Bass fishing isn’t as easy as it sounds. But, how can you catch more large big bass fish? Although there’s no direct answer to the question, you can adopt various bass fishing tips to increase your odds of making a big catch. Based on our knowledge and experience in bass fishing, we’ve come up with tried-and-tested tips to catapult you towards being a successful bass angler.
Top 7 Bass Fishing Tips for Every Angler
- Find Bass Cover
You must fish where the bass find cover to catch them in large numbers. They often hide in wood, rocks, grass, boat docks and lily pads, among other hiding places. Bass conceal themselves under cover to catch their prey off guard. However, sometimes they roam in open water. Even so, bass in open water is harder to locate than those under cover.
- Become Versatile
Develop versatile fishing skills to become a successful bass angler. Learn, practice and develop new fishing skills and techniques to become a better angler. Fish in different places throughout the year. Find new and different water bodies with different fishing conditions to hone your fishing skills.
Use different lures in different water conditions to find out what works and what doesn’t. Get out of your cocoon and comfort zone to become a versatile bass angler.
- ‘Match the Hatch’
Bass are savages with those across the country feeding on baitfish such as bluegill and shad, and even baby ducks. With the broad-range of bass diet, you need to ‘match the hatch’ to ensure the lure you pick mimics the right kind of food bass in your local water bodies eat.
For instance, if they feed on shad, make sure your swim bait or crank bait is silver for close resemblance. A small plastic dropshot rig would be perfect for luring bass that mainly feed on small minnows.
- How Does Weather Influence Bass?
The behavior of bass greatly vary based on the prevailing weather conditions. A successful bass angler knows how bass behaves under different weather conditions. They’re active and willingly come out on cloudy days to feed. Therefore, fishing tips and techniques should also be adopted based on the weather.
Moving baits such as chatter baits, spinner baits and top-water plugs are ideal for use on overcast days to lure active bass. If the fishing weather is sunny, bass go undercover to better catch their prey.
Bottom-bouncing baits such as the Texas-rigged soft plastic or jig are ideal for catching bass on such days. Pitch and flip your bait to the bottom of bass cover and prepare for it to be hammered.
- Cast Out Your Bait in the Windy Waters
Winds over 15mph can make fishing a nightmare. It can make it hard for fishermen to cast and even get a hold of their boat position. However, don’t despair on such days unless it’s a hurricane or tornado in question. Strong winds can stimulate bass to be more active, resulting in more bait bites.
Furthermore, the wind disturbs the surface water, meaning the movement of your boat is less likely to spook bass. Therefore, the next time it becomes windy when you’re out fishing, don’t just quit. Make use of this fishing tip; cast your bait into the waters and get ready for a big catch!
- Monitor the Water Temperature
Water temperatures vary throughout the year and influence the feeding patterns and activity level of bass. Use baits with slow motions when the water temperature is cool. Conversely, warm temperatures call for faster, more aggressive lures.
Although there are many techniques for catching bass in cool and warm water, monitoring water temperature can give you a bigger catch.
- Improve Your Knot Tying Skills
Tying knots on the water isn’t funny. It’s even worse if you lose a potential catch due to a bad knot. Choose versatile knots and practice them to perfection to save you time while out in the water, atop increasing your chance of catching more bass fish. Learning to tie fishing knots is the most popular fishing tip.
Whichever fishing technique you adopt, simple knots such as improved clinch and Palomar knots usually come in handy. If you’re keen on becoming a knot tying pro, check out various diagrams and how-to videos online to get you started.
Whichever tips you decide to adopt, do enough research beforehand to ensure you do the right thing and catch enough bass fish. Ultimately, it pays to be patient and persistent while out in the waters and even when practicing fishing skills.