Bass fishing is an incredibly rewarding sport. It’s accessible to anyone and it can be done recreationally or competitively – and everything in between. There’s nothing quite like that moment when you nail a new personal best after months or even years of hard work and painstaking experimentation. And, with the right tips and techniques, it’s not difficult to take your game to the next level. Largemouth bass are the most popular game fish in America, and for good reason.
They’re abundant, easy to catch and can live just about anywhere in freshwater – from small backyard ponds to the Great Lakes and huge rivers. This makes them a perfect target for beginner anglers who don’t have a lot of money or fancy gear to spend. The key to becoming a better bass angler is learning to master a few simple fundamentals, and then building on them over time. Here are a few essential bass fishing tips for beginners to help you get off the ground: Start with a basic bait selection. There are a lot of different bass lures on the market, but you should begin with a handful of the most reliable options and expand your collection slowly. This allows you to be confident in the effectiveness of each lure before adding another, and it gives you the ability to quickly adapt your tactics when conditions change. One of the biggest mistakes new bass anglers make is switching locations too often.
They find a spot, cast a few times and then if the bite doesn’t come quick enough, they’re off to another area. This is a big mistake because it doesn’t allow you to gain a full understanding of the conditions and how the fish respond to your baits. Many bass anglers are unaware that current can have a significant impact on how and when they fish. For example, if bass are holding up in deep water before the spawn, it’s likely because they’re feeding aggressively to pack on protein prior to making beds. Similarly, during the pre-front (the period immediately before bass move into shallow water to lay their eggs) or post-front (when pressure is high and the fish are less active), bass will typically face into the current in order to better detect incoming food. For this reason, it’s critical to learn the nuances of your local water, including its weather patterns and how they affect the behavior of bass.
You’ll also need to understand how bass feed and what types of bait they prefer at certain times of the year. For example, early in the year bass tend to favor crawfish-colored lures, while in the summer and fall they will be more interested in shad-colored offerings. In addition, it’s important to understand how bass feed at night. It’s not uncommon for these fish to become more active as the sun goes down, especially during the hottest times of the year. Lastly, it’s important to understand how to best utilize structure and cover in your search for trophy bass.
