How To Find Bass Without A Fish Finder?
I always see people catching bass from there boats and in envy I sit from shore catch sunnies with a worm and bobber. How can I identify spots of a lake that will produce bass. I prefer using live bait so i would be using minnows or worms. I could use lures but dont cuz i never catch anything. I believe my problem is the fish are not there. I do have a little row boat so i can use tips for both the shore and on a boat. PLEASE HELP!!!
Get a map of the lake so you can look for fish attracting structures. Both in terms of cover (logs, weeds, cribs etc) and in terms of the bottom.
Also, go where you see people catching the bass.
One very fun technique is using surface baits such as buzz baits or poppers. Get a buzzer and rip that baby across the surface at dusk and you need to watch the bait because if you wait for the tug it could very well be too late to set the hook.
One last hint, as with everything the best learning is by doing.
Try fancasting a silver 1/2 oz Rat-L-Trap and work it at different depths and speeds. These lures will “call in” fish from over 20 feet away. If you are catching fish with worms and minnows you are probably in a good area to look for bass with this lure. If you start hooking grass then you need to fish this area with a faster retrieve, ripping your lure free as you feel it snagging. You want your lure just ticking the tops of weeds and vegetation.
A reel with a 6:1 or better yet a 7:1 gear ratio will make this type of fishing a lot less tiresome.
Good luck.
Throw something shiny at them.
Ymusic and xpert are right on. You’re likely not ever going to catch bass on live worms, I can only think of once or twice that I’ve done it. Try using beetle spins and gitterbugs(they can be exciting) and have fun. Cast near brush and sticks in the water
Wi-Skier said it prettey well, try using spinner baits and vibrating baits for bass.
fish points, any rock or gravel banks, and anything that sticks out of the water. Water in most places is still pretty cold so fish the banks that the wind is blowing towards - the water will be a little warmer and that will attract baitfish
Bass are usually in big areas of weeds and grasses, moss, and you can find them in algie. They also really like fallen trees or limbs to hide out in.
cast to them and look. get polarized sunglasses, they have to be polarized. get in you little boat and row out there. look around the water. and bring a pole look for structure in the water. a good way to do this is to use crankbaits (big lip in front, stout body, 2 treble hooks) and crank them as deep as you can get them. it will hit the lakebed and you will feel structure through the line. if you get a bite when you use the crankbait, wait for the pull to make sure it isn’ a snag and then set the hook hard, not like for littlle sunnies, hard!
look for underwater structure like a brush pile or downed tree or ledges and use a spinnerbait or crankbait. Doing this will help you find and catch bass