takes 30 seconds. Bass have boney jaws, so a pointy hook is more apt to penetrate the fish.
- Mark Zona, host of ESPN Outdoors
5. check out Your Livewell Water
When you put a bass within the livewell, they’re notorious for spitting up what they were feeding on. From there you'll tell what color lure or quite lure to throw the remainder of the day.
- Matt Herren, No. 2 ranked angler, 2006 Wal-Mart FLW Tour
6. Face the Wind
Sacrifice a long way in your casts and fish with the wind in your face. Bass always swim with the present , so it’s better for them to seek out your bait before they find your boat. Plus, the noise of water slapping your hull will take away from the spot you’re fishing, which is sweet .
- Ish Monroe, winner of the 2006 Battle on the Border
7. Fish Shallow within the Spring
In the spring bass hang around in spawning beds. consider shallow areas, especially in pockets and coves shielded from the wind because this is often where they wish to guard their eggs. They’ll bite the maximum amount out of irritation with the lure as they're going to out of hunger.
- Jay Yelas, 2003 Bassmaster Angler of the Year
8. Make Your Bait Seasonal
Bass eat different bait counting on the time of year. the overall rule is early within the year they like crawfish, so use peach-colored patterns. within the summer and fall they like shad, so use chrome or silver baits.
- Mike Hawkes, 2006 Wal-Mart FLW Series event winner, Lake Cumberland
9. Fish before the storm
The best time to fish bass is before a front comes through, and therefore the worst time to fish them is after. The pressure makes the bass more active, so await a wall of clouds occupation . When it’s too pretty out, bass aren’t likely to bite.
- Forrest L. Wood, Ranger Boats founder and namesake of FLW Outdoors
10. Bug Those Bass
Bass is an ornery fish. you've got to stay tapping at it to upset it into biting your hook. Bass position themselves in cover, and just like the lure presented to them at different angles. I’ve tossed lures 100 times onto an equivalent location until finally getting a bite.
- Ray Scott, bass fishing legend and founding father of BASS
