Fishing Frenzy

For many anglers throwing lures or waving feathers in the air, simply isn't the best way to catch fish. Sure, lures and flies are effective fish catching tools; it's just that bait seems to be more effective in many situations. I have personally been fishing with bait for more than 25 years and in this article I will outline 3 fishing bait tips that will make anyone a more effective angler anytime that bait, especially live bait, is employed.

During the 1970's decade, the spinnerbait became very popular. Many professional bass tournaments were won with spinnerbaits. Rick Clunn, Tommy Martin, and Jimmy Houston, to name a few, gained fame by tossing spinnerbaits to shoreline cover. This popularity has lead to the many innovative designs that we have available for us today.

The bass jig is another piece of fishing tackle I never leave home without, small in size but big on presence when fishing for bass. By it self or with a trailer keep an assortment of these on hand, they are great for fishing around rock piles and ledges and should be in every tackle box.

Spinnerbaits come in all sizes (1/8oz. - 1oz.), shapes, and colors, as do the spinner blades. How do you choose the right spinnerbait? Let's keep this as simple as possible. If you fish in clear water most of the time use a smaller lure with smaller blades. If you fish in water that is colored or stained use a bigger lure with bigger blades. Another determining factor is the season. Switch the size with the season. Use smaller lures in the spring. Use bigger lures in the fall. The most common sizes are 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 ounce. The 3/8 oz. size is the most versatile and I use this size most of the time. I will go to 1/2 oz. if it is windy. I try to pick spinnerbaits that have medium sized, willow leaf blades. I primarily use only two colors depending on the time of day, white/chartreuse during daylight, and black in low light conditions.

The swimbait is another top choice for bass, having the appearance of a minnow or other small fish swimbaits are just natural bass attractors, highly effective for catching the elusive trophy bass, don't leave home without at least one.

I have been bass fishing for over 25 years, and I have been fortunate enough to go bass fishing on some of the best bass fishing lakes in the midwest and southeast like Lake Eerie, Lake St. Clair, Grand Traverse Bay, Douglas Lake, Lake Jocassee, and Lake Norman to name a few. However, most of my fishing is done on the small lakes, rivers, and ponds of northeastern Indiana.