Tips & Techniques: Think Like A Predator To Catch More Bass

 Outlaw Angler, Brian Jones, checks in with a few ideas to help you increase your success on the water.

Largemouth bass, one of the most often sought after game fish, are predators and you can greatly increase your success of catching them by learning to think like them.  A bass has to rely on its skills as a hunter to eat and there are several things you can do to increase your chances of tricking one into eating your bait. 

Always consider where you are fishing and what the bass are eating in that aquatic ecosystem.  Often times they will be feeding on shad, bluegill or crawfish.  Pick a bait that most closely imitates their current primary forage and you will be well on your way to catching more bass.  Pay attention to clues that you can see to help you determine what forage is most prevalent.  If the bass are guarding eggs/fry and there are hundreds of bluegill trying to invade their nests then guess what they’re eating.  If you are fishing riprap, know that there are hundreds of crawfish crawling among the rocks.  If you notice balls of shad swimming around the cove you are fishing, I can guarantee you that bass are close by and are eating shad.  Get the idea?

Bass also hide to ambush their prey.  When we pursue deer, turkey, ducks, etc. we dress in camouflage and hunt out of blinds, tree stands, or place a large object between us and our game.  Bass are no different.  They will hide next to root balls, docks, aquatic vegetation, and rock piles to help camouflage themselves.  They even have the ability to change colors like a chameleon to hide from their prey.  Always be aware of the available cover in an area and how much light is penetrating the water.  Think of how you would hide in a given environment and this will help you determine where a bass will be hanging out.

Water temperature is another important factor in helping you determine how a bass will behave.  They are cold blooded meaning their body temperature changes according to the environment.  In warmer water their body temperature will be warmer and conversely the colder the water the colder the body temperature.  Their metabolism increases with the water temperature so the warmer it is the more they need to eat.  A bass is generally more active in warm water and will often times be more apt to chase after a meal.

These are just a few of the variables that determine what and when a bass will eat.  There are many more of them that we may never understand.  However, if you focus on forage, cover, temperature, and how each one of them affects the activity of a bass, you will find yourself with a tight line more frequently.  If you have any bass fishing questions go to our  Facebook Discussion Board and post it up!  I will answer it as soon as I can.

Brian

Tips & Techniques: Soft Plastics & Shaky Heads for Pressured Bass

Whiskey River Bait Company's Outlaw Angler, Brian Jones, talks about his favorite, go to technique for catching bass under tough conditions - the Shaky Head Finesse Rig.

Soft plastics are my favorite go to baits.  When fishing conditions get tough or in highly pressured waters, soft plastics are the category I will often choose to catch fish.  They are available is a wide variety of styles, colors, scents, sizes and materials.  Soft plastics can be fished in every section of the water column from top water to dragging along the bottom and everywhere in between.  They are perfect from open water to the thickest cover, for most any species of fish and in any water temperature.  No other type of artificial lure can match the lifelike action and realism of the soft plastic bait.  Whether you are fishing a shaky head, Carolina rig, Texas rig, tube, grub, swimbait, frog, flipping mats, or simply adding a trailer, soft plastic baits are where it’s at!

Whiptail in Pure Agave (top)
& Big Whiskey (bottom)
& 3/16oz shaky head jig

My favorite soft plastic rig is the shaky head.  I prefer a worm/jig head combination that will let the worm stand upright.  The upright worm allows for a lot of action with very little movement of the bait, allowing you to keep it in the strike zone longer. I generally use a 3/16 oz. jig head and will adjust the weight according to the depth.   One of my favorite worms for this technique is the Whiptail from Whiskey River Bait Company.  This worm has an incredible amount of action and a fantastic upright position.  I will always use fluorocarbon line which allows greater feel of the bait and easier detection of a bite.

Whiskey River Bait Company
Whiptail rigged on a 3/16oz
shaky head lig

A shaky head is normally fished with a spinning rod on 6-10 lb line, using the lightest line you can get away with.  Simply cast this rig out and allow it to fall to the bottom.  Be alert as often the fish will grab it on the initial fall.  Shake your rod tip to impart action to the worm without moving it off of the bottom.  Periodically pick up the worm, move it a few feet and repeat the shaking motion.  Pay attention to your line for any irregular movements that generally indicate a fish has picked up your bait.  Often the fish will pick up the worm and swim off with it.  A nice sweep of the rod will be all it takes to get a good hook set.  This technique will catch fish of any size and is often times the best way to fill the live well quickly.

Whether fishing a shaky head or any other technique I would suggest you take a hard look at your tackle and stock up on your soft plastics!  

The results from a Whiptail fished on a
shaky head finesse rig

Brian