Bass Questions

[OldBeerCan]

Hello all,

 

I haven't fished bass in quite some time. I'm up at Horseshoe lake in Minden a lot and I need some tips on catching some trophy bass. Is there any suggestions? Time of day? Tackle to use? Spots to look for? Conditions? Etc etc... I have a small boat with the basics, trolling motor, electronics etc. Yeah I'm a full out rookie, I know, but any help would be great.

 

Thanks!

[Beans]

Welcome to the world of OFC Community...

 

Try tossing some Senkos in watermelon or white or some Phenix 2 1/2 or 3 inch salted tubes (various colors) in the mornings or evenings...Top water baits are also good at these times and probably better after dark...Catch a Bunch !!!

[Stoty]

There are a few things to consider if your looking for a trophy:

 

- weather (what season, did a cold front just move through, is it raining? sunny? windy?)

- water temp

- baitfish in the lake

- fishing pressure

- techniques/presentations

 

That is just to name a few.

 

Here are the basics on those:

 

Weather

Season - Summer

If the weather has been steady, for a few days thats a good thing. (water temp is steady)

If the weather is overcast/raining, then the fish will tend to be more aggressive and be roaming for food, as opposed to sticking to cover. This is where more aggressive techniques dominate (topwater, spinnerbaits, crakbaits, etc).

If its a beautiful, hot sunny day, then the fish will be tight to cover, and you need to slow your presentation and really get in the thick of things. Flipping docks, weeds, lily pads, stumps, etc. Basically find the cover, and fish SLOWLY.

 

Baitfish

You need to "match the hatch". If the primary food for bass in that lake is perch, then you want to throw baits that look like perch. If they feed on crayfish, then you want to throw bait that look like crayfish. And so on....

If you catch a fish and it has something in its mouth, look at it. if you happen to keep a fish to fry up, when your cleaning it, cut open the stomach and see whats inside.

Always try to find out what the primary forage is, and use baits that match them!

 

Fishing pressure

Generally, if the fishing pressure is heavy on the lake, you will want to downsize your baits.

When fish see great big lures all the time buzzing by them, they get smart, and aviod them.

You need to "finese" them with smaller sized baits that they dont see everyday.

 

Techniques

 

They all depend on the conditions.

 

Sunny, hot - slow presentation - flipping around cover - jigs, tubes, worms, etc. - use natural colours

Overcast, hot - fast presentation - spinnerbait, crankbait, topwater - use dark colours - black, purple, etc

Cold front - SLOW SLOW SLOW presentation - jigs, worms, etc, worked VERY slowly around cover.

 

Like I said, those are just a few of the criteria to keep in mind while looking for a trophy bass.

If you stick to these, then you are off to a great start.

 

good luck, and hope to see the report with you holding a 5+ lb bass!

[misfish]

Welcome to the world of OFC Community...

 

Try tossing some Senkos in watermelon or white or some Phenix 2 1/2 or 3 inch salted tubes (various colors) in the mornings or evenings...Top water baits are also good at these times and probably better after dark...Catch a Bunch !!!

 

Hey Norm,you used the P word,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,LOL

 

Welcome OBC.

[OhioFisherman]

Bass are where you find them, they usually don`t come looking for you. Learn to strain different water depths, they can be in places you wouldn`t expect. Both species, L/M and S/M love crawfish, but it usually isn`t their primary food source, usually that is baitfish, which is anything smaller than them, perch, bluegill, shad, chubs, shiners, they will even eat their young.

 

L/M tend to be ambush feeders more than smallies, smallies will roam open water more, but it`s not carved in stone, both will wander, both will ambush feed, both will herd baitfish to shore and trap them. Both will school, both can be solitary. Both have comfort zones which can vary, you need to adapt to be consistent.

 

You don`t need a large amount of lures, just ones that allow you to fish different depths and types of structure. Points, boat docks, weedbeds, wood in the water, trees overhanging the water, rip-rap along bridges or shores, reefs, baitfish schooling in the water. You need to be able to present a lure that reaches them and looks and acts like food. On any particular day it could be just about anything, but some have a tendency to work more often than others.

 

Time of day? The thought usually goes to early morning, or later in the day like evening, I have caught a ton from 10 to 2 pm, a lot anytime of the day or night. The bite can turn on in a heartbeat, or shut down just as quick.

 

Different bodies of water can have completely different methods that work better, completely different times of day when the bite tends to be best. It is hard to compensate for time on the water, on a particular body of water, but some tactics and methods will work on most. Learn the lake, what is on top, and what is on the bottom, they tend to go back to the same spots, food supply and comfort zones.

 

Usually the fish are biting, your just not on the right spot, or not offering what they want in a manner they want it.

 

Make your casts count, whatever cover you are fishing usually has spots on it that will hold fish or a tendency to hold fish better than others, a poorly placed cast may spook them.

[OldBeerCan]

Thanks for all the tips so far.

 

I'm heading to bass pro or Le Baron tonight, is there anything crucial I need to pick up?

Thanks guys and gals.

[OhioFisherman]

I am kind of partial to Zoom soft plastics, at least the 6 inch ss u-tail worms and lizards. I like junebug a purple green glittler color, watermelon seed, watermelon blue glittler in the lizard, basic black or purple. Sometimes colors matter, they can be fished weedless, on a jighead, weedless one a jighead, texas rigged, carolina rigged unweighted and weedless swum over the weeds or lilies.

 

Topwater lure, everyone has there favorites, but a lure like a buzzbait, jitterbug, hula popper, zara spook, tiny torpedo, pop r, something to work the surface.

 

Spinnerbaits, they can`t be worked fast or slow rolled over and thru weeds, along docks and wood or even just dragging the bottom.

 

Crankbaits, rattletraps, shallow medium and deep diving to strain the water.

 

Jig and pig or soft plastic more of a bottom lure but they can be swum.

 

Start off simple tackle collecting can be addicting.

[Nanook]

If you are just starting fishing for Bass, Look for Lily pads and weed beds.Throw a spinnerbait around the edges and through the pads.

Failing that, try a plastic frog or mouse, and twitch/pause over the top of the pads

and weeds.That should get ya started....above all, Have fun.

[misfish]

Well heres my bass,s thoughts,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

Earlly morning buzz bait explosions,plastic stick baits no wieght,rigged either wacky or hook fed through the top out the middle or back end,

Tubes,with or without weight,depending where you are fishing and I will also go weedless with them.

Spinner baits like mentioned,try different retrieve speeds,even boiling(this is where you reel as fast as you can with the bait just under the surface with out breaking it.

Jerk baits.Fast or jerk jerk jerk pause,twitch twitch,jerk jerk pause. Mix it up,you never know what will work.

 

There are so many baits ways to fish them out there these days. Im very fortunate to have gotten to fish with guys that have many years experience.

 

Like Nanook said,keep it fun. When it,s not fun,it aint worth it anymore.

[OldBeerCan]

Thanks to everyone that posted.

 

I love this forum already!

[singingdog]

I live not far from Horseshoe lake and fish this area quite a bit: great multispecies lake! For LM, check out the large, shallow bay on the SE side of the lake. It is directly south of the big island.

 

IMHO, topwater is a low-percentage presentation on shield lakes in this area. I have good luck with spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, jigs and plastic stick baits. In that bay, you will need fairly weedless presentations.

 

Good luck! Drop me a line if you come up this way.