If you are new to the rewarding fishing hobby, you must have experienced or tried your luck on how to catch any fish available to your nearest water body or a fish that you have been interested in targeting. Has the thought of specifically baiting a bass come across your mind?
Well, you have come to the right place to get some idea on how to catch Bass, which is found both in freshwater (striped bass) and saltwater (sea bass and striped bass), which could be pretty convenient for your spots.
KNOW YOUR BASS
The term bass refers to various distinct fish species, including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, etc. There is also sea bass, as mentioned before, which is a general term that refers to divergent species found in the sea, including black sea bass, spotted sea bass, barramundi sea bass, etc. The sizes of these fish could be from 20 inches to 9 feet! For example, the striped bass reaches a length of between 20 and 35 inches, and their weight can vary from 5 to 40 pounds. The term striped bass is a particular fish species belonging to the Moronidae family, which are also large carnivorous fishes, and when we use the term sea bass, we refer to multiple fish species that belong to the Serranidae family. The striped bass has a distinctive look that makes it recognizable immediately as they have unique dark stripes, a large mouth, and small metallic scales. The sea bass species have distinct colors and shapes. However, they may have standard features, like a large mouth, a forked tail, and large pectoral fins.
TIME AND PLACE
Anglers who are looking forward to a calming fishing trip inshore should hunt striped bass. Early morning and late afternoon are often prime times for bass fishing because they have a distinctive feeding advantage when they are more concealed and can see better with the sunlight dimmed. Bass fishing can be challenging, but determination is key! Striped bass prefer slower waters so they can be found in peers, near bridges, lakes, ponds, and other places. Anglers may choose to catch striped bass from a boat, kayak, or the shore all year round. Also, anglers choose medium action rods with a 20lb braided line, light baits, and small live lures that will be perfect for catching striped bass.
As for getting the right quality gear, you should get a good and robust medium-heavy rod, solid saltwater line, reel, some shrimps, and hermit crabs as bait is suggested as they are the perfect choice. Choose a line that is strong enough to handle the size of bass you expect to catch and more varieties of lures include worms, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and jigs.
Bass fishing is more convenient during spring, and that is when you can pivot your interest to spring bass fishing, and early summer bass fishing will increase your odds as well. Most anglers fish an immense amount of bass in the early pre-spawn period when bass are feeding up before they spawn. They are feeding and getting more aggressive as the water warms.
Bass are most cozy about being in 60-75 degree water, so the closest we are to that water temperature range, the more aggressive the fish will be but do not let this be a matter of worry for you because the more aggressive they are, the faster you can fish; remember to keep a lot of big retrieves and moving baits with you since that works best.
Like any other fish, Bass are unlikely to just be randomly floating around in the barren middle of a lake when they’re interested in feeding hence you’ll find them close to the same spots that smaller fish tend to hide in which means they’ll be in areas with an abundance of aquatic flora, around fallen trees, under docks and piers, and near sudden drop-offs or structures hidden beneath the water.
TOP GEAR
Every bass angler has a seven-foot, medium-heavy power, fast-action rod as their weapon because the bass is not like any other fish for example crappies, trout, perch, or other species who have a softer interior as their mouth where you easily get your hook nooked. When anglers choose to start fishing for bass, they have already come to the well-practiced fishing level by targeting the fish just mentioned. The rods and hooks, even the knot method you use for such fish, have to be completely different when it comes to bass catching. Invest in a heavy power fishing rod and reel which can take you a long way with not just bass fishing but any other. Bass, unlike many other fishes, have hard cartilage in their bony jaws so your hooks too, must be suitable for bass catching otherwise when you are just ready to feel like a victor as your rod feels the tug, as soon you try to reel your bass in the fish can just unhook itself easily from your bait and swim thanks to its aggressive nature.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Practice your casting on your front porch or lawn, your backyard, or simply anywhere because when you go fishing it is not the time to practice casting but to practice actual fishing. How well you have a grip on casting also matters when catching bass in their habitat. Spinning gear is a lot easier to learn how to cast than baitcasting, which is also less expensive. There are some good rod and reel combos out there for around 150 bucks or less, and they can get you out on the water.
ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
If you are a beginner at bass catching, you can also try to use certain electronics as this can be of great help. Electronics are not just for big, expensive bass boats. Even if you’re on a basic boat or kayak, a small graph with sonar and depth readings can change your fishing game. A 2D down-scan or side-scan can show you the bottom contour and structures like rock piles or submerged trees and marks in the water column signaling bass or other fish species. When you find structures or marks that look like fish in the water column, get your line and baits ready! Live sonar imaging and 360 imaging shows real-time sonar readings that allow anglers to find bass swimming through the water column, and track your bait as you make a cast at them. It’s almost as if you are using an underwater camera, and it gives you the knowledge and understanding to keep your bait around the fish, rather than fishing empty water.
THE BASIC METHOD
After you have successfully caught your first bass, make a mental note of where that bass was, your best guess as to why the bass was there, and how you presented the bait, this can save you a lot of time and help you understand bass finishing better mentally as you will find some confidence within that safe spot. With repeated success, you will develop a keen sense and fish better with more patience for these aggressive schools of bass.
Speak to a fellow experienced angler or search more on YouTube if you need more practical help or visual aids to understand how to work around the water body to catch these ambush predators in a jiffy without having to take much pressure because there is always more to learning and understanding about any topic; in this case bass fishing. You can learn extensively about baits and lures, how to tie a good knot, and how to reel in your scaly, metallic victim.