Matching the Hatch

[CrazedL.IFisherman]

that famous expression needs some clarification for me if possible. I understand that you match your lures and soft baits as close to those of the colors and sizes of the baitfish in the lake. How do you go about doing this. For instance i stay in Maine every summer for sometime with my best friend, my father and his father. At the dock i can see sunnies swimming around, and once in awhile we catch crawfish. So i can match baits to those. Besides that i do not see any other baitfish. I rarely see the minnows or types of shad in the lake. Do you guys find this technique important enough to follow. And how to you go about following this. Sorry for such a newbie question, have been fishing a long time but never understand this. Any info on this topic would be great  ;D

[j-bass]

that famous expression....

That really is just an expression.  Yes bait-fish imitating baits do work, but spinnerbaits and creatures work also and there is nothing living in the water that looks like either of those (also, how many chartruse or firetiger colored bait fish have you ever seen swimming around, and yet they are popular colors)

[CrazedL.IFisherman]

thats completely true, good point, i just feel like yeah they work very well, i do very well with creature baits, love them, but if you get something even closer to the real fish it cant hurt, it can only help

[ominousone]

j-bass,

just for the sake of arguement, firetiger looks a lot like a perch to me.  I get your point however.  Hatch-matching is like anything else, it is A way.  let the fish tell you what they want.

[paparock]

Try researching the lake and area you fish on the Internet. You can often find pictures of the various baitfish and which ones are the main diet of the various fish species. The State Game and Fish Department sites offer a ton of information and you can even call and talk with the area biologist. Fishing is like school; you have to do your homework.  ;)Hope this helps.

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

Unless you have gizzard shad or other baitfish more suited to cold water most of the shad either get eaten or die off in winter, so they normally don't get much over 3" long. As the season ages toward winter I increase spinnerbait blade sizes up to 3", with a larger trailer. Bass check out baitfish size daily so they key in on a particular size as normal for the lake for that time of year, but when they get closer and see a little larger critter below those stupid baitfish they either go for the trailer or the whole assembly. If you can it's just better to stick to forage sizes bass are looking for. If you'll fish it so as to stick out from a school of baitfish your bait isn't just one in a million. Bass look for the weaklings, those appearing to be dying, injured, or cut off alone and fleeing. It takes much less energy to attack a cripple than a healthy school.

Jim

[Gatorbassman]

The truth of it is that a very large percentage of bass are caught due to reaction strikes. The bass strikes our ugly lures because it is surprised or it's a possible easy meal that is about to get away. They catch it first then decide weather to swallow it or spit it out. Many times if the bass gets a good look at your lure, it doesn't matter if it is the most realistic lure on the market, it will turn away. But if they start to get a look at it and it starts to get away they will try to catch it and then decide if its dinner or not. So matching the hatch is important only up to the point that the lure you are using looks like a good meal for a split second without scaring the scales off of the fish. So get close to the "hatch" with your lure. Then make good accurate casts with very little splash to the places where bass live and get ready to set the hook.

[Brian_Reeves]

Sometimes you can't go wrong with the basic bluegill/sunpearch colored crankbaits.  Especially in the post-spawn, daddy bass will be on a bluegill witch hunt on the flats since these little buggers eat the baby bass.  Which is kinda funny, because later in the year baby bass colored baits start working better.  Hypocritical cannibals.  ;D

[Guest avid]

"Matching the hatch" is a term created by fly fisherman for trout.  It has become "trendy" and you will hear every type of fisherman use it.

Fact is for bass it rarely matters.  Yes, there are times when balls of shad are being herded and fed on by bass.  That is why there are so many shad imitating baits.  But bass are opportunistic feeders, and like most humans, if it looks good they will eat it.

Many, many bass are caught using reaction type baits. That is sudden, quick, loud and/or flashy.  It is the principal behind "power fishing"

So don't get too hung on trying to match the forage.  

There are simply too many times when the bass are feeding on crayfish, and a white zara spook will kill em.

[Raul]

You know why bass strike buzzbaits ? ...........beacuse you are matching the hatch.........buzzbaits look a lot like them annoying water skiers.  

[RoLo]

OH YES, I always "Match The Hatch"

Whenever I see those creatures, you know, the ones that look exactly like chartreuse spinnerbaits,

I'll start throwing a chartreuse spinnerbait. Last night my lake was teeming with those

roach-shaped creatures, you know, the ones with 2 lobed arms and a large beaver tail.

Naturally, I quickly tied on an Ugly Otter. Unfortunately, I didn't do any good

because the creatures in the lake had red flakes and all I had was green flakes

Roger

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

Lately just about everyone has figured out or been told why their 8 inch worms just won't work nearly like a 4-6 inch worm. The bass all around the lake just want the smaller ones. I'd say that's a huge plug for matching whatever hatch a finesse or trick worm is imitating. The choice is on SIZE, and color. A green 10 inch worm is useless right now. A green trick is the ticket. is the smaller one appealing to a reaction bite better? I doubt it. A more threatening, easier to see larger worm ought to bring on a reaction strike much easier than a finesse worm.

Jim

[paparock]

Trying to imitate the bait available to a predatory fish like a bass is just the starting point. As others have already said there are reaction bites. The key I have found is, if what you are doing is not working try some else. Adaptability and thinking in non-traditional ways can pay of big. Why do bass crush a lure that does not resemble anything in particular that is living prey and in colors that traditionally are said not to work under the conditions you are fishing? Maybe others here that are more knowledgeable than I am knows but I just know that fish can change their shape or color preferences in a split second and it is always a challenge for me to just keep up. The more experience on the water you have actually fishing will give you the tools to put things together better each time you go. Best of luck and happy fishing.

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

Why bass bite:

1. Hunger. An average bass will digest soft shad in 4-6 huors above 70 degrees, in 14-18 hours in 50 degree water, ready to feed again. In colder water it might take a week or more to digest stomach contents. All bass get hungry and feed every month of the year.

2. Gluttony. They will eat bass fingerlings, and they will continue feeding with full stomach and shad hanging out the gills and mouth, unable to swallow what they already have caught.

3. Greed. Grouped up bass will fight over one bait in the middle of them, the larger more aggressive ones shoving and blustering around to keep other bass from getting the prize. This one will sometimes get two bass caught at the same time on one bait.

4. Reaction/reflexive. It's the surprise factor, a sudden intrusion they respond to without studying a bait.

5. Territorial instinct. This is the one a male bass falls for while guarding a bed of eggs.

6. Territorial/pecking order duty. They will eat intruders to keep its community the way it wants it to be. A bass becomes a loner as it ages, the largest taking the best ambush spots, jealous to keep it as personal property.

7. Anger. 50 casts to a bass intent on not feeding but not forever tolerating a visitor will get some good bites. Buzzbaits appeal to this one.

8. Curiosity. Even though not hungry or aggressive it just can't resist a helpless floundering bait or one that appears injured or behaving as frightened, fleeing. Seeing something not seen before that looks edible or needs killing is what makes some new baits the talk of the nation.

Jim

[.ghoti.]

Thanks RoLO, I just spit coffee all over my desk. By the way, you make a very valid point.

[RoLo]

Thanks RoLO, I just spit coffee all over my desk. By the way, you make a very valid point.

So I gather you don't believe my little story :-/

[ScootZilla]

Man iam sure i saw this post seen alot of little stuff.Thx guys.

Scoot

[Redtail]

Scoot - I'm still trying to figure out what you just said?

Anyway - I'm still confused with this RED color thing.  Red hooks, bleeding baits, using red because it will attract the fish.  But then you read that red fishing line disappears in the water better than any other color.  Hmmmmm