The Practical Bass Fishing Tips for a Successful Fishing Experience

by | Apr 1, 2016 | AZ Fishing, Bass Fishing, Bass Fishing Facts You Need to Know, Bass Fishing in Arizona, Bass Fishing Techniques, Bass Fishing Tips, Fishing Arizona, Fishing Jigs, Fishing Lures, Fishing Lures for Bass, Fishing Techniques, Fishing Tips, How to Fish for Bass

The Practical Bass Fishing Tips for a Successful Fishing Experience

Many men have found bass fishing to be quite a relaxing experience. Although the bass has been known to be quite a fighter and a

battler, the sheer excitement of waiting and finally catching it releases certain chemicals into the body that provide a euphoric feeling making the experience all worthwhile and satisfying.

Many men and women have come back from a bass fishing expedition feeling light and perky even though they have been outdoors the whole time. The strenuous activity seems to recharge their bodies.

The popularity bass fishing has garnered over the years has grown to an all time high with more and more people discovering its joys. Some though are reluctant to start because they have not got a single idea on what to do. Here are some tips to get you started and secrets to act like an experienced professional bass fisherman.

Baits

There are many types of baits used to catch bass, some work much better than others. Basically there’s live baits and artificial baits.

Live Baits

Artificial baits have been known to catch quite a few bass but many believe live bait works best.

Bass respond well to many forms of live bait but often action can be faster than with lures. Mostly used are Minnows, Shad, Shiners and Night Crawlers. You can also use cutup bait fish, such as a Sardines, Anchovies and even Crawdads work very well.

Artificial baits

Lures are artificial baits used to attract and entice fish to bite to eat or bite to move it away from its nest. Artificial baits are made of just about anything possible from plastics, metals, wood and even feathers. They are made to look and or move like anything the fish would consider eating.

Soft Plastics

There are a wide variety of Soft Plastics baits used for catching bass. The choices are endless from different types of creatures like Worms, Lizards, Frogs, Swim Baits, Tube Baits etc. to different types of plastics. Many are made to float, some are made with salt and some are made to hold different types of scents.

Hard Plastics

Hard Plastics are used to make thousands of types of Crankbaits from Jerk baits to Rat-L-Traps

(Lip-Less Baits) from floating to diving and even suspending baits.

Wire Baits

Spinner Baits, Buzz Baits and Alabama-Rigs are very popular for catching bass. Spinner baits are one of the most versatile lures used to catch bass. They can be used many ways and in many different conditions. Spinner Baits or Blades as some are known to call them, can be fished fast or slow, deep or shallow.

Jigs and Others

Many fisherman love to fish with Jigs. The Jig is a bait that consistently catches quality bass. And many fisherman love to fish with Spoons. Spoons have been around for more than 50 years. The kitchen spoon was used during the depression as a simple replacement lure.

Location

Knowing where to locate bass can be a challenge to most anglers because of so many different factors that need to be determined.

Water clarity, water temperatures, seasonal patterns, water depth, reading a map and weather. Also water levels are very important, are they raising, lowering or staying stable?

Areas holding bass are key areas to fish. The more time you’re in the zone, the more chances you have to catch fish. People say that 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water. Areas that usually have bass are areas of vegetation, shallow water close to deep water, points, secondary points, backs of coves, ledges, drop offs, and islands. Also different types of structures like rocks, sand, boulders, ramps and docks.

If you catch a fish. DON’T LEAVE THAT SPOT! Stay there and fish more after you have removed the hook. Fish will follow the fish on your line and try to steal the bait. Especially if it is white bass you can sometimes catch two at a time with crappie and perch if you have a double rig.

Worms usually work well during light to heavy over cast skies and spinners usually work better when there is a breeze or in windy conditions that make a ripple on the water surface. When you set the hook, try to keep your line tight and maybe even give it another hook set. When they jump it is real hard to keep your line tight. If the fish is deep and coming up fast, swing your rod tip to one side or the other to pull it to the side rather than pulling it to straight up to the surface. After the hook set always try to maintain the same resistance between you and the fish. Too much pull and you’ll break the line, not enough pull and you’ll lose your fish because they can spit the bait out if there is not enough pressure to keep the hook in its mouth.

Make sure you aren’t using dull hooks. Also, smaller hooks can penetrate easier, making them harder to throw. In most instances, though, nothing beats an aggressive hook set, and then keeping steady pressure on the fish, especially when they go airborne.

 

Bass Fishing Jigs

by | Dec 5, 2015 | AZ Fishing, Bass Fishing, Bass Fishing Jigs, Bass Fishing Techniques, Fishing Arizona, Fishing Jigs, Fishing Techniques

Bass Fishing Jigs

Bass fishing jigs are part of the anglers arsenal normally used when the bass are not in the shallow water along the banks. There are hundreds of reasons why they would be in deeper water, but to be effective at bass fishing you need to go to the fish.

This is where the bass jig comes in. When we are talking deeper water, we are not normally talking 100 feet or other crushing depths; it is just that bass like a specific environment at different times of the year or even day and they will go where they want.

The term “Bass fishing jig” is a very broad term that covers more than just a type of bait or lure. There are specific products manufactured and marked as “bass fishing jigs” that have very few other applications than a bass jig, but a live or plastic worm could also be a bass jig, it is all in the application.

You can even use a bass jig as a type of crank bait or lure if you are trying to just get some depth on your retrieval. There are very few rules and not many states have inspectors to ensure your spinner spins or your jig jiggles.

We will cover both the bass fishing jig (the lure) and the bass fishing jig (the rig and technique).

First for the lure type of bass fishing jigs.

This is a specific piece of tackle that normally has a lead ball at the front with an “up” facing hook incorporated into the lead. The lead looks like the head of a fish or some other animal and you simply attach a plastic worm or a skirt to the jig to make it look more appealing and give it some action.

There are two techniques to use this jig as a bass jig (jigs are used universally for almost all types of fish) and you will never get three people in a room with the same thought as what is best, so I just use both.

Irrelevant of the depth of the water the bass will collect in a layer or band at the temperature they want. Your goal is to go through that layer until you find them. Some people think you need to hit it from the top, others say from the bottom. I don’t think it makes a difference because gravity is gravity and to come from the bottom you had to go through the top at some point.

Cast out a little and let the line out so the jig drops, but count in your mind how long it is dropping. If you get a hit on the way down remember the count. After a reasonable amount of time (few seconds, 10 at the most) bring it in and if you get a hit coming up remember the count. If you consider the time count and mentally factor in how far you cast you will have a ballpark depth of where the fish are.

After a bit of “tuning” lets say you isolate the fish to a depth of about 12 feet. Now you can cast out, do the “count” and then retrieve your bass jig quickly through this depth band of fish.

If this is too complicated you can just have a seat and lower your line over the side of the boat and “jiggle” it at all depths and hope to get a bite.

Second is the rig type of bass fishing jig.

With this type of bass jig you configure your bait to be a jig. You do this by putting on a plain hook with about 3 feet of extra line behind it. On the extra line slide a bell sinker up and tie it off at the distance you want your bait to be off the lake bed (most people like about 2 feet).

Simply put on your favorite bait (plastic worms work great) and you are ready.

The rig type of bass jig is much more versatile than the lure type especially in shallow water. Just because the rig type carries a title of “bass jig” does not mean you cannot cast it over to a nice dead log sitting in 3 feet of water.

The purpose of the rig type of jig is to get your bait in front of the fish, wherever they are.