Bass Fishing With A Carolina Rig
The Carolina rig is one of the two most popular rigs used for catching Bass. Carolina rigs are very simple rigs with a slip sinkers, swivels, beads, and leaders. There are many variations of sinker weight, number and color of beads and leader length but the most common rig used by bass fishermen is a ¾ ounce sinker followed by a red bead, then a swivel and a 24-30 inch leader and a 4/0 hook.
The thing that varies the most, except for bait, is the length of the leader. Use shorter 18-36 inch leaders when you need to get really close to structure and precise presentation is needed. Leaders up to 7 feet can work extremely well for bass holding along steep ledges or suspended outside a break. The long lead allows the bait to drift slowly giving the Bass a longer look at the bait.
When fishing a Carolina rig you want to make your cast and let the bait sink to the bottom. Pay attention to your line as sometimes you will get a bite as the bait sinks to the bottom. When your bait is on the bottom take the slack out of your line. Reel your line in very slowly with frequent pauses or with short twitches of your rod reeling in the slack each time.
Pay attention to your line. Catching Bass takes feel. No matter what bait you are using if it is plastic the Bass will not hold it long. If you think you have a bite set the hook. If you miss just let the bait fall back to the bottom and begin again.
Contributed by:
Doug Burns has been an avid angler for 35 years. For more bass fishing tips, tricks and information visit Bass Angling http://bass-angling.com/
Bank Fishing For Bass
Many people think it is impossible to fish for bass without a boat. This simply is not true. There are many places to fish for bass from the bank. Some are easily accessible and some are not.
But they are there waiting for you.
Pond Fishing
The first place I learned to fish was a medium sized farm pond. My father took me there just about every other week during the summer and we pulled many bass out of there. Ponds can be found throughout the countryside but now a days most are on private property and you need to ask permission. Look for vegetation and structure to improve your chances.
Abandoned Strip Mines
Another good place very similar to the pond is a abandoned strip mine. These can be found throughout the Midwest and provide excellent bass fishing. Again look for vegetation and structure but with strip mines the water can be very deep making finding the structure a little more difficult.
Creeks & Streams
Creeks and streams that have a steady flow of water are good for smallmouth bass. Look for trees in the water as they provide excellent cover for the bass. Also look for breaks in the flow of the water as often times bass will sit in the calmer water waiting on their prey to go by.
Rivers
Rivers can also provide excellent bank fishing but the good spots are usually a little harder to get to. You look for the same things you would look for in the smaller creeks and streams but you may have to hike a ways through heavy growth to get there. I suggest you wear a fishing vest as it will make it a little easier to get through the growth. One more place on a river that I have found really produces is what I call an eddy pool. Find a place where the water is moving really fast and look for pockets of quite water either alongside the fast water or immediately after. These pools will contain all kinds of fish either resting for the next leg of their trip or waiting for the bait fish to arrive.
Lake Fishing
You can also fish lakes from the bank looking for the same structure you would look for in a pond or strip mine. Areas of growth or trees in the water make the best choices. This is probably my least favorite place to bank fish due to the difficulty of finding and getting to a good fishing location
Fall Bass Fishing Good Or Bad?
The answer to the question is fall bass fishing good or bad is that fall bass fishing is great. There are two times a year when bass fishing is at its best and that is early spring when bass are in the pre-spawn stage and fall. The spawn is past but soon cold fronts will begin to make there way through and temperatures will begin to drop creating conditions favorable for bass fishing.
Cooler Temperatures
Cooler water temperatures usually means more oxygen in the water which leads to more activity which in turn means the bass will feed more. They will strike just about anything you throw at them but as with any body of water you will have to experiment some to find out what works best.
Shallow Water
As I mentioned before cooler water will make the bass more active so you should look for areas where shallow water is close to deeper areas The impact of the cooling effects of the longer nights trigger bass in many lakes to begin a shift or migration. This movement is toward the back of coves, up creeks, or to a shallower staging area.
Shad
The shad also tend to make similar shifts at this time that probably plays a large role as an additional attraction for the bass to make their move. I make this point regarding shad because they are still the main forage bait for bass in most major reservoirs during the two earliest phases of fall. Because of this very fact, crank baits are particularly lethal for finding schools of bass in the early and mid-fall periods. Since the schools are working on shad, this should also tell you that the bait color most productive will be silver chrome, bone, or white.
Look For Structures
Look for structure both below water and protruding above water. Top water baits are also ideal lures to work in the fall periods. Not only can they be fished near banks and vegetation but the can be fished effectively over deep water structures.
The buzzwords for fall bass fishing is shallow and structure. As the water temperature cools you will find more bass schooling in the shallow water and they are more likely to be near structure where they can ambush their prey.
Doug Burns has been an avid angler for 35 years. For more bass fishing tips, tricks and information visit Bass Angling
Bass Fishing Tackle For The Average JoeThe fishing rod is the first basic piece of tackle the average bass fisherman needs to consider. I recommend a medium or medium light action graphite spinning rod. I advise buying a rod six foot long. This rod can be used in a variety of different fishing conditions.
As you become more experienced you will see the need for more specialized rods at times. I have always used Berkley or Fenwick rods and found them to always be up to the task at hand. You should purchase your rod and reel simultaneously. I advise mounting the reel on the rod and holding it before you make a choice.
The rod and reel combo should feel right. Hold the rod direct above where the reel is seated. If you point the rod perpendicular to your body it should balance in a straight line. If it does not the reel may be too big or heavy and need to be replaced with a lighter one.
Your next consideration is the reel. For the average fisherman I recommend an open faced spinning reel. The key here is to match the reel to the line you will be using. I like a reel that holds approximately 150 yards of 8 lb fishing line.
I also like a reel with an excellent drag system. You have two choices regarding drag. I prefer reels that have a drag in the back of the reel. For me these drags are easier to adjust. Other people prefer the drag to be in the front of the reel on top of the spool. I consider this a matter of personal preference.
Try both and go with what feels best to you. When you purchase a reel you will see a term "gear ratio". They affect the power of the reel. The higher the gear ratio the more line that will be retrieved by each 360 degree turn of the handle.
For line I recommend monofilament line with a test of 8-12 lb. This is as close to an all purpose line that you can get. Again as you become more experienced you will see the need for lighter and heavier lines. I use Berkley Trilene line but have tried all the major brands and found them to be good. They key is to match your line to the reel you have chosen.
I like to keep 150 yards of line on my reel. If your reel holds 150 yards of 10 lb line then I advise using that weight. You should always keep an extra spool of line on hand. You should also constantly check your line for nicks and other imperfections that can cause a fish to be lost. About the Author:Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best bass fishing information possible. Get more information on
bass fishing tackle here:
http://www.askbassfishing.com