Using The Best Bass Fishing Techniques

You've probably had it ground into from the start of your fishing career that what works for one angler or in one place or for one type of fish will not necessarily work in another situation. That's why you should always have plenty of bass fishing techniques stowed in your arsenal. There will come a time when nothing you would normally try will get the fish to bite, and having backup bass fishing techniques to choose from will assist you in at least having some success for the day.

Topwater, or surface fishing, is one of the bass fishing techniques that some anglers adore and others abhor. It is not the simplest way to fish but can be very effective if done correctly in producing large quantities of bass. Topwater fishing techniques should be used in areas of heavy cover, where you want to sort of float your bait just on the surface in the shallows near short, right above the top of the grasses and brush. Floating worms make an excellent bait in this application, skimming the surface and disrupting the water just enough to catch the attention of a dormant bass hiding in the brush. Color can make a difference, too, since bass have excellent vision. While some anglers bank on bright colors, many opt for something less garish, such as grape or black and yellow. If the water is a little choppy, you may want to try a buzzbait, which will actually annoy the fish. The bait will literally hit a stump or other surface as the water chops causing it to pause, which is the signal to the bass to strike.

Other bass fishing techniques can be used to fish shallow waters from just below the surface to about six feet deep. In order to fish in this manner, you'll actually need to drown the bait. Crankbaits work well for this application, especially if you pop them and pull them under. Adding a soft plastic jerkbait to something like a Rapala will work as well. Basically, you want the bait to dip under the surface as you steadily retrieve it. This will create the disturbance in the water that bass can "hear" with their earlike apparatus on each lateral side and attract their attention. If you can float a bait below the surface just above a set of weeds that grows to about 10 inches below the waterline, you'll have excellent success, since bass love to live in these brush piles and simply wait for an opportunistic strike like the one you are providing.