Bass Fishing

[Dustinnn]

I know I'm an amateur.

I have no success with anything except for when I'm either trolling or throwing a spinner bait around weed edges.

 

I need some serious help fishing bass. Any hints to lure types, spots to look for, or time of day?

Anything would be appreciated!

 

Thanks!

[Jay T]

You must try top water with a poppers or buzz baits can be alot of fun do it in the morning or later in the afternoon, mid day look for thick cover toss some tubes or worms slow down presentation a bit. That should get you on your way.

 

Good luck

[Dustinnn]

I found this one weed bed between a few islands. I was throwing top water baits like a jitterbug, and skitter pop. I wasn't getting any hits, but i saw 3 monsters jump out of the water to eat something. It made me feel very down about my skills haha.

[danbouck]

Try slowing down your skitter pop and see what happens. I usually cast out, let it sit for a few seconds, then start "popping" it slowly. It has always works great for me.

[Rizzo]

Soft plastics with no weight twitched back in do the job for me

[douG]

Let your topwater sit for at least a minute before twitching it - use your watch, or hum 'Happy Birthday to Dustin' three times.

[Roy]

You can also make 33% of a three minute egg while you're waiting.

[OhioFisherman]

How thick are the weeds? All the way to the surface? A lure (soft plastic) like a frog weedless of the top of thick weeds or lilies. A six inch plastic worm or lizard rigged with a 4/0 hook and allowed to sink just with the hook weight in pockets. Texas or carolina rigged to fish deeper thru less dense weeds.

 

Sometimes the weed aren`t as dense near the bottom, a texas rigged and pegged tube with a heavy slip sinker will punch thru the surface mat and get to the fish.

[bucketmouthjohnny]

You should try all of the above mentioned methods. Ask a close neighbour, friend, or someone you know that bass fishes and they should be able to show you what,how, and where to employ different techniques. Is there a bass club close by? You can learn a lot in a club as well as make new friends and fishing pals. There is also illustrations online, type in texas rigging, it will show you hooks, baits and how to rig them. My favorite for thick weeds, or matted vegetation is a jig n pig or texas rigged tube/worm rigged on a 5/0 wide gap(tube) and offset worm hook (worm,straight bait) and i pitch or flip them into the heavy weeds, (you need a heavy enough bullet sinker, or jig to get you down) using a medium heavy 7' flippin stick with at least 17 lb test mono or 50 lb braid. I think a 7 inch black or purple power worm and a 3/8 oz bullet sinker would be a good starting point, be careful though, it will become addictive and the sky is the limit on colours/baits/weights/hooks/line/rods/reels etc...

 

As for hints, try points of islands and shore, shoals (these are usually timing areas). If the weeds are not so thick, just rig a tube jig on a standard tube weight with a thin wire hook and toss it into the weeds and when you feel a weed , rip it a few feet and feel for a bite on the fall, it will most likely feel like dead weight, but sometimes you will feel a tick , thump, or your line will actually jump or move. For this, a 6'6" to 7' medium to medium heavy spinning rod with a fast taper to extra fast (i like this taper) with 10-12 lb test would be my choice.

 

GOOD LUCK!!!

John

[lunkerbasshunter]

change up the time of day ou fish a certain spot to. sometimes they will hit an hour later or earlier then you were fishing. dont get discouraged though sometimes fishing just shuts down due to boat traffic, weather etc.....

 

Cheers!

[bassman]

If you ask ten people, you will get ten different answers.

 

You may want to narrow your research by identifying a specific lake and a specific species of bass.

 

A couple of good sites:

 

http://www.bassresource.com/fish/tipsindex.html

 

http://www.ontariobassfishing.net/

 

http://www.bassintips.com/

 

The quickest way to learn is to go out with someone who already has the skills. Nothing beats time on the water.

 

If you don't mind spending a few bucks, go out with a pro for a day. There are a few pro's that frequent this site that also have their own charter business. If this is an option you can try Greg Klatt's, site below:

http://www.profishntanglingservices.com/#Bass%20Fishing

 

He gave me a couple of lessons on smallies last year that would have taken me a while to learn on my own.

 

Good luck

Edited July 5, 2007 by bassman

[fishindevil]

Well dustinn,you can try by learning the carolina rig & the proper way to rig up a plastc wrm and a bullett weight,its very basic not expensive and very easy to use,and yes of course it catches bass,heck while ive been using them i have caught just about everyother kind of fish as a bonus....cheers

[Canuck2fan]

I just went bass fishing with two people. I caught 14 smallies and 3 buckets, while the other two folks caught 3 smallies and no buckets..... Now what did I do different not a darn thing. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.

What were we using. Leeches and crayfish. Why because they work. Getting the leeches was easy you can buy them at any decent baitshop. Catching the crayfish was a PAIN literally as I got to be the one kicking the rocks even though I broke the baby toe on my left foot monday night, because I was the only one with waders LOL.

 

I have never seen a bass where we were fishing this afternoon even look at a plastic bait of any kind, much less follow it or try to inhale it. So we go for the live stuff there. However whenever I have fished elsewhere with plastics depending on the cover either the texas or carolina rig does work. One thing to keep in mind though is all of the commercially available plastics and lures for bass are just too honking HUGH for Canadian bass (with Simcoe and Erie being exceptions. Our bass have colder waters and grow so much slower and less than the ones in the U.S of A. Since they have 10 times the number of anglers they get the baits tailored to the bass there. So don't be afraid to cut down any plastic you are using to make it smaller for the bass here..... Because it works or so I have heard ;o)

[OhioFisherman]

I have used crappie tubes and grubs(1 1/2-2 inch) for bass when the bite was tough, but most of the time I am throwing a 6 inch plastic worm or lizard. 12 inch and smaller have no problems taking them. I also use 4 inch worms and lizards at times.

 

LOL, Canadian bass on the Georgian Bay will also eat the big stuff. Sure the growing season isn`t as long but there are some nice fish up there. I always used the same stuff up there for bass that I used here, didn`t seem to make a difference.

[addict]

as long as a cold front hasnt shut em down bass are quite easy to catch this is why they are so popular.been bassin once or twice a week since opener and been killing them.fishing weed flats and mid lake rock shoals.when they are active top water and spinners are fun and fast.ive been using a buzzbait and soft plastic horny toad with great sucess.spinners have been good to me also.not to mention using the sweet beaver when the bite has slowed.if u dont get any on these baits try a senko or better tikki stick there cheaper.or gets some hand pours off your friends like me.senkos are the easiest and most simple way to catch bass.i started using em last year and never fished a soft plastic so effective.just throw it and let er sink or pitch it under trees and docks watch your line move lol.

[Dustinnn]

I think my big problem is that i need to slow down. Last time out was during a cold front, which probably didn't help either. Atleast I have an excuse, that's what helps me sleep at night i guess.

[lunkerbasshunter]

oh yeah one more thing...... what is wrong with trolling for bass? I have caught some big smallies trolling before.

 

Whatever works that particular day!

 

cheers!

[Tdel]

Dustinnn,

 

When you cast your popper or jitterbug out, do what the above members say, let it sit for a few minutes then twitch or start retrieving. If you twitch then let it sit for a minute or so and you might get a hit just after the twitch or when you start the retrieve. If the bass is interested, continue what you are doing if not then vary it. Mix it up and do one or more of the following > Slow down - speed up - stop & start - one continuous retrieve - stop many times during a retrieve and let it sit or twitch each time etc. Using top water lures are great early in the morning or in the evening. Before Sunrise or after Sunset is also a great time for them. Even in the afternoon it will work but for me it is best mostly in the early morning and early evening.

 

Try worms or minnows and drift fish or throw a float out with live bait.

 

Look for rocks, shallow to deep drop offs, weed beds, trees over hanging water, logs in water, bait fish, surface activity, (bass hitting insects or minnows near the surface) and vary your techniques and lures when something doesn't work and you should be able to catch bass. Don't forget to use your polarized sunglasses and watch in the shallows for bass because usually if you know they are there and can see them, then you should be able to entice them to hit something.

 

Like Lunkerbasshunter says "What is wrong with trolling?" I say I love trolling. So do whatever turns your crank, is legal and catches fish .

 

Tom