1. Water temperature - When lake temperatures rise into the upper 50 to 60 degree range, bass are on the move. This is the time when they begin to move toward their spawning areas.
2. Creek channels are like highways for moving bass. Points on these creek channels are stop over points, fish these with a crankbait for bass. Bounce it along the bottom around points and drop offs. Try green and craw colors.
3. During pre-spawn the water is colder and bass may still be a little sluggish, so slow down your presentation. Whatever lure you use, fish it slow.
4. Fish points, drop offs, ledges, old road beds, rip rap and grassy areas with close access to deeper water, but near spawning areas.
5. Bass love weeds! Find an area with weedbeds adjacent to a channel that feeds from a spawning area. This is a good time for topwater baits, big worms or lizards, or a slow-rolling spinnerbait.
Calico bass (also known as kelp bass) live in kelp forests primarily in Southern California and Baja. They are a scrappy fish that averages about 1-3lbs and maxes out in the low double digits. They hit hard for their size and if you aren't careful they will go back in the kelp and wrap up your line. I have fond memories of scrambling on rocks in Southern California and Baja Mexico trying to find good spots to cast for these guys. Later on I fished for them from party boats in Southern California and pangas in Baja.
Smallmouth bass are slightly less widespread than their cousins, the Largemouth Bass. I have caught a few hundred of them in various places but I don't feel I know nearly as much about them as the Largemouth. They tend to frequent colder waters than the Largemouth although in many places the same lake will hold both species. Smallmouth also tend to spawn and generally hang out in deeper water, so perhaps that makes them feel less familiar than the Largemouth. They tend to hit many of the same lures although often you will have more success if you downsize a bit.
Smallmouth Bass do not attain the same large potential size as the Largemouth. A 5lber is a very big one and they top out around twice that. They are scrappier than Largemouth pound for pound and their fight is usually noticeably better.
I have never eaten one, so I don't know how they taste. I always release them.
When it comes to late fall and winter bass fishing, waters can be just above freezing making bass very slow and lethargic. In order to catch bass at this time of year you need to size down and slow down in order to entice them to bite. There are many techniques and lures out there that can be used in order to catch these bass, but one lure that has fallen off the radar over the years and deserves more popularity then it gets is the hair jig. These lures work great for cold water situations and have been know to catch bass in waters with a temperature between 35 and 40 degrees.
Hair jigs are one of the earliest artificial lures used in the sport of angling and was extremely popular when it came to bass fishing. But when the sport of bass fishing took off in the late 60's early 70's, tournament anglers started using jigs with rubber skirts and trailers.
When most people think of bass fishing the last thing that comes to mind are bass fishing rigs. Instead things like plastic worms, the "jig and pig", crank baits, and top water fishing come to mind. While all of these things should come to mind when you think about bass fishing, bass fishing rigs such as the two being discussed in this article should come to mind as well.
Below you will find two very effective bass fishing rigs, both of which can help any bass fisherman experience much more fishing success. The first rig, called the gang hook rig, is the best way to present live worms and other live bait as bait when fishing for bass. The second rig, called the casting bubble rig, is a way for spin fishermen to fish with an artificial fly in a very effective manner. The bottom line is that both of these rigs should be seriously considered, and should be a part of any serious bass fisherman's repertoire.
The hybrid striped bass, or "wiper" is an artificial cross between a striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and a white bass (Morone chrysops). Hybridization of these two species does not occur naturally. Therefore, hybrid striped bass must be cultured in a fish hatchery situation. Hybrid bass can be distinguished from white bass by its two tooth patches on the tongue, as opposed to only one tooth patch on the white bass. As they grow older, hybrid bass become thicker and deeper-bodied, giving them a distinctive short and stocky appearance.
Smallmouth bass are hard to beat when it comes to pure fighting ability and the thrill of the catch. Smallmouth bass anglers often use smaller versions of the same baits and lures used for largemouth bass. The most common fishing method is casting and retrieving artificial or live baits into places where you suspect smallmouth bass are hanging out. Smallmouth bass can be caught on any type of bait casting or spinning equipment, and some folks feel that a smallmouth bass on a fly rod is the ultimate angling experience.
White bass are a member of the true bass family - the black bass, largemouth and smallmouth, are actually in the sunfish family - white bass are an under appreciated resource. White bass are a popular sport fish that can be caught in large number when they make their spring spawning migrations up tributaries of larger water bodies.
When white bass make their spawning runs into the shallow headwaters of lakes, the fishing is fast and furious. Their aggressive nature and schooling tendency make them one of the easiest fish to catch. The best fishing is in spring when schools of white bass move inshore. Casting or trolling streamer flies, jigs, spinners, and spoons or still fishing with minnows will produce good catches. Since white bass often feed near the surface, be sure to keep lures and bait off bottom.
There are several ways to fish for smallmouth bass in streams. Depending on the stretch of stream you are fishing and available access, you have the option of wading or floating. The type of rod and reel you use for stream smallmouth depends on the conditions and the type of lure or bait you intend to use. Both light action spinning and baitcasting outfits work well for casting and retrieving hard and soft plastic baits.
Bass fishing essentially involves angling for North American game fish, or more popularly called as black bass. There are a lot of black species in North America that are considered to be game fish, and these include the small mouth bass, the largemouth bass, the Kentucky bass (or Spotted bass), Guadalupe bass, and many others. However, while North American game fish are called as bass, they are actually part of the sunfish family.
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