Since largemouth bass is one of the most popular freshwater game fish, you need to have a strategy ready to ensure your success. The bass family can give you a run for your money. They are active and challenging when you don’t know how. Therefore, here are ten proven techniques to improve your success in catching largemouth bass.
What Are Largemouth Bass?
Largemouth bass is a freshwater carnivore fish native to the Northern American region. They are common around southeastern Canada until northern Mexico. But they are also available worldwide.
They are active fish, especially during feeding time, largemouth bass is notorious for their fights. However, they can give you an experience you won’t forget.
10 Proven Strategies to Catch More Largemouth Bass
These strategies come from professional and recreational anglers alike. Most of them agree that these strategies helped them on catching more largemouth bass. It’d be great if you can utilize all of these strategies. But don’t fret when you can only do one or two for now. Along with time and experience, you will feel more comfortable doing these strategies.
Target Prime Structure
You need to know where is the primary structure in the area. It ranges from grass beds, rocks, coves, and others. Largemouth bass tends to hide in these structures. If the water clarity is still good, you can look at their movements to predict the next move.
Always pay attention to the areas that may be a favorite for the bass. They are likely to stay and hide there. Then it’s up to you to lure them out from hiding with the right bait.
Use the Right Lure
While there may be no magic lure that can catch all types of bass, there are lures that are more effective than others. When you are looking for a lure, you need to consider several things, mainly water clarity, depth, and temperature.
When you fish in cold water, you need a lure that can go deep to lure the bass out. Your favorite lure colors matter more than their material.
Change Up Your Presentation
Changing up a presentation is one of the crucial things to ensure your catch. Just like how you can read a bass, the fish can be smart enough to separate their actual meal with bait. Therefore, you need to change up your presentation a bit.
The presentation covers several things including noticing the fish, how you cast your rod, using the lure to bait the fish, and more. You don’t have to change up all of these aspects, only some minor adjustments to confuse the fish a bit and make them less cautious.
Fish at the Right Time
Timing is key to catching largemouth bass. You need to know when the fish are more active and when they are sluggish so you can take advantage of them. Of course, it depends on your personal preferences. If you enjoy some challenges, then fish in the morning to noon, when the sun is high, and the fish are actively hunting for food.
If you choose to do night fishing, you need to already have some areas in mind before you go. You should start fishing when there is still some light and the sun hasn’t set.
Take Advantage of Opportunities
Whenever you see an opening, never hesitate to jump on it. Bass can be predictable after a while. So you should notice their habit after a while.
Several things that you can use to notice are the water clarity and depth.As soon as you notice a bass hiding, waiting to catch the bait, that’s when and where you should use the lure to bait them.
Utilize Live Bait
Live bait is always a better option than an artificial one. But it doesn’t mean you must use live bait every time you fish. Sometimes, an artificial one works better, especially if you’re a beginner and have only started feeling out of the fish habit. After you can control your presentation better and catch some fish, you can move up to use live bait to catch largemouth bass.
Work the Bottom
Most bass enjoys exploring the bottom of the lake or river. Therefore, it’s best if you work your way up. Scour the bottom area to know where the fish gathers. Numerous mobile apps can help you recognize and understand the contour of the lake or river.
Match the Hatch
Here’s another tip that you can use to catch largemouth bass. Using the bait that looks like their natural prey. That means no bright pink crawfish or bright pink and blue shiner. Using baits that look like their natural prey will raise the chance for the bass to fall into the bait.
This strategy works great whether you’re fishing in murky or clear water. But it shows a better result when you use it in murky water.
Exploit Shallow Water
There are two ways for you to utilize shallow water. The first is a shallow area with good water clarity where the bass is visible. And the other is when you’re fishing in the winter and following the shallow water for the baitfish.
Stay Mobile & be Patient
Catching a largemouth bass is an adventure that you should enjoy. So you need to move around the lake or body of water to find your sweet spot. However, you need to be patient and spend some time on the spot. That’s the only way to tell if the fish will come at your bait.
Being patient doesn’t mean you only sit there idly, waiting for the bass to come. Learn how to cautiously move the bait to attract the fish without raising suspicion. It may take some time, but it will be worthwhile.
So how is it? Are you ready to catch more largemouth bass? You can adjust these tips to match your overall style. These strategies only cover the basic that any anglers from all levels of expertise can practice. So don’t be afraid and go catch some fish!