Table of Contents. Chapter 7 Using Jigs For Bass. Chapter 1 Locating Bass in Different Types of Water. Chapter 8 Using Spinnerbaits Shallow & Deep

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2 Table of Contents Chapter 1 Locating Bass in Different Types of Water Chapter 2 How To Fish All Four Seasons Chapter 3 How To Fish Changing Conditions Chapter 4 Pattern Fishing Chapter 5 Scouting For Bass And Mapping Productive Locations On A Body Of Water Chapter 6 The Art And Science Of Soft Plastic Worms Chapter 7 Using Jigs For Bass Chapter 8 Using Spinnerbaits Shallow & Deep Chapter 9 Getting More From Crankbaits Chapter 10 Get Your Adrenalin Up With Topwater Plugs Chapter 11 Using Bass Scents And Attractants Chapter 12 Fishing With Live Bait Chapter 13 Log Books For Bass Fishing

3 Chapter 14 Putting Together A Bass Fishing Strategy Appendix A - Recommended Gear

4 Chapter 1 Locating Bass In Different Types of Water First it's important to understand that only a small portion of a body of water will hold most of the bass. Bass change locations in a response to changing conditions. Some conditions that cause their movement are: Spawning Urges The Season Movements of their forage Weather Time of Day And several others The key to locating bass is learning to avoid locations that hold few concentrations of fish. Randomly fishing different locations will produce inconsistent results. Although bass behavior is consistent where they hangout changes. The better you become at evaluating the water you are fishing in the better you become at landing more fish. Understand that in a shallow weed choked lake, bass will spend most of their time in 5' of water or less. If your fishing in a deep crystal clear reservoir bass may spend most of their time in water deeper than 10' and at times deeper than 30'. It all depends. Each environment presents a different situation to figure out where you'll find fish. Your first task is to learn everything you can about the body of water you plan to fish. On any given day or condition bass can be found in many different locations. Locating Bass in Reservoirs Reservoirs are found all over the country. They offer more options than other bodies of water in relation

5 to structure and cover. Based on that, bass movement is more dramatic and less consistent. You can learn a lot about a reservoir by studying the shoreline and surrounding land. Steep slopes signal sharp drop offs. Flat land indicates a more gradually sloping bottom. A contour map of the bottom will provide clues to potential fish holding locations. It's much easier to locate drop-offs, points, humps and ledges. Submerged channels are very important because bass use them to travel from one location to another. Pay particular attention to submerged pilings and structure changes formed below the surface. Some maps will also show flooded timber and stump beds. Bass are drawn to the structure and objects in the water more so if the bottom has little cover. Some locations will have prominent forms of aquatic growth. They provide good cover for bass where they can ambush baitfish. Weeds supply bass with shade, oxygen and food. There are three basic categories of weeds. Submerged Emergent Floating Submerged weeds can be a few inches below the surface or several feet below. Whereas emergent weeds grow from the bottom to the surface. Floating vegetation is not attached to the bottom at all and floats around with the wind accumulating around surface obstructions. Natural Lakes In natural lakes weeds are the predominate cover where bass are found. Shallow bays and canals provide protected areas for spawning. You will find some bass that prefer shallow water weeds but more bass will locate in larger expansive weed beds in deeper water. Depending on whether the bass are the predominate predator species or not will determine how they hunt for food.

6 If there are pike and muskies in their habitat, bass will stick close to weed beds and in the weeds. Otherwise they will roam freely along the outside edges of weed beds and over the tops of submerged weeds. If the water is stained you won't find weeds in deeper water. The bass will locate around the shallow weeds throughout the year. Ponds Many farm ponds can provide excellent bass fishing. Compared to natural lakes and reservoirs ponds are much easier to fish. Mostly because there are less options for bass to locate. In any fishing situation you have to take note of the available structure. Bass will always locate to structure. It may only be overhanging brush or areas shaded from the sun. Structure is anything that provides cover to ambush their prey. Rivers About half of the rivers found in the states can support bass. Largemouth bass will inhabit warmer rivers especially rivers that connect to backwater ponds and sloughs. They prefer slower moving water but will sustain themselves in faster water if necessary. The strength of the current will determine where bass will hold. Look for current breaks and cover around points and structure that interrupts the flow of current. Check out boulders, obstructions under the surface and outcroppings. Submerged trees are great hiding places. Anything that interrupts the flow of water and provides cover for ambush will likely hold fish. Look for pilings around bridges and other man made structures. Fish the downstream side of tributaries and pools formed around the bend in a river. An important thing to remember when fishing any body of moving water, fish always face into the current. Bass will hold around cover and near the bottom

7 waiting for food to flow downstream. So you want to present your lures in a natural fashion. Make your casts upstream and retrieve with the current. Learning to read a river takes practice and experience that comes with time on the water.

8 Chapter 2 How To Fish All Four Seasons Spring Pre-spawn In the spring you want to pay attention to water temperatures. Bass are cold blooded and become sluggish when the water is colder. Cold weather and falling temperatures curb their appetite. In the early spring when the water temperature is between 45 degrees and 54 degrees bass will begin moving from deeper water. Bass will locate in near deep water as they begin moving into their comfort zone. You'll most likely find bass in eight to twenty five feet of water during this time. Look for bass to be holding on the first major drop off near shallower spawning areas. Especially drop offs that provide cover. Deep weed beds and rock piles are primary locations to find fish. Females are the first to begin foraging on crayfish and other creatures. Bass will be most active after three days of warm sunny weather. Before the water has warmed up remember to work your lures slower during this time. A jig with a pork rind or rubber trailer worked over the bottom slowly is the number one producer. Once the water stabilizes over 55 degrees expect the bass to move off the deeper winter water. Look for areas that warm up faster with cover. Murky water will hold more fish than clear water. Now it's time to breakout Texas rigged plastic worms, spinner baits, crank baits and top water lures. Any available cover will hold the possibility of fish. If you are after trophy fish concentrate on cover adjacent to deeper water. Smaller males will be roaming the shallows before the bigger fish. A warming trend will boost production and a cold front will shut activity down.

9 On sunny days bass will be holding tight to cover. Water temps in the upper fifties require a slower retrieve. Once it gets into the sixties you can try faster retrieves. As the bass select spawning sites they will scatter and become more territorial. Although bass do not feed during spawning they will strike lures that trespass into their territory. Now is the time to use plastic worms and and floating minnows. Post Spawn This is the most difficult time to fish. It's just before they move onto their summer grounds. During this time some bass are in the shallows protecting fry and others have started transitioning to other areas. It's hard to fish because the bass are more scattered and you have to keep on the move to locate fish. Summer Now the bass will be into their regular patterns. They are more mobile and consume more food. Water temperatures are not nearly as important during the summer. Bass can be found in a wide range of water temps. Their preference is 68 to 72 degrees but will tolerate temps up to around 80. They will forgo preferred water temperatures in favor of their food sources. Bass will be dispersed among structure and cover and have a wider choice of food sources. A primary location provides preferred temperatures, food and cover. Primary feeding times in the summer are the low light conditions of dawn and dusk. During midday fish the shallows in murkier water. In a lake or reservoir you'll have more luck in the main body of water during the summer. Again remember to fish the structure. The key to structure fishing is to fish the edges that drop into deeper water. Bear in mind that not all bass are taken in deeper water during the summer. Early and late in the day bass will move into shallow weeded areas and shallow points.

10 Whether you are fishing the shallows or deeper water always fish the edges around transitions and structure. A big advantage of fishing structure is the possibility of limiting out in a hurry on a school of fish. Texas rigged plastic worms is the king of summertime structure fishing. Deep diving crank baits are also good. You can use medium to faster retrieves with these baits. Fall Now that the water temperature is falling the bass will be feeding heavier in response to the coming winter layover. Their food supply is declining, consequently they are on the prowl. Larger lures are more productive now. They more closely resembles baitfish that have grown during the summer. You can use buzz baits and spinner baits in 3/8 to 1/2 ounce. Larger crankbaits and topwater plugs are good too. Plastic worms are still deadly. Bass are still pretty mobile in the early part of the fall so you can retrieve lures at moderate to fast speeds until the water temperature becomes cooler. Once the water surface cools down to around 60 degrees there's a phenomenon that happens with the water known as Turning Over. The cooler water becomes heavier and sinks. Warmer water below rises and the body of water goes through the Turn Over. During this process, fishing will not be good and it may take several days before fishing conditions return to normal. By the time the surface temperature drops to 55 degrees the Turn Over will be over. Get ready for some of the best big bass fishing of the year. Even though bass metabolism is slowing down they will still be feeding heavily. Soon they will be moving into their deeper winter water locations. You'll find them in the same transition areas they were in the spring. Use the same fishing methods described in the

11 section on spring fishing. Remember to slow down retrieves as the water gets colder and start to fish deeper. Winter Once the water temperature drops below 45 degrees bass are lethargic and stay in deep water. Bass can still be caught especially in southern bodies of water where it never freezes. Fish deep with jigging spoons, tailspinners and vibrating blades. Fishing straight down vertically is especially effective in cold winter waters. You'll want to fish the sloping drop offs where you'll find sluggish bass hanging to it.

12 Chapter 3 How To Fish Changing Conditions Changes in daily weather and water conditions will effect bass movement and you need to change with it in order to fish for them. Low Light Dawn & Dusk Normal Sunny & Partly Sunny Bright Sun Dead Calm Water Breezy & Stronger Winds Rain Low Light Conditions During warmer water conditions when the bass are pretty active you will catch them in shallow water under low light conditions of dawn & dusk. Use topwater lures and spinner baits in these low light conditions. Normal Sunny & Partly Sunny Conditions Bass will hold in the shade of cover. Fish lures in the shadows and tight to shadow areas. Bright Sunny Conditions On these days the bright sun penetrates deeper into the water. This forces the bass to go deeper for cover and structure. Slow down your retrieves a little more. Jigs and plastic worms work best. Dead Calm Water Fishing is tougher under dead calm water conditions especially so if the water is clear. Bass will spook easier and you need longer casts to avoid spooking them from your presence. Breezy Conditions & Stronger Winds A surface chop reduces light penetration and

13 improves the cover for bass. The wind will often concentrate bass into smaller areas and causes them to feed more readily. Baitfish are often pushed by the wind up against a windy shoreline or a bank and the bass will move in to feed on them. Lures that closely match baitfish are your best choice. When the wind is pushing water you want to be casting into the wind towards structure and cover. The bass will be facing into the wind waiting for baitfish and food to come in their direction. If you're fishing a cluster of pads, fish the windy side. hasn't changed conditions due to the rain. Stay away from areas that have had any significant change in conditions caused by the rain. Rain A light rain won't influence the fishing to any great extent. Heavy rains are another situation. Stay away from feeder tributaries where heavy rains are washing in muddy water. Fish the cover and structure where water clarity

14 Chapter 4 Pattern Fishing Pattern fishing has emerged as a methodology resulting from tournament style fishing. The strategy involves determining a set of conditions that produce bass and then concentrate your fishing on all the similar locations that match those conditions. On any body of water there are usually several productive patterns working at any given time. Some bass may be located in the shallows. Others will be found in deeper water on cover and structure. You can find some that prefer weeds and others rocks. The idea is to determine one or more conditions and locations where bass are located or staging. You have to size up the situation, try different lures in varied locations until something produces results. It takes experience and intuition to know the best place to start and what to try. Start by determining probable locations according to season, weather and water conditions. Highlight areas on your map that conform to those conditions. Use high percentage lures and techniques matched to your determination. When something works, pay close attention to what exactly it was that produced results. Determine the variables that are in play and be on the alert as conditions change. Be aware of changes in the wind, weather and sun then adapt accordingly. If you understand the behavior of bass and their response to low light, bright sun, overcast, wind and rain you can match cover and structure to those conditions. Summary Recap of locations by season & conditions:

15 Probable Locations by Season Spring Pre-spawn Fish the first major drop offs near spawning areas Post Spawn Summer Fall Winter Bass are scattered. Some are on the beds protecting fry and some have transitioned to more summer like habitat. Fish the edges of structure and cover in the shallows primarily during low light of dawn & dusk. At other times fish the cover & structure in deeper waters over 10 feet. Fish the cover and structure of the first major drop offs adjacent to shallow areas. Fish deep water structure after water temps drop below 45 degrees. Probable Locations By Conditions Low Light of Dawn & Dusk Fish cover and structure in 10 feet or less. Partly Sunny Bright Sun Fish shadows of cover and shade over feet depending on water clarity. Fish deeper cover around structure over feet depending on water clarity. Dead calm water Breezy Rain Bass spook easily. Requires longer cast to avoid spooking bass. A chop on the water provides better cover and reduces light penetration. Bass can locate in any water over 8-10 feet on structure. If it's not too heavy fish feet of water on structure. Stay away from any areas where rain is washing in silt and mud.

16 Remember there are three things bass seek for survival: Food Comfort Cover. Bass will eat almost anything at any given time but their first preference is crayfish. Contrary to popular belief more crayfish are found around vegetation than rocks. If you have the option of one over the other go for the vegetation. Vegetation also provides the oxygen levels that bass will seek. To seek the oxygen levels bass prefer, bass will choose vegetation or cooler water. Sometimes dropping below the thermocline to find it. To find oxygen they will: Go deeper Find moving water from a tributary or power plant Seek vegetation General locations where bass find cover are shade and the structure around vegetation, rocks, stumps, trees, fall-downs, docks, structures and holes.

17 Chapter 5 Scouting for Bass & Mapping Productive Locations on a Body of Water Scouting for bass and mapping a body of water is the only way to produce consistent results. Unless you can see cover & structure you have to eliminate unproductive water. Bass fisherman need to fish what they can see and what they can't see. What can be seen is obvious. What can't be seen is accomplished with contour maps and depth finders. On larger bodies of water a GPS is required to find and return to locations that hold fish. The ability to visualize bottom structure and cover is necessary to productive bass fishing. Without a map to start with you are essentially fishing blind over any water where you can't identify structure. On any unfamiliar water it's imperative to obtain a good map with contour lines at least every 10 feet preferably every 5 feet. Study the map before even getting on the water. The key is to bear in mind the season and conditions as it relates to likely spots that will hold bass. Start by pre-fishing the water on paper where you plan to fish. Get a map or use to put a game plan together. Mark all the spots that look promising. If you use the mapserver nautical charts you can create GPS coordinates for the spots you want to check out. Identify underwater structure elements like, drop offs, points and changing contours. Unless underwater weed beds are noted on the map you'll have to locate them through other means. Weed beds are dependent on several things like water clarity, fertility of the water and the type of bottom. Weeds won't grow where they can't root and don't receive sunlight. Use a highlighter and mark several potential spots

18 on the map for further investigation. Upon arrival at a general location use your GPS and depth finder to visualize the underwater feature by crisscrossing it a few times. Keep in mind that bass are edge oriented to structure and cover. You can drop marker buoys to maintain a position in reference to the feature you plan to fish. Marker Bouy Do not drop the buoys directly on the target. Position them with enough distance away to prevent spooking fish off. You can use weighted plastic worms or jigs to bump the bottom to better visualize whether you are fishing over mud, gravel or rock. You can tell if there are weeds, boulders or stumps submerged on the bottom. Decide on the highest percentage lure and technique to use and fish it systematically. Even if it's unproductive at the time that doesn't mean it won't hold bass some other time. You have to fish it several times under different conditions to determine if and when it will produce results. Use a GPS to mark the location for a return visit some other time. Every bass angler that produces consistent results has a log book even if they just keep it in their head. The log book should contain all the details pertaining to when, where, how, and under what conditions bass were taken. You must note the season, weather, type of structure, time of day, depth, water temperature, lures or live bait used, fishing techniques used and the conditions at play on each visit.. You have to learn a body of water like the back of your hand. Over time you'll develop an instinctive

19 process to find where bass are holding. How to fish it and when, will only start to come naturally through experience and time on the water. Scouting for bass and mapping a body of water is the most deadly method of bass fishing you'll ever learn. All the pros have mastered this procedure. Always keep in mind that the bass are somewhere in the lake at all times. It's up to you to determine when and where they will be. Bass are creatures of habit. The more you can learn about their patterns the easier it will be to find fish. Bass are more easily patterned during the summer. You will usually find them in the same places during the same time of day. Use your electronics to find fish in deep water when you're scouting structure. Note the details in your log book and don't forget to mark a way point in your GPS. Map as many of these locations as you can. Whenever you go out take the time to check them and update your log book. At times when you go back the fish may not be there. This is important too. They may not start showing up until a certain time. Once you determine when and where they show up that pattern will often continue for a month or more before it changes. There are ways you can scout off the water too. Besides using a map before hand to pre-fish the best potential spots there's a few other things to you can do to gather some knowledge. Many anglers like to stop at a popular diner for breakfast in the morning before going out. Sometimes just having breakfast in the area you plan to fish you can't help but hear conversations about the fishing. Wherever there's boat access to the water more than likely there will also be bait and tackle shops close by too. Stop in and note what they're selling for lures and live bait. The attendant will also have a few tips and pointers for you as well. While you're out scouting the water be sure observe the other fishermen to see their favorite spots. Scouting is all about gathering as much information

20 from as many sources as you can. Come up with a plan and work it. After several trips on a new body of water you should be able to target all the likely locations and use pattern fishing strategies to find the fish. With practice you will be able to scout a new body of water and visualize productive bass locations with relative ease.

21 Chapter 6 The Art & Science of Soft Plastic Worms Plastic worms rank as the number one most effective lure to use for landing bass. One of the main reasons is that it is so versatile in so many situations. It's just as effective at a depth of one foot as it is at 30 feet. It can even be used on the surface. You can rig it weedless and fish it under practically all conditions. The Bass simply cannot resist them. Even in heavily fished waters the bass do not become conditioned to it. One problem facing all anglers is the myriad of colors and lure styles to choose from. If you not catching many fish you are always wondering if another color or type will work better for you. Having many colors and types is not the answer. It's knowing which color and type to use under certain situations and conditions. If you can match the technique with color and type you'll be very successful most of the time. When using plastic worms you can keep the color choices to about six. Three for stained water and three for clear water. For stained water the best producers are black, purple and motoroil. If you're fishing in clear water then you should use blue, green or red. Texas Rigged Plastic Worms The Texas rig is the most popular setup used for plastic worms. If you rig it up in a weedless fashion it rarely gets hung up even on the toughest obstacles. Bass love cover. Weeds, brush, fallen trees, you name it. The weedless Texas rig can fish them all with little problem getting snagged or hung up. Heavy cover is no problem for this rig. Texas Rig Components Hooks to use for the Texas rig.

22 The next component is the slip sinker. Eagle Claw 95JB Mister Twister Keeper Sproat Hook Bullet Shaped Slip Sinker Choosing the correct size of slip sinker depends on the situation. Use a heavier sinker to fish deeper or in windier conditions. Size it to accomplish the intended use. Sizes range from 1/8 oz. to 1/2 oz. A little bit of experience will help to determine the appropriate size to use. Rigging the Texas Rig Step By Step Shown with an Eagle Claw 95JB hook. True Turn Hook Step 1 Use these hooks on 4 to 7 worms in hook sizes from 1/0 to 3/0. Fatter worms will require a bigger hook. Step 2

23 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 The final hook placement should be just under the surface for it to be used in weedless fashion. You can use the Texas rig with or without a bullet slip sinker. When using a bullet sinker take a tooth pick and break off a piece of it in the center hole of the sinker. This will keep the sinker from sliding up and down on your line and hold it snug to the worm. How To Fish The Texas Rig The most common method of fishing this rig is to let it sink to the bottom then hop it along lifting it 6 to 12 before letting sink to the bottom again. Keep your rod in the 10 or 12 o'clock position. Lift it with the rod tip for a couple of hops then retrieve the excess line. It's important to remember not to retrieve line while hopping it over the bottom. Just work the bottom with 2 or 3 hops, let it rest a couple of seconds and take up the excess line. You can try different patterns to see what works best. Usually on the Texas rig or a jig the bass will hit it as it's just falling back to the bottom. You'll know when you get a hit because the worm didn't have enough time to hit the bottom. If you feel something on the way up it's usually a bump from rock or some other obstruction on the bottom. When you get a strike, set the hook right away. Carolina Rigged Plastic Worms The Carolina rig is similar to the Texas rig with a few variations. It's designed to fish right on the bottom. Rig the hook in the worm the same as you would

24 with a Texas rig. Tie on the worm with an 18' to 24 leader and attach a swivel to the other end. Slide a bullet sinker on to your main line and then a plastic bead before tying off to the swivel. attract bass to the worm. This rig is good for fishing long wide points and flats. Fish it slow enough to keep the sinker on the bottom. If you're having trouble holding the bottom increases the size of the sinker. Use a steady retrieve, raising your rod tip just to lift the sinker over obstructions. These two rigs are a requirement in every bass anglers tackle box. The Carolina Rig The length of the leader determines how far off the bottom the worm will swim. Increase the length of the leader to allow it to swim higher off the bottom. If the bottom is covered with weeds try to get the worm to swim just over the top of the weeds. You can use this rig with sinkers up to 1oz. for longer casts and deeper water. In shallow water use sinkers from 1/8 oz. to 1/4 oz. Always keep the sinker in contact with the bottom. The sinker will create a trail of silt that also helps to

25 Chapter 7 Using Jigs For Bass Flippin Jig Designed to Fish Heavy Cover Jigs are very effective to use in all seasons. Especially so in colder water degrees when the bass are more sluggish A jig is basically a lead head molded to a hook and trailed with hair, rubber, plastic or feathers. They are available in all different shapes, sizes and configurations. One very popular form is referred to as jig'n'pig. It's just a jug with a pork rind or simulated pork rubber trailer. Black or brown combinations are preferred but they are available in a large variety of colors. Weedless varieties come with a plastic or bristle hook guard like the picture you see at the beginning of this chapter. Bass jig are available up to 1oz. but the most popular sizes range from 1/4 oz to 5/8 oz. You can fish a jig in any water from clear to muddy conditions. The main fishing technique is to hop the jig on the bottom. Fish it slow. Hop it on the bottom, let it sit then take up the slack with the reel. It's just a lift and drop technique. They work best when fished from deep to shallow water which makes it easier to stay in contact with the bottom. Bass will almost always take it as it sinks but will sometimes pick it up from the bottom. If your fishing weed beds on the bottom try to lift it just over the top of the weeds and drop it back to the bottom. Jigs are good to use after a cold front comes through. Under those conditions try fishing it with shorter hops. When fishing deep water remember to allow

26 enough time for the jig to reach the bottom. Use them or rubber worms anytime you're not sure what to try. Jigs are a good universal lure that will fish all seasons, weather and conditions.

27 Chapter 8 Using Spinnerbaits Shallow & Deep Spinnerbaits Spinnerbaits are also another very versatile lure for bass. They are mostly used from the surface down to 10 feet. The upper wire with the spinners serves as an effective hook guard which helps to make it snag resistant. A longer top wire is better in weeds and brush. You'll find these lures in all colors and configurations. The best color and color combinations are chartreuse, white and black. Sizes range from 1/8 oz. to 1 oz. and refers to the weight of the lead head only. Smaller sizes work best when there is more boat traffic and the bass are shy. Larger sizes are better when the bass are more aggressive and you have heavy chop condition with overcast skies. Big spinnerbaits will consistently take bigger bass attracting them from heavy cover and greater distances. Fish these lures during the spring and prespawn when the bass are in shallow water usually around visible cover. Especially under the low light conditions of dawn and dusk Spinnerbaits in shallow water can spook the bass if you cast to close to them. It's best to cast to a spot beyond and retrieve to your target location. With spinnerbaits you'll have to experiment with a variety of retrieves until you hit on something that works. A very effective technique is to retrieve the lure within sight of the surface. When your fishing in shallow water where you can

28 see the weed beds, retrieve it just over the top of the weeds. These lures can also be fished close to the surface where the spinners almost break the top of the water. You can also alternate the retrieve allowing the blades to occasionally break the surface.

29 Chapter 9 Getting More From Crankbaits Crankbaits Crankbaits are designed to imitate bait fish with a dive and wiggle action when retrieved. Their purpose is to trigger the ambush instinct and lure bass from cover. Shallow runners have a running depth of from two to six feet. Medium runners dive and swim from six to nine feet. Deep runners dive to twelve feet plus. Some can go as deep as twenty feet. Contrary to popular belief a faster retrieve will not cause a crankbait to run deeper. Just the opposite will occur. You can use a little faster retrieve in clear water. The bass react to it more by sight. In water that is cloudy, slow your retrieve down. Bass must sense it by sound and need more time to react. When using crankbaits it's better to bounce the bottom and bump into things. You shouldn't have to worry too much about a snag. The lip generally will shield the hooks from snagging. If it get wedged into something try slacking the line to see if it will float free. Sooner or later you are bound to get it snagged so it's advisable to have a lure retriever on hand. Lure Retriever Lure color is not as important as depth and speed. Natural bait fish colors generally work best. In

30 cloudy or stained water you should probably switch to chartreuse or white with a rattle inside.

31 Chapter 10 Get Your Adrenalin Up With Topwater Plugs Topwater Chugger Bass fishing topwater plugs is without a doubt the most exciting form of action you'll ever get. This is a shallow water lure but sometimes it can be effective when fished over very clear water. There are many different versions to pick from in this category such as buzz baits, chuggers, propellers, poppers, wigglers, stick baits and floating minnows. Which one you choose is not as important as when and where to use it. You use this plug over and around cover any time bass are in the shallows. From a seasonal standpoint you'll find bass in shallow water during the spring and fall. During the summer bass are normally feeding in shallow water during the nighttime and the low light hours of dawn and dusk. There are a couple of different ways to work these plugs. A propeller plug is usually retrieved at a steady pace with the propeller creating noise and disturbance. Poppers are worked with a slight jerk and a pause. The pop is what attracts the attention of bass. The pause can be short or long enough to let the ripples dissipate. As always you are looking for the type of action that will elicit a strike. The strike will usually occur when the plug starts to move after a pause. Walking the dog, as it is referred to is a method of retrieve done with a jerk and a pause that causes the plug to sashay back and forth in a steady cadence. You can do it with a slow shuffle or a splashing sprint to find out what bass seem to prefer. When the water is colder like in the lower sixties usually a slower retrieve work better.

32 Choice of colors can vary from a natural bait fish look or a frog like appearance. One of the all time favorites is white with a red head. It can work especially well in stained water because it provides extra visibility. As always you want to work all the cover and structure you can visibly see. Stumps, brush, lily pads, submerged weeds, docks and logs, are all good possibilities. In the morning as it starts to get brighter working the shadows is also good. Generally you will be fishing water up to six or eight feet. Casting accuracy is important. You have be able to cast or work the plug close to structure for the highest percentage of strikes. If you are working cover that is very close to the shoreline you may want to actually land on the shore and work it into the water from there. There are situations where a cast can be too close and spook the bass. At other times, bass will strike as soon as it hits the water. When you get a strike don't be too anxious to set the hook. Wait until you feel the fish before setting the hook. Most of the time they will hook themselves.

33 Chapter 11 Using Bass Scents & Attractants There's plenty of controversy about whether or not scents and attractants will improve your catch rate. This is something you'll have to establish for yourself. Even though bass do have a very high sense of smell the part it plays in their search for food is not that significant. For the most part bass are triggered to strike by sight and sound first. They do not follow a scent trail to find food. Their natural behavior is to locate around structure and cover to ambush their prey when it enters their proximity. The benefit in using scents occurs after they strike a scented lure. They will hold on to it longer giving you more time to set the hook. Another factor that enters the picture is which scent to use in different parts of the country. They say that certain scents work better than others in different bodies of water. An explanation given for this is that the concentration of natural forage differs enough from one area to another to make a difference. If there is one common belief as to the best formula to use it's a salt and garlic combination. For some reason this formulation with other ingredients seems to work consistently better than the others. Another important point to remember is to wash your hands with an unscented soap before handling lures or scents. This goes to say whether or not you will be using scents. One thing for sure is that foreign substances like gas, oil, nicotine or sun tan lotion on your hands while fishing will certainly hurt your chances of getting a strike. Everyone seems to agree on that point. The biggest misconception about scents is that they will attract bass in from other areas that weren't already there. Scents do not work like that at all. Professionals will use them because they want every edge they can get. If using scents means they

34 put one more bass in the boat it may make the difference in winning a tournament for them. The thing to remember about using scents is if they were undoubtedly effective there wouldn't be any controversy over how well they worked. On that basis it's safe to say that there is some benefit to be had for using scents and attractants. Just realize that the benefits aren't significant. They are marginal at best and they aren't a magic potion that will guarantee strikes. There are many other more important factors that will get results. With the right skill and knowledge you can be a very successful bass angler without using scents at all. The flip side to that is using scents without any other knowledge about bass fishing will not help you catch bass at all.

35 Chapter 12 Fishing With Live Bait Today most bass fisherman rarely fish with live bait because lures perform so well. Bass will strike practically any kind of live bait used for fishing. The list is endless. However, the number one live bait for bass is the soft shell crayfish. The soft shell crayfish is actual a state that the crayfish is in. It occurs when the crayfish sheds its shell before the new shell hardens. Not all bait shops will have soft shells on hand to sell. Hook them through the tail on a carolina rig to fish deep. In shallower water they can be fish without a sinker. If they are very soft you can use some thread to keep them on the hook better. Soft shells are especially killer bait for small mouth bass. When small mouth bass are schooled up every cast will land a fish. You will limit out so fast it takes the fun out of working for them. Another very popular bait for bass are minnows. Fatheads, shiners and shad, whatever is popular in your area. There are four ways to hook a minnow. There are pros and cons to each method. Each one has a specific purpose. The four methods are: Through the lips Below the dorsal fin

36 In the tail Above the anal fin Sometimes you want the shiner to stay put and sometimes you want him to move. How you hook them makes a difference. The most common one used is to hook the minnow through the lips. The point of the hook goes through the lower lip and comes out one of the two air holes in the top of the head. Hooking the hook this way The hook has more holding power if done this way and stays in place better. Bass eat baitfish head first. With the hook in the lips the minnow tends to face towards the boat due to the direction of the line. Common methods to fish shiners are: Freelining Under a Bobber or Balloon On a Carolina Rig When fishing moving water you can free line your bait without a sinker. If you're freelining minnows in moving water always cast your lip hooked minnow upstream so it's facing downstream. Predator fish always face upstream waiting for prey to flow towards them for an easy meal. When fishing any live bait without a sinker a spinning outfit is the best choice because it casts easily with little weight. Fishing minnows under a bobber is more commonly used than freelinning. When using a bobber rig with shiners you can hook the shiner through the lips, below the dorsal fin or tail. Use a 4/0 or 5/0 circle hook. Usually a bobber is set 18 to 24'' but no more than

37 four feet above your minnow. Depending on the spot and type of vegetation adjust the the bobber to fish just above submerged weeds, in open pockets and along the edges of floating vegetation.

38 Chapter 13 Log Books For Bass Fishing This is a list of the type of information that should be kept in a fishing log or journal. Date Spot Fished Spot Name, GPS Coordinates, Spot Type Details, Time Arrived, For how long Conditions Type of Day, Sun, Wind, Temps, Relation To Weather Fronts, Water, Moon Phase, Solunar Table Info, Tides Tackle Used, Techniques, Patterns Used, Describe the Action, Where Were The Fish, Why Were They There Results What Was Caught, Keepers & Throwbacks, How Many, Size & Weight Range How To Organize Your Log There are many ways to keep and organize a log book. You can use a computer program, subscribe to an online version, buy a fill in the blanks log, use a blank notebook, a daytimer or a calendar with blank squares. Tip: To use a free online fishing log go here, Whatever system you use keep in mind it's only useful if you can reference it easily. The more data you collect the more difficult it will be to find what you want. On the other hand, the more data you keep, you'll have a better chance of zeroing in on patterns. How it's organized for reference depends on how often you fish. It's better to start simple, build on it and let it evolve from there. The first level of reference should be by the month. If you use a ring binder its easy to put all the data each year for each month together in the same place. If the data collected starts to get extensive you can

39 create an index page for each month. That way you don't have to go through every log in that month to find what you want. Keeping your data organized by the month is best because it most closely relate to seasonal conditions. How To Use The Log How to use the log seems like an obvious question. You look in your log, find where, how and why you caught fish during that time of the year. Right? Well what if you are at a location you haven't fished before? If you have kept good information in the log you should be able to match the situation & conditions of one location to another similar location. Any relevant information in the log book can be a clue to finding bass in unfamiliar territory. If you collect the right data, you should be able to figure out why the fish were there. Once you understand why bass locate where they do and when, you can apply the knowledge wherever you fish. Anytime you put something in the log you should be trying to determine the pattern involved and how it relates to the conditions. It's common knowledge that bass locate to structure but you won't always find them there. Their biological requirements dictate where the go and why. Once you understand their biology, locate suitable structure and relate that to conditions you'll start landing bass on a regular basis. Bass Biology Your log book is like having a guide tell you where to go and what to do. The more you use it the better you will get at developing bass instincts First and foremost regarding bass biology and your log book is to have it tell you why are the fish there. You should understand that bass locate where they find: Food - Comfort - Cover All the information kept in a log should relate to one or more of those three reasons.

40 Food should be self explanatory. Comfort relates to water temperature, oxygen levels and the amount of sunlight. Cover relates to structure, safety from other predators and shadows cast over the water. Get the idea? If you understand bass preferences based on the seasons and conditions you should be able to log the pertinent details in your log book. It's important that you are able to interpret why they are there and what triggered the strike. Even if you have trouble figuring that out you might be able to isolate the conditions that validate when, where and why bass located where you caught them. The log book will eventually become your personal blackbook of strategies.

41 Chapter 14 Putting Together A Bass Fishing Strategy If you haven't been very satisfied with your fishing results lately start by pre-planning a strategy before you head out. Pre-planning a fishing strategy especially if you're a weekend bass fisherman will improve your results dramatically. Maybe not at first but the more you do it the better you will get. What variables should you consider when putting together a fishing strategy? Based on the time of year consider where you would expect bass to locate when you will be on the water What type of structure would you expect to be most productive? Consider how weather conditions will influence your strategy How would you expect the time of day to affect bass movements? What tackle or live bait should be productive in each location you plan to fish? These are the type of variables you have to consider for yourself when developing a fishing strategy. Know The Body Of Water You Plan To Fish If you don't know the body of water well that you plan to fish you better have a map on hand to plan with. What I mean by knowing a body of water is; Do you know the underwater terrain? Can you visualize the underwater terrain? Do you know where the weed beds are? Can you locate under water rock piles humps and drop offs. You should have a mental picture of what the bottom is like throughout any areas that might hold fish. Start With a Good Map

42 If possible get a map with a contour interval of 5 feet. A good lake map will show cover like stump fields, flooded timber and other details you will be interested in. Look for confidence areas where you would expect to find fish. Identify underwater structure elements like, drop offs, points and tributaries. Unless underwater weed beds are noted on the map you'll have to locate them through other means. Make notes on the map and highlight your confidence areas for easy reference on the water. Keep in mind the seasonal bass patterns while you mark out sections you want to fish. Use Fishing Reports Check the resources you know about or have developed for fishing reports in advance. Such as: Your fishing friends Internet websites & forums Attendants at the local bait and tackle shop Don't forget to chat with anglers at the launch site when you get there. Don't do it in a probing, nosy way. Just ask them what kind of luck they've been having. If you have any information, share it with them. Anytime you have a chance to make a new friend on the water, it's another opportunity to expand your network of fishing contacts for reports. Follow the Weather You need to keep tabs on the weather. Watch for approaching cold or warm fronts. Pay attention to barometric pressure. Bass bite best when barometric pressure falls or rises best. Fishing is toughest when it falls slow or when it's extremely high or low. Find out if it will be windy. Will it be bright sun or overcast? The weather forecast will effect how and where you plan to fish. By now you should know that bass will avoid bright sun. They will go deeper if the water is clear or seek the shadows in shallower water. Bass will seek their comfort zone where they can find food.

43 If there's a chop on the water they don't need to go as deep to get away from the sun. For bass it will always come down to food, comfort and cover. It's up to you to figure out where that would be at any particular time. Check Your Log Book You do have a log book don't you? Hopefully you do. If not there's no time like the present to start one. Your log or journal should have some valuable information in it. Can you match any data in your log to the season and conditions you will be fishing? If you will be fishing an unfamiliar body of water, is there anything in your log similar to it. Can you identify any productive patterns that you can use? Choose Artificials or Live Bait After taking everything else into consideration what do you plan to fish with? You will want to have some kind of strategy to choose live bait, lures or maybe a little of both. Based on the type of water and the depth where you think the bass might locate, naturally determines what you will need on hand. The fishing conditions will help you decide the type and colors that have the highest percentage of strike potential. Fish Your Strengths Fishing your strengths will help you catch more fish and build your confidence. Catching more bass builds your ability to develop other successful patterns and techniques. Once you have developed confidence in particular lures, patterns and certain types of structure you should start fishing those first. Then go on to work other locations and patterns. Check Your Gear Don't forget to check your gear. What kind of condition is it in? Is there anything that needs maintenance? Do your reels need re-spooling? Have your hooks been sharpened lately?

44 Do you have a checklist for the gear your planning to bring? A little bit of attention in this area can save you a lot of aggravation on the water.

45 Appendix A Recommended Gear GPS & Fishfinder Gear Handheld GPS Units models for outdoor and marine use. This unit features a removable microsd card for detailed mapping memory and a waterproof, rugged housing. The microsd card slot is located inside the waterproof battery compartment. Users can load map data and transfer routes and waypoints through the unit's fast USB connection. In addition, this unit features a new, highly sensitive GPS receiver that acquires satellites faster and lets users track their location in challenging conditions. The GPSMAP 76CSx also incorporates a barometric altimeter for extremely accurate elevation data and an electronic compass that displays an accurate heading while standing still. Considered the mainstay among serious outdoor enthusiasts, the GPSMAP 76CSx offers a large color TFT display and turn-by-turn routing capability. This unit also floats when dropped in the water. Garmin GPSMAP 76CSx The GPSMAP 76CSx is one of the most popular More details, a video and cradle mounting for this unit can be found here and see why it's so great for fishing.

46 Garmin 400C The Garmin 400c is basically an entry level fishfinder unit but it has great reviews. It has all the standard fishfinder features plus a few additional ones. It's designed for freshwater or saltwater use. You can learn a lot more about this model here. Humminbird 798c SI combo The 798c SI Combo features side Imaging, dual beam, sonar, GPS, and Chartplotting with built-in UniMap. In addition, it includes dual card slots for maps and saving waypoints, as well as 3 programmable preset buttons to save your favorite views. This fishfinder has a lot more to offer see the rest of the spec.

47 Trolling Motors Minn Kota Fortrex Bow Mounted Trolling Motor Key Features of the Minn Kota Fortrex 101 Bow Mounted Trolling Motor Mono Arm Design (eliminates motor play, reduces steering torque, twisting and racking, provides tighter tolerances, stays quiet for life-of-trolling motor) Single main hinge point Extruded Marine-grade aluminum structural beam design Composite bushings on all metal-to-metal interfaces Counter Tension Stabilizer Technology (CTS) featuring integrated spring arm Lift-Assist with gas-charged spring Reduces effort to stow and deploy motor by 50 percent New motor head made of a hybrid composite material 500 percent increased impact resistance Directional arrow is raised and illuminated for easy direction indication Bowguard 360 Breaks away at impact and resets automatically Design allows for motor removal Ergonomically designed to fight foot fatigue Provides ultra-responsive steering

48 Non-slip speed dial for precision control Constructed of non-marring soft rubber Abrasion resistant rope Optional Universal Sonar 2 Integrates fishfinder transducer into lower unit and wires into the shaft Dual beam capability Indestructible Composite Shaft guaranteed for life Cable Steering for responsive boat control Digital Maximizer delivers up five times longer run time on a single battery charge Weedless Wedge 2 Prop 3-Year Warranty Available with either 80 or 101 pounds of thrust and shaft lengths of 45, 52 or 62 inches Minn Kota Power Drive V2 Bow Mounted Trolling Motor Minn Kota PowerDrive Bow Mount Trolling Motor. Handy deploy-assist lever and an easy to use foot pedal. Select models feature the AutoPilot navigation system and Universal Sonar 2 Waterproof Foot Pedal: Attached to an 18' cord to give you hands-free control of speed, steering, on/off from anywhere on your boat. Deploy Assist Lever: Just press down on the lever to drop the motor in the water.

49 AutoPilot navigation system: Simply point your motor in the direction you want to go and AutoPilot will automatically take care of the steering for you. When the wind is blowing and the water is less than calm, AutoPilot will automatically adjust to keep you on course. Universal Sonar 2 US2 features sonar and temperature sensing compatible with all major brands of fishfinders. The transducer is built into the lower portion of the motor with all the wiring safely protected by the strong composite shaft, giving you a clean look without any exposed wiring. All you have to do is plug your fish finder in with the help of the plug-in accessory adapter and you're ready to track. US2 is also compatible with dual beam technology for an expanded view and greater bottom detail. Composite shaft is 3 times stronger than steel. Digital Maximizer technology allows motor to run 5 times longer on a single charge than conventional speed coil technology; Runs cool and quiet to cut down fish-spooking noise. Weedless Wedge 2 Propeller gets through the thick stuff at any speed. Minn Kota Traxxis Transom Mount Trolling Motor The Minn Kota Traxxis transom mount trolling motor is a no nonsense product. It's one of those products that just does what it's supposed to do. Even though it's a basic trolling motor it still has a lot of nice features built into the design. Visit this link to get the details and a video that demonstrates the features.

50 Polarized Sun Glasses weight. The optically precise filter embedded into the lens eliminates most glare and reflected light. Anti-reflective Coating on the backside of most Bolle lenses eliminates backside glare to reduce eye strain. 100% UVA/UVB protection, up to 400 nanometers. Bolle Sport Anaconda Sunglasses (Dark Tortoise/Polarized Axis) Wrap around style that holds tight with highperformance polycarbonate lens that are lightweight and shatter resistant. They stay on due to the inlaid, non-slip thermogrip temples and nose pads, The Bolle high-strength Thermogrip rubber temples and nose pads provide firm, comfortable adhesion. High performance polycarbonate lens are super lightweight. Premium-grade plastic resin is 20 times more impact resistant than glass, and a third of the TR90 Polarized Glasses for Fishing Shatterproof Flexible TR90 frame. Shatterproof Polycarbonate lens. Tac Hard Coat Polarization. POLARIZED/uv400 coating. Polarized Lens eliminates glare on water, windshields. UV Rayblock UV400 rated. Super Lightweight TR90 Unbreakable memory Frame less than one ounce

51 total weight. Classic styling & exceptional quality. Ships Complete with JiMarti Care Kit. Lifetime Breakage Warranty JiMarti POLARIZED Sunglasses P07 Revo Mirror Lens Colors Shatterproof Polycarbonate frame. Shatterproof Polycarbonate lens. TAC Hard Coat Polarized. Polarized/UV400 Color Flash coating. Polarized lens to Eliminate Glare on Water. Revo lens mirror effect in Vibrant Colors. Soft nose & Ear piece Lifetime Breakage Warranty

52 Bait Casting Reels Quantum Catalyst PT Baitcast Reel Every Quantum reel I ever owned has been a great product. The Catalyst is one of my favorite Quantum designs. This reel is so smooth you can hardly tell it's engaged. It has some really great features too. Find out everything you want to know about it here Abu Garcia Revo Fishing Reel S, Low-profile baitcasting reel made from an X- Craftic aluminum alloy 24-pound drag system delivers better fishfighting power than other reels 9 high-performance bearings provide smooth, long-distance casting

53 Spinning Reels Abu Garcia Black Max Low Profile Reel Swedish engineering MagTra brakes Duragear brass gears 6.2:1 high speed retrieve Cam lock, ADS (anti-distortion) wiffle spool, Instant anti-reverse Flipping switch. Shimano Stradic ST3000 Fi Propulsion Line Management System and the Aero Wrap II Oscillation System. Special cold-forged aluminum drive gear and a hardened brass pinion gear. 5-component Propulsion Line management System. Uniform line lay and winding shape to prevent loss of energy during the cast while providing longer casts. Graphite sideplate and rotor; aluminum body. Machined aluminum handle with direct drive handle that screws directly into the main gear. Five shielded A-RB and one roller bearing. Waterproof drag on all models. Can really put the heat on a big fish. See more about this reel here.

54 Pflueger President Spinning Reel stainless steel ball bearings. Double-shielded ball bearings in key locations.. Titanium ball bearing line roller. Stainless steel main shaft and components. The list of great specs for this reel goes on and on. When you see the price, you would have expected it to cost a lot more. Get the rest of the info on this reel here. Shimano Spirex FG Spinning Reel You should definitely check this reel out. It has 5 stainless steel shielded bearings. It's lightweight and has a quickfire one-handed casting system. All the specs are good and I believe the price to value ratio is very good. Find out more here.