Bass Fishing

The Bass is the most sought after game fish not only in North America but all over the world.  Two of the most popular black bass species in the United States are the large-mouth bass and the small-mouth bass.  Black bass actually belong to the sunfish family of which some popular species are the Guadalupe, Suwannee, redeye and the spotted bass.

Both large-mouth and small-mouth bass prefer to live in clear water but large-mouth bass will also thrive in murky water.  Agile and aggressive, bass can swim after its prey with ease. Bass will generally eat anything that moves and fits in its large mouth.Spring is spawning time for both species. This is the time they move to shallow water over sand or gravel bottom.  After spawning the male bass watches over the eggs until they hatch. A week or two after spawning the black bass resume feeding.It is not easy to catch a bass as its hearing and eyesight are fully developed.  Its lateral lines can even pick up vibrations underwater. It is not easy to land a bass but it can be done.  A predator by nature, bass often make use of weed beds, submerged rocks, logs, timber or snags for shelter, shade and places to hide from its prey.

How to Catch a Bass

The first thing to do is to locate the fish. The best time to fish for bass is after spawning in spring as this is the time that bass feed aggressively. However, bass fishing is feasible year-round as long as you know where they are. During the cooler months, bass prefer to lie in water with a depth of 10 feet. They prefer to lie in submerged trees, roots, weeds, rocks and wherever there is shade.

There are probably a thousand-and-one technique on how to land a bass but the truth is that any way would do just fine. You can fly fish, fish on the bottom, troll, jig, and fish through ice, use live bait or plug.  The really, really important thing to note is that a bass is not dumb.  An angler needs to be “smarter” in his technique and method on how to catch that wise-old bass.

In the spring, look for bass in warm shallow water.  In summer time, fish in shallow water in the morning then gradually move to deeper water as the day progresses.  It is also usual for large-mouth bass to feed at night.  In the winter, bass can lie in the deepest part of the lake which in some cases could be as deep as 60 feet.

Tackle for Bass

The two best types of rod for bass fishing are a spinning rod and a jerkbait rod. The choice really depends on what type of fishing an angler is partial to. If a lot of action is expected in heavily weeded water while jigging, then a jerkbait rod would be more suitable as it can stand high tension.  A spinning rod is best or lures and flies.   “Battling” a bass is best experienced using a spinning rod.

The type of reel does not really matter as long as the reel matches the size of rod.  Generally, the more expensive a reel is, the better its quality.

Where to Fish for Bass

Louisiana has a state record of 15 pounds for a large-mouth bass as compared to the world record of 22 pounds.  It is unbelievable that almost every pond, lake, creek, river and even backwaters in Louisiana has bass. Examples are Black Bayou, Turkey Creek, Cypress Bayou Reservoir and more.

New York State’s record 11-pounder large-mouth bass was fished out from Buckhorn Lake while its small-mouth bass record of 8 pounds came from Lake Erie.

Tennessee offers great bass fishing too as its major lakes are populated with bass – Cherokee lake, Tims Ford Lake, Chickamauga Lake and more.

The perfect game fish, the thrill of catching a bass is every angler’s dream.