Bass Fishing Pro Tips

Pro Tips about Bass Fishing
By Pete Lambert

I'd like to share with you a bass fishing technique, that I have found that will make bass literally attack your lure! I'll also reveal why the flavor and texture of your bait makes a difference, and explain what color lures to use depending on the general weather conditions.
There is a bass fishing technique that will aggravate a bass to attack your lure frenziedly! As you know, bass see in color, and some colors are more effective than others depending on various elements. But when a bass sees a spot of red on your lure, it really drives a bass crazy. That's because a little red on your lure looks to the bass like the blood of injured prey! It's not surprising that pro bass fishermen will often attach something red to their bait that resembles blood. Adding a splash of red can double the potency of your lure.
It is important to choose the right bass fishing lure and this will increase your catch dramatically! let's look at how to choose the best colored lure. There are three main areas to consider when choosing your lure: (1) light (2) water and (3) what the bass are feeding on, on that particular day.
(1) Light
The amount and quality of light will depend on the time of day and the general weather conditions. On overcast days, try and choose a brightly colored lure.These colors tend to give a good light reflectance which allows the bass to see the lure quicker and give it a better chance to react to your presentation. On clear sunny days, a white color lure is often the best choice. Surprisingly, as dusk approaches, darker colored lures seem to work best. Some bass fishing pros recommend using black or purple colored lures as the night draws in.
(2) Water
You must also take into account the water visibility when choosing the color of your bass fishing lure. It is proven fact that bass have excellent eyesight! According to Bill Dance, "The eye of a bass receives five times more light than the human eye and can see around 40ft in clear water. In murky water, they can see up to 17ft. In muddy water, they can still see 5ft - 7ft." If the water is dark, cloudy or dingy, your best choice to attract the bass's attention are bright and shiny or fluorescent colored lures. When the water is downright muddy and clarity is very poor, then flashy, bulky, and noisy baits that give off a vibration are your best bet. If the water is clear, you will want to choose natural colored lures that imitate the food found in the bass environment.
(3) Feeding Habits
Try to determine what the bass are eating and take that into account when choosing your bait. Bass eat sunfish, minnows, shiners, bluegill, crayfish, frogs, and insects. But you could add a lot more things to the list. Large bass have been known to eat baby ducklings, rats, and blackbirds. Because of the bass's large mouth and flexible stomach it can eat prey nearly half it's own length. Shiny and silver or yellow lures will imitate minnows and sunfish, greens and browns resemble crayfish and frogs. If you can determine what the bass are biting on, you will always be more successful.
Just as important to the choice of color is the smell, taste, and feel of your bait. According to Bill Dance, "Bass can smell 8 times better than a dog can." Some fisherman fail to take into account the smells that rub off their hands onto their bait. Your hands must be free of the smell of any petroleum products like gasoline, suntan oil, or sunscreen. Insect repellent, tobacco, and the natural oils produced by your skin alert bass that there's a predator in the vicinity. These man made scents will scare away a wary bass. Conversely, coating your bait with a powerful scent like cod liver oil or other fish attractant can make a big difference in the size of your catch.
If you smoke, just remember that when you are bass fishing, you need to clean your hands before handling your bait or lures. Bass fishing expert Russ Bassdozer recommends, " keep a bar of Ivory soap on the boat. It is 99.44% pure, no added perfumes, and it floats if you drop it." The smell of soap, of course, is not ideal either, so you should use some kind of fish attractant to mask or neutralize the negative smells that stick to your hands.
As for the feel and taste of your bait or lures, it is important to understand how a bass eats its prey. When chasing a fish, an aggressive bass will inhale its prey with its large cavernous jaws. But once inside its mouth, the bass will feel and taste whatever it has fed on, and only then will it decide to swallow. If a bass detects the feel of metal, it will likely spit it out. That's why you will often have more success with a lure or bait that is made of rubber or otherwise imitates the feel of something natural like a fish or frog.
Another good reason for using a fish attractant is that once the bass has your lure in it's mouth, the scent and taste of the attractant will cause the fish to hold the lure in its mouth longer than if it tastes a PVC plastic cocktail and spits it out, says Russ Bassdozer. This will give you those few precious, extra seconds to detect the bass on the end of your line and to set the hook.
If you are aware of their senses, you can use them to your advantage to make bass bite.