Learn everything you need to know about bass fishing. We don’t just share tips— we educate you on bass so you not only know what they do but why they do it. It doesn’t matter if you’re a novice fisherman or an expert, you’ll benefit from our page. First, you’ll learn about the basics of bass, largemouth to be exact. Then you’ll learn some of the best bass fishing tips, followed by a list of largemouth bass all-time world records. At the end you’ll find additional information to further your research on the most sought after game fish in the world.
Basic Information and Facts
What comes to your mind when you hear the word bass? Mostly likely a largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) is what you are visualizing. Bass is a general term that is shared by several different types of this fish species. They include choctaw bass (M. haiaka), guadalupe bass (M. treculii), smallmouth bass (M. dolomieu), spotted bass (M. punctulatus), striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and white bass (M. chrysops). The fishing tips for bass on this web page are geared mostly towards largemouth bass, especially since they are one of the most popular fish sought by fishermen.
Largemouth bass are one of the most popular game fish in North America. They are a species of black bass and considered to be an apex predator but they can be preyed upon by other fish and animals when a juvenile. Largemouth bass have a very distinct appearance, they are olive green with a dark strip in a jagged strip that is horizontal along each flank. They can live up to 16 years in the wild, reaching a maximum recorded length of 29.5 inches and a weight of 22 pounds. Their diet consists of bait fish, crawfish, frogs, insects, scuds, shrimp, small fish and snakes. They catch and eat prey that can be as large as 25 to 50% of their body length.
Tips, Tricks and Tactics
Below are some of the best tips to help you when fishing for largemouth bass. We hope that you’ll find them to be both useful and effective.
- Know the Habits of Bass – The type of weather dictates where bass may or may not be. When the sun is out and shinning bright bass will look for shelter. When it’s cloudy out and there is little or no sun bass come out of their protective shelter. This means when it’s sunny out you’ll want to fish near areas where bass might go for shelter, so keep your lure or live bait close to possible areas that bass might use for shelter.
- Try Using Buzzbait – If you follow any of the major bass tournaments then you’ll know that many pros use buzzbait lures. The secret to its success is that it creates a loud buzzing noise that attracts bass from faraway distances.
- Fish at the Right Time of Day – The best time to fish for bass is the first few early hours of the morning or the last few hours going into the evening. Bass will feed during the afternoon time if it happens to be a cloudy day or if the water is muddy. It’s recommend that you try to get to your favorite fishing hole about an hour before sunup or an hour before sunset.
- Fish During the Pre-Spawn – The holy grail of bass fishing is during the largemouth pre-spawn. The pre-spawn starts in spring around the time when the water temperature gets to be between 55 to 65 degrees. This is when both male and female bass move to the shallow areas, start aggressively feeding and looking for the best place to nest. Fisherman during this period can actually locate bass right from shore, that’s how close they get. This is the best time to get a trophy bass, but remember to catch and release female bass so they can complete their spawn and continue the cycle of life for bass.
- Examine a Caught Bass for Local Tips – The next time you catch a bass take a peek inside of its mouth. When a bass is fighting you it will sometimes throw up whatever contents are in its stomach. This is a great way to see what bass are feeding on in the local area, so try and find a lure that can mimic the local feed. In some cases with live bait you can try and catch what they’re actually feeding on and use that as bait.
- Always Keep an Eye on the Line – Every so often it’s a good idea to examine the line right above the lure you’re using. It’s common for it to get frayed due to contact with rocks, gravel, branches, stumps, etc. Nothing is worse than losing a monster catch due to your line breaking!
- Size Doesn’t Matter – The size of your lure doesn’t dictate the size of the bass you’ll catch. Remember, a largemouth bass will strike prey that is 25% to 50% of its length. So even large lures can catch small bass. If you’re not having success then try a smaller lure such as the Strike King Spinnerbait.
- Try Some Live Bait – While many anglers don’t like using live bait it can be a great way to produce a nice catch when lures aren’t producing. Shiners have the best luck, especially when you hook them through both lips or just behind the top dorsal fin. Worms, crayfish and even frogs are great artificial bait alternatives. Use a slip bobber so you can adjust the depth of your bait without having to sacrifice casting ability.
Record Catches
Below is a list of the top five largemouth bass according to Bassmaster. The below records are based on worldwide catches and there may have been record catches that were never reported or improperly reported to Bassmaster. You can view the top 30 largemouth bass catches by visiting the bassmaster website.
#1 – Manabu Kurita in Japan on 7-2-2009 caught a 22.3 lbs. largemouth bass in Lake Biwa
#2 – George W. Perry in the USA on 6-2-1932 caught a 22.2 lbs. largemouth bass in Lake Montgomery
#3 – Robert J. Crupi in the USA on 03-12-1991 caught a 22.0 lbs. largemouth bass in Lake Castaic
#4 – Michael Arujo in the USA on 03-05-1991 caught a 21.75 lbs. largemouth bass in Lake Castaic
#5 – Jed Dickerson in the USA on 05-31-2003 caught a 21.68 lbs. largemouth bass in Dixon Lake
Additional Resources
- The Pro Bass Fishing Manual – This book is an amazing guide that will take your skills to the next level.
- B.A.S.S Master – This is the largest and most successful organization of anglers dedicated to conversation and bass fish.
