Thanks Bass Resource

[txchaser]

I recently caught a nice-sized bass for the small lake I've been posting about, and I wanted to share my thanks. Almost everything I did was done based on something I learned here, and there's zero chance I would have ever been on this specific fish otherwise. 

 

In particular:

1) Water temp and how much it matters. Growing up, winter was for hunting but definitely not fishing. But now I know I can get a bite in 50 degree water (hey that's cold in TX) if I just slooooowwww doooowwwnnnn. Was fishing slow off the bottom. 

 

2) Color choice related to visibility of the water and the light. It was dusk, and the water was low-visibility too. So I chose black and blue, which is a color I wouldn't have picked by myself. 

 

3) Lure action based on time of year/temp and water clarity - chatterbait. Typical lake visibility was cut in half, so I thought hey I need to ring the dinner bell.

 

4) Line choice, and in particular helping me sort out a knot problem on braid to flouro that cost me a pretty big fish prior.

 

5) What those crafty fish are actually doing underwater - in particular the importance of structure. I ended up buying a Deeper (castable depthfinder) so I could see what was going on under the water. And in this case I was working my way around a lake that was mostly a featureless bowl, fishing the bank weed edge to no avail, and mapping on another rod. As I was pulling the depthfinder in, I saw a big hump offshore, with weeds on top of it. Because of BR and knowing that bass love structure, and it was cold so being able move down in deeper is important too, I thought to myself "A fish will be there, now catch it." So I put the CB past the big hump and worked it back jig like - pumping it off the bottom enough to get the blade on, the letting it settle. No rush (it's cold). As it was coming over the top of the underwater vegetation and started its fall past the hump and on to the lake bottom, FISH ON! 

 

6) caught another nice-sized one (3.4) the following weekend throwing a lipless crank - for some reason it was swirling/chasing something on top (wierd, it's cold) but whatever. Threw it in it's face and it was too much, it had to swipe at it rattling and splashing and shaking by. 

 

Bonus: While I'm sure that all would have been fine on a spinning rod, BR gave great advice on where to start as a baitcasting noob, so I ended up with a Fuego CT paired with a MH/F rod, and enough tips to get started baitcasting without loosing my mind. 

 

PS: I know y'all warned me about the bait monkey. I guess it's part of the process. There's definitly stuff in the bins (bins? how did I end up with bins???) that I have no idea why I actually have. I'm sure there's a perfect time and place for a GP ring fry, but I can't for the life of me figure out what the sequence of events would be that gets me to put it on. 

[The Bassman]

I've been involved in this community for almost 2.5 years now. I've fished all my life and considered myself capable enough. My skill set has improved considerably since joining and I'm still learning. Lots of good input here.

[Bluebasser86]

Always keep learning, even if it's just looking at a routine situation from a different perspective. I've been bass fishing for over 2 decades and still regularly learn something new here.

[Harold Scoggins]

"There's no losing when it comes to bass fishing. You're either catching, or learning, or both." author unknown