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Bass Fishing questions......Feedback appreciated


TheLionWire

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Hello Smoaky crew.

 

I started Bass fishing about 3 1/2 years ago, and in the past 2 years have become a serious angler. My parents have a private lake between Van and Grand Saline on almost 200 acres and I anytime I get a weekend off I leave Dallas to head down there to fish for the weekend.

 

Our lake is mainly stocked with Largemouth Bass and I have caught my share of them, including a 13 pounder I caught last time I was out there, but I have a few questions about getting more bang for my buck when I fish because the longest I have been out there was 5 hours and the most fish I caught was 4 or 5, all of them bass so I was wondering what are the best tips are far as time to fish, what parts of the lake are the best, what are the best baits to catch them on.

 

 

Also, I know for a FACT that there are Catfish in the lake. Is true what they say about night time catfishing? I want to give it a try as I have never caught a catfish but I have seen them in clear parts of the water swimming. I was on the dam of our lake in broad morning daylight and I one swam right past me, it was the biggest I had EVER seen. Please if any advice could be given on that, I woudl appreciate it. Thanks!

 

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I'll answer as best as I can.....we also have a large pond. Are they feeding the fish? If so, no reason for them to grab your lure.. LOL

 

We can go out to our pond, and as long as it's early, and I mean early, or right before sundown, they'll bite like crazy....and it's on just about anything, literally; little minnows, worms, rattle traps, whatever....That's catfish and bass. But during the day, even at say like 4 p.m., nope, not hardly anything.

 

My husband says that the fish are talking to each other, and you can get a few strikes at "other times", and then they "all" ignore the rest of it. LOL They won't bite anything.

 

With night fishing for catfish, blood bait, just about anything bloody smelling, liver, etc., yep, that'll catch 'em.

 

I haven't been fishing as long as you have, but I'm learning.....I'm starting to get a knack for "where they'll be", and it's totally opposite of what I would think, but then I'm not a fish....LOL

 

I just watch the pond... usually about the time I'm feeding the horses and cows, they're out there all over the place, which is right before sundown...

 

When it warms up a bit, outta have a camp-out at the lake and late evening fish and do some night fishing.....GAWD, I wish it'd hurry up and get warmer... we're both chomping at the bits to get the boat out... but supposedly we're going out next weekend, I just hope it's warmER! LOL

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  • 2 weeks later...

As with most things in nature, early and late are going to be the prime time for animal activity. First, I would ask how large is the lake you are talking about? Lakes/ponds all follow the seasons. In the winter, fish are less active. Heat of summer, less active. Spring and fall are the premier times to fish. If you want numbers. I would recommend learning the patterns of the seasons. If it is a large lake, but fairly shallow, then the fish may already be well into the spawn, which means shallow. Fish do not strike during the spawn out of hunger as much as they do protecting the young. So slower moving baits are good. After the spawn, then reaction baits are better. Catfish are basically the same, except for their traits, if the lake has blues, they spawn early, channels latter, more toward may and june. Crappie are also earlier spawners. You can also improve your success if you know the layout of the lake under the water. Does it have any creeks, ditches, stumps, old hay bales, and such. Know the parts of the lake that have sand bottom, rock, grass, all these things go to catching fish more consistently. Also remember in smaller bodies of water if you want numbers, then go with smaller lures, smaller line, and such. Read the lake too. If you catch lots of small fish and few large ones, then you may have an imbalance.

 

Anyway, in general in ponds or small lakes, go smaller and slower. If you want to catch catfish, go with live bait. There are literally a thousand things which influence catching fish. You have to know what the fish are going to do and be at the particular times of the year.

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  • 6 months later...

Also, if you fish from the bank or if you have a boat with no SS... I'd throw a C-rig and drag that thing all around the pond/lake. This will give you immediate feedback on bottom structure, and content. Start taking mental images then follow Locutus's advise to following seasonal patterns. You can learn the "highway" pattern of a fish going to/from the spawn, then you can hammer em... Basically, its what we do while tournament fishing, spend as much time on the water as you can. Good luck!

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^ Good advice...in other words, camp out, sit there and watch.

 

I got so tickeled at my nephew a couple of weeks ago... he's 9...his dad is a big bass pro fisherman... has won a lot of money and 2 boats...he was running around the pond... I thought, what in the world is he doing... course my Dad brought him out... Dad said watch... he was running around the pond to make the minnows move, and bass were jumping everywhere... LOL

 

Every morning when I go out to feed the catfish...up in the corners of the pond... bass are feeding.

 

But I can truthfully say, there is absolutely nothing more frustrating than seeing on your fish finder all the fish underneath you and you don't catch any! UGH!!!!!!! LOL!

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