Fishing Tips for Bass

Explore our Freshwater Fishing Tips for Bass and the top Methods of Fishing that will help you catch freshwater species across the United States. Whether you’re fishing in FL, PA, or even TX, the content will help you with freshwater fishing. You can easily access and apply almost every method of fishing listed below. Artificial and Live Bait Fishing methods are among the top ways to land that trophy or dream freshwater species, especially Largemouth Bass.

Largemouth Bass Fishing Tips

Bass fishing is considered a great activity to get beginners hooked on fishing. There are enough lucky catches that keep a bass angler coming back for more; however, by improving your strategy with these bass fishing tips, you can ensure you will catch more bass consistently in any fishing conditions. 

The top bass fishing tips and tricks from experts include:

• Finding the best hiding places.
• Choosing the best baits.
• Adjusting to weather conditions and water temperature.

Choosing The Best Spots To Fish

The first and most crucial step for anglers to have a successful day of bass fishing is to throw the bait in a spot that holds fish. By knowing what features to look for, anglers can significantly decrease the time wasted casting in areas likely not to have any fish nearby. There are times when you may see a bass roaming open water, but relying on this does not help you catch more fish consistently. Largemouth bass are ambush predators, so their ideal areas will involve cover for them to conceal themselves then strike their prey.

The top feature anglers should look for is any structure for the bass to hang around to ambush prey. Structures such as rock, boat docks, wood, grass, lily pads, and more could all potentially be holding largemouth bass. Also, look for areas with shadows that could offer protection to the bass, such as overhanging trees.

Choosing The Best Bait

Bass have a broad diet that may range from baitfish like bluegill and shad to small prey like baby ducks. Therefore, the best bass fishing technique to consider when choosing which bait to use is determining what is abundant in your local water. Since bass will eat a wide variety of baits in general, the best way to get them to eat yours is to make sure it fits the location. If something seems off about your lure, as if it doesn’t fit with the environment, the bass will likely know and not eat it. So when choosing your bait or bass lures, make sure to “match the hatch” or use a bait that imitates the type of forage the bass are feeding on in your local water. For example, if the local bass are feeding on shad, then use a shad or something similar as your bait or if throwing artificial, then use a silver-colored swimbait or crankbait.

Adjust To Weather Conditions

Different weather conditions can have a significant effect on the behavior of the local bass each day. Weather can be a big factor that affects the success of a bass angler if they don’t know how to adjust based on the conditions. Using the same techniques every day, a bass fisherman relies more on luck than technique to land a fish. Bass fishing tips and tricks for weather can vary based on local waters and other factors, but there are general things to know that make for good places to start while still learning the habits of the local fish.

Cloudy Days

Bass tend to be more willing to expose themselves and more active on cloudy days. Therefore, baits with good movement are best for overcast days to draw hard strikes from big active bass. Some of the best baits to use that have good movement include chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, and topwater plugs. In addition, live baitfish such as shad will almost always draw a strike from an active bass.

Sunny Days

Bass tend to stay tight undercover or near grass on the days with a lot of sun. They generally will be lazier and wait under cover for baits to come to them. On sunny days it’s best to use a bottom bouncing bait such as a texas rigged soft plastic or a jig. Flip and pitch your bait near the base of the cover into the strike zone and be ready for big bass to strike hard. Some anglers believe live bait is the only way to get a bass excited enough to move on days of high heat and sun.

Wind

An angler might usually call off a bass fishing adventure due to wind, but you may want to reconsider giving up the opportunity to use the wind to your advantage to land more fish.

Of course, there is a limit to this, and anglers shouldn’t fish in dangerous conditions; however, some low to medium level wind can be used to increase the odds of landing a fish that may otherwise have been spooked. The wind makes it, so the surface of the water is disturbed, so bass are less likely to be spooked by the boat, your steps, your bait, or anything else. Also, according to the experts, something about the wind gets the bass excited and ready to eat. So start casting a moving bait into the wind and be prepared for an active bass to strike.

Adapt To The Water Temperature

The local water temperature can dramatically affect the feeding patterns and activity level of bass. Of course, many techniques could work in different temperatures, but being aware of the water temperature may help you make an adjustment that enables you to land more fish. A general rule of thumb, according to the experts, is to throw slower moving baits in water temperatures that are cooler and throw more aggressive, faster baits in warmer water.

More Bass Fishing Tips

Overall, anglers should fish an area they have confidence in rather than blind casting the whole lake for hours without luck. Focus on areas with cover where bass could be lurking, and pay attention to the conditions that may entail you to adjust your technique.

Other bass fishing tips include doing your research on a new body of water. Technology has become an excellent fishing asset to the modern bass angler; take advantage of google earth and other sources to get a better feel for the types of structure and places that may be holding fish. Fishing new areas helps anglers become more well-rounded by learning and practicing new techniques. Every fishery is different, so adapting to various fishing conditions other than your home water will dramatically increase your ability to catch bass anywhere.

Season and Time of Day

Different seasons will impact the activity level of the bass throughout the day. Generally speaking, you can’t go wrong with morning fishing during any time of the year, but the early morning may be your only chance when hoping to catch some bass during the summer. 

During the hottest times of the year, bass will go into deeper water, often further from the shoreline. The only time fishing in the morning may not be a great idea is during cold winter days. You may want to wait to fish until the sun has risen and warmed up the water a bit during the winter as the bass usually aren’t active if it’s too cold out.

The best time to fish and have a successful bass fishing adventure is usually from sunrise until two or three hours later. During this time, bass tend to come out of their hiding places and actively feed in shallow water. They often become active again for two to three hours before sunset. The evening bite is especially good during the winter.

The best time to fish is generally low light times, such as morning, evening, and cloudy days, when you are less visible to the fish and the bass are most active.

Overall, morning is the best time to fish in the summer, early fall, and late spring. The evening is the best time to fish in the winter, early spring, and late fall.