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Understanding
Bass - Part 1
by "The Bass Coach"
(Roger Lee Brown)
Bass fishing is a sport
like many others that when it comes to knowledge and the understanding
of the opponent it allows one to become more successful. You
may look at it kind of like deer hunting, the more the hunter
understands the scrapes, trails, food areas, water areas, runs,
and habitats of the deer the more successful the hunter will
become at locating them.
The same is true with Bass
fishing (Bass angling), the more you understand the Bass along
with the many different circumstances and conditions you run
across the more successful you will be at catching them. So let's
talk about a few key factors when it comes to a better understanding
of the bass. The first one we will look at would be the survival
of the bass.
Survival: A bass needs three elements to
survive which are :
1. Food
2. Oxygen
3. Cover
If any one of these three
elements are not present in a body of water a bass could not
survive, and just by knowing why these three elements are so
important for a bass's survival it will already start to make
you a more successful angler.
The first element we will
talk about is FOOD. Contrary to popular belief, shad is
NOT! the primary 1st choice of a bass. Although shad is a very
common food for the bass as well as other natural baits, the
number 1 food choice of a bass is a crawfish (also known as crayfish,
crawdads, etc.).
A study was performed several
years ago where 100 Crawfish and 100 shad were in a tank of water
with all species of bass (Smallmouth, Spotted, and Largemouth),
and to much surprise the crawfish were eaten 8 to 2 over the
shad. There are several reasons for this, but the most important
one is that a crawfish is an easy prey for a bass to catch, and
they are fairly easy for a bass to find. And once again contrary
to popular belief, studies show that there are actually more
crawfish found in vegetation areas than around rocky areas (or
as some may know as Rip-Rap.)
A bass will eat just about
anything at any given time such as: Rats, Mice, Ducklings, Frogs,
Snakes, Salamanders, Worms, Lizards, Grubs, Baitfish, Insects,
Leeches, etc. (Is it any wonder why all the many different tackle
manufacturing companies have so many different shapes and types
of artificial baits on the market today?) but, there are certain
types of artificial baits that bass will usually prefer over
the others, and a lot of these I cover at my 3-day Bass Fishing
School.
The next element of the
three is OXYGEN. Oxygen is a element that any living creature
needs to survive. The main reason an angler should pay attention
to oxygen is that a bass requires it to survive. By knowing water
oxygen content in various areas an angler will develop a better
understanding why a bass acts the way it does under the many
different conditions. When a bass has a limited supply of oxygen,
it tends to get more disoriented and much slower or lethargic.
The "Key" in understanding the rules of oxygenic water
is that the cooler the water, the more oxygen content and on
the other side of the coin the warmer the water the less oxygen
content. The more oxygen a bass can get usually during the warmer
months the more active it will be. Usually during the summer
when the water temperature hits the 80 degree mark or higher,
the oxygen in the water will start to diminish.
How does this relate to
bass fishing?.... well, a bass will usually do one of two things
in a condition such as this. A bass will drop down (usually under
the thermocline mark) to water that is cooler for a larger supply
of oxygen, or a bass will usually head for vegetation areas because
of the constant producing of oxygen that aquatic plants provide.
This is mostly the case during Spring, Summer, and early Fall.
Here are some areas where
ample supplies of oxygen can be found during these seasons:
1. Rivers - because of
the constant flowing of the water.
2. Mouths of Creeks - again,
because of the constant in-flow of fresh water.
3. Deep water areas - remember,
the deeper the cooler water a better supply of oxygen.
4. Vegetation areas - constant
oxygen producing aquatic plants.
5. Around Trees, Stump,
& Log areas - because of the porous wood that will hold oxygen.
6. Power Plants - because
of the constant discharge of oxygenic water
7. Wind Blown Banks - a
constant oxygen source
and there are many others........
The third element we will
talk about is COVER. Cover is an extremely important element
when it comes to a bass for many reasons, and I would like to
cover some of the most important ones.
One of these reasons would
be for protection. A bass, being known mostly as a "Ambush
Fish" will use cover such as vegetation, rocks, stumps,
trees, fall-downs, docks, structures, holes, etc.... to dart
out after it's prey. A bass really is a lazy-by-nature type of
fish and will extend the least amount of energy for the greatest
amount of benefit. Bass are also known as a territorial fish
and will not travel a great amount of distance.
Another reason a bass needs
cover is because of its eyes. A bass does not have eye lids like
you or I and prolonged exposure to the Sun's rays, a bass will
eventually go blind. This is one of God's way of protecting their
site. Take notice next time you see a bass fishing show on television,
you will usually see bass being caught in shaded areas, and in
and around cover areas, these are some of the reasons why.
Now, understanding a bit
more about cover and why a bass will usually be found around
it should help you "Key-In" when it comes to "Blue
Bird Skys" (high pressure periods) and "Overcast or
Cloudy Days" (low pressure periods).
I teach my students at
my 3-day Bass Fishing School a much more in depth study about
the understanding of a bass during the different seasons, daily
conditions, weather fronts, etc. and how they would put a pattern
together under many different circumstances. This article I hope
will help you with a better understanding of a bass to become
a more successful angler. If you have any questions or wish to
enroll in my 3-day Bass Fishing School you can contact me at
either of my web sites at: www.capital.net/~rlbrown or www.fishing-boating.com/basscoach
or you can Email me at: rlbrown@capital.net or you can call me
at (518) 597-4240.
Take Care & God Bless!....."The
Bass Coach"
If you contact The Bass
Coach, let him know you saw his article on Zeiner's Angler Supply's
site.
(518) 597-4240 Email: rlbrown@capital.net
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