"Seven Tricks for Improving Your Bassin' Results"
By Justin Hoffman
 Bass
fishing is a game of highs and lows. Going from
banner days on the water to empty live wells the
next is a fact of life when chasing these
challenging adversaries. There are, however, a
number of tricks that can improve and elevate your
bassin' game to the next level. Test these out on
your next trip to the lake and watch your success
jump in leaps and bounds. (With the Fishing Shows
upon us, it might be the perfect time to pick up
some of these items in anticipation of the coming
season…)
#1. Bring a Map
Topographic and hydrographic maps can do
wonders for your bass productivity. Fishing
blindly on the water is a thing of the past, and
these maps are the current key to your underwater
view of the lake. Maps can help in pinpointing
productive areas of the lake long before you set
foot on the boat ramp, and can narrow down
feasible spots in order to make your fishing less
time-consuming. Marking or highlighting humps,
shallow flats, spawning areas and breaklines will
enable you to quickly run to these spots and
figure patterns out - a definite advantage in
helping you catch more and bigger fish.
#2. Push Your Way Through
Getting into shallow water when targeting bass
can oftentimes be a real problem. Trolling motors
can choke up with weeds and muck, and running the
big motor can be a real risk. Carrying a
"push-pole" in your boat can be the answer to your
prayers - and will help you discover those
previously out-of-reach places. Push-poles are
telescopic rods that have duck-shaped feet on the
bottom that literally allow an angler to push his
boat through and around shallow water. These poles
are also dynamite in reducing noise when
traversing through the thick salad - something the
trolling motor is quite inept at doing. Try
pushing your way into uncharted water during your
next outing, and discover the hidden bass that
you've been missing.
#3. Mark That Spot
How many times have you found a productive
bass spot, only to drift or be blown off it,
ultimately losing it in the end? This can be a
frustrating occurrence to endure, but the remedy
can be had for less than ten dollars. Marker buoys
are an ideal apparatus that allows an angler to
mark a key spot and remain in direct contact with
it. Dropping a marker on a hump, point or weedline
will help you stay on top of your underwater
honey-hole, meaning more fish due to this
innovative and simple beacon of the water.
#4. Tools of the Trade
Much the same way a golfer needs a variety of
clubs when hitting the links, a bass angler needs
an equal amount of rods and reels when scouring
the lake. Trying to use one rod for different
techniques and applications can be extremely
frustrating, and will certainly equate to less
fish in the well. |
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| Choose a minimum of four rods to cover a wide range
of tactics, (flipping rod, medium-heavy baitcasting rod,
medium spinning rod and a medium baitcast rod,) and
learn to use each for different tactics. Throwing a
spinnerbait or buzzbait on the medium-heavy rod, a tube
on the spinning and a Pop'R on the medium set-up is a
step in the right direction, and will enable you to face
different cover and water variables with the right
equipment. Matching the rod and reel to the task at hand
will lead to easier fishing and bigger stringers.
#5. Pass the Bait Bucket….
When conditions become tough and the bass seem to
have a severe case of lockjaw, a switch to "Mother
Nature's bait" may be the answer to your prayers. Live
bait has a place in the bass anglers arsenal, and can be
hard to beat when artificials are striking out. Minnows,
worms, frogs and crawfish are all dynamite bucketmouth
baits, and can turn a frustrating day into an
unforgettable one. A variety of hooks, floats and
weights are all it takes to get in on the action.
#6. Squirt Some Scent
Largemouth bass have a keen sense of smell and
taste, and can often be fooled more easily by adding
scent to your artificial baits. Scent works two-fold -
it attracts bass and it causes them to strike and hold
on. If your plastic worm or tube tastes good to Mr.
Bucketmouth, the likelihood of him dropping or spitting
out your bait before you drive the hook home will be
lessened. Choose a bait to match the natural prey in the
water you fish, be it crayfish or minnow, or experiment
with one of the garlic of anise based scents to see
which works best.
#7. Keep a Log
Keeping a journal or log of your day on the water
can be one of the best ways to improve your catching
prowess. By marking down weather conditions, the time of
day a fish struck, what lure it was caught on and the
area of the lake it happened will enable you to adjust
your tactics and techniques for future days on the
water. By patterning the largemouth bass on your lake,
you will begin to see what works best and when, and can
compensate when faced with the same conditions. My log
has been a great help in fishing tournaments as it
enables you to shorten the learning curve and improve
your chances for success.
Bass fishing can be a tough game to play, but it can
also be easy when everything falls in place. Having the
right knowledge and adapting to new techniques is part
and parcel of winning the bassin' game. |
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