Let’s face it, bass fishing can be tough.
Whether fishing from a kayak or otherwise, the question every angler constantly asks himself is “How do I catch more big bass?” There isn’t a simple answer to that question, but there are many bass fishing tips that can increase your fish-catching odds.
We put together all of our bass fishing tips and knowledge in one list of tried and true tips that are sure to make you a more successful bass angler.
Let’s dive right in with the tips including the best bass fishing times.
Tip 1 – Best Time To Fish For Bass
There are numerous best bass fishing times whether we are talking about the time of year or even time of day.
Bass follow certain routines, so understanding when bass are feeding and when is the bass fishing times are important so you can target them when they are most active.
Largemouth bass generally spawn during late winter in the southern regions of the U.S., and during late spring in the northern parts. The one factor that most influences spawning activity is water temperature. When the water temperature reaches about 60 degrees, bass begin feeding heavily and move into shallower water to nest. Depending on where you are the best bass fishing time is after that spawn.
As far as time of day, the best bass fishing time is in the early morning.
Baitfish activity often increases around sunrise while light conditions are still low. The best bait for bass during the morning hours is usually a minnow or shiner. If you are more interested in fishing with artificial lures, keep in mind that topwater poppers or plugs should work when worked around shorelines or vegetation.
Tip 2 – Look For Cover
The most important factor apart from bass fishing times, and most relevant of all the bass fishing tips, is putting your lure where the fish are.
To do that, you have to find cover on the body of water you are fishing. Cover comes in many different forms including rock, wood, boat docks, grass, lily pads, and a whole lot more.
Bass love to hang around cover because it helps conceal them so they can easily ambush their prey. There are times when bass are roaming in open water, but they can be much harder to locate than fish holding on cover.
Tip 3 – Match The Hatch
This tip is universal for any type of fishing really. You want to trick the fish you are targeting, in this case bass, by offering something tempting. As I mentioned, fish are creatures of habit so they look for certain baits at certain times of the year.
Don’t throw frogs at them if there is an abundance of minnows around.
If bass are feeding on shad, throw a silver colored crankbait or swimbait. If small minnows are the main forage where you are fishing, a dropshot rig with a small plastic may be your best option.
Tip 4 – Go On Guided Bass Fishing Trips
No matter where in the country you live, there is likely a professional guide that will take you out for bass fishing trips.
This isn’t to say that to get on the fish you always need to pay a professional for bass fishing trips, but when starting out it is really helpful to have somebody show you the ropes.
Take notes on everything the guide tells you so you can then go on your own bass fishing trips and forever use that advice he gave you.
Tip 5 – Don’t Give Up
Don’t give up on an area or pattern too quickly. Sometimes the bite is tough and it is best to thoroughly fish an area in which you have confidence in, rather than running all over the lake like a chicken with its head cut off. So grab your go-to technique or lucky tackle and pick apart every piece of cover where a bass could be lurking. More often than not you will be rewarded with some key bites.
Tip 6 – Do Your Research
Take advantage of services like Google Earth and Fishidy to get a better understanding of the places you will be fishing.
You can identify key areas of a body of water that might hold fish and start to develop a plan for a day of fishing before you’ve even hit the water. When looking at lake or river maps online, try to identify points, creeks, ledges and other features where bass like to hang out.
With enough research, you’ll soon be the one giving out the bass fishing tips instead of reading about them!
Summary
Though I believe these bass fishing tips are helpful, nothing can substitute your own experience. Get out there as often as you can and try a bit of everything. You never really know what will work until you test it out.
Another very tip is to make sure you have fun!
If you have any questions let me know by dropping a line in the box below. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!