 Looking
back on my first days of Bass fishing, I can remember
how simple my thought process was… choose a lake,
bring my favorite rod, favorite lure and try to catch
fish. I never considered; time of year, water temperature,
weather changes, oxygen levels, water clarity, water depth,
pressure changes, location of bait fish and all the other
variables that play an important role in Bass fishing.
Today, I can't even fish from the shore without trying
to assess all of the many variables which effect the feeding
habits of bass. It's an ongoing educational course that
we'll never graduate from. Bottom line, the more we know
and apply, the more productive we will be on the water.
We all know that the number one priority in a bass's life
is to survive. If it does not eat, it will die. This is
the key to locating Bass. Find the food and you can bet
that there will be Bass nearby. Since a Bass must eat
to survive, something else to keep in mind is that when
the food moves, so will the Bass.
Understanding the metabolic changes that a Bass goes through
can greatly increase our chance for success. When inspected,
they are not all that complicated. Simply stated, Bass
migrate based on water temperature and it's effect on
their metabolism.
Seasons govern the changes in a Bass's environment. Understanding
the Bass's seasonal changes will also help us predict
where a Bass will be during a certain time of year. They
are as follows; Pre-spawn, spawn, post-spawn and dormancy,
(which applies to northern lakes where temperatures drop
below the 40's during the winter months). In lakes that
do not drop below 40 degrees, Bass remain in the late
post-spawn phase until temperatures begin to rise again.
Colder water means slower metabolism and like all cold-blooded
species, as their body temperature drops, so does their
activity level. Since they are not moving as often, they
do not burn as much energy and therefore require less
food. Keep this in mind when you present lures in cold
water, because baitfish are affected in the same way.
Something moving fast often looks out of place during
the colder months.
The same holds true for warming water. As the temperature
rises, so does the Bass's metabolism. The hotter it gets
the more they eat and the more active their prey becomes.
There is a breaking point under extreme temperatures where
a Bass's movement burns more energy than they are capable
of replenishing through the consumption of food. This
affects how often they feed and what they choose to feed
on. A large Bass will wait for the largest possible offering
that requires the least amount of exerted energy. (Hence
the saying "Big Baits catch Big Fish")
Although pressure changes greatly affect the activity
levels and movement of Bass, they can also help us in
locating them. Here is a simple rule to follow: As the
barometer rises, Bass will move to deeper water. As the
barometer falls, Bass will move to shallower water.
This holds the most truth under severe frontal conditions.
As a cold front approaches, the Bass become very active
and feed heavily. They can be found cruising the banks
in attack mode and are easily caught. As the front settles
in, they become less active and hold tight to shallow
cover. Once a cold front has passed a high-pressure system
follows, which raises the barometer, unless we are dealing
with multiple cold fronts.
Under these quick changes from low to high-pressure Bass
will move to the first primary or significant drop off,
closest to the area where they were before the front moved
in. Under rapidly increasing pressure, a Bass will not
only move deeper, but also hold very tight to cover. Some
biologists speculate that it has to do with fear and disorientation
caused by the sudden change in pressure. The Bass knows
that something is different and therefore seeks the safety
of cover for protection.
A Bass needs to be on, near or around cover at all times,
if available. Yes, Bass do use cover to ambush prey, but
it's main use is for protection from danger. They learned
at a very young age they must "Hide to Survive".
It's simply a matter of instinct.
Although we can determine the placement of Bass under
changing weather conditions, we must keep in mind that
they need time to adjust to the change in pressure. They
are not as eager to strike under heavy frontal conditions
because the survival factor becomes greater than their
need for immediate food. Don't get me wrong, they will
feed, but their strike zone has shrunken making them more
difficult to catch. This should govern our approach and
tactics. Fish tighter to cover!
Many people argue that when hit with heavy frontal conditions,
you should down size you bait, change to lighter line
and slow your presentation down. Many top B.A.S.S. Pros
like Davy Hite, Larry Nixon and Denny Brauer do just the
opposite and throw larger baits and speed up their presentation.
They call it "JUNK" fishing. Move from spot
to spot making only a few casts at each piece of structure
or cover. You need to cover as much water as possible
and stay in contact with whatever cover or structure you
are fishing. Fish points, docs, stumps, rock piles, rip-rap
and any other "JUNK" you can find with the intent
of catching one fish from each area.
Why is speed important? Fishing fast leaves a Bass with
less time to examine, interpret and decide whether or
not to strike at a lure. Most strikes do not occur because
the Bass is feeding, but because they are reacting to
something that is dropped in front of their face and than
quickly taken away. They just hit the bait out of reaction.
If you throw a fast moving bait, in the snout of enough
Bass, one will eventually hit it. Remember, in a tournament
day, you only need five good bites to win.
Fish Hard,
Brendan
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