Tips to improve your catch ratio
Do you really believe that Pro fishermen are able to catch such astounding bags of Bass because they have a “secret lure,” fancy electronics, or perfect boats?
Don’t believe the hype! HOW you approach Bass fishing will put more fish in your boat than the brand name on the side of it. Here is a 1-2-3 checklist on how to instantly improve your Bass fishing.
1. Check the weather!
Wind plays a major roll in all fishing, but is especially important in a lake or pond atmosphere. Why? Wind pushes natural forage and baitfish to the windy side of a lake or pond and consequently game fish (including Bass, Northern, Crappie, Walleye, etc) will follow. Wind can concentrate fish in a particular area, making them easier to find. Wind can also be the catalyst that changes lake/pond temperatures – shifting wind conditions can push warm OR colder water to different sections of a lake/pond.
Even most beginner/novice Bass fishermen have heard of the wind theory. The problem? Most people think “checking the wind” is something you do on the day you go fishing. Although wind conditions can be important on the day of your fishing trip, what the wind was doing 3 days earlier is much more important. So, if you’re looking for active fish, check where the wind HAS been and act accordingly.
2. Check the fishing scene!
The night before your fishing trip, use the internet to find high percentage areas to fish. Before satellite imaging technology was available, you had to physically go to a lake to find the typical weed-bed growth and hunt down the “hot docks” to fish. Now, with Google Mapping, you can narrow that search down. Find your local lakes on-line and look for docks sitting in deeper water. Check for deeper water weed-lines, distinctive offshore structure including rocks and boulders, and other interesting features in the lake. Once you’ve found these perfect “hot spots,” don’t think that your sleuthing is over.
What? Why? Because anyone with a computer can find them! What you’ve found is what I like to call “obvious structure.” And although obvious structure CAN and WILL hold fish, it is usually pummeled by other fishermen, making it unreliable as a good fishing spot. When fishing obvious structure, key in on the “sweetest spot” you can find – the place (or direction) that the fish haven’t seen a lure or bait displayed to them. Sometimes these sweet spots will be on the outskirts of the obvious structure; sometimes it will be in an area smaller than your boat. By finding the “sweet spot” you’ll spend less time fishing dead water.
In essence, by doing a small amount of research on-line, you can eliminate unproductive areas and concentrate on “catching” instead of fishing.
3. Find active fish!
Bass, and most other fish really fall into 2 categories: Active and Inactive: Most casual bass fishermen are fishing for inactive bass. Why? Because they spend too much time picking apart structure they could have eliminated with 1-2 well-placed casts.
Understand that an active fish is one that will hit your lure or bait within the first 5 seconds it hits the water. Active fish aren’t as picky when it comes to color and are generally much easier to target. However, inactive Bass are usually VERY picky with color, how quickly a lure falls, how bulky a lure is, etc. All of this makes a difference.
Realize that the ONLY time to slow down while bass fishing is when you find (or already know) a “sweet spot”. Otherwise, put your trolling motor on high and hit as much of the best structure you can.
If you’re spending 4-6 hours on an obligatory 50-100 yard section of lake and not catching anything, you’re not fishing for active fish. If there is one “loose rule” for Spring and Fall Bass fishing it would be: Move through areas as quick as possible looking for accumulation’s of fish. When you find a sweet spot, go back and “slow fish” that area thoroughly. You will be astounded by how much time you save fishing for only the active fish. And, of course… TIME SAVED = MORE FISH IN THE BOAT!
