# Best BASS technique?



## musikman43155 (May 14, 2008)

What do you do to successfully catch bass? What types of casts, knots, lures, rods etc? What's the rule of thumb as for as color?

I think my biggest question is, when do you decide to switch lures? I guess the obvious answer is whatever they're striking, but, do you switch up presentation based on water clarity? Time of year? Water clarity? Last year I started using the jig 'n pig & love it. 

I'm dead set on learning how to flip & pitch. After watching several videos on youtube, it seems simple enough. What other examples of techniques?

THANKS!


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## qpan13 (May 30, 2010)

I fish soft plastics a lot of the time. They can be very effective in most of the months. I like cranks a little later. I switch what I am using and how I am using it for a lot of different things. As you said water clarity/temp maybe the biggest. I too just started using the jig n pig..


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## musikman43155 (May 14, 2008)

I just received my Cabelas 7'6" flippin' stick, on sale for $80 & my 7' Quantum Alliance medium action rod that I intend on using for crankbaits & maybe spinnerbaits. 

Last year, I didn't get out nearly as much as I wanted, but, I think I caught ONE decent bass, which may have been close to 3 #'s. A buddy & I were trolling the bank & Rush Creek Lake & I was using a 3/8's oz. blk&blue jig & pig. It's one of the first times it seemed like I actually intentionally caught a bass while specifially fishing for bass. It's tough to go to lakes & ignore my friends having a ball catching all kinds of bluegill & crappie & even the occasional bass, while I beat the banks with my expensive set ups & heavy lures & often get skunked.

I think once I practicing flipping & pitching, things ought to look up too. I always wondered how you were suppose to get a 1/2oz lure to silently enter the water, heh. 

I think this will be a good year fishing for me. 

Another thing I'm very curious about, is I've often herad of a lot of guys using a flurocarbon leader, but, how do you tie on a leader? Do you use a barrel swivel, like when you're catfishing, or....?

Thanks again fellas!


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## ufaquaoiler (Jan 14, 2010)

my favorite lures to use are spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, SCUM FROG!!!, and the popper i carved by hand. ive caught plenty of bigmouths tossing spoons as well, but rarely see anyone else use em for bass. my favorite way to catch bass is what i call the disappearing bluegill trick. start by catching a small bluegill near a known bass hideout, then leave the bluegill to fight on the line. after a few seconds the line often gets pretty heavy really quickly even when theyve been ignoring all my lures. even if the fish misses, you often get to watch the bass chase the bluegill all over the place. this is ESPECIALLY fun to do with an ice fishing rod


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## qpan13 (May 30, 2010)

musikman43155 said:


> Another thing I'm very curious about, is I've often herad of a lot of guys using a flurocarbon leader, but, how do you tie on a leader? Do you use a barrel swivel, like when you're catfishing, or....?
> 
> Thanks again fellas!



I personally do not use a leader when fishing weeds. I have 2 set ups with braid 2 wit mono and 2 wit flouro.. I have heard tat a leader is very popular though


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

there are a few knots people use to join two types of lines, the blood knot and the albright knot are the most common, if you google the two you can see how to tie them. i prefer not to join two lines, my opinion is that the knot is the weakest link between you and the fish, the less knots the better. the most common reason people do this is so that you can use braided line for finicky fish or fish in clear water. people like the sensitivity of the braid and the low stretch. i am of the opinion that braid is not necessary in most applications. in lilly pads,vegetational matts, some topwater and carolina rigging with a mono leader is the only places i use braid.


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## Intimidator (Nov 25, 2008)

lordofthepunks said:


> i am of the opinion that braid is not necessary in most applications. in lilly pads,vegetational matts, some topwater and carolina rigging with a mono leader is the only places i use braid.


See, we will always disagree on this. I bought the new 8-strand braid... Daiwai Samurai and Sunline Castaway PE. The 8-strand is softer, rounder, and thinner/stronger than previous braid (15lb is 2.5lb mono dia.)and has all the benefits I LOVED before, the PE is a 4x4 braid and is even light blue for clear water apps. Now I have NO REASON to use any other lineLOL


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

to eachs own, my style basically eliminates me from using the smaller braid. its a lame excuse, i know, but ive set a hook like a madman since i was very young and if you do that with 15lb braid, you will break it more often then not. everyone has there preferences. i like braid in some situations, i like mono in some situations, and i like floro in alot of situations. nobody is 100% right when it comes to line selection


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## spfldbassguy (Mar 23, 2009)

I use mono and braid for all my fishing. I've used 10lb braid and have yet to break the line on a hookset. I've used 50lb braid and have never broken it on a hookset either. I wish I could say the same about mono though.


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## Intimidator (Nov 25, 2008)

lordofthepunks said:


> to eachs own, my style basically eliminates me from using the smaller braid. its a lame excuse, i know, but ive set a hook like a madman since i was very young and if you do that with 15lb braid, you will break it more often then not. everyone has there preferences. i like braid in some situations, i like mono in some situations, and i like floro in alot of situations. nobody is 100% right when it comes to line selection


It's funny because all the guys that I fish with laugh because I never "set the hook". They just see me reeling in and then there is a fish...LOL There are several that are converting to the "Dark Side" now...because you don't miss as many fish and if you do, you can stop the lure and the fish think they injured or killed it and will come right back to hit it again (most of the time).

To fish braid exclusively, the pole, line, hook, and fish do the work...you just apply a little pressure.


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

spfldbassguy said:


> I use mono and braid for all my fishing. I've used 10lb braid and have yet to break the line on a hookset. I've used 50lb braid and have never broken it on a hookset either. I wish I could say the same about mono though.


your luckier then i then. ive had heavy braid (45lb) break during casts in which the line stopped mid air. when your using a type of jerk bait, in this case a topwater walking bait (sammy) the line kind of digs into itself at times. you go to heave a cast and it goes about half way and then stops in its tracks. i have actually had this happen twice in which the lure kept going without the line.

look, if you love braid thats awesome but the stuff in my opinion is just not applicable in all situations. just like mono is not applicable in all situations, just like floro. if im going to use 15lb line then i want something that can absorb some shock because its not heavy enough to hold up to what i do with it.

frogs-65lb braid
matts-65lb braid
carolina rig-65lb braid with 17lb mono leader
all power pro but only because that what i happen to be stocked with, i would be open to other line if i felt it was better

jig, worm, cranks, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, senko, shakyhead, dropshot
seaguar floro in various sizes, sometimes the invzx and sometimes the abrazx.

buzzbait, sammy, leader for carolina rig.
usually 12lb in a clear blue color, usually stren


i know that alot of you like it because of the sensitivity, i would take floro paired with a high quality rod any day of the week over braid with a lesser qualtiy rod. and i get alot more bites when im using floro then with braid and im assuming its because its invisible. i went out once on a day when the fish were on fire, i had two rods rigged up the exact same way, one with fireline 20lb and the other with berkley vanish (i know it sucks but this was a long time ago when i first started using floro) and i got 3 times the bites with the floro then with the braid not to mention the braid broke on hooksets with minimal resistance. 

maybe things are different now, but ive won a pretty good amount of money over the past few years doing what im doing. im gonna stick with it.


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## Intimidator (Nov 25, 2008)

lordofthepunks said:


> your luckier then i then. ive had heavy braid (45lb) break during casts in which the line stopped mid air. when your using a type of jerk bait, in this case a topwater walking bait (sammy) the line kind of digs into itself at times. you go to heave a cast and it goes about half way and then stops in its tracks. i have actually had this happen twice in which the lure kept going without the line.
> 
> look, if you love braid thats awesome but the stuff in my opinion is just not applicable in all situations. just like mono is not applicable in all situations, just like floro. if im going to use 15lb line then i want something that can absorb some shock because its not heavy enough to hold up to what i do with it.
> 
> ...


You have to fish with what you're comfortable with, fishing is mental and if you're not comfortable, then you're done. I understand your views, especially from my experiences that we've talked about. I'm in a different time in my life....fishing is FUN again and I figured out how to downsize and still catch fish. 
You do need to check out the Daiwai Samurai for the stuff you use braid on and probably the Sunline Castaway PE, for clear water stuff where you feel comfortable using braid. This stuff puts PP and the others to shame
Oh, and I have chucked cranks on 12lb and 15lb braid and later found the braid had nested....nothing worse than seeing a 20 some dollar crank or swimbait flying off into the sunset. That's why I now only crank and frog with 55lb.


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

i will absolutely check out those braids you mentioned. i need as many edges as i can get!


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## Intimidator (Nov 25, 2008)

lordofthepunks said:


> i will absolutely check out those braids you mentioned. i need as many edges as i can get!


Hey, don't forget to PM me when you find that majic lure

And I really think you need to expand on the areas you visited and how you fished them during the tourneys. I want to know more about what you saw at TOHO and when you go to Norman...it may be able to help others when the weather warms here, or when I go to Norman or Kissimmee


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

i can definetely get deeper into it in the blog. i just thought people would get bored reading that stuff. i know i would get bored with that sort of thing if i wasnt familiar with the area. if you do happen to go down there, let me know and i will give you everything i know (clearly not enough considering where i placed)


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## Intimidator (Nov 25, 2008)

lordofthepunks said:


> i can definetely get deeper into it in the blog. i just thought people would get bored reading that stuff. i know i would get bored with that sort of thing if i wasnt familiar with the area. if you do happen to go down there, let me know and i will give you everything i know (clearly not enough considering where i placed)


Just like anyone else who's learning, maybe if you post the scenario and how you worked it, then we can "Arm-Chair Fish" and provide different views to help you next time.......LOL Man, this could be fun!


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## elkhtr (Oct 23, 2006)

musikman43155 said:


> What do you do to successfully catch bass? What types of casts, knots, lures, rods etc? What's the rule of thumb as for as color?
> 
> I think my biggest question is, when do you decide to switch lures? I guess the obvious answer is whatever they're striking, but, do you switch up presentation based on water clarity? Time of year? Water clarity? Last year I started using the jig 'n pig & love it.
> 
> ...


many factors come in to play when deciding what lure(s) to use. A couple of my biggest ones are: 
water temp: colder=slower presentations ; 
stained water=very bright colors or black/blue; 
clear water=natural colors and smaller baits. 
Also in clear water, as a general rule, very slow or very fast presentations sometimes trigger strikes.

weather, as you mentioned is a huge factor. before fronts or during stable weather, the fish tend to be more active and will chase a lure;
just after a cold front, fish often pull tight to cover and wont chase much, you have to slow down and drop a bait right on top of em.

these are a few things I use to decide on presentations, but there are alot of other experienced guys on here who can help out.


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## elkhtr (Oct 23, 2006)

musikman43155 said:


> I just received my Cabelas 7'6" flippin' stick, on sale for $80 & my 7' Quantum Alliance medium action rod that I intend on using for crankbaits & maybe spinnerbaits.
> 
> Last year, I didn't get out nearly as much as I wanted, but, I think I caught ONE decent bass, which may have been close to 3 #'s. A buddy & I were trolling the bank & Rush Creek Lake & I was using a 3/8's oz. blk&blue jig & pig. It's one of the first times it seemed like I actually intentionally caught a bass while specifially fishing for bass. It's tough to go to lakes & ignore my friends having a ball catching all kinds of bluegill & crappie & even the occasional bass, while I beat the banks with my expensive set ups & heavy lures & often get skunked.
> 
> ...


I use fireline on several of my spinning reels and often use a 6-10ft florocarbon leader connected by a double uni knot (demonstrated below)
I also use power pro braid on a few baitcasters and use a floro leader connected in the same way. Hope this helps.
http://www.fishingclub.com/fishing/...eid/2056/categoryid/968/knot-wars--uni-to-uni


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