Proven Bass Catching Fall Pattern. If you were to ask any serious bass fisherman what’s the number one thing they look for during the fall when fishing a large lake or reservoir, nearly all would tell you the number one thing would be baitfish! It’s a case of the predator following its prey. During this period of the year, baitfish like the Alewive are the perfect size and tend to concentrate in huge schools. They’re much easier to locate than individual bass. Find them and you’ll usually find several bass. It’s not uncommon to limit out by just following a large, single school of Alewive.
During the fall, as water temperatures begin to cool down, Alewive are the first to migrate to the coves, hollows and creek arms. Guess who’s following soon after? That’s right — the bass! Often, you’ll be able to see the baitfish just below the surface with your naked eye. This is where polarized sunglasses can really pay off. Sometimes they’ll be churning the surface with bass hot on their tails. Other times, you’ll need to locate them and the depth they’re using on your depth finder. This is one of the most dependable of all fall bass patterns, and surprisingly, a high percentage of bass fishermen don’t realize that so much centers around baitfish during this time of year.
Unless a cove is particularly large, with plenty of deep water, it will produce the greatest number of fish in the spring or fall months of the year. Coves are far more protected than an open lake, and for that reason they’ll warm up much more quickly in the spring and cool off faster in the fall. These temperature differences between a typical cove and the main lake are enough to attract baitfish in a big way. The bass will not only shadow the baitfish for food, but most times find the water temperature more to their liking, making them more active than those in the warmer waters of the main lake. I hope you all try this Proven Bass Catching Fall Pattern.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Fall and Winter Bass Fishing Q & A’s
Fall and Winter Bass Fishing Q & A's.
Q. A lot of people mention down-sizing their tackle in the cooler months…using smaller lures, lines, etc., why?
A: Well, in winter, many of the reservoirs up here in the Northeast are pulled down to “winter pool” and held at a relatively constant elevation. So the water is often much clearer in fall and winter…as opposed to spring when there is a lot of rains. As a result your presentation is much more visible.
But it is also true that the vision of fish improves as the water gets colder. The colder the eye, the greater the visual acuity and sen¬sitivity of vision becomes. A simple bass fishing secret that you might not have known about. That allows the fish to go deeper into darker water and still retain ex¬cellent vision. This is important because sight is a bass’ pri¬mary sense in feeding. It might also be smart when fish¬ing the cold water months to use lighter-weight line, because sci¬entific evidence shows fish see better than we ever thought.
Q. What is the secret to fishing in the colder months of the year?
A: It’s a proven fact that bass are not going to chase a lure very far — if at all — in water below 45-degrees, and if they do they will target smaller fair rather then attempt to chase a larger prey. Understanding this is the key to winter fishing in many areas of the country, especially here in the North East where we can have some drastic temperature changes in a shot amount of time.
When you’re fishing cold water, you really have to concentrate on what you’re doing and what your lure is doing (Presentation Presentation). Most importantly, you have to think “slow!” The idea is to fish a lure as slowly as you can, and even then, you’ll probably still fishing it too fast, especially when you’re not catching much.
Q. Do cold fronts always have the shutdown effect that most anglers expect for bass fishing?
A: Cold fronts are perceived as one of the worst things a fisherman can experience. Fronts affect some waters differently than others. A front can have much more influence on a clear lake than a stained or muddy one, yet a lake can be much more affected than moving water or a river or creek. Tributaries with a current flow are considerably less susceptible to drastic changes, than still water.
Q. How long does it take for fishing to get back to “normal” after a major front moves through?
A: Post-front fishing is always hard. Remember that cold fronts typically do not affect deep-water fish as much. The cause of it all is the sudden change in barometric pressure (fish detect this by way of their swim bladder). It sends fish into panic mode. They need assurance and a return to comfort. Normally, this comes via a couple of days of stable weather.
Watch that barometer closely, by the way. A slow-rising barometer is best, and a fast falling barometer can be good. An extremely high barometer most often translates to poor fishing. Stay tuned for more Fall and Winter Bass Fishing Q & A's.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Fishing With Hair Jigs for Bass Not Just For Fall Part 2
On what I like to call my home lake the Kensico reservoir the small but deadly hair jig can be applied as well. Kensico is a fairly clear man made New York City reservoir impoundment. Kensico is an awesome bass fishery with smallmouth dominating the lake. Spinnerbaits and top waters are deadly when fished correctly. However, when winds die down and the top water bite is not producing, I have had tremendous success fishing hair jigs on weed edges and gradual sloping rock banks. Part of the reason for this is that hair jigs can be fished within a bass’ strike zone and are very un-intimidating when fish are skittish.
Tackle specifics:
When fishing hair jigs the ideal tackle is a 6 to 6.5 foot spinning combo. The rod should be a medium/light medium action with a very sensitive tip and parabolic action. The reel should be a medium-spinning reel with a very smooth drag system for fighting larger or running fish. The reel should be filled with 4 to 8 pound test clear or green monofilament. You can if you wish use one of the super braided type or fire lines if you wish. The only down side is that you may pull a jig right out of a bass’ mouth unless you are very adept at fishing this type of line.
The jig I prefer is a Liv-O-Lure 1/8th, or ¼ ounce size in either black, black/blue, brown, or brown/orange. I generally don’t stray much from these colors since they closely resemble small crawfish. If you desire a super slow fall a mini trailer can be added which is one of the reasons I prefer a Liv-O-Lure hair jig. Its oversize hook allows for an added trailer without losing to much of the hook gap and thereby loosing hook setting potential. If I use a trailer at all it is usually a mini pork trailer or baby pork craw.
So the next time you are fishing whether it is spring, summer, or fall, tie on one of these little bass enticing hair jigs and give it your best. Remember to fish slow and methodically. You may just be surprised by what you find. These lures produce fish. I hope you enjoyed this article Fishing With Hair Jigs for Bass Not Just For Fall.
Until next time, good luck and good fishing!
Respectfully, Phil Livo
LIV-O-LURE Research & Development Specialist
© 2000 - 2002 Liv-O-Lure.All rights reserved
Tackle specifics:
When fishing hair jigs the ideal tackle is a 6 to 6.5 foot spinning combo. The rod should be a medium/light medium action with a very sensitive tip and parabolic action. The reel should be a medium-spinning reel with a very smooth drag system for fighting larger or running fish. The reel should be filled with 4 to 8 pound test clear or green monofilament. You can if you wish use one of the super braided type or fire lines if you wish. The only down side is that you may pull a jig right out of a bass’ mouth unless you are very adept at fishing this type of line.
The jig I prefer is a Liv-O-Lure 1/8th, or ¼ ounce size in either black, black/blue, brown, or brown/orange. I generally don’t stray much from these colors since they closely resemble small crawfish. If you desire a super slow fall a mini trailer can be added which is one of the reasons I prefer a Liv-O-Lure hair jig. Its oversize hook allows for an added trailer without losing to much of the hook gap and thereby loosing hook setting potential. If I use a trailer at all it is usually a mini pork trailer or baby pork craw.
So the next time you are fishing whether it is spring, summer, or fall, tie on one of these little bass enticing hair jigs and give it your best. Remember to fish slow and methodically. You may just be surprised by what you find. These lures produce fish. I hope you enjoyed this article Fishing With Hair Jigs for Bass Not Just For Fall.
Until next time, good luck and good fishing!
Respectfully, Phil Livo
LIV-O-LURE Research & Development Specialist
© 2000 - 2002 Liv-O-Lure.All rights reserved
Friday, October 16, 2009
Fishing With Hair Jigs for Bass Not Just For Fall Part 1
When the topic of hair jigs comes up among bass fishermen it is almost always associated with fall bass fishing. However, this is not at all true. In fact, hair jigs can be highly effective when fishing becomes tough and the bite is slow. I remember fishing the Rip Van Winkle tournament on Connecticut’s Candlewood Lake in the early spring about 3 years ago when they paid huge dividends. I had partnered with Keith Cleary on a two-day tourney. As is usually the case on Candlewood jerk baits and crank baits were the preferred weapons at this time of year. We were on a fair jerk bait bite during practice as well as the first day of the tournament. The second day the bite turned tough in spite of high winds, which normally fire up the jerk bait bite this time of year. The problem was that the winds were out of the north and as one would expect in early spring very cold. This resulted in dropping the water temperature below the 43-degree mark and turning the jerk bait bite to seldom. Keith suggested we cover some of the more sheltered areas of the lake with a different approach. On Candlewood these areas are few since the lake runs north to south. We did manage to find some good shoreline out of the 20-30 mile an hour winds. Keith tied on a black hair jig and cast to shallow cover ranging from about 3 to 8 feet deep from the shore to the boat. A 2.5-pound keeper large mouth of the rock-clustered shoreline almost immediately bit Keith. My point being that when bass start getting lock jaw and the traditional jig and pig combo is too unsettling the smaller more subtle breathing hair jig can trigger strike just by short hopping the jig and making contact with the chunk rock in your line of retrieval. Stay tuned for Fishing With Hair Jigs for Bass Not Just For Fall Part 2.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Fishing for Smallmouth Bass
Fishing for smallmouth Bass can certainly differ from largemouth fishing.One reason is it’s easier to approach and fool a largemouth than a smallmouth because smallies respond unfavorably to the presence of a boat or the glimpse of an angler. To make things worse on that end, they also more often live in clearer water. Don’t for a second think that smallies can’t see you, not even in deep water.In approaching a point or bluff that might have smallmouths, the trick is to move in as slowly and quietly as possible. Ease the throttle on your big motor some distance from the spot you want to fish, so that a heavy wake doesn’t roll over the area. Then work in from the side you don’t intend to fish and get the boat right up against the bank using your trolling motor. Most of the time you work from the shallow to the deep, so your lure will be pulled up the point from the deep to the shallow. Fish seem to hit better in this direction, and it is much easier to keep the bait near the bottom.
With the boat near the bank, make a series of fan casts, retrieving the lure slowly so it is just off or skipping along the bottom. When you have covered the area, ease the boat into deeper water about 50 feet or so and repeat the fanning. Move again and cast the new area. Most anglers don’t work deep enough on these points, and it is good to remember that, although the fish might be a little shallow early in the morning or on an overcast day, they could just as well be in 20 to 30 feet of water.
When fishing over these flat points, always cast as far as you can. The bait should be allowed to sink to the bottom and you must remain alert while the bait is falling (maintaining a tight line), because a smallmouth could suck the bait in on the way down. I can’t tell you how many times this has happened to me and if you’re not ready you will miss setting the hook and lose the fish. If a fish doesn’t strike, the retrieve should be slow, permitting the lure to skim the bottom. You can check the depth of retrieve by periodically dropping your rod tip. The lure should hit the bottom within the count of two or three, or you are fishing to fast and too high off the bottom.
Smallmouths are creatures of habit, living in the same places year after year after year. Once you find good smallmouth territory, the schools will be there next year at the same time. They don’t range very far during the entire year, moving deeper or shallower with the seasons.Finally, the clearer the lake, the lighter the line you should be using. You will catch more fish in clear water on 6-pound test than you will on 10-pound test; and you’ll discover that by eliminating terminal tackle, such as swivels, and using a small bait, you’ll increase your chances of hooking a trophy smallmouth. Less is more when it comes to catching big smallmouths Just remember that big smallmouths prefer small baits worked slowly along the bottom. They may occasionally hit a larger bait, but that is an exception. I hope this helps you with your Fishing for smallmouth Bass.
With the boat near the bank, make a series of fan casts, retrieving the lure slowly so it is just off or skipping along the bottom. When you have covered the area, ease the boat into deeper water about 50 feet or so and repeat the fanning. Move again and cast the new area. Most anglers don’t work deep enough on these points, and it is good to remember that, although the fish might be a little shallow early in the morning or on an overcast day, they could just as well be in 20 to 30 feet of water.
When fishing over these flat points, always cast as far as you can. The bait should be allowed to sink to the bottom and you must remain alert while the bait is falling (maintaining a tight line), because a smallmouth could suck the bait in on the way down. I can’t tell you how many times this has happened to me and if you’re not ready you will miss setting the hook and lose the fish. If a fish doesn’t strike, the retrieve should be slow, permitting the lure to skim the bottom. You can check the depth of retrieve by periodically dropping your rod tip. The lure should hit the bottom within the count of two or three, or you are fishing to fast and too high off the bottom.
Smallmouths are creatures of habit, living in the same places year after year after year. Once you find good smallmouth territory, the schools will be there next year at the same time. They don’t range very far during the entire year, moving deeper or shallower with the seasons.Finally, the clearer the lake, the lighter the line you should be using. You will catch more fish in clear water on 6-pound test than you will on 10-pound test; and you’ll discover that by eliminating terminal tackle, such as swivels, and using a small bait, you’ll increase your chances of hooking a trophy smallmouth. Less is more when it comes to catching big smallmouths Just remember that big smallmouths prefer small baits worked slowly along the bottom. They may occasionally hit a larger bait, but that is an exception. I hope this helps you with your Fishing for smallmouth Bass.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Spinnerbait Basics
Spinnerbait Basics
Introduction:
Ever since the inception of this revolutionary and somewhat awkward looking fishing lure its impact has been repeatedly noted. They work! And work well they do. In fact, the spinnerbait
is one of the most versatile lures period and has been credited with the ability to catch several species of fish in both fresh and salt water. Bass, pike, pickerel, perch, crappie, muskellunge, fluke, mackerel, bonito, striped bass and bluefish are among the many. Point in fact - the spinnerbait is the number one money-winning lure in bass fishing history, just ask Kevin VanDam (aka Kevin Van Damage). Kevin VanDam
is a master at using the SpinnerBait and has won many of his tournaments using the SpinnerBait.
Types of Spinnerbaits:
The most popular styles of spinnerbaits can be narrowed down to four types:
· R-bend safety pin
· Twist bend safety pin
· Short arm safety pin
· In-line spinner
For the purpose of being thorough and keeping it simple we will refer to the most common spinnerbait in production and use, the R-bend safety pin style which you would find in the production of LIV-O-LURE, Strike King
,Stanley and several other spinnerbait manufacturers.
One of the reasons that the r- bend is so popular is it offers a great amount of vibration potential and tune-ability. Two aspects of spinnerbait properties which we will be examining in greater detail.
Balancing Tackle for Spinnerbait Fishing:
Spinnerbaits can be fished on both spinning and baitcasting tackle. Although the preferred tackle would be baitcasting due to its greater ability towards casting control and accuracy, a critical point in successful spinnerbait fishing. Bait casting tackle will also allow you the ability to fish a wide range of different weights from a ¼ ounce
to whopping 1 ½ ounce spinnerbait. Where as with spinning tackle you begin to lose your ability to control and finesse cast with lures above ½ ounce
.
This having been said, the ideal for both types of reels should look something like this:
· Spinning Tackle:
A medium spinning reel filled with a good quality monofilament ranging between 8-12 lb
.Test mounted on a 6 to 6 ½ ft. graphite medium action spinning rod. This type of outfit should be ideal for fishing anywhere from the smaller ¼ ounce models to the larger ½ ounce models.
· Baitcasting Tackle:
A good quality baitcasting reel with a reliable drag system and a capacity for 100 to 120 yards of 12 to 17 lb test monofilament
and featuring either a magnetic cast control or centrifugal braking system. Mounted on a 6 to 6 ½ ft. graphite medium-to-medium heavy action baitcasting rod with a fairly flexible tip. This outfit should be able to easily handle spinnerbaits ranging from ¼ to ¾ ounce with no problems.
Terminal Tackle:
When fishing spinnerbaits no terminal tackle is needed. Always tie directly to the lure using either an improved clinch knot or overhand palomar knot.
Where To Fish Spinnerbaits:
Spinnerbaits are in my opinion one of the most proficient lures period when applied to different types of structure, water clarity and depth with the appropriate tactic.
One of the more common applications for spinnerbaits is fishing shallow visible cover. This is due largely in part to the spinnerbaits weedless properties. It is in this application where most fisherman find the spinnerbaits hard to beat for covering a variety of structure, cover and depths thoroughly in a short amount of time. Spinnerbaits can be fished in and around stumps, different types of vegetation, rocks, blow downs, and brush piles with great success. Spinnerbaits are also deadly in open water when fished properly. We will explore this technique in one of several advanced spinner bait tactics, which will soon follow this article.
How To Fish Spinnerbaits:
Spinnerbaits in comparison to other lures are fairly easy to get started with. However, like with any lure or tactic, practice experimentation and patience are all necessary to become proficient in spinnerbait fishing.
Speaking in general terms, you should sight your target and cast several feet beyond it then begin your retrieve working your lure back towards your target and making contact with it whenever possible during the retrieve. The main thing to remember is to be creative and experiment with different retrieval methods such as stop and go or cast the bait into weed pockets and let it flutter down before retrieving it.
However you decide to fish them, with a little practice they will continue to provide angling excitement and fish catching ability on all of your fishing endeavors using Spinnerbait Basics.
Until next time, good luck and good fishing!
Respectfully,
LIV-O-LURE
Phil Livo
Research & Development Specialist
Introduction:
Ever since the inception of this revolutionary and somewhat awkward looking fishing lure its impact has been repeatedly noted. They work! And work well they do. In fact, the spinnerbait
is one of the most versatile lures period and has been credited with the ability to catch several species of fish in both fresh and salt water. Bass, pike, pickerel, perch, crappie, muskellunge, fluke, mackerel, bonito, striped bass and bluefish are among the many. Point in fact - the spinnerbait is the number one money-winning lure in bass fishing history, just ask Kevin VanDam (aka Kevin Van Damage). Kevin VanDam is a master at using the SpinnerBait and has won many of his tournaments using the SpinnerBait.Types of Spinnerbaits:
The most popular styles of spinnerbaits can be narrowed down to four types:
· R-bend safety pin
· Twist bend safety pin
· Short arm safety pin
· In-line spinner
For the purpose of being thorough and keeping it simple we will refer to the most common spinnerbait in production and use, the R-bend safety pin style which you would find in the production of LIV-O-LURE, Strike King
,Stanley and several other spinnerbait manufacturers.One of the reasons that the r- bend is so popular is it offers a great amount of vibration potential and tune-ability. Two aspects of spinnerbait properties which we will be examining in greater detail.
Balancing Tackle for Spinnerbait Fishing:
Spinnerbaits can be fished on both spinning and baitcasting tackle. Although the preferred tackle would be baitcasting due to its greater ability towards casting control and accuracy, a critical point in successful spinnerbait fishing. Bait casting tackle will also allow you the ability to fish a wide range of different weights from a ¼ ounce
to whopping 1 ½ ounce spinnerbait. Where as with spinning tackle you begin to lose your ability to control and finesse cast with lures above ½ ounce.This having been said, the ideal for both types of reels should look something like this:
· Spinning Tackle:
A medium spinning reel filled with a good quality monofilament ranging between 8-12 lb
.Test mounted on a 6 to 6 ½ ft. graphite medium action spinning rod. This type of outfit should be ideal for fishing anywhere from the smaller ¼ ounce models to the larger ½ ounce models.· Baitcasting Tackle:
A good quality baitcasting reel with a reliable drag system and a capacity for 100 to 120 yards of 12 to 17 lb test monofilament
and featuring either a magnetic cast control or centrifugal braking system. Mounted on a 6 to 6 ½ ft. graphite medium-to-medium heavy action baitcasting rod with a fairly flexible tip. This outfit should be able to easily handle spinnerbaits ranging from ¼ to ¾ ounce with no problems.Terminal Tackle:
When fishing spinnerbaits no terminal tackle is needed. Always tie directly to the lure using either an improved clinch knot or overhand palomar knot.
Where To Fish Spinnerbaits:
Spinnerbaits are in my opinion one of the most proficient lures period when applied to different types of structure, water clarity and depth with the appropriate tactic.
One of the more common applications for spinnerbaits is fishing shallow visible cover. This is due largely in part to the spinnerbaits weedless properties. It is in this application where most fisherman find the spinnerbaits hard to beat for covering a variety of structure, cover and depths thoroughly in a short amount of time. Spinnerbaits can be fished in and around stumps, different types of vegetation, rocks, blow downs, and brush piles with great success. Spinnerbaits are also deadly in open water when fished properly. We will explore this technique in one of several advanced spinner bait tactics, which will soon follow this article.
How To Fish Spinnerbaits:
Spinnerbaits in comparison to other lures are fairly easy to get started with. However, like with any lure or tactic, practice experimentation and patience are all necessary to become proficient in spinnerbait fishing.
Speaking in general terms, you should sight your target and cast several feet beyond it then begin your retrieve working your lure back towards your target and making contact with it whenever possible during the retrieve. The main thing to remember is to be creative and experiment with different retrieval methods such as stop and go or cast the bait into weed pockets and let it flutter down before retrieving it.
However you decide to fish them, with a little practice they will continue to provide angling excitement and fish catching ability on all of your fishing endeavors using Spinnerbait Basics.
Until next time, good luck and good fishing!
Respectfully,
LIV-O-LURE
Phil Livo
Research & Development Specialist
Welcome to my Bass Fishing Answers Blog
If your looking for answers about Bass Fishing then you have come to the right place. Check back soon as I will be posting some great info on How, When and Where to catch my favorite sport fish the Large and Small Mouth Bass.
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