Category Archives: Bass Fishing

Bass Fishing Information

Fishing and Writing About It

Some people tell me I have the best job in the world, fishing and writing about it, and I can’t disagree! And I get to fish with some great people doing “research” for my articles. Thursday was no exception. I met Carter McNeil, a high school senior, at Lake Russell for my June Georgia Outdoor News article.

Carter lives in South Carolina near Lake Russell and fishes it a lot. It may seem he is too young to really know enough about bass fishing to share with magazine readers, but Carter has proven himself fishing with his high school team and in local pot and charity tournaments.

This year the Bass Angler’s Sportsman Society picked two high school students from each state as outstanding fishermen. They then chose 12 of them to be on the High School All American Bass Team. Carter is one of those 12 high school fishermen, from all the high school fishermen in the US, to get that honor.

I have done a good many of my articles with college and high school fishermen over the past few years, and I am always amazed at their knowledge of bass fishing, the lakes we fish and their techniques. They have learned at a very young age and some of them will go on to a professional bass fishing career.

One common trait they all have is a mentor that got them interested in fishing and taught them about bass fishing. It is usually a family member or close family friend. Carter’s uncle, Trad Whaley is a well-known tournament fisherman in that area and has been teaching Carter all his life.

Russell is a beautiful Corps of Engineers lake between Clarks Hill and Hartwell. Shoreline development is restricted on the whole lake so the tree lined shoreline is natural and pretty. The water is clear and full of fish.

Unfortunately, some misguided fishermen brought spotted bass from Lanier and released them in Russell not long after it was dammed. And has happened on way too many of our lakes, they have overrun it, reducing the largemouth population and filling the lake with what many fishermen call rats – 11 and 12 inch spotted bass.

Spots are fun to catch but Carter told me most tournaments there are won with ten or eleven pounds now, compared to the 20 pound stringers landed in the pre spot days. Not much can be done about it now so Russell is a good place to go and get your limit of spots to eat.

A little over a week ago I went to Lake Jordan for my Alabama Outdoor News Map of the Month article and went out with guide John Pollard. Spots are native to that lake on the Coosa River and they do grow big. Three pounders are common and five pounders are caught every week.

Lake Lanier and a few other Georgia lakes have good spotted bass fishing for quality fish, but they are the exception. It takes a combination of factors to make a good spotted bass fishery, and most lakes where they are not native, including all Georgia lakes, do not have all the right combinations.

High school fishing teams have become very popular and they can lead to college scholarships for better fishermen, just like in any other sport. Carter is going to college next year on a bass fishing scholarship.

College teams compete for money for their school and some of them become professional fishermen. It is great training for a professional career and all the pros I fish with and interview agree a college degree should be the number one goal of any young fisherman hoping to be a pro.

A degree in public relations or marketing is what they recommend. That may sound strange, but to be a successful pro fisherman you have to get sponsors to pay your bills. And to get sponsors you have to be able to market not only your sponsor’s products, but also yourself.

Many fishermen stick with local and state tournaments to keep down expenses. You can fish the BFL trail with six tournaments within Georgia each year, and entry fees are $150 per tournament. You can win $5000 for first place in those tournaments.

Contrast that to the BASS Elite Trail. Only the top 100 or so fishermen qualify for that trail and entry fees are $5000 per tournament. But first place wins $100,000 and the top forty fishermen win over $10,000 each.

And you have to travel a lot. So far this year the Elite trail has fished a lake in Florida, one in Texas, one in California and one in Arizona. Now they are headed back east for the next two tournament. But that is the dream of many bass fishermen.

If you can, mentor a young fisherman, either a friend or in your family. That can give them a good start and even earn a college scholarship. And a good way to get started is to bring a youth to the Spalding County Sportsman Club youth/buddy tournament on Bartlett’s Ferry on Saturday, May 30!

How Does the Shad Spawn Affect Fishing?

Why should I go fishing during the shad spawn?

Threadfin shad spawn when the water hits the upper 60s in temperature, usually in late April in Georgia.

The shad spawn is anticipated by bass and hybrid fishermen each year because you can usually catch a lot of fish while these baitfish are laying their eggs. When shad spawn they move in to rocky banks like riprap and the females run the rocks inches from the bank laying eggs and males join them to fertilize the eggs. These baitfish are easy pickings for predators. Bass and hybrids will run in right on the bank and eat them, and hold just off the bank and eat anything that comes by them. Shad spawn right at daylight, and it is usually a prime time to catch fish, until the sun gets on the water.

A spinnerbait fished right on the edge of the rocks or slow rolled out from them is a good choice. The bass will also hit crankbaits and top water plugs fished around the shad spawn. We are right at the end of the shad spawn now.

Last Sunday I couldn’t wait to fish Oconee in the Flint River tournament since I just knew I could catch some fish early. But a problem with the shad spawn is bass gorge themselves so much at daylight they are often hard to catch the rest of the day. That certainly proved true for me in the tournament.

Bass Club Tournaments On Lake Oconee and Lake Lanier

Last Sunday we had a tournament at Lake Oconee.

In the tournament, 18 members and guests fished from 6:30 AM to 3:30 PM. In the nine hours of casting, we brought in 33 14-inch keepers weighing about 65 pounds. There were only two five-bass limits and seven fishermen didn’t land a keeper.

Niles Murray won with five at 11.04 pounds. Chuck Croft was second with five at a very close 11.02 pounds. Tim Puckett got third with three fish weighing 9.20 pounds and his 5.44 pound largemouth was big fish. Javin English rounded out the top four with four keepers at 7.87 pounds.

Niles, Chuck and Javin all said they caught one or two bass early on the shad spawn. Jordan and I fished two places with a lot of shad spawning, but we caught only hybrids. That seemed to doom us the rest of the day.

At 11:00 we didn’t have a keeper in the boat although Jordan landed a 15 pound channel cat on a drop shot worm. I had caught a few short bass on plugs and worms but that was it. We had fished from the ramp at Long Shoals all the way to the mouth of Lick Creek and were very frustrated so we decided to make a big move.

After running the 10 miles to Double Branches we pulled into one of my favorite coves this time of year. On a shallow secondary point Jordan got a keeper on his drop shot then I caught one on a jig head. Within a few minutes each of us caught our second keeper of the day on that point.

About 15 minutes later I got a hit beside a dock and landed my third keeper. That was it! Neither of us caught another keeper although we fished hard the rest of the tournament.

The Potato Creek Bassmasters fished Lanier on April 18 for their monthly tournament. Eleven members fished to land 38 14-inch keepers weighing about 80 pounds. There were three five-bass limits and only one fisherman didn’t land a keeper.

Donnie Willis won with a good catch of five weighing 13.25 pounds, Lee Hancock came in second with five at 11.19 and Raymond English was a close third with five at 11.13. It is always amazing how close the weights often are in a tournament. JJ Compton had four at 9.62 for fourth and his 3.78 pounder was big fish.

What Is the BASS High School All-American Fishing Team?

B.A.S.S. Announces First-Ever High School All-American Team

BIRMINGHAM, AL. – Twelve high school students from 10 states have been selected as members of the first Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team.

Twelve high school students have been selected as members of the first Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team based on tournament performance, community service and recommendations from coaches and school officials.
“These 12 student anglers have a rare combination of fishing ability, leadership skills and involvement in community service projects,” said Hank Weldon, B.A.S.S. youth manager. “We believe they will continue to make an impact on their communities and the sport of fishing well into the future.”

The High School All-Americans were selected from a pool of 57 Bassmaster High School All-State anglers from 33 states. Judges reviewed tournament resumes, service activities and recommendations from coaches and school officials before making the selections. More than 200 nominations of student anglers in grades 10-12 were submitted for the inaugural All-American program.

Those earning the prestigious High School All-American title for 2015 are Laura Ann Foshee of Gardendale, Ala.; Zeke Gossett of Cropwell, Ala.; Joe Grafeman of Lake Ozark, Mo.; Dillon Harrell of Porter, Texas; Jake Lee of Knoxville, Tenn.; Julius Mazy of Phoenix, Ariz.; Carter McNeil of Abbeville, S.C.; Nick Montilino of Edina, Minn.; Jared Penton of Sanger, Texas; Cam Sterritt of Newfields, N.H.; Ryan Wood of Broomfield, Colo.; and Trevor Yates of Norman, Okla.

All have been invited to participate in a special Bassmaster High School All-American Bass Tournament being held in conjunction with BASSfest June 3-7 on Kentucky and Barkley lakes in Tennessee. Each high school angler will be paired with a Bassmaster Elite Series pro for the one-day tournament.

Here’s a look at what they did to become All-Americans:

Laura Ann Foshee, Alabama
A junior at Alabama’s Gardendale High School, Foshee is a founding member of the Gardendale Rockets Bass Fishing Club. She has a long list of tournament accomplishments, including a pair of victories.

Foshee helped create a benefit tournament to raise money for the Outdoor Ability Foundation, which provides hunting and fishing equipment to children with disabilities. She is also a member of Team Pink Fishing, which raises funds for breast cancer research. She assists with fish care in various tournaments, and she encourages other girls to enjoy fishing during an episode of the television show “Lunkerville.”

Zeke Gossett, Alabama
A senior at Pell City High School and member of the Pell City Panthers Bass Fishing Team, he has a 3.91 GPA and a tournament resume that includes a third-place finish in the 2014 Costa Bassmaster High School Classic, fourth in the 2014 Costa Bassmaster High School National Championship and qualification for the upcoming national championships for B.A.S.S. and TBF.

He’s a 12-time Alabama Bass Fishing State Champion and was named Alabama Sports Festival’s “Athlete of the Year” in 2010 out of 4,000 contestants in all sports. He was featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces In The Crowd Section” in 2011, and was commended for his bass fishing achievements in a bill introduced in the Alabama House of Representatives in 2012.

Gossett started dual-enrollment classes last year and has already completed four college courses, while also holding fishing seminars for junior fishing clubs and high school clubs.

Joe Grafeman, Missouri
Grafeman is a sophomore at Missouri’s School of the Osage. He and his partner won the 2014 Missouri State Championship and Missouri’s Junior Bassmaster tournament on Truman Lake in summer 2014. He is currently working to start a bass fishing team at his high school.

As a frequent volunteer at fishing shows and guest speaker at elementary schools, Grafeman uses his experiences to bring other young people to the sport of bass fishing. Those experiences include more than 20 Top 5 finishes in tournaments on the high school and adult levels.

Dillon Harrell, Texas
Harrell is a senior at New Caney High School in Porter, Texas, where he sports a 3.48 GPA. His incredible list of tournament accomplishments features more than 20 Top 5 finishes, including a wins in a TBF High School tournament and a SETX High School tournament in 2014.

The reigning SETX High School Fishing Angler of the Year, Harrell is president of his school’s fishing team, and he helped add a disability ramp to his local community mission. He also has participated in two roadside cleanups and recently received the New Caney FFA Star Lonestar Farmer Poultry Proficiency Award.

Jake Lee, Tennessee
A junior at Karns High School in Knoxville, where he maintains a 3.3 GPA, Lee and his partner won the 2014 Costa Bassmaster High School Open and the 2015 Norris Lake Bass Pro shops event.

Last year, Lee had a Top 20 finish in the 2014 Bassmaster High School National Championship on Kentucky Lake and a fourth-place finish in a TBF event in the fall. He works the sound room at Middlebrook Pike Baptist Church in Knoxville and helps the Sportsman Ministries program with a kids fishing day.

Julius Mazy, Arizona
Mazy, a sophomore at Arizona’s Boulder Creek High School, hopes to join the growing ranks of Western anglers who have succeeded as professionals. He’s had numerous first-place finishes during his young career, including one in the B.A.S.S. Nation High School Western Divisional on California’s Clear Lake in April.

Mazy and his teammates on the Phoenix High School Bassmasters organize local fun days to help younger kids enjoy fishing at local ponds. He’s also been active with the Cast for Kids program and with boat washes and raffle sales to raise money for his club.

Carter McNeil, South Carolina
McNeil is a senior at South Carolina’s Abbeville High School where he has a 3.2 GPA and is a member of the Abbeville Panthers fishing team.

He and his partner won the B.A.S.S. Nation High School Southern Divisional on the Pee Dee River in April and took third place in the 2015 Costa Bassmaster High School Classic Exhibition. McNeil is the founder and president of his fishing team and a frequent volunteer for Corps of Engineers projects aimed at planting aquatic vegetation on South Carolina’s Lake Russell.

He will be attending Bethel University on a fishing scholarship.

Nick Montilino, Minnesota
A senior at Edina High School, Montilino won the 2014 TBF state championship and was a runner-up in the B.A.S.S. state championship just two weeks later. He finished a remarkable 2014 season with wins in two more summer club events.

Montilino has participated in numerous lake and park cleanup efforts and has prepared meals for the underprivileged through his local hockey association and his church. He has a 3.6 GPA and has mentored younger bass fishermen from Minnesota youth organizations and at his high school.

Jared Penton, Texas
Penton is a senior at Sanger High School where he carries a 3.65 GPA. He won the Texas High School Bass Association Fun ‘n Sun Open in January 2014 and has several other Top 10 finishes to his credit.

He has served as president of the Sanger High School fishing team the past two years and does volunteer work for the Sanger Crisis Center, where he helps stock the food pantry for people in need. He also volunteered at the Toyota Texas Bass Classic Kids Casting Booth, helping younger anglers learn the basis of casting.

Cam Sterritt, New Hampshire
Sterritt has been a standout competitor since he was 12 years old. He won the 2007 New Hampshire Bassmaster CastingKids state championship for his age group and a slew of Junior Bassmaster titles over the years. He and his partner finished second among 60 teams in the 2014 Bassmaster High School National Championship on Kentucky Lake. He won the inaugural New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association (NHIAA) High School Bass Fishing State Championship in 2013, as well as the NHIAA High School Qualifier for the state championship that year and the Angler of the Year title in 2014.

Sterritt, now a senior, founded the Exeter High School Blue Hawks Bass Fishing Team. He volunteers at Camp Carefree for children with diabetes, CastingKids competitions, cleanup projects at state parks and a fish tagging project for the New Hampshire Fish & Game agency.

Ryan Wood, Colorado
A senior at Legacy High School, Wood currently has a 4.0 grade average and is a member of the National Honor Society. Just last year, he won the prestigious Costa Bright Future Scholarship, which was presented at the 2014 Costa Bassmaster High School National Championship.

Wood has been successful at multiple levels of competition from Junior Bassmaster to high school tournaments and adult events. He won the 2013 Bassmaster Junior World Championship on the Arkansas River, finished third in the 2014 Costa Bassmaster High School National Championship, and then went on to win a Denver Bassmasters adult open at Horsetooth Reservoir. He was a charter member of his club, Front Range Bass Club, and presently serves as its president.

Wood has been a leader in conservation, helping his club earn a conservation grant to refurbish a pond in North Denver and volunteering with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife to assess the aquatic health of lakes, ponds and streams in his state. Wood has participated in church mission trips, volunteered at kids’ derbies and organized backpacks and school supplies for a charity in his hometown.

Trevor Yates, Oklahoma
Yates is an active leader at Little Axe High School, where he is a senior. He has been involved in the student council for the past four years and is a member of the Business Professionals of America.

He has several high school wins to his credit, including the Oklahoma B.A.S.S. Nation High School State Championship and the TBF High School Southern Conference Championship, both in fall 2014. Yates also won the 2013 Junior Bassmaster World Championship alongside his All-American teammate, Ryan Wood.

Yates hosted a fishing clinic in 2014 for kids, showing them how to cast and other fundamentals of fishing. He helped the North OKC Junior Bassmasters assemble and place habitat in Oklahoma lakes. Yates formed the Little Axe Bass Club at his school and encourages kids to get into fishing by helping at local CastingKids competitions.

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series presented by Allstate, Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.

Fishing A Bass Club Tournament At Clarks Hill in May

Last weekend 13 members and guests of the Spalding County Sportsman Club fished our April tournament at Clarks Hill. Fishing was very good for a few and tough for others. There were nine five-bass limits and one fisherman didn’t weigh in a keeper after fishing ten hours on Saturday and eight hours on Sunday. We had 82 keepers weighing about 163 pounds.

Sam Smith won with ten at 24.56 pounds, his partner Chris Davies had ten at 23.68 pounds for second and Raymond English was third with nine at 23.45. Raymond had big fish with a 6.61 pound largemouth he caught Saturday. My nine weighing 20.86 pounds was good for fourth. My partner Jordan McDonald was fifth with nine at 17.96 and Zane Fleck had ten at 17.19 for sixth.

I went over on Wednesday and fished a few hours that afternoon. The lake is full and the bushes are in the water, usually a great pattern this time of year. I caught several small bass then in the last hour before I went in I landed a three pounder and two more over 2.5 pounds.

Jordan joined me the next morning and we put in before daylight and went looking for shad and herring spawning. We didn’t see any so we started fishing bushes, and were real disappointed. After fishing about ten hours we landed only about ten keeper bass, and all were less than two pounds.

Friday morning we started a little later and again looked for shad and herring spawning. We caught a couple of big hybrids on a blow-through, a place where shallow water between two islands or an island and the bank has a gravel bottom. Wind and waves wash the dirt away, leaving the gravel, and herring spawn on them.

The next one we fished we saw some schooling activity and I landed a two pounder on a Carolina rigged Baby Brush Hog. Then I got a keeper on a crankbait off the Raysville bridge riprap. That should have told me something, but I missed it. After fishing the rest of the day we again had landed fewer than ten keepers and the first one was the biggest.

After three sunny days Saturday morning was rainy so Jordan and I drove the 25 miles from my place at Rayville Boat Club to Mistletoe State Park rather than riding 7 miles between the two by water in the boat. We took off and went to a rocky point I like, and both caught some big hybrids but no bass. As it got a little lighter we went to a nearby blow through but nothing was happening there.

Since it was raining hard by now I just started fishing around the island with the blow though. Jordan saw some schooling fish on a point on the main bank across from it and we went over there, and I got a three pounder on a crankbait. After going back to the blow through I caught another three pounder. Working around the island, I got a 4 pounder and lost two more nice bass when they jumped and threw the crankbait.

I also got a five pound channel cat on the crankbait. Jordan got an eight pounder the next day. Some folks had a lot of noodles out for cats in that area and we saw several with fish on them, and Jordan pulled one up that had an eight pound blue cat on it. Catfish were biting good!

By the time we had to go in I had caught ten keepers and culled three three-pound bass – very unusual for me. Raymond English and I were tied with 16.19 pounds each – one of my best five fish limits ever in a tournament.

Sunday was clear and very windy. Although I fished hard I landed only four small keepers and Jordan had the same. What a difference a day made!

Sam and Chris came in first and second by fishing Raysville Bridge. I knew the fish I caught there should have told me something!

Youth Bass Fishing Tournament

Members of the Spalding County Sportsman Club and the youth fishing our youth/buddy tournament in March enjoyed it so much we have scheduled another one. We will be fishing Bartletts Ferry from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturday, May 30. The youth tournament is open to those 11 to 17 years old. This combination tournament is open to everyone and you can enter the buddy tournament with an entry fee if you want to, but the youth tournament part has no entry fee.

Youth will compete with other youth for prizes. Thanks to Gary “Pokey” Hattaway, Jack “Zero” Ridgeway, Larry Cook and https://fishing-about.com we have some nice tackle packs as prizes for the youth. For the youth, there can be one, two or even three youth in each boat with the adult bringing them, and they do not have to enter the buddy part of the tournament.

The buddy tournament has a $50 entry fee and $5 big fish pot and is a team tournament. Adults can fish by themselves or with one other adult and their combined weight will be used for the first through fourth place payback of 50 percent of entry fees. The adult can also pair up with one, two or three youth in the same boat for this weigh-in, with the best five fish for the team weighed.

Youth will keep their fish separate for their weigh-in but their fish can then be combined with adult catch for the team payback. These tournaments are always a lot of fun for those that participate.

Call me at 770-789-6168 or email me at Ronnie@fishing-about.com for more information.

How To Catch Bass On a Fly Rod

Bass On The Long Rod – Catching Bass On A Fly Rod

By Mike Gnatkowski / www.gnatoutdoors.com
from The Fishing Wire

Flyrod bass on eelworm

This largemouth was caught on an Eelworm Streamer, which is the fly-fisher’s alternative to a rubber worm.

Think of fly-fishing and you automatically think of trout. Fly-fishing is ideally suited to presenting tiny flies that imitate a lot of what a trout eats. But fly-fishing can be a challenging technique for targeting bass, too. And most of us have a pond or lake close by that has bass in it so they’re readily available and we don’t have to travel far to find good fishing.

Most anglers pursue bass with a spinning rod or bait-casting gear from the deck of a bass boat like the anglers they see on Saturday mornings. But there are more and more anglers trying the long rod for bass and they’re finding it both challenging and rewarding. With fly gear, you’re certainly not going to hoist a 5-pound bass into the boat and you’re going to have to fight it more than 30 seconds. An extended fight alone might be the real attraction.

New materials mean better flies

The explosion in fly tying materials in recent years has fostered even more realistic flies, many intended for bass.

The real interest in fly-fishing for bass got started in the 1980’s jumpstarted by two legends in the fishing world. Oklahoman Dave Whitlock was one of the first to design flies specifically for warm-water species and extolled the joys of fly-fishing for bass. Whitlock was a master fly tier, artist, author and fly-fishing innovator who eventually transplanted to Arkansas to be close to the White River and its fabulous trout fishing, but he never forgot about bass.

Whitlock’s innovative designs included the Eelworm Streamer, which was the fly rodder’s equivalent to the bass fisherman’s plastic worm. With heavy lead dumbbell eyes, the fly exhibited a nose-down attitude that mimicked the classic rubber worm, but with undulating feathers and mottled tones the Eelworm Streamer looked more life-like than any piece of plastic.

Whitlock continued to create bass flies that covered everything from top to bottom. Flies like the Hare Water Pup, Wiggle-Legs Frog, Dragon Flies and Sheep Minnows that look more real than any crankbait. Bass are more opportunistic than trout. Most times there’s no need to match-the-hatch when fly fishing for bass, but Whitlock’s designs opened the eyes of fly fishers who had their sights set on bass and had come from a trout fishing background. Although many of Whitlock’s flies appealed to both largemouth and smallmouth bass, his flies had a particular bucketmouth appeal.

Float tubes are great for fly fishing

Kicking around in a float tube is a great way to target bass with a fly rod.

Larry Dahlberg grew up fishing and guiding on the St. Croix River on the Minnesota/Wisconsin border. Dahlberg was so infatuated with fishing that by the time his friends were bagging groceries at the local supermarket, he was guiding anglers on the river for good money, most with a fly rod. Dahlberg, like Whitlock, was an innovator and inventor and went about designing flies that would catch his clients more fish.

One of his creations, the Dahlberg Diver, was fly-fishing’s answer to the bass fishermen’s crankbait. The Dahlberg Diver has a cone-shaped head made of spun deer hair with a stiff collar. The idea was that when stripped hard, the cone-shaped head would act like a lip on a crankbait causing the fly to dive. The harder and more you stripped, the deeper the fly would dive. Stop stripping and the fly would swim back to the surface. It’s a triggering mechanism that most predators can’t stand. The Dahlberg Diver proved to be a killer on not only St. Croix River smallmouths, but also sizable pike and muskies. Dahlberg also tied life-like poppers and sliders that catch plenty of bass even today.

The explosion in fly tying materials in recent years has fostered even more realistic flies, many intended for bass. With a variety of synthetic furs, rabbit strips, Krystal Flash and rubber legs, pinchers and feelers, bass flies look like the real thing. Made from natural materials or synthetics, bass flies not only look real, they feel natural. When a bass chomps on a hair mouse or frog, it feels natural so that fish is less likely to let go. Undulating feathers or quivering rubber legs gives bass flies an added realism that cannot be duplicated with conventional hard baits.

River fly fishing for smallmouth

Many rivers have outstanding smallmouth populations and targeting them in the summer with the long rod can be great fun.

What kind of fly rod you choose for bass fishing depends on which kind of bass you intend to fish for. Largemouths tend to inhabit thick cover where a heavier rod can be an advantage for muscling big bass. The flies that are used to entice largemouth bass are generally larger and bulkier and more easily cast with an 8- or 9-weight fly rod. Smallmouths frequent more open structure where rocks or wood are the main habitat. Nymphs, streamers and bugs that trigger strikes from smallmouths can be easily cast with a 6-weight fly rod. The reel is relatively unimportant and is used mainly for line storage. Bass don’t run so an intricate drag system is not necessary.

Unlike when casting a lure with a spinning or bait-casting rod, when fly-fishing the line carries the lure or fly not the other way around. To throw bulky, wind-resistant frogs or poppers requires a weight-forward or bass-bug tapered line. A line like this is heavier at the forward end and is better suited to driving out-sized bugs that require more power to cast. Match the line weight to the rod. Leaders need to be nothing more than a four-foot length of 20-pound fluorocarbon when fishing largemouths. A tapered leader of no more the 7-1/2 feet is perfect for smallmouths.

Late spring and summer is primetime for fly-fishing for bass. Bass are most susceptible to fly-rod tactics when they are in the shallows. Actively spawning bass are suckers for flies twitched around beds. I’ve caught dozens of largemouths and smallmouths on rubber spiders intended for bluegills. A good pair of polarized glasses will help you spot active beds and spawning bass. This can be done from the front deck of a bass boat or out of a float tube.

Fly-rodding for bass is hot during the heat of summer. Bass take up residence in predictable locations during the summer and fly fishers can capitalize. Working minnow imitations along weed edges can be a great tactic for scoring on summer largemouths.

Use a sponge spider for bass

One of many bass the author has caught on a sponge spider intended for panfish.

Largemouths will also take up residence under mats of floating vegetation to avoid the hot sun and jet skis. Lily pads and largemouths are like peanut butter and jelly. Frogs, Divers and bugs tied with monofilament weed guards can be cast into the thickest junk without fear of getting hung up. Dropping a hair frog into the opening between pads and then causing it to twitch and skitter will bring explosive strikes from resident bass. Many times the best action is during the heat of the day.

Smallmouth thrive in cool, clear lakes and can be targeted by fly fishers with life-like imitations that simulate smallmouth fare like crayfish, minnows and gobies. In large cool bodies of water smallmouths may not spawn until July, so you’ll find them still patrolling the shallows. During the post spawn, you’ll find male bass protecting the beds. Look a little deeper for the rotund females.

Many rivers have outstanding smallmouth populations and targeting them in the summer with the long rod can be great fun. As water levels drop in the summer time bass will be highly concentrated on the pools and deeper runs. Bass will move into riffles to feed or in slack-water areas to root out crayfish.

Fly-fishing for smallmouth in rivers is a lot like fly-fishing for trout. Many of the same nymphs, Wooly Buggers, Muddler Minnows that catch trout will catch smallies. There may even be times when hatches of aquatic insects will bring smallmouths to the surface like trout.

Streams and rivers become tepid during the summer months so wading wet is an option. You can use a canoe to cover water and then get out and fish the best pools and runs. Tangling with a 3 or 4-pound bulldogging smallie on the long rod is a hoot.

(See more of Mike Gnatkowski’s work at www.gnatoutdoors.com. )

What Is A Jig and Pig for Bass Fishing and Why Should I Use One?

If you read or hear much about bass fishing, you will hear people say they use a jig and pig. But what is a jig and pig and why should you use one to fish for bass?

Lead head jig with rubber skirt and fiber weed guard

The jig part is a lead head jig with rubber legs or skirt. It may or may not have a weed guard on the hook.

The pig can be several things. The first ones were Uncle Josh Pork Rind Frogs – hence the name “pig.” Now most fishermen use a plastic pig and they can be many shapes and sizes. Some popular ones are chunks – a round body with two legs like the Zoom Chunk. I like a twin curly tail trailer like the Zoom Creepy Crawler or Fat Albert. Others look like crawfish, like the Net Bait Paca Craw. They come in a wide variety of colors.

The pig is attached to the hook of the jig so the body is mostly covered by the skirt and the legs or tails stick out behind the bait.

Bitsy Bug Jig and Creepy Crawler Trailer

It is important to put the pig or trailer on so it is straight and the legs at a flat plane with the head, perpendicular to the hook. If it is bent the bait may spin and twist your line. If it is at an angle it does not look natural.

The picture above is of my favorite jig and pig – a Strike King Bitsy Bug with a Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer. This one is in browns for clear water. I use a black and blue jig and blue trailer in stained to muddy water. I use a 3/16ths to 1/4 ounce Bitsy Bug and always dip the tips ot the trailer, no matter what color it is, in chartreuse JJs Magic.

For deeper fishing or when the wind is blowing too much for the light jig, I go with the same colors in a 3/8ths to 1/2 ounce Rattleback Jig with the bigger Zoom twin tail Fat Albert trailer. And if I am trying for bigger fish I use the bigger bait. A big bass will hit the smaller bait but I do think bigger fish like bigger baits.

The Bitsy Bug and Creepy Crawler is a great bait for spotted bass but largemouth love it, too. I have done well many tournaments on a variety of lakes on these baits.

A jig and pig can be fished in all kinds of structure and cover. And they can be fished in a wide variety of ways.

How Should I Net A Bass?

Net Results – How To Net A Bass and Other Fish

By Mike Gnatkowski
gnatoutdoors.com

The two most critical and exciting junctures when fishing are at the strike and when the fish comes to net. If the fish strikes aggressively and the hooks are sharp, the fish gets hooked solidly and battling the fish is largely a matter of rod pressure and patience. The most tenuous moment is when the fish nears the boat. With less line out, there is less stretch. Mistakes are magnified. Too much pressure can pull hooks out; not enough and the fish can shake free.

Play and net the bass right

Photo by the Author

Assuming neither happens, netting must be a coordinated effort between the angler and the person wielding the net. Done correctly, the fish is in the net and in the boat before he knows what happened. Approach the netting process in an unsynchronized and haphazard manner and you’ll be lamenting the big one that got away. If you’re just fun fishing, it will be the source of a story that will be retold many times. If it’s during a tournament or on a guide trip, it can have more drastic consequences.

Part of the equation for successfully netting fish is to have the right tool for the job. Anglers should consider the type and size of the fish they expect to encounter to pick the proper net. Elements to consider are hoop diameter and size; handle length and composition and net bag depth, color and composition. A net that’s perfect for one type of fish may be totally inadequate for another.

Bass anglers should consider Frabill’s new line of Conservation Series nets. Conservation Series nets are designed with safe catch and release in mind. All nets feature 100% knotless mesh netting, eliminating injuries commonly caused by sharp knots. Knots also tend to scrape away the slime layer on fish, which can leave them vulnerable to infection. Flat, linear bottoms reduce fish rolling and support the weight of the entire fish. Tangle-free coating prevents hooks from entangling in the net and facilitates quick release. Mesh guard hoops resist wear and greatly extend the life of the net. The 20” x 23” and 23” x 26 Conservation Series nets should meet the needs of most bass fanatics.

The right net protects the fish

Photo coutesy of Frabill

While the Conservation Series nets are meant to treat fish with a gentle touch, they are anything but wimpy. The first impression you get when picking one up is of its strength. The heavy-duty aluminum handle is strong enough to be used as a push pole. Been there; done that. I’ve seen lighter yokes on an oxen. The net yoke is made of hard, thick, nearly indestructible material that will endure a lifetime of use and features Frabill’s exclusive patented Pow’R Lok automatic yoke system. The Mesh Guard Hoop means the bag loops are recessed into the hoop instead of looped around it, which leaves one less thing to snag on when getting ready to net a fish. The solid black hoop and sure-grip handle are a nice finishing touch.

Another option for bass anglers is Frabill’s Crankbait Net. It took two years of development, but Frabill finally came up with a net specifically designed to keep crankbaits, stickbaits and other multi-hook lures from becoming entangled in the netting. We’ve all been there. Net a fish hooked on a crankbait and he starts flopping, creating a nightmare snarl. Not anymore. With the Crankbait Net your net-tangling frustrations are over. The Crankbait Net is available in 20” x 23” to 23” x 26” models with various handle lengths.

Frabill offers a couple of options when it comes scaling back the overall size of the net for storage and transport – key premise when it comes to fitting in a well, even overly geared-up bass boat. Frabill’s Folding Net comes in 18” x 16” and 22’ x 20’ sizes that take up little space when collapsed, but are readily available when it comes time to scoop a 10-pound toad. The Power Stow Net comes in 20” x 24” and 14” x 18” models. The hoop in the Power Stow folds in half and the handle retracts for easy storage,

Use a net big enough for what you hope to catch

Photo courtesy of Frabill

Handle length is largely a matter of personal preference, but is also dictated by the height of your transom and the amount of room you have for storage. Handles can stretch from 2 to 8 feet or more. It’s always better to have a net handle that’s too long than one that’s too short.

Bag and hoop color are considerations, too. Most anglers prefer net bags made from a dark material to prevent spooking fish prior to netting. Wave a flashing net over a fish near the surface and he’s likely to panic. Dark, anodized hoops and handles and dark bags help keep things calm at the moment of truth.

Netting fish is an art form. When done properly, the process is a coordinated effort using a quick, fluid motion that results in a fish flopping on the floor or in the live well. The angler needs to stay at the back or side of the boat to keep track of the fish and the fight until the fish is ready to be netted. Only then should the person with the net step in front of the angler. The angler should be lifting and bringing the fish closer as the netter brings the net up under the fish. The angler needs to be prepared in case the fish makes a sudden run or burst. Done properly, the netter should only have to lift the net as the angler leads the fish over the hoop.

One important point is knowing when a fish is ready to be netted. The fish should be within easy netting distance and show signs of tiring. Usually, the fish will be lying on its side. The idea is to slip the net under the fish headfirst without touching the fish until it is centered in the net. You can then put the net handle straight up in the air, effectively closing the net bag or swing the hoop into the boat. Be careful of nets with long handles. Wielding a long net handle around while paying attention to the fish and not to others in the boat can result in a knock on the noggin or worse.

Most fish are lost at the boat because of indecision or by being too anxious. Have a positive attitude that you can easily scoop the fish. Wait until the fish is well within range and shows signs of tiring. Don’t reach. More fish are lost at this critical juncture because the netter reaches for the fish at the same time the angler gives the fish slack. If you reach too far, the net will flow out in front of the hoop and the fish is likely to get caught in the netting before he’s safely in the net. The hooks get caught in the net and the fish shakes free. To prevent this, don’t reach and hold the bag against the handle until the fish is over the net. Then open your hand to release the bag. Once the fish is in the boat the angler needs to release the tension on the line or give some slack to prevent the hook from flying out and causing injury.

Netting must be a coordinated effort. Done right, it means sweet success and high-fives all around.

Is your net big enough?

Photo by Bill Lindner

How Did the Bass Pros Do On Lake Guntersville?

Legendary Bass Pros in North Alabama on Lake Guntersville

By Frank Sargeant
from The Fishing Wire

The pros get ready

Most of the best-known names in professional bass fishing probed the favorite local spots at Lake Guntersville, in the northeast corner of Alabama, as the Diet Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite tour got underway on Thursday, April 9, and continued through Sunday, April 12. Daily takeoffs and weigh-ins were at Guntersville City Harbor, adjacent the 431 bridge on the north edge of town.

With water temperatures still in the low 60s, the lake’s giant female bass haven’t completed their spring spawning, and this should mean fishing fans will see some gigantic fish brought to the scales during the four-day event.

“There was a 12-7 caught in a tournament here just recently,” says Elite Pro Chris Lane. “I would be surprised if there aren’t several fish over 10 pounds caught next week. It’s going to be that kind of tournament.”

Lane might well be one of the anglers finishing near the top–he has lived on Guntersville for the past several years, thrives on shallow water fishing due to his Florida roots, and just won an Elite Tour event at the Sabine River.

Guntersville’s vast beds of milfoil, hydrilla and coontail grass will likely play a role as the Elite pros try to figure out what the successful pattern to win here will be. Lily pads, primrose and other shoreline cover, as well as docks, also attract spawning fish here.

Lane agrees with the popular assessment that it could take a four-day weight of more than 100 pounds to win. So does Casey Ashley, winner of the GEICO Bassmaster Classic held on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell in February.

Like all B.A.S.S. events held in Alabama, the field will include a host of in-state anglers with extensive knowledge of the venue.

Lane, who lives close enough to the lake that he can have his boat in the water in just minutes, finished 36th in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic and 40th in the 2010 Elite Series event on Guntersville – his two most recent events on the fishery.

Justin Lucas, who relocated to Guntersville from his native northern California, will be fishing a professional event for the first time on his new home lake. He’s a top-rated young angler who can never be counted out. Ditto for Kevin Hawk, who now guides on the lake.

Aaron Martens, another California native who now makes his home in Leeds, Ala., has a rich history on Lake Guntersville that includes a win in the 2009 Elite Series event on the lake. He also finished 13th in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic, 17th in a 2006 Elite Series event and 14th in Bassmaster Tour events in 2004 and 2005 here.

Flamboyant pro Gerald Swindle of Warrior will be in the mix, and has proven himself a consistent producer when bed fishing, and Randy Howell of Springville won the 2014 Classic on this lake, though that was a late winter event where crankbaits were king. Randall Tharp, an Alabama native now living in Florida, can’t be counted out here either–Guntersville is practically his home lake.

Launches are scheduled for 6:15 a.m. CT each day from Guntersville City Harbor with weigh-ins also set for the ramp at 3:15 p.m. daily. Launches and weigh-ins are free and open to the public. The B.A.S.S. Outdoor Expo gets underway at noon Saturday and Sunday, and free demo rides from Mercury, Yamaha, Nitro, Skeeter and, Triton will be available.

Skeet Reese won after Mike Iaconelli led for three days. Iaconelli caught only one bass the final day and dropped to 12th place.

For details and results, visit www.bassmaster.com.

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