Bass Fishing Tips

Actually hooking fish is the hard part. Whether you’ve been on the waters before, or you’re just getting into bass fishing, you want to use all the tools in your toolbelt, so here are five tips to take your fishing game to the next level.

SHARPEN YOUR HOOKS

Hooks might be small, but they are just like any other piece of equipment. You have to maintain them to keep them working in tip top shape. No, this won’t drastically change your fishing game, but you have to take every advantage you can. That includes a hook that’ll snag into a bass like butter. Take the extra thirty seconds to give your hooks a quick sharpen before you cast out.

FACE THE WIND

You’ll want to find out which way the wind is blowing before you even hit the water. That way you can make sure to face the wind while you fish. Facing the wind may seem counterintuitive since you won’t be able to cast your line out as far, but you’ll make up for in other aspects. Bass will follow the wind and the current, meaning they’ll chase the wind and find your lure before they find your boat.

USE SEASONAL BAIT

Don’t go expecting to catch any bass with a standard worm. Not only are bass picky, they change their diet depending on the time of the year. Luckily it’s not too tough to figure out. Since bass eat crawfish in the early part of the year, use crawfish-colored bait and lures. Later in the year, they eat shad, so use silver bait and lures. This is a good general rule of thumb to follow, but at the end of the day, be prepared to change things up if you’re not getting any bites.

DON’T JUST CAST ONCE

Fishing is all about kicking back, relaxing, and waiting for those fish to bite, but catching bass can require a little bit of extra effort. Bass like the hunt, so if you know where the bass are hiding, cast out as many times as it takes to get that bass interested. If they don’t like one angle of your lure, they might like another. Some experts have cast in the same location dozens of times just to get the bite. It’ll all be worth it when you snag a big, pot belly bass.

FIND OUT WHAT THE BASS HAVE BEEN EATING

If you can find out what the bass have been chowing down on, you can zero in on what they want. Luckily, bass tend to barf after getting caught (you would too if you got hooked in the mouth). Check out the color to determine which color bait is going to lure them out the best. You might need to sift through the mess or move the fish out of the way. As much as getting dirty is a part of the job, having bass guts all over your hands isn’t going to help your fishing game. Wear a protective glove to get the job done. Just make sure it’s strong enough not to rip while being thin enough to keep your dexterity. The last thing you want is to be fumbling with your fishing rod once the bass are biting. If you’ve caught a cooler full of fish and looking to gut the entire batch before firing up the grill, put on some coveralls so you don’t ruin your new jeans with the mess of bloody entrails.

IN SUMMARY

The devil is in the details when fishing for bass. One misstep can keep you on the water for hours without a catch, but if you use all these tips together, you’ll have a boat full of bass in no time.