Paul Roberts

Find out what the prey species are, and find them. Locations first, then choose and adapt methods to fish these.

A group of us were walleye fishing together. One guy was not catching at all. So he finally put on his favorite shad rap cast out got a strike and reeled in a very big, very dead, and very stinky walleye -hooked in the upper lip.

Smaller shallower waters will spawn first, then progressively, the deeper. The whole spawning season considering shallowest (~5foot) to deepest (~50+ft) waters will likely take two months or more start to finish. In any one water though the range will be shorter. In the smallest shallowest waters the whole egg laying period will be done in about 3 weeks, with a one week period that sees the bulk of it. In large deep waters with different groups of bass living in them, (shallow and deep), the time range might be a couple months. Males will stay to guard beds and then fry for as much as three weeks. In the ponds I observe, females stay on with a given male about 3 days. Some (maybe many) return to spawn with different males, over a two to three week period, or more. If you are interested enough you should spend some time just observing the spawn. You'll get familiar enough with it that you can tell by almost a glance where you are in the season, coupled with looking at weather trends over the previous week of your planned fishing trip. BTW: Males often abandon beds, for several reasons: They make them prematurely (no females ready yet), severe cold fronts (although after eggs have been layed I've watched a number of males sit right on through snowstorms), made beds in not quite the right location, and angler's catching and re-catching them.

Thanks, Raul and MaxDal.

Are you in a boat or on shore?

Is this lake always muddy, or is this due to a recent event?

Some good advice here on lures and confidence. As to bass location (a big part of things) I think five-bass-limit is right. Get shallow, some gravel/cobble substrate in a cove somewhere and find 'em. Then follow them back out after they finish (probably two to three weeks). Try some topwaters (if you have clouds or wind rippled surface) -a fun way to locate shallow bass. If there's cover try swimming a jig-n-trailer through those cobbled shallows, or a spinnerbait -try bulging a tandem just under the surface. Stay with it. Enjoy the reading and it'll come together more and more.

Yeah, I hear you. I too am frustrated with tackle shops nowadays. There's certainly no excuse for rudeness, and poor advice doesn't help either the business or the customer. But we're all in this together actually, the customer and the shop employees. It's the reality of retail markets today. Good tackle shops are getting rarer. Good shops run by dedicated anglers are disappearing in the wake of corporate mega-stores like Walmart, Dicks, Gander, even BPS, which isn't always peopled with the brightest bulbs. We now get our expertise from the magazines, videos, and internet. AND there are a ton of products out there to follow, which means there are a million things we can wish for, and expect, thanks to the internet. I worked in a very large tackle shop in upstate NY back in the 80's -when the internet was still in it's infancy. Back then we stocked Trilene, Stren, Sigma, Maxima, and Ande (and we were a big shop). But look now! Holy cow! The chance of having the exact line formula you read about stocked in your local Dick's is not likely. Instead, you'll find the products of the companies with the most marketing power. We were the biggest shop in the state then and had almost the volume to compete with BPS and Cabela's in some areas. But not all. People OFTEN came in with their Cabela's catalog in hand to point out lower prices, and we'd always counter that here you don't have to wait, you don't have to pay shipping, and there is a lot of local expertise here in this shop (we really did have a staff of dedicated anglers). Twenty years later the shop still exists, but is less than half the size, with a quarter the staff. I now have a BPS relatively nearby and they don't carry what's in the national catalog. As I get more knowledgeable, and particular in my tackle needs, I go to tackle shops less and less. It's frustrating to have to settle for second or third choices on my "needs". I guess it's the nature of the retail world today. The internet has changed everything, and our expectations with it. I think it's equally frustrating for the tackle shop owners and employees as it is for the customers. We all just have to realize that.

Thanks guys. Zel, I've heard of that too, but want my pork to last -I'm a cheapskate. Raul, that's what I do now. But I end up cutting into the dye -looks bad. Maybe I need to take more time at it. I've tried bending and pulling by hand. I may have to do the rock tumbler thing -I can borrow one. Thanks

I'm in northern Colorado, and our fish are northern largemouths. I measure almost every fish, and over time have weighed enough that I can estimate pretty well. In the waters I fish, most mature males run 13-15inches (1.25 to 1.75lbs), and most mature females run 14 to 20 inches (1.4 to 4.9 lbs). A very few fish will dip into the 7lb range. I hear rumors of larger but have never seen such an animal. I have also had numerous people tell me thier 5lbers were 18 inches long! Possible, but I haven't seen such an animal either. The most outlandish weight for length I took last year was a 19.25 inch that was an ounce shy of 5lbs. A internet buddy took a 21.5 inch that broke 7lbs. And the CO state record was 22.5" and 11lbs 6oz.

How do you go about softening your pork frogs?

Varies. I'm self employed, and often flexible -but busy! At least once a week. I like to go all day, so I can feel connected. Problem is, the earth turns over so darn fast!

I can only take some guesses. Rising water can be good, unless its new muddy water. Avoid the mud. Dropping water temps I'm still trying to get a real handle on. I've begun to fear them less than I used to -an irrational fear. With plenty of forage bass should not be too put off by 5 degree changes. 10 degrees can put 'em off. Also, I've noticed that post-spawn females love heat, which makes me think they'll dislike dropping temps more than at other times. But that's only a supposition. One nice thing about post cold fronts is that within a day or so you often end up with rapidly warming temps. This is a really good thing. So, with rising water and the potential for heating you are set to cook. I'd look for shallow back creeks and coves that will heat well -like, I believe what WayneP mentions. I'd target good shoreline cover like flooded bushes, or wood, or the inside weed edge. Move in quietly and present quietly -warming conditions often mean bright conditions.

Really good stuff here. You don't have to know a lake inside and out to find bass. Pick an area with the most diverse cover types, the more diverse and convoluted the better, preferably a shallow flat or cove (remember I'm a natural lake guy) with some deep water nearby. Or, as mentioned, a point, channel, or hump (if in a reservoir). If it's a good lake there will almost certainly be some bass in such a location. They may or may not be the biggest fish in the lake, but they'll teach you a lot. Then get busy. Start whittling things down as mentioned above.

Yes, I hear those comments too. But it's not all in the cities. Urbanization of our culture is happening everywhere. Often what I hear is fear based stuff, like: Snakes!!!! Or pollution comments -they see mud and weeds and think "Yuck!" Too many urbanites have lost touch with nature. I actually overheard a group of teenagers in a McDonald's in NYC debating what a chicken was. One insisted it was a bird. The others scoffed. Sad, and scary. Worries me, the kind of constituency for nature we are rapidly becoming.

Catt and fishfordollars offer really good advice for shad based reservoirs, or deep natural lakes with pelagic (open water) forage. Which brings up a really good point. Different lake types with different prey types offer different requirements, and affect the way you begin to narrow your initial search. In natural lakes, and ponds, sometimes bluegills will behave pelagically (but not in tight schools like pelagic prey species), and perch do too, and often tightly, (but perch tend to be bottom oriented rather than up in the water column -except at night and very low light). For the most part both these prey types are more cover oriented. How deep you need to look (to get started in your search) depends on the lake type, water clarity (the murkier the shallower the fish are likely to be), and forage type. Then you start to narrow your search further by divining where in the water column your bass are.

We look at each thing you mentioned and a whole lot more. There just isn't one answer to that question -we look at a million things. But the bass only tend to look at a few in each circumstance, and it won't likely be the same all over the lake. And you can expect it will change every hour, and with every change in conditions. Fishing is all about dealing with a huge amount of variables. It is impossible to understand it all, but you can over time learn to discern what's important, recognize these, and capitalize. Decision making is key. What things to be thinking about, what decisions to make, come from experience, and a whole lot of reading helps enormously in knowing the pertinent questions to ask when you're on the water. To get to the answers you've got to ask good questions -very specific questions, then you test them. That's what everyone means when they say, "Find out what the fish want." The better your questions the quicker you'll get onto fish. Bites tend to be pretty specific to an area or type of area, and there are often key spots within. From your seat in the boat, it can a pretty specific combination of variables: Calendar period, temperature, conditions (sky and water), line, lure, and retrieve. This list is a great set of headings to formulate questions from -in that order. Look for active bass -provided conditions are adequate. To do so, choose a relatively fast technique to cover water (actual speed will vary with season, temperature, and conditions) such as a SB, buzzbait, crankbait, swimming jig, Carolina rig, etc... and go look for fish that will bite. Get to know your lake. If you don't find active bass and you know the lake, or have good advice, get yourself into an area that you know holds fish and try different sub-locations within, at various speeds, and triggers (this is where the devil lies -in the details of the retrieve). Don't know what triggers are? I'll give you the starting point: Vary you're retrieve -there's LOTS of ways to do that. Don't get down if you fail. We all do at times. But eventually these times will become more and more rare. Realize, that under almost every set of conditions there are fish to be caught, you just have to put together the right string of decisions. And that's no small task.

Ahh...did you say the hook was only 1 to 2mm deep in the worm? Do not bury the hook point inside the worm. The point should stick out or come out and then be skin hooked as in the photo offered by another siteatick.

Fish High or Low? Not a stupid question at all. But, there really aren't pat answers. I'll try to offer some generalities, as I understand them, that hopefully will help you make decisions when fishing. Bass relate to structure/cover so they are usually somewhat close to one or the other. In general, actively hunting bass are above bottom. Unless they are keying on crayfish, bass tend to be piscivorous and are oriented to food above them. People catch bass on bottom often because bass, being mostly shallow water fish (usually <15ft in most waters), prefer to stay below the level in which they can be seen from the surface, which puts them relatively close to the bottom. Slow bottom presentations can be very attractive to bass, and trigger strikes as they drag or bang bottom. This doesn't necessarily mean the bass were "on bottom". In general, resting bass (called neutral/negative) tend to be on bottom, usually near or in cover. These fish are often catchable if you can find and get to them. Some bottom caught bass are these guys. (Of course, ithere are always exceptions -In some waters, (usually deep, clear, heavily fished waters) bass may suspend away from bottom when resting. Bass almost always relate to cover objects, and more than one diver has described bass as "acting as though the top of the cover (especially weeds and wood) is the "bottom". Not the actual bottom! Understand and make use of "ambush points". "Ambush points" are something physical that obscures the falsity of the lure, makes the lure look as though it might escape, and/or offers a corral to contain the lure (making it appear catchable). Presentations up in the water column, in open water, are often more difficult to trigger strikes in. Easier to get follows, but without something to bang off of, hide behind, and appear to "corral/contain" the prey, it's tougher to trigger fish. Bass know when something is vulnerable -in fact that's what they are looking for when hunting. This is why topwaters can be so effective, if you can get them to come all the way to the surface (conditions dependent) -the surface film is a great "ambush point"-something that obscures the falseness inherent in lures and acts as a corral for bass to trap prey against. Cover, and the bottom, can act as ambush points too. So, when fishing: First determine where your bass are, shallow or deep: by season, water clarity, sky conditions, surface conditions, and available cover. You do that by experimenting and experience. When to switch or move? Think about targeting active bass first, then neutral bass. I tend to start shallow and work deeper and lower. It's easier to fish shallow, you can cover more water, and if there are active bass it's easier to catch 'em when they are high and chasing. If I fail I begin looking deeper (closer to bottom first, then move out deeper) Some generalities, starting places: Fish high in darker conditions, and lower in brighter conditions. Fish cover first the top to see if they are there, then the deeper outside edges, then inside it if you have to. Target Ambush Points regardless of where in the water column they are. Hope this helps some.

The 2/0 is fine, although I'd probably use a 3/0. I could ask for more particulars (like line weight and type, hook point exposure, rod particulars,...), but I'll take a shot at it already. Fish on a short line (close to hand) you should be a little more careful with -not to pull too hard. I know you see pros lifting fish into the boat, and this'll work, provided the fish is well hooked, the fish is oriented correctly (facing you -coming in toward you or the rod tip, and not still thrashing). As I fight a fish, when I finally get a look at it, I try to judge how well it's hooked. But, in general, I go easier with them when they get close. A short line provides less stretch and the rod angle is steeper so mistakes are more critical. I'd venture that most fish lost are done so on a short line at boatside -the hooks popping free. The trick is to keep the rod bent enough to keep the hooks in, not pull too hard, be ready for sudden bolts. You should also lead or guide the fish's direction with the rod. When he's moving smoothly and calmly at the surface, guide him to your thumb, net, or swing him aboard. You'll also see people grab the line above the fish, and this works fine, but if your new to fighting fish I'd land them from the rod until you are used to leading and landing on a short line. Other things to think about: Rod stiffness -a very fast rod is more critical, a soft rod can be too forgiving. Check hook sharpness on your thumbnail. It should stick, not slide. Get a hook file. My guess though is that it's the short line thing.

Likely too early in the season for an oxygen issue. Maybe a spill?

Anyone up on the Berkley Series One rods? I loved them years ago, but wonder where they stack up now?

Males protecting beds or fry was may immediate thought.

Agree with fanatic very much. Somehow trash left behind steps on my sense of reverence I hold for the places I fish -nature in general. As to plastics, if the item is large enough than it could impact (block) the stomach or intestines, then that bass will die. Likely smaller baits are passed as mentioned above. I don't think this is a big problem, but coupled with the general trashing of our natural places we all love, and share, there's no good reason for it, but sloth.

Some ideas: -I've noticed from photos that a lot of bass in FL can be really thin like that. I always assumed it was due to heavy competition for prey. -In my ponds (in CO) as bass start to run out of appropriate food for their size. They hit 16 or 18 inches, get skinny, and disappear. -She could be old. -Could also be water temps being too high and individual bass not catching enough food to keep up. -The last option, her stomach might be impacted with a plastic bait she swallowed. Search "skinny bass" and look for the thread about this, from a couple months back. In fact, there might be an article in the articles section on this.