Tried and Proven Options for Bass
When it comes to the basics of bass fishing, there are some givens. One of these givens is the fact that no one lure or presentation is going to do it all. In order to be successful, anglers have to have some options.
The primary “go-to” bait for the many of the bass anglers in the Midwest is the standard Texas rigged plastic worm. This unimpressive contraption doesn’t look all that appealing to most of us, but we have learned that the bass don’t really care what we think. They eat plastic worms.
But this is where the options come in. The Texas rigged worm frequently needs to be tweaked to get it to perform in certain situations.
I have seen days when the bass were so hunkered down in the weeds that they were difficult to reach. The trick was to put on a heavier than normal bullet sinker. This added weight allowed my worm to dig deeper into the cabbage and root out the critters hiding on the bottom.
On other outings, I have found that my weight was too heavy. On these days, it was all about the slow drop. An eighth ounce weight on a seven inch worm was just about perfect. Occasionally, I have had to go as light as a 1/16 weight to get results.
These small weights are also ideal for working shallow, inside weedlines. The longer the drop takes, the more apt old bucketmouth is to find the plastic too tempting to resist.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the Texas rig is just for worms. I have discovered that four and five inch Power Hawgs are ideal baits for the weedless Texas style. Because of the bulk associated with this scented plastic, the lure falls slowly and needs to be worked slowly.
Occasionally, I will fish a plastic worm with no weight at all. I will use this weedless rig to slither across lily pads or skip under docks. With no weight, I find that some extra twitching and teasing is often necessary to entice strikes.
Another tried and proven bass catching tool is the jig ‘n’ pig. I have to admit that it took me a few years to become a believer in this rig. Now I find it hard to put down.
Once again, utilizing different options is the key to successful jig fishing. One option that works well for me is to downsize the jig and trailer. Instead of tying on a standard full bodied jig, I will often opt for something smaller.
The size I usually scale down to is a 1/8 or 3/16 ounce jighead. On the back of this I will put a three inch Power Minnow. This combination will entice most bass into striking and works well in weedy areas. It is important to note that at times, the smaller size can be a detriment because it may attract little fish.
Crankbaits may not be in everyone’s bass fishing arsenal, but they should be. They can be just the ticket for triggering lethargic bass.
Although crankbaits come in many different styles and colors, I nearly always start with a fast retrieve rattle bait of some kind. My two favorites are the Frenzy Rattl’r and the Salmo Zipper. These baits are ideal for covering shallow flats and really can’t be fished wrong.
Although nearly any retrieve pattern will catch fish, don’t forget to experiment with various speeds. Sometimes fast and super fast retrieves will generate the most strikes.
I was recently reminded again of the importance of experimenting with a stop and go retrieve. On an early season outing, my fishing partner was catching about three fish to my one using the same bait. It took me a while but I finally figured out that he was reeling and stopping to create a lift and fall of his crankbait. Once I duplicated the speed up and slow down retrieve, my success improved dramatically.
The basic concepts for fishing bass haven’t really changed all that much in the past ten years. What have changed are the refinements and options we add to the basic deliveries. For me, it has been these little variations that often make or break my fishing outings.
Appling options to tried and proven bass tactics is often the key to greater success.
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