Patterning Bass

[CDMeyer]

What is you guys first step in trying to pattern bass, is there a certain technique you go with (search bait) and or a type of structure?  I know this is kind of broad but I am really in need of help, thanks for the help

[Catt]

Structure, cover, then technique

[WRB]

Where I fish in deep structured reservoirs my first step to solving where the active bass should be located is to determine what seasonal period the bass are in. The seasonal period determines the type of structure or cover the bass prefer and helps to establish the depth the bass may be at.

My tools for this are sonar, temperature probe and eyes before starting to select what presentation or lures may be best suited for the structure or cover. Knowledge of the prey types bass prefer during the seasonal periods, the depth the bait is at, helps me to select lures.

Some lakes set up well for patterns, others are spot lakes where bass tend to be located. Example; you are working a clay bank with brush stick ups in 5' of water and catch bass on nearly every stick up with a jig & craw and no strikes in between the stick ups or at different depth...that is a pattern. If you catch bass on a transition areas where the clay bank has a seam or slide of grape fruit size rocks and you catch several bass there on your jig & craw and crankbait from 3' to 20' feet of water, that is the only rock slide on the lake that holds bass.....that is a spot.

Tom

[Catt]

Every bass you catch will "rat" on the next!

[Brian Needham]

What is you guys first step in trying to pattern bass,

 

first thing you have to is get a couple of bites...... even the first bite tells a story!

once you get a bit then you can put together the when, where, how, and why of it all.

[frantzracing0]

This is something I have always struggled with as well. Even on days where I do very well and catch a boat load of bass, sometimes I just cant put a pattern to it.

[porkleaker]

It's tricky. I think before tying anything on you need to factor in the weather, water temperatures and time of day. 

[Catt]

A pattern is nothing more than something that can be duplicated.

Seasonal patterns tell you nothing, spring bass are pre-spawn, spawn, post spawn, not enough to pattern.

Weather, water temperature, & time of day are conditions.

You caught 3-4 bass off of laydowns...pattern

You caught 3-4 bass on the edges of laydowns...pattern

You caught 3-4 bass in the center of laydowns...pattern

Ok! Simple!

[slimshad]

I look at water temp and time of year first.  I have a tourny on a lake I havent been to in awhile sat.  I know the water is around 60 degrees and the bass should be looking to spawn.  I will go to some transition banks and work my way shallow.  I will start off with spinnerbaits and square bills.  Just cover alot of water and see if they are shallow.  Hope so.  If not I will back out to the secondary points and maybe throw a DT 6, jerkbait and even a bottom bait like a jig or texas rig.  If that all fails, I will be done with my day anyway and will head back with my tail between my legs.  Thats just how I look at it anyway.  So I look for spots and try to find a pattern in them i guess.  Hech I don't know, I just want to go fishing!

[roadwarrior]

A pattern is nothing more than something that can be duplicated.

 

Often the key factor is depth. I recall numerous outings where all the quality fish were

6' - 10' or +/- 15' on a given day. As a specific exmple, a few years ago Big O and two

of our soldiers were pitching Rage Tail Baby Craw on a lightly weighted T-rig. ALL the

fish were caugt as the bait drifted down to 15'. On that particular day the guys boated

144 smallmouth between them!  Note too, some of the fish were caught on a Red Eye

Shad, but the depth was approximately the same.

 

 

 

[CDMeyer]

So I see that I should almost just let the bass tell me what.....

[CDMeyer]

Do not force anything, is something I just read in a book that really helped me understand patterns

[RoLo]

So I see that I should almost just let the bass tell me what.....

 

"Let the bass tell you what they want" is an oversimplification and a well-worn cliche.

There will plenty of days when the bass will tell you nothing, days when there's no substitute for knowledge.

Tapping into past experience (memory & recall) allows the angler to experiment more effectively

instead of casting for the next couple hours in the hope of input from bass that aren't talking.

"Pattern Fishing" was an expression coined in the 1960s by Roland Martin, but patterning isn't limited to objects and contour,

but is limited only by your powers of observation and ingenuity. A covert pattern is the 'mudline' pattern while a very common one

is the 'running water' pattern. Other patterns may be disclosed by watching the shoreline for changes in substrate or vegetation. 

Patterning begins with species, waterbody & season, but on-the-water it gets a lot more intimate

where current weather conditions come into play and all the elements of delivery such as Depth, Speed, Action, Shape, Size ~ ~ 

No one said it was easy 

 

Roger

[BigKev77]

You can only let a bass tell you what they want if you find bass. I say let the bass tell you what they want a lot but that has more to do with what lure and retrieve changes to make. Finding fish is the hard part.

 

Look for food then look at the structure and cover in the area. Choose the best lure and technique to cover water in those conditions. Once you find some fish, try something that might increase the number of fish you are catching or maybe try for a bigger bite. I won't for a second act like I have it figured out but that is the simplified version of it that lives in my head.

[VAHunter]

This is something I have always struggled with as well. Even on days where I do very well and catch a boat load of bass, sometimes I just cant put a pattern to it.

Keep in mind that sometimes there isn't a pattern.  That's where the term "junkfishing" comes from.  Gerald Swindle is an example of a great junk fisherman. 

[slimshad]

Keep in mind that sometimes there isn't a pattern.  That's where the term "junkfishing" comes from.  Gerald Swindle is an example of a great junk fisherman. 

G didn't junk fish too well at Gville this year.  I agree though.  When it gets tough, just fish what looks good and throw the tacklebox at them. 

[Catt]

Keep in mind there can be multple patterns working on a given day.