How to Bass Fish

Far from comprehensive, here are ten bass fishing tips for those starting out in the sport.

1- Invest in quality equipment

Trust me on this one. You’ll be much happier if you spend a few extra dollars on that new rod and reel. I remember as a kid the first time I used a baitcasting reel my dad brought home. It was terrible. Figuring all baitcasting reels where relatively similar, I wrote them off for quite a while. Then, I tried a good reel. It was a world of difference.

2- Perfect the improved clinch and palomar knots

These two knots will get you through 99% of fishing situations you’ll encounter. Practice them at home so when you’re on the water, it is second nature. Always moisten your knots with saliva before tightening. This is especially important when using monofilament.

3- Be prepared for weather changes/ Pack the right clothes

I always have a pair of knee high rain boots, sunglasses, a ball cap and a rain suit with me. A couple weeks ago I picked up sleeves and a neck gaiter that block UV rays. When it’s cold dress in layers.

4- Texas Rig a plastic worm

No lure in history has caught more bass than the plastic worm. The Texas Rig can be fished at varying depths and speeds. You can also Texas Rig tubes, another favorite of Rod and Rivet.

5- Find the fish

I took a class from fishing legend Woo Daves, and he said 90% of tournament bass are caught in 6 feet of water or less. The depth where fish are holding can be dramatically different from one fishery to the next, and also vary based on time of year. Whatever the depth, bass tend to relate to cover. You’ll often find them near flooded timber, laydowns, grass beds, or rock piles.

6- Be mentally prepared

Some days you won’t even have a bite. Don’t get discouraged. Learn as much from what doesn’t work as what does. Enjoy time outside. Stay positive because a fish could hit any moment (you will always regret the fish you miss because you weren’t ready).

7- Set the hook

Bass have tough mouths. In most situations you can really thwack ’em with a solid hook set. Sometimes it’s fun to yell, “Son!,” and crack the whip on a big bass.

8- Keep tension

Hold the rod at a 45 degree or greater angle to the water, and maintain a slight bend in the rod tip. As daddy always said, “Keep the rod tip up!”. When you lose tension, reel in. The fish has a greater ability to spit the hook when there is slack in the line.

9- Land the fish

Hold your rod in one hand, and with the opposite hand put your thumb in the bass’s mouth and grip its lip. If possible, try to support the fish’s stomach. Doing so reduces the amount of weight on its jaw, which can become dislocated.

10- Release the fish

There is nothing wrong with selective harvesting, but I’m a big supporter of catch and release. Large fish especially should be returned to the water so they can continue to breed other fish that will carry on their genes. If you are releasing the fish, keep it out of the water as little as possible. After a long battle you may need to resuscitate your catch. To do so, place it in the water with one hand in its mouth, and the other just in front of the tail. Move it back and forth in the water so water goes through the gills. When it is strong enough, let go and it will swim off.

Giant Iowa Bass

This giant bass was caught and released by my cousin Nate from a southern Iowa farm pond last weekend.  The only thing available to weigh it on were bathroom scales.  It was weighed on two different surfaces 2.5 hours after being reeled in.  One put the fish at 11 pounds, and the other at 9.5.  It was 24.5 inches long, and had a 19 inch girth.

The Best Summer

Branson, MO was a frequent vacation spot for my family growing up. It was a 5-6 hour drive, cheap, and had plenty of kid-friendly activities.  Tradition called for a late afternoon stop in springfield to visit the giant Bass Pro Shops flagship.  As a young boy I remember being completely overwhelmed with how big the place was.  I could’ve spent an entire day walking the aisles, checking out fishing gear I never knew existed.  They had a fish aquarium with several largemouth bass over 15 lbs.  If I was lucky, my parents would give me a few quarters to play the gun arcade.  In the spring of my junior year in high school we made the trek to Branson.  We came back with a boat.

It was a 2003 Tracker Pro Team 185 Silver Anniversary Edition with a 40 horse Mercury outboard.  I think it was the first year they used red paint on the exterior.  It was the greatest boat in the world, and I had just got my driver’s license.  My brother Mitch was three years younger than me, and within a week we had made our first trip to the local lake. From our driveway, we could have the boat in the water in less than 30 minutes.  During the first month of summer break we were in the boat no fewer than three times a week.  Gas was cheap then, but my parents made me get a job at the local grocery store to pay for it.  20 hours a week isn’t much, but it cut into my fishing time.

I learned a lot about bass fishing that year.  My lure of choice was a skirted twin tail grub from Chompers.  I would Texas rig it with a 1/4-3/8 oz bullet weight and flip to rock covered banks, drop-offs, points, and sunken trees.  Many times Mitch and I would hit the lake in late afternoon and throw plastics until the sun started sinking and the weather cooled off.  Then, we’d motor over to a silt dam on the other side of the lake and throw Rebel Pop-R’s.  Those bass would go crazy!  Few things are more fun than catching bass on topwater lures.  There’s so much excitement when they crash the surface.  The key is keeping yourself from immediately setting the hook and pulling it out of their mouth.

My dad is a neat freak.  He can open the door to his 1500 sq. foot metal building and know if something is out of place before he takes two steps.  He had harped on us from the beginning to make sure we didn’t bang up the prop on the boat.  One particularly windy day we got in some shallow water and tore up the trolling motor prop really good on some rocks.  I was worried I’d never be able to use the boat again, so we made a trip to Wal-Mart to buy a new one.  Few people on earth are less mechanically inclined than me, and I couldn’t figure out how to put the stupid thing on.  My only play was to man up, and take whatever repercussions I had coming.  After coming clean I found out it wasn’t the trolling motor prop he was worried about, but the main engine prop.  Oh…

Toby Keith and Willie Nelson had a song called “Beer for My Horses” that came out in April.  Many nights that summer I drove my Chevy Blazer home with the windows down and that song playing on the radio.  It was the best summer.