Tips for catching more bass

[cjack]

I've been fishing in various ponds and mainly off the banks of Loch Raven Reservoir in Baltimore, MD. I've been rotating between a whopper plopper, 5" senkos, rage craws, and bandito bugs by googan baits all on a texas rig. I can only seem to infrequently catch bluegill on a whopper plopper or get minimal bites from bass but they never seem to fully take the bait. I'm not sure if I just need a boat or if these rigs are just bad or maybe I'm just doing it wrong. Any tips for bank fishing in a reservoir or smaller ponds would be much appreciated.

[Koz]

Rule #1 of bank fishing on ponds - be stealthy.

 

If you can see into the water the fish can see you and your movements. Stand further up the bank and fish from there. Wear clothing colors that help you blend in to the background. Tread lightly on the ground.

 

Start with that and let us know how it goes.

[papajoe222]

Welcome to BR.

You didn't mention how may years you've been fishing, so we're not sure about your skill level.

Are they not fully taking the bait, or are you not getting a good hook-set when you get a bite? If you're getting blow ups wit the plopper, you may just be setting the hook before you feel the fish. If you're getting good bites on the plastics, it could be one of two things; too quick of a hook set, or you need to change your presentation by speeding up, slowing down, changing the profile of the bait to a worm, or creature bait and lastly, try changing colors. 

The other thing I should mention is your equipment. A med.hvy power/fast action rod will drive the hooks home on most single hook baits and a low stretch line will help, too.  You'll also detect bites easier with that combination. 

[Biglittle8]

Try something fished a little faster like a chatterbait or smaller spinnerbait, it's harder for bass to be non-committal when they attack a faster moving bait. As for your Texas rigs, try smaller baits and see how that goes. As a side note, I use Edge Hot Sauce on my baits it seems to make the fish hold the bait longer as it simulates the slime coat that fish have on their body. Hope this helps.

[jtharris3]

Slow down!

[cjack]

8 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

Welcome to BR.

You didn't mention how may years you've been fishing, so we're not sure about your skill level.

Are they not fully taking the bait, or are you not getting a good hook-set when you get a bite? If you're getting blow ups wit the plopper, you may just be setting the hook before you feel the fish. If you're getting good bites on the plastics, it could be one of two things; too quick of a hook set, or you need to change your presentation by speeding up, slowing down, changing the profile of the bait to a worm, or creature bait and lastly, try changing colors. 

The other thing I should mention is your equipment. A med.hvy power/fast action rod will drive the hooks home on most single hook baits and a low stretch line will help, too.  You'll also detect bites easier with that combination. 

I've only fishing for a little over a year and mainly fish don't seem to fully take the bait or sometimes I'm just not sure how to tell when I should should set the hook. Now that I'm into fishing a lot more than when I started I've been considering getting a new rod/reel as my current is a pretty cheap combo with a 5 foot uglystik gx2 rod with ultra light power and moderate action. 

[galyonj]

1 minute ago, Colby Betterton said:

Now that I'm into fishing a lot more than when I started I've been considering getting a new rod/reel as my current is a pretty cheap combo with a 5 foot uglystik gx2 rod with ultra light power and moderate action. 

 

I hesitate to say too much because the bait monkey will hear and will ride you into the ground. However...a 5' ultralight is gonna give you a hard row to hoe for bass fishing. That rod likely doesn't have enough backbone in the blank to fully set a big hook.

 

You can 100% catch bass on an ultralight (and it's fun to do so!), but you gotta downsize the lures and hooks you use to suit the sweet spot of the rod and your line.

[the reel ess]

7 minutes ago, galyonj said:

 

I hesitate to say too much because the bait monkey will hear and will ride you into the ground. However...a 5' ultralight is gonna give you a hard row to hoe for bass fishing. That rod likely doesn't have enough backbone in the blank to fully set a big hook.

 

You can 100% catch bass on an ultralight (and it's fun to do so!), but you gotta downsize the lures and hooks you use to suit the sweet spot of the rod and your line.

Yes, I speak from experience when I say you'll experience more heartache than success using UL tackle for bass. There's a reason there are no or very few UL setups specifically for bass. Not that it can't be done, but it won't be ideal.

[Weber.kile]

Absolutely 100% right on for the guys that said stealth and SLOW DOWN. I bank fish different ponds every day in the Baton Rouge area and everywhere else that holds a healthy population of largemouth. You'll get lots of good tips on pond fishing but the most important thing for me is making sure that there is a average or better population of the fish your fishing for where your fishing. There's so many beautiful perfectly structured clean water places that should have tons of bass in my area that have been abused and decimated. Find some farm ponds with permission and Google Map some public ponds with difficult access and try to locate areas where the fish aren't under constant pressure. If you're catching bluegill on a whopper plopper the density of bass may not be where it should. Good luck bud.

[huZZah]

1 minute ago, Weber.kile said:

If you're catching bluegill on a whopper plopper the density of bass may not be where it should.

That’s what I was thinking.  It really could just be the pond. Hang in there. 

[deep]

This may be helpful.

 

EDIT: Not mentioned in the linked post; but you want to do what's called a weightless texas rig on the senko, and rig the fat ika backwards.

 

 

[cjack]

23 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

Yes, I speak from experience when I say you'll experience more heartache than success using UL tackle for bass. There's a reason there are no or very few UL setups specifically for bass. Not that it can't be done, but it won't be ideal.

 

30 minutes ago, galyonj said:

 

I hesitate to say too much because the bait monkey will hear and will ride you into the ground. However...a 5' ultralight is gonna give you a hard row to hoe for bass fishing. That rod likely doesn't have enough backbone in the blank to fully set a big hook.

 

You can 100% catch bass on an ultralight (and it's fun to do so!), but you gotta downsize the lures and hooks you use to suit the sweet spot of the rod and your line.

Thank you for this, I have had my rod screw me a couple times. Two things, first, what fish are good for an ultralight and what baits if I still wanted to try bass with it? Also, do either of you have recommendations for a cheaper end rod/reel for bass?

23 minutes ago, deep said:

This may be helpful.

 

EDIT: Not mentioned in the linked post; but you want to do what's called a weightless texas rig on the senko, and rig the fat ika backwards.

 

 

I will definitely try this next time I'm out at a pond, thanks!

26 minutes ago, huZZah said:

That’s what I was thinking.  It really could just be the pond. Hang in there. 

Yea some of the ponds I go to it seems like my bait just gets swarmed by bluegill not even interesting in eating it, just attacking it.

[JWall14]

Yeah I would really say it’s a combination of your rod/reel combo and probably the pond. Mix up what ponds you are hitting and try to find ones that are known to have fish. I would agree that you need a new combo. Here are two videos on rods that I think would help you out tremendously. I agree with Matt and Tim here that $100 is probably the minimum for a decent rod and reel for bass fishing. The second video explains the different rods and what they can be used for and why you would want any of them. Now- you don’t need 5 rods, I just think it would help to hear the applications of different power rods so you can decide which is right for you. Let me know if you have any questions, I was in your shoes a few years ago.

 

 

[galyonj]

2 minutes ago, JWall14 said:

Yeah I would really say it’s a combination of your rod/reel combo and probably the pond. Mix up what ponds you are hitting and try to find ones that are known to have fish. I would agree that you need a new combo. Here are two videos on rods that I think would help you out tremendously. I agree with Matt and Tim here that $100 is probably the minimum for a decent rod and reel for bass fishing. The second video explains the different rods and what they can be used for and why you would want any of them. Now- you don’t need 5 rods, I just think it would help to hear the applications of different power rods so you can decide which is right for you. Let me know if you have any questions, I was in your shoes a few years ago.

 

I mostly agree with all this. I would recommend that OP ignore that casting combos even exist for the time being. At least until he's got his bearings. There's no sense in steepening the learning curve this early in his quest.

[cjack]

50 minutes ago, JWall14 said:

Yeah I would really say it’s a combination of your rod/reel combo and probably the pond. Mix up what ponds you are hitting and try to find ones that are known to have fish. I would agree that you need a new combo. Here are two videos on rods that I think would help you out tremendously. I agree with Matt and Tim here that $100 is probably the minimum for a decent rod and reel for bass fishing. The second video explains the different rods and what they can be used for and why you would want any of them. Now- you don’t need 5 rods, I just think it would help to hear the applications of different power rods so you can decide which is right for you. Let me know if you have any questions, I was in your shoes a few years ago.

 

 

Just watched both of these, mainly focusing on the cheaper combos in the first video. But, would you recommend I go for a spinning reel (which I've been using on my current rod for the past yearish) or change to a baitcaster. I've heard many pros and cons about both but not sure which one would be more universal/better to learn different stuff on.

[Bubba 460]

 I was about 16 when I eased down the bank using a willow tree to hide my presence. I was working my way toward a small cove in a farm pond. Once I got to the tree I reached around with the rod and flipped a black Texas rigged worm out about 30 feet into the middle. Immediately the water seem to lift in the whole cove and my line started heading towards the main pond. I set the hook and an eight pounder exploded out of the water. That was the first 8# bass I ever caught. Had I just stomped down the bank and walked up to the edge I would have never caught her.

 

  I have walked around so many ponds and lakes fishing in my younger days that I must have racked up some air miles. What I have leaned to help catch more fish is "stealth" to include noise. Don't just walk down to the bank and start fishing, cast while you are away from the bank  a couple of times. If nothing happens, ease down to the bank and fish both directions. Learn to spot cover or better looking spots more likely to hold bass. Wear fishing glasses on sunny days to see better in the water. Fish the shaded side on hot sunny days or known cover that provides shade. Use smaller lures to catch more fish, they might not be bruisers you catch but you will catch more.

[Bubba 460]

4 hours ago, galyonj said:

 

I hesitate to say too much because the bait monkey will hear and will ride you into the ground. However...a 5' ultralight is gonna give you a hard row to hoe for bass fishing. That rod likely doesn't have enough backbone in the blank to fully set a big hook.

 

You can 100% catch bass on an ultralight (and it's fun to do so!), but you gotta downsize the lures and hooks you use to suit the sweet spot of the rod and your line.

 

With that said I would like to add that having come from a poor, single parent home. I could never as a young teen afford a decent rod and reel and fished with a cane pole a lot. Everything cheap in a fishing rod in those days (late 50's early 60's) was comparable to a Barbie rod and reel of today and the Barbie rod is probably better. My much older brother had already left the house and being a avid hunter and fisherman had landed a job in the big "Atlas Sporting Good Store in Wash DC... This would be the equivalent to Bass Pro stores of today. Anyway, one day he brings me a spinning rod and reel that had been damaged and could not be sold but still worked fine. The reel he said was the smallest (quality) spinning reel on the market at that time. It was made in France and it was indeed so little it would fit in just the palm of your hand, I wish I could remember the name of it. The rod was a decent five and a half footer.

 

So I've said all of that to say that I fished with that little ultralight outfit for many years and caught a ton of fish on it and learned how to be "gingerly" with a bigger fish, using my finger on the spool for drag. Plus supporting the rod at times with my left hand when the fish would run. Sure there were some fish I just had no control over and lost them but 95% of the time that little rod and reel brought them in. In hind sight it was a great learning experience and it was all I had. I took all the fish home for my mother to cook.

 

However I would not use such a light rod today for bass, not because you can't catch a bass on it but because if the bass was of any size the fight would be to long and the fish would probably experience exhaustion and roll belly-up before you got him in. Bank-side recovery back to health and release would be poor at best. Best to go to a gun fight with a gun. 

[galyonj]

Those are all good points @Bubba 460. I didn't touch on the fact that one benefits from developing a "touch," for lack of a better word, when trying to another site on very light tackle. It's 100% doable, but it's more stress on the fish, and I like to avoid that if I can help it.

 

Honestly, because all my fishing is C&R, I'd just as soon ski them in using rod and line beyond what's necessary, unhook them, get my pictures, and release them healthy and confused, ready for the next fight.

 

If I were OP, I'd embrace that rod for what it is, get a collection of small lures that work with it, and go to town catching panfish because, while they're not bass, they're a lot of fun.

[Bubba 460]

3 minutes ago, galyonj said:

Those are all good points @Bubba 460. I didn't touch on the fact that one benefits from developing a "touch," for lack of a better word, when trying to another site on very light tackle. It's 100% doable, but it's more stress on the fish, and I like to avoid that if I can help it.

 

Honestly, because all my fishing is C&R, I'd just as soon ski them in using rod and line beyond what's necessary, unhook them, get my pictures, and release them healthy and confused, ready for the next fight.

 

If I were OP, I'd embrace that rod for what it is, get a collection of small lures that work with it, and go to town catching panfish because, while they're not bass, they're a lot of fun.

 

 

Thanks. Yes, the heath of the fish takes precedence over "the sport"... at least in what's left of my mind in my older age. Ski'em in works for me!

[Krux5506]

I usually am of the  mindset when shore fishing to cover as much ground/water as possible. Even if you catch a couple bass in one spot, don't continue to fish that same exact spot for the next hour unless it's just non stop action. Take note of what they hit, how they hit it and a general depth and just keep moving along to the next spot. I've never understood how some people can sit on a bucket at the same spot for hours especially when it's slow, but I'm also amazed at how many seem to actually do that. 

[Bubba 460]

5 minutes ago, Krux5506 said:

I usually am of the  mindset when shore fishing to cover as much ground/water as possible. Even if you catch a couple bass in one spot, don't continue to fish that same exact spot for the next hour unless it's just non stop action. Take note of what they hit, how they hit it and a general depth and just keep moving along to the next spot. I've never understood how some people can sit on a bucket at the same spot for hours especially when it's slow, but I'm also amazed at how many seem to actually do that. 

 

 

I found out that a lot of those people that sit on buckets don't even put bait on their hook just so they won't have to get up.

[WRB]

Bass don’t eat when spawning. If you see beds the bass are protecting the area from intruders like your lures, not striking to eat.

The seasonal period will change when the spawn is over and the bass will be catchable using the lures you have.

Tom

[river-rat]

14 hours ago, Koz said:

Rule #1 of bank fishing on ponds - be stealthy.

 

If you can see into the water the fish can see you and your movements. Stand further up the bank and fish from there. Wear clothing colors that help you blend in to the background. Tread lightly on the ground.

 

Start with that and let us know how it goes.

 

Agree with this 100%. When I am fishing from the bank I walk very slowly and stand at least 6' away from the shoreline.

 

 

[Smells like fish]

Go to Wally mart and buy Zoom 6” lizards in watermelon and fish weightless and or with a bullet weight. You will catch every bass in the pond. Look at Abu Garcia Black Max, inexpensive and good. Buy 40lb braid and learn to blood knot you a 10lb Fluor leader about 4 feet long. 

[cjack]

1 hour ago, galyonj said:

Those are all good points @Bubba 460. I didn't touch on the fact that one benefits from developing a "touch," for lack of a better word, when trying to another site on very light tackle. It's 100% doable, but it's more stress on the fish, and I like to avoid that if I can help it.

 

Honestly, because all my fishing is C&R, I'd just as soon ski them in using rod and line beyond what's necessary, unhook them, get my pictures, and release them healthy and confused, ready for the next fight.

 

If I were OP, I'd embrace that rod for what it is, get a collection of small lures that work with it, and go to town catching panfish because, while they're not bass, they're a lot of fun.

Yea that's how I got into fishing going for bluegill at a local pond with nightcrawlers. I think I'm just gonna put down the needed money to upgrade my rod/reel for bass and save my current rod for ponds with panfish