Swim Baits
October 28, 2007
There are a variety of swim baits currently on the market, ranging from small shad imitations to trout baits. The trout baits generally imitate stocked trout, which at least in California are a big bass staple. These trout looking lures range in size from 5 to 18 inches and resemble a rainbow trout.
Believe it or not but out here in the land of Giant bass you can ALWAYS be sure that many of the largest bas in the lake will make their home somewhere close to the boat ramp. No, not to ambush sleepy bass fishermen launching their boats but they do stay in the area to ambush something.Speaking from my own personal observations I know for a fact that bass get “In Tune” to the sound of the trout stock truck. Hold on, I know what your thinking “Mike, you’ve spent way to much time in the sun and you’ve gone crazy” Hear me out.Over the years, back before I got my first bass boat, I can remember sitting on the dock fishing, have the stock truck pull up and as it sat preparing to dump its load the big bass start to appear out of nowhere, this is well before the first trout hits the water. Then as the trout were being dumped the carnage begins, DINNER IS SERVED!Here these poor trout are stunned from the ride, not knowing what is going on, dumped into the lake where they are considered Candy to the bass.I remember trying all kinds of different lures at these monster bass in an attempt to get them to bite to no avail. They were 100% focused on the trout.
During this same time frame I talked to several other fellow anglers who had witnessed the same phenomenon at other lakes so I knew it was not some kind of fluke.
I covered allot of the history of trout swim baits as well as rigging techniques in “My Personal Quest For Trophy Bass” post so I don’t think I need to do it again. One thing I didnt mention was if you see trout “porpising” on the surface, running scared cast your trout there. Chances are Mr. Trout is being chased by a big nass wanting to make a meal out of him.
Then we have a whole array of different swim baits. There are the Shad looking, Sunfish looking, Bass Looking models. Shallow diving, deep diving, suspending and sinking ones. We have the soft plastic, hard plastic ones, part hard part soft ones and wooden ones.
A person could easily spend their kids inheritance trying to buy everything out there but as a basic rule follow the K.I.S.S rule, (Keep It Simple Stupid). If you can afford one of each, do it. If not some soft shads, soft sunfish and soft bass in the 3-5 inch variety should be sufficient.
As a general rule of thumb these lures are not as big as the trout imitators so they don’t require the magnum tackle one would use with the trout lures. However depending on the size of the lures stout tackle will still be needed.
Some tips on how and when to use each swim bait are as follows. When? Anytime of the year, of course you need to factor in several variables when selecting which one.
During spring the sunfish would be a good choice. Bass will be protecting beds from sunfish so this would be a good search bait on flats around spawning grounds.
During summer the bass would be a good choice mainly because there will be allot of small bass swimming around from the spawn.
During late summer into fall the shad type lures will excel mainly because bass will be keying on them during this time of the year to fatten up for the winter when forage is not as readily available.
I’ve touched on the when, now I’ll touch on the how. What I do is keep a close eye on my electronics, looking for bait on structure, this is when good electronics come in handy. When I find the bait I’ll cast my lure out past the structure, let it sink to the desired depth and start my retrieve.
Remember to impart some erratic action, even if very subtle, to make your offering look like its injured, bass by instinct will always pick off the injured ones first, its in their genetic makeup.
Another tip is to watch for balls of shad suspending. These can also be seen on good electronics as a big gray ball. Watch the shore line for activity, “dimples” on the surface could be sunfish or shad feeding. This would be a good place to make a cast.
Try some of these tips on your next trip and you should have some success.
Until Next Time, Good Luck And Tight Lines To Ya!
Senko Tips
October 27, 2007
Not too long back Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits released their version of the do nothing worm and they called it a Senko. (They can be purchased by clicking the Bass Pro Shops Link to the Right)
The Spawn. Part 2
October 27, 2007
OK, in a previous post I covered some of the basics of the pre-spawn and spawning activities now let’s break it down a little.The male bass makes the bed, convinces the female why she should spawn with him, actually she will spawn with several others as well. Does that make her a floozy? Anyhow, she sticks around for a little while helping protect the fry from predators but after a couple days she takes off and leaves daddy to fend for himself. Read more
My Personal Quest For Trophy Bass
October 14, 2007
During my quest to learn how to catch big bass, and hopefully one day catching the world record largemouth bass I have read a lot of books and articles. I have also spent countless hours on the water, trying many different lures and techniques as well as studying topographic maps and attempting to locate the “Prime” spots with my depth finders that I found on the maps.
In my opinion one of the best topographical maps are still the ones available from the USGS, United States Geological Service. If you can get your hands on a Edison map, hmm, I guess that might be a California term so for those who don’t know, Read more
The Spawn. Part 1
October 11, 2007
This article will cover some aspects of the pre-spawn and spawning process. In Part 2 I’ll talk more about the spawn and post spawn as well as give tips on techniques I have had success with.
Spring is the time when bass start their journey to the shallow water for the yearly ritual of spawning. However out here in the gin clear waters of California, I personally have seen bass on beds as deep as 20 feet. But as a general rule most bass will move up to the shallow’s to spawn. It is at this time that bass become more vulnerable and easier to catch. During spawning time the bass basically come to the fisherman, instead of the fisherman having to go out and hunt for the sometimes elusive creature. Read more
Reaction Baits
October 9, 2007
Often called search baits. These lures are most best used when the bass are aggressively feeding or easily provoked. Some of the prime times to use reaction baits are in the late winter/early spring when the bass are aggressively feeding to fatten up for the upcoming spawn. Another prime time is fall because they see that the days are getting shorter and this triggers the instinct to fatten up for the upcoming winter when the food source is not as abundant. Yet another good time is early in the mornings or the evenings during the summer. Night fishing during the summer can be very productive as well.
Some of my favorites reaction baits are as follows, First off the crank baits, of which there are several different kinds, which we will go into a little later. Second would have to be spinner baits, also know as blades. Then we have the jerk baits also know as rip baits or twitch baits. Then my all time favorite, surface lures.
Crankbaits: As I mentioned there are several different types of crankbaits, all of which come in floating, slow sinking, fast sinking and suspending. There are many different ways of working this type of lure. One very effective way is to crank it down to the bottom and every time you hit something to stop and let it float back out. At times bass will crush them as they float back up.
Shallow Diving, these usually have a smaller lip on the front.
Deep diving, these have a bigger lip allowing them to dive deeper.
Flat Sided, these usually sink slowly and can be worked at various depths and speeds depending on the mood of the fish.
Spinnerbaits: Safety pin style, not the inline type that are usually associated with trout. These lures are pretty much weedless and can be worked very well through trees without hanging up. They can be worked in a variety of ways from waking the surface to slow rolling in deep water as well as fished like a jig. Another effective trick is to reel the spinnerbait very quickly up to a piece of structure and let it “die” by stopping to reel and letting the bait helicopter down and hang on because at times they will try to rip the pole out of your hands.
Recently there has been allot of attention drawn to the “Chatter Bait” which is basically a modified version of a spinnerbait but it is every bit as effective as its cousin the spinnerbait.
JerkBaits: Long skinny lures. You have your shallow divers with a small lip and deep divers with a bigger lip. These lures are generally worked in an eratic manner, jerk, jerk, pause. Increase the amount of jerks or let it pause longer, try faster or slower jerks, try all kinds of different retrives until you figure out just how the bass want it at the time. Then there are the soft plastic jerkbaits, Sluggo’s, Flukes, Shadows and such.
Surface: There is a whole plethora of surface lures. Basically any lure that floats on the surface and creates some kind of disturbance from walking the dog to chugging. Some examples of surface lures are, Sammy’s, Zara Spooks, Pop R’s, Frogs and buzz baits. Also some crankbaits can also be used as surface lures with good luck as well as a whole variety of soft plastics rigged weightless. Trust me, there is nothing like the adrenaline rush one gets when they witness a big ole bucket mouth exploding on their surface lure and it does not matter if it’s the first time or the millionth time, the rush is ALWAYS there..
As you can see, the list can be quite extensive. I’ll go into more details on each of these different types of reaction baits in future articles, giving some tips I’ve picked up over the years as well as sharing some secrets on modifying them that I personally feel improve your cast to strike ratio.
Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines to Ya!
“Be The Bass” My Thoughts On Catch and Release
October 8, 2007
Let me take a moment of your time to explain the importance of catch and release, any resource can be severely damaged for years if we don’t practice catch and release with the large, genetically better bass. These “superior” bass are capable of producing more genetically better bass for years to come. If they are all removed, are your children ever going to be able to enjoy this sport we cherish so much?My question is, if you catch a Trophy bass, why kill it? This creature has withstood the test of time and nature. Do you realize that a 10 pound bass has survived some outlandishly high odds?When she was born, along with several thousand others, they had to avoid being eaten by nest robbing carp and sunfish as eggs and well as “Fry”. Then once her “Dad” got tired and hungry of guarding her she had to avoid being eaten by him. Many of her brothers and sisters didn’t make it.When she made it to the fingerling stage, she had to watch out for more predators, other bass, birds, and other species of fish. As well as disease’s and parasites. What a tough life huh? Finally she reaches “Adult” size, say 12 inches. According to scientific studies, out of the thousands of eggs laid only 10-20 will actually make it to this stage.Now she has to avoid being caught by fisher people or hope that is she does get caught, they practice catch and release. She also has to watch out for other bigger bass that attempt to eat her.One day while tournament fishing I came across this big bass, about 7 pounds, floundering around on the surface with something sticking out of its mouth. I scooped her up in my net and to my amazement this 7 pound bass was chocking on another bass, still alive mind you, that she attempted to eat that weighed at least 2 pounds and of course she couldn’t swallow it. I realized then that as far as bass are concerned, “If I can fit it in my mouth I can eat it”. I pulled the smaller bass out and even though I wanted to stick them both in the live well my ethics would not allow me to. BTW, that day good karma shined on me and I weighed in a 28.4 pound, 5 bass limit sack and won the tournament.
Anyhow, back to the subject. As time progressed and she grew, she learned that if something was pulling her in one direction, a line connected to a fishing pole, to run to their “Feel Safe” area’s, which is usually the nearest cover, trees, rocks, etc. run in circles and this would somehow enable her to swim freely once again, because she just broke your line. As you can see, she has gone through allot to become the trophy she is now today.
So, if you are lucky or skilled enough to catch one or more of these superior bass, take pictures, measurements and weigh her. There is nothing more satisfying and rewarding than seeing the beautiful creature swim back into the darkness after a great fight. Now days most taxidermists will use an already made fiberglass replica of a bass, which looks so good when their done that you could never tell that it is a glass reproduction, right down to the gills. If you take in the actual fish, most of the time they will end up throwing it away or eating it themselves.
One word of caution. Your mount will only be as good as the artist preparing it is. Be it a skin mount or a fiberglass reproduction, it still must be painted. Make sure you see some of the taxidermists work before you pay the money to have it done. See if they are good at matching real life colors, etc.
Until Next Time, Good luck and tight lines to ya!
My Big Bass
October 5, 2007
The day I caught my big bass …
I remember it like it was yesterday. It was back in the early 80’s, I don’t remember the exact day but I do remember it was in early spring. A friend and I decided to go over to Lake Isabella, basically my home lake, for a day of tubing, and what a memorable day it turned out to be.
Twas a bit nippy that morning as we loaded the truck so the little woman made me take along the waders. I promise her that I would use them, what a mistake that would turn out to be … keep reading to find out why.
Anyhow as we are driving to the lake, rounding a corner we both detect the very distinctive smell of a skunk within close proximity. All of the sudden there he was, directly in the path of the headlights … Thinking quickly I figured I would rather take the little fella out, may God rest his little soul, instead of a head on into oncoming traffic or over the mountain side. To this day I’m still not sure if that was a good idea or not. Everything that was in the bed of the truck had the skunk smell on it.
We arrived at the lake at 0 dark 30 and proceed to get ready to get out on the water. Oh yeah, my waders, float tube and fishing rods all had the wonderful smell of road kill skunk on them so that was real pleasant, ha! Because of the promise made, I pull on the ole waders, which by the way were the old fashioned thick vinyl, rubber coated, oversized 50 pound models.
Maybe I exaggerated the weight just a bit, but neoprene ones were not yet invented. Either that or they were still way too expensive. I then hook up the suspenders in order to keep them up so they didn’t fill with water.
Off we went, throwing a good old Texas rigged 6′ Mann’s Jelly worm. This was before the days of the hand poured plastics we all use now days. In black grape we proceed to kick some bass. I truthfully don’t remember just how many we caught that day but it was quite a few. Most of the bass were averaging about 1-2 pounds with a couple that were in the 5 pound range.
As the day progressed I figured what the heck and put on a 12 inch Jelly worm that I had originally bought as a joke. I believe it was a 12 incher, I remember they used to sell them in 2 packs.
Anyhow, on my first cast with this monster worm I feel the distinctive tap, tap of Mr. Bass inhaling the worm. I then reel down and proceed to drive the hook home. As soon as I set the hook I KNOW that the beast on the other end of the line was a lot bigger that the 5 I had caught earlier and the fight was on. I battled this giant for what seemed like hours, in truth it was probably more like 3 or 4 minutes before she came up to the surface and shook her head.
“Holy Sh*t!!” I yelled when I saw her. My buddy didn’t see her but knew by the way I was reacting that I did have a big un.
Then my worst nightmare came true, she had managed to get into a submerged tree. I looked at my buddy and said, “Hold my rod Cliff, I’m going in after her”.
As I said earlier, Cliff had not seen her jump so he didn’t know just how big she was so he thought I had gone completely nuts. “Just break her off” Cliff told me, to which I replied …
“NO WAY, this is the world record bass”. Mind you, at this point in my “Bass” career the largest I had caught was a 7 pounder.
I then proceeded to un-hook the crotch strap and drop down into the water. As Cliff was holding the rod I started to swim down with a knife in one hand to cut the line and using the line between my fingers with the other as a guide.
I figured I’d keep my eyes closed to avoid getting all the dirty water in them, big mistake. All of the sudden I found the tree with my forehead, yep that required 4 stitches.
It was then that I opened my eyes and saw the size of the fish. I grabbed her by the bottom lip, cut the line and proceeded to try and swim back to the surface.
Remember the waders? Yep, the once 50 pound waders were now completely full of water and weighed a TON. There was no way I was going to let go of what I was sure was a world record bass. So there I am, my life passing before my eyes, bass in one hand, knife in the other wondering just how the papers would report this one.
I then realize all I have to do is un-hook my suspenders and swim out of the anchor that my waders had become. Easier said then done. I ended up dropping my knife in order to use my free hand to help me disconnect the suspenders and wiggle free of the 2 ton anchor, ha!
So I finally get out of the waders as I kicked up to the surface. Gasping for air as I finally broke the surface. Cliff told me that he was starting to worry about me and asked if the fish was worth it. As I slowly pulled her out of the water he was shocked.
I took her to the local super market, after a quick stop at the E.R to stitch up my forehead, to weigh her as well as brag about the one that didn’t get away. She weighed in at a whopping 15.7, not quite the world record but a monster never the less.
Yes, this was back in the old days when we just didn’t know any better and everyone kept their catch. Hell, catch and release was a term used by fishermen who were just too lazy to clean their catch. Now days, I wouldn’t even dream of killing such a magnificent animal.
It was at this point in my life I had an epiphany. I wanted to learn everything there was to know about catching big bass. Yes, anyone can get lucky from time to time and catch a 10 pounder but in order to catch them consistently it takes a different mind set because they are a superior fish.
No, I don’t believe bass possess the ability to gain knowledge like humans do. But I do believe that they learn from past experiences and become conditioned to things that are not normal for them …
Like the sound of a boat motor, the dropping of something in a boat, especially an aluminum boat without a deck or even loud noises.
I also believe that they become conditioned to smells and lures that produced an unpleasant effect the last time they encountered it. Like being pulled in a direction they didn’t want to go by a fishing line. Their natural instinct is to attempt to go somewhere safe, brush, rock piles, or a structure. In general, Like I said, Conditioning, not knowledge.
During my quest to learn how to catch big bass, and hopefully one day catching the world record largemouth bass I have read a lot of books and articles.
In My Honest Opinion a MUST read for anyone who is serious about catching big bass consistently is the book by Bill Murphy titled “In Pursuit of Giant Bass
Another good read is “Big Bass Zone: Catch Monster Bass
I do hope you enjoyed my story. It sure brought back some great memories for me.
Until Next Time, Good Luck to ya and Tight Lines
Technorati Tags: big bass, largemouth, bass, fishing
Fishing with kids
October 5, 2007
You build lasting moments when fishing with kids. Some of my fondest memories are of me fishing with my dad. Just being outdoors with him, enjoying nature and catching fish. Even though he was very busy working 2 jobs to support our family he would always make time to take me fishing.
There are a few things to always remember when fishing with kids:
First and foremost, as a general rule kids have a pretty short attention span; If the fish aren’t biting or if the they are not casting and reeling, kids can become bored rather quickly.
Don’t plan on doing “Hard Core” fishing when there are kids involved. This is one of the best ways to get them turned off to fishing.
Make a fun day out of it, fish for some trout or bluegill, I’ll share some tips a little later.
You need to be willing to move if the fish are not biting in one spot. Don’t spend too much time at an unproductive spot. Even if you may know that there are fish there and he will eventually bite as soon as you figure out exactly what will trigger the basic “kill instinct” that all bass have.
When fishing with kids be sure to answer any and all questions they ask about fishing no matter how “Basic” they may seem to you. Chances are it is new to them. Kids are like sponges that willingly suck up as much information that they can especially about subjects they enjoy or are interested in.
Bring plenty of snacks as well as lunch. There is something about being outdoors that gives kids the munchies. Fruits, chips, crackers, beef jerky, sandwiches or fried chicken are always good choices. Just about anything will work. Remember to keep all foods “Finger” type foods for ease.
I remember dad used to bring those little cans of Vienna Sausages and as a kid I thought they were pretty tasty but now as an adult I wonder, “What was I thinking?” ha! Besides that, if your a “Label Reader” like I have recently become, their not very healthy.
Bring plenty of liquids, everything from water, to Gatorade to sodas or orange juice. Being outdoors anyone can get dehydrated. Make sure, even if you’re having the fishing day of your life, that Jr., as well as yourself, take the time to re-hydrate. It only takes a few seconds and it will be time well spent.
Bring a camera, tape measure and a scale to weigh their catch. You’ll want to be take pictures, as well as weigh and measure the fish, especially if you’re practicing catch and release. This way the memories will last a lifetime. You can also create photo gifts, calendars and books over at Photoworks.com for lasting keepsakes and gifts.
Explain the importance of catch and release of the big bass especially when it’s a natural resource vs. a stocked one, but make sure you at least keep a few fish so Jr. can taste his catch. It fuels the “Cave Man” instienct in all guys, ha!
ALWAYS bring sunscreen for obvious reasons. Pack insect repellant. A hat is always good as well as a thin long sleeved shirt, one that will breath to keep them cool as well as protect them from the suns direct rays.
If you’re fishing with kids always be willing to fish for other, easier to catch, species of fish if the bass just don’t want to cooperate. Below are some basic tips for other species of fish, that in my personal experiences are easier to catch:
Trout Tips:
Use the lightest line possible, Maxima Line Maxi Spool - 4 pound test works well. Personally, I would not use anything higher that 6 pound. The lighter the line the harder it is for fish to see, the more natural your offering will appear.
Do NOT use bright floresent lines. If fishing with salmon eggs as bait completely cover the hook, I prefer to use a size 12 red salmon egg hook.
Go to the hatchery and get some of the trout food, crush it up and mix with the bait, you will be amazed how effective this trick is. Think about it, almost all of the California trout are hatchery raised, unless of course you’re up in the high country fishing for brown or Brooke trout with weedless hooks but that’s a totally different subject. Anyhow, Mr. Trout is swimming along and he smells the hatchery food and something in his mind tells him that its food, even if he is not hungry he just might eat your offering.
Another really effective tip is to use a clear casting bubble about 4-5 feet up your line with a size 12 or 14 single red salmon egg hook, with no weight whatsoever. The bubble will act as your weight so long distance casts are easily achieved.
On the single hook place 1 or 2 salmon eggs, cast it out and the egg will slowly sink, let it set and watch your bubble, if this is not working try a very slow retrieve.
Then there is always the paste or putty type baits, Berkley Powerbait, Sierra Gold, Zekes and a whole bunch of others. Me personally I prefer the Powerbait. As far as color goes they offer way to many colors as far as I’m concerned. I found that basically anything with yellow in it will produce but there are those that like the more “Creative Colors.” Bottom line, the choice is yours, there is no need to buy every color made but a couple different colors is a good option. Besides that, kids enjoy playing with this stuff.
Inflated worms, red worms or baby night crawlers, aka Dillys, will work. Then we always have the crayfish. These little fresh water lobsters can provide entertainment when the fish dont want to cooperate.
Then there is always Velvetta cheese, Marshmallows, corn and even peanut butter in cheese cloth. These items can also double as snacks if the fish dont want them. BTW, dont try this eating trick with any of the other baits I’ve mentioned, ha!
Remember, these are trout and there is no reason to deliver a bone crushing hookset like you would use for bass but a quick slight tug is needed to make sure you “Stick” him
Bluegill Tips:
Again use light line like I mentioned for the trout. Tie on a small Bait Holder Hook in a size 8 or 10, about 1 foot up the line put on one small split shot and about 1-2 foot up the line attach a bobber and put on a piece of night crawler. Kids love the visual thing, watching the bobber go under, unless of course it is far and few between on the bites and all they are watching is the bobber floating along.
Fishing with kids can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience for both you and them. If you catch fish or not during the trip, as long as you made it fun and enjoyable, you both will remember it for years to come.
Kids are our future. Do your best to keep the whole trip as fun and light as possible so they have a good time and learn to love the sport of fishing.
Get them “Hooked on Fishing Not Drugs!”
Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines to ya!
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