Bass Fishing Basics

By Carlton "Doc" Holliday

A listing of bass fishing tools, equipment, tackle, techniques, types of baits and how to properly rig and fish them. Also addresses environmental variables, the life cycle of a bass and the mind set and self confidence of the fisherman. Also addresses unique situations when fishing for bass.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 26, 2015
• ISBN: 9781329579323

Book preview

Bass Fishing Basics

Bass Fishing Basics

or

Everything a Bass Fisherman Needs to Know and Remember

Part 1

ISBN #: 978-1-329-57932-3

No portion of this book can be reprinted without express written permission of the publisher.

Copyright © 2015 Carlton Doc Holliday, All Rights Reserved

Forward

First, I want to thank You for Your interest in this book Bass Fishing Basics or Everything a Bass Fisherman Needs to Know and Remember and for taking a positive step towards becoming a better bass fisherman.

The intent of this book is to examine the variables, techniques, tips and miscellaneous things in depth to educate either a novice fisherman or lady or an experienced fisherman needing to brush up on some tools or techniques.  Believe me I was so green when I started bass fishing it was not believable.  I was very lucky in the fact a lot of these basics were learned from some very good Professional Fishermen.

This book spells out the methodology, helpful tips, lessons learned and mistakes made during the professional fishing career of Carlton Doc Holliday.

One other result of this book is the fact that it has become an instant reference manual for things forgotten or overlooked by this fisherman.

Many fishermen and several top Professional Fishermen earning tens of thousands of dollars fishing monthly continually utilize these theories, facts and methods.

Table of Contents

Forward

Preface

Biography / Credentials

Chapter 1 - The Quarry, The Environment and the Fisherman

Part 1 - The Quarry

A - General

B - Seasonal Tendencies of Bass

C  Advanced Seasonal Tendencies of the Large Mouth Bass

Part 2 - The Environment

A - Understanding the Thermocline

B - Understanding the Environment

Part 3 - The Fisherman

A - Mindset and Self Confidence

B:  Useful Tools for the Fisherman (Lady)

C: The Importance of Maintaining a Fishing Log

Chapter 2 - Equipment and Tackle

Part 1 – Equipment

A - How to Install, Use and Interpret Your Fish Locator

B - Rods

C - Reels

D - Line

E - Fishing Knot Basics

F - Other Items You Need

Preface

We, my wife and I, live in Joplin, Arkansas within 3 miles of Lake Ouachita.  We fish the lake regularly.  The Lake is 33 miles west of Hot Springs, Arkansas.

The last several years on Lake Ouachita taught us a very valuable lesson.  I am getting on up in age and remembering little details that are 20 and 30+ years old is becoming a chore especially when You forget to make appropriate notes in Your fishing log or on Your lake maps.

I decided to put on paper a lot the type of things, techniques, specific lake tendencies and basic fishing lore so I would have a reference manual without having to commit all the information to memory and suffering Brain Freeze.

Most of the fishermen on Lake Ouachita were expecting a truly great early spring fishing season the last couple of years. The weather began cooperating, the water level rose which put the buck brush in the water and the lake temperature began rising and everyone was thrilled.

The next thing You know the rain began and did not stop until it sent lake levels to near record levels and causing muddy water, to a degree no one remembers for years.  The next thing was cold fronts bringing snow and cold temperatures, one right after the other, for about 2 months and wind 20 – 40 mph out of the north and east.  It became miserable and several cases of Cabin Fever were reported.

We had the worst of conditions: Muddy, cold water, high water, wind and cold fronts. Catching bass was an adventure, not an enjoyable pastime.

Finally, we were able to get on the lake and begin our fishing year.  After several nonproductive fishing trips, we were loading our boat on the trailer when another couple pulled up to the ramp and loaded their boat and pulled up to the fish cleaning station.

Being nosey and wanting to see if fish were being caught I went over to the fish cleaning facility.  Sure enough they had 5 keeper bass and I just asked them how they caught them. He told me how and where they caught them and a light went off in my head. This was a standard tactic we had used in tournaments back in the 60’s and 70’s and I should have remembered it.

One of the problems You, even the Younger You's, will experience in later years is the fact that fishing a lake consistently generates a diverse, large amount of information that will become very hard to utilize the older You get.  Each and every time You fish that particular lake You add another amount of information to that data base.

After several years and getting older, You have a vast data base that can be accessed only if You can remember every single detail.  I am getting on up in age and remembering little details is really becoming a chore to say the least.

I decided to put on paper a lot of the type of things, specific lake tendencies, techniques and basic fishing lore so I would have a reference manual without having to remember something 20-30 years old.  While I was putting everything on paper, I began thinking that maybe I was not the only one having this problem.  This book was born.

Another reason that prompted me to write this book is the fact that bass fishermen, both novice and experienced, are always asking pros, experts and so-called gurus the same question: "How can I improve my fishing skill?"  The answer to this question is basically the same from anyone asked: There are several ways:

Learn as much as You can about the specific species You are fishing for.

Learn their strengths and how to predict their behavior to Your advantage.

Learn how their life cycle affects them and use the tendencies to Your advantage.

Learn about the species environment and which elements of the environment will be useful to You and allow You to predict what the quarry should do.

Learn to be observant – look, listen, feel – good fishermen develop all these senses which will improve Your skills.

Learn to be patient – things do not always develop as quickly as You would like.

Learn to concentrate and forget about what You have got to do or did not do – only thinkonly think about what You are doing now.

Fish with as many knowledgeable fishermen as You can and ask questions.

Fish as often as You can.

Keep a fishing log and record Your trips and refer to it often when planning a trip.

Select balanced tackle for specific conditions and learn how to use it.

Practice Your casting on a regular basis in Your back yard.

Learn to fish different types of water; lakes, ponds and rivers.

This book will explore each of the bullet points in depth plus more information intended to make You a better bass fisherman and ultimately provide You with an instant reference manual.

Biography / Credentials

What gives me the right to offer or teach You anything about bass fishing?  Here is a brief bio of my career as a Professional Bass Fisherman.

Carlton Doc Holliday began his competitive fishing career in Fort Smith, Arkansas in the mid-1960’s with the Fort Smith Bass Masters Club.  At that time, Bill Norman was the best fisherman in the club and working to get REBEL Manufacturing off the ground.  Bill and I became instant friends and I even helped out when I had free time with the effort at Rebel Manufacturing. Bill and I became very good friends and fishing partners.

During these years Bill Norman and I became the club members to beat in the bass club.  We consistently were in the top six of the club every year and fished many BASS Federation state and regional tournaments.

Bill Norman and Bill Dance were going to Shoal Bay on Lake Dardanelle one weekend with one of the new Rebel bass boats to allow Bill Dance to practice on the lake for a upcoming BASS regional Tournament.  Bill Dance was a Rebel Sponsored fisherman at the time and was looking at the new Rebel Bass Boat.  Somewhere along the way the new Rebel bass boat left the vehicle and crashed.

Bill Norman knew I was at Shoal Bay for the week end with my family.  He continued to Shoal Bay and brought Bill Dance to our travel trailer and introduced me to Bill Dance.  He explained the circumstances and asked me to show Bill Dance all the good fishing areas close to Shoal Bay on Lake Dardanelle.

As luck would have it, Bill and I absolutely loaded the boat.  It seemed everywhere we went we caught bass.  Bill was most helpful to me in the fact he taught me some new techniques and educated me in several methods to help me become a better bass fisherman.

Bill Dance was impressed with my abilities and tried and tried to get me to turn Pro and join him on the BASS circuit.  He even got Bill Norman to work on me too.

At that time I had a wife and three children and a pretty good job and was not willing to gamble on the fishing circuit at that level yet.  However, Bill Dance sparked my interest in tournament fishing and I was committed to bass fishing week end tournaments while still working.

In the 1970’s, I moved to Oklahoma and began fishing the Oklahoma Outdoors Tournament Trail. During these tournaments I was paired with Jimmy Houston a couple of times and Jimmy and I became good friends. Jimmy introduced me to his wife, Chris and my wife and I became good friends with. Jimmy and Chris.

I teamed up with Jimmy to fish night buddy tournaments on Lake Tenkiller for a couple of years and we performed quite well, winning several of the tournaments.

Jimmy took me to school and taught me how to use and fish the spinnerbait.

Jimmy got the bug to go pro and joined BASS as a pro angler with the help of Forrest Woods and Ranger Boats.  Jimmy and Chris lived in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and we lived in Sallisaw, Oklahoma only 30 miles away.  One afternoon Jimmy called and invited us to a cookout at his house.  During this cookout he introduced me to Forrest Woods.  I knew Forrest from his days as a guide on the White River and trout fishing trips with my father.

Jimmy and Forrest kept after me to join him and Forrest and join the BASS circuit.  I actually got to fish a couple of BASS tournaments at both of their insistence and help.  As expected I did not do as well as I would have liked with a 20th place finish in one tournament and a 35th place finish in the other tournament.  I did not think I was ready for primetime.

In the 1980’s, I moved to South Arkansas and really began tournament fishing in earnest.  I teamed with my Quality Supervisor and we both joined the Camden Bass Club and the El Dorado Bass Club. We fished many open buddy tournaments and won most of them. Then we joined the US Bass Buddy Circuit.

We had done very well at the local level and thought we were ready for the big time.  Wrong!  We found out that the level of talent in the bigger circuits is much higher (I already learned that lesson in the BASS Tournaments I fished and guess I forgot) than local bass clubs.  Point is, do not overestimate Your ability.

My supervisor and I continued to fish tournaments and we won many open buddy tournaments and became the number one and two fishermen in each bass club.  My partner started backing out on some tournament so our fishing got cut back a bit.

Eventually I branched out and began fishing circuits like Mr. Bass of Arkansas, Country Boy Arkansas Circuit, and Redman Ozark and Arkie Divisions.

In 1987, my wife Darlene (Dee) retired from Wal-mart and decided she wanted to bass fish.  We bought a Bass Tracker 1800 fiberglass boat with a 150 HP motor and began fishing as a team.  She learned quickly and before long we were fishing the Arkansas Guys and Gals, Arkansas Team Bass, and Anglers Choice team circuits.

Carlton Doc Holliday and his wife, Darlene Dee Holliday only tournament fished together for 5 years.  In early 1992, Carlton and his wife were practicing for a bass tournament the following weekend on Lake Ouachita.  Dee got a call from home and promptly went home and when she got back that evening, informed Carlton that we had inherited and had custody of our grandson.  We continued to fish tournaments and took our grandson with us.

In October of that year, Carlton had a heart attack thus the early retirement ended along with the professional fishing career.

All told, both individually and as a team, Doc and Dee won over 30 bass tournaments and placed in the top 5 in over 70 bass tournaments.

The last 3 years of their career as professional bass fishermen were spent with Doc fishing in the Mr. Bass of Arkansas Championship on Lake Ouachita in 1990 and finishing third, winning the Arkansas Guys and Gals Championship in 1991, Doc finishing seventh overall in the Arkie Division of the Redman Circuit in 1991 and becoming eligible to fish the Redman Regional Tournament in Columbus Mississippi where he finished 20th.

Career winnings resulted in a little over $85,000.00, but remember, bass tournaments did not pay the big bucks back then that they pay now.  For instance, the Arkansas Guys and Gals paid $1,000.00 for a first place – we won 5 Guys and Gals tournaments in 1990 and 1991.  Another example would be Doc winning second place and big bass in a Redman Arkie tournament on Lake Dardanelle and making more prize money than the first place winner.

I believe those credentials do qualify me to offer information to You about being A better bass fisherman.  There was a catch phrase on TV and radio a few years ago that said:  "Fishing is a lot more fun when You catch fish" and it still is true today.

Bass fishing can be as relaxing and fulfilling an outdoor activity as there is.  A lot of fishermen will tell You that it is the most frustrating activity they ever participated in.

That is what I am trying to do away with.  With just a little knowledge, observation, patience, the proper mind set and equipment You will enjoy bass fishing.

Carlton Doc Holliday and his wife, Darlene Dee Holliday are both retired after successfully getting our grandson through high school and live in Joplin, Arkansas two minutes from Lake Ouachita near Hot Springs, Arkansas.

We still fish the lake at least two times per week year round.  We can be reached by email at [e-mail]

If You should happen to want or need info on the lake or ask a question about any of this material please contact us.

Carlton Doc Holliday

Chapter 1 - The Quarry, The Environment and the Fisherman

Part 1 - The Quarry

A - General

Bass Fishing has been viewed as a relaxing way for people to unwind and reset their priorities over a weekend fishing experience.  This is absolutely true for a small percentage of individuals, and very false for several others.  Bass fishing for many individuals can be the most frustrating experience they have ever had, especially if they do not catch any bass.

Bass fishing is a contest between two individuals of equal and reasonable intelligence.  If You have the slightest competitive spirit in Your genes, You will become most competitive while fishing.  It may be competing with a buddy, friend or Your spouse.  The actual competition is really between You and the bass.

Make no mistake, the Largemouth Bass is just as intelligent as You are and You are at a disadvantage to begin with.  You must try and outsmart this wary creature in his own environment and surroundings.  It just makes sense that in order to level the playing field for these contests, You must learn as much as possible about this adversary.  A discussion about the quarry is in order.

Micropterus Salmoides is the scientific name for the Largemouth Bass.  The common names for the largemouth bass include black bass, green bass, Florida bass, bigmouth, bucket mouth, line sides and green trout.

The largemouth bass is the largest member of the sunfish family.  It generally has light greenish to brownish sides with a dark lateral line which tends to break into blotches towards the tail.  Sometimes confused with the smallmouth and spotted bass, it is easily distinguished because the jaw extends beyond the rear edge of the eye.  Also, its first and second dorsal fins are almost separated by an obvious deep dip, and there are no scales on the soft-rayed second dorsal fin or on the anal fin.

There are two recognized subspecies:  the northern largemouth and the Florida largemouth.  The two look very much alike, but the Florida largemouth has 69 – 73 scales along the lateral line compared to the northern largemouth’s 59 – 65 scales.  Florida bass grow to trophy size more readily than northern largemouth in warm waters.

The range for largemouth includes virtually every state within the United States.  There have been many stockings in the South, Southeast, and Southwest part of the country of the Florida strain of largemouth bass.  Genetic mixing between the species has occurred.

The habitat preferred by largemouth bass is clear, non-flowing waters with aquatic vegetation where food and cover are available.  They occupy brackish to freshwater habitats, including upper estuaries, rivers, lakes, reservoirs and ponds.  They can tolerate a wide range of water clarities and bottom types, prefer water temperatures from 65 to 85 degrees, and are usually found at depths less than 20 feet.

The Senses of A Bass

Vision

Bass have a keen sense of vision, which helps them find food, shelter, mates, and avoid predators.  A bass’s vision is on a par with our own vision.  Many bass can see colors and some can see extremely well in dim light.

A bass’s eye is different from ours.  The bass eye has a lens that is perfectly spherical, which enables them to see underwater.  They focus by moving the lens in and out instead of stretching it like we do.  Largemouth bass have a special eye structure which amplifies the incoming light.

Smell

So how does a bass smell?  Bass have two nostrils on each side of their snout.  One is the anterior nostril and the other is the posterior nostril.  Water flows into the anterior nostril, over the olfactory nerves, and back out through the posterior nostril.  No link exists between the sets of nostrils and their throat.  As the water holding the scent molecules flows across the olfactory nerves, a message is sent to the brain, where the scent is classified as a positive or negative scent.  Bass then act on the sense by a conditioned response.

A lot of scientific research shows some fish are drawn to chemical sources from hundreds of yards away.  Other studies indicate fish can recognize aquatic plants and other fish in the same school by individual smell.  A fish’s ability to smell has been documented to be approximately 1,000 times better than a dog.  Fish Biologists also proved in some fish species that a fish’s system of smell can double and even triple as the fish age.

Let us look at the normal behavior of a bass.  Bass find their prey by sight or sound first.  The last sense activated is smell.  It still plays a critical role in a bass’s life.  When a bass hears or feels the presence of bait he comes over to investigate the movement or sound.  As the bass moves closer to the bait, he is expecting the final stimulus, smell, to be coming from the bait.  As he strikes and crushes the bait, he is expecting the flavor of the prey to be confirmed by his sense of smell.  Smell is an important final stimulus.

Hearing and Touch

Have You ever seen a bass’s ear?  Probably not, but they do have them.  They are located within their bodies as well as the lateral line system that allows them to feel their surroundings.  Bass do not have external ears, but sound vibrations readily transmit from the water through the bass’s body to its internal ears.

Largemouth bass also posses another sense that is a combination of hearing and touch.  The lateral line receives signals stimulated in sequence, and gives the bass much more information (feeling other fish around it for polarized schooling, and short-range prey detection, kind of a sense of distant touch.)

Spawning habits include occurrence from December through May, but usually begins in February and March in most of the southern part of the country when water temperatures reach 58 to 65 degrees and continues as temperatures rise into the 70’s.

The male builds a saucer-shaped nest 20 to 30 inches in diameter by placing its lower jaw near the bottom and rotating around this central location.  Bass prefer to build nests in hard-bottom areas along shallow shorelines or in protected areas such as canals or coves.

Depending on her size, the female can lay up to 100,000 eggs, which are fertilized as they settle into the nest.  Distinguishing between male and female bass is very difficult.  As a general rule, the smaller of the two on a nest is the male.

After spawning is complete, usually 5 to 10 days, the male guards the nest and the eggs and later the young (called fry) attacking anything that approaches the nest.  The female bass stays near the nest or may swim a short distance and remain listless for up to a day.

After hatching, the fry swim in tight schools, disbanding when the small fish reach a length of about one inch.

The size of a bass determines their feeding habits.  Young fish feed on microscopic animals (zooplankton) and small crustaceans such as grass shrimp and crayfish.  Fingerling bass feed on insects, crayfish and small fishes.  Adult bass will eat whatever is available, including fish, crayfish, frogs, salamanders, snakes, mice, turtles and even birds.

Growth rates are highly variable with attributes pertaining to their food supply and length of growing season.  Female bass live longer than males and are much more likely to reach trophy size.  By age two or three, females grow much faster than males.  Male bass seldom exceed 16 inches, while females frequently surpass 22 inches.  At age 5, females may be twice the weight of males.

A one-year old largemouth bass averages about seven inches in length and grow to an adult size of 10 inches in about 1 ½ to 2 ½ years.

There is another bass primarily in the majority of the country called the Spotted Bass (Micropterus punctulatus) also called the Kentucky Bass.  A species of black bass native to the lower and central Mississippi River basin in North America.  It has been introduced into other U.S. states as far west as California

The spotted bass is a fish with a slender body marked by black blotches on its side and as the fish matures these become an irregular band.  Their color ranges from a light green to light brown.  Unlike the largemouth, the tongue of the spotted bass has a patch of teeth.  Their gill covers also have a large dark spot on them.  The average size is four to five pounds.  The IFGA world record is 10 pounds 4 ounces.

Unlike the largemouth bass, the spotted bass seems to like current (moving water).  They can tolerate warmer water than largemouths and do well in streams and rivers.  They can also thrive in southern reservoirs that have gravel and rock bottoms.  Like its better known cousins, the spotted bass is carnivorous. It will eat prey from the bottom to the surface of the water.  If available it will feed primarily on crayfish.  It also preys on minnows, baby catfish, and insects.

The largemouth bass has become the most popular freshwater game fish because of its aggressive attitude and willingness to strike a lure or bait with explosive force.  The value of the largemouth as a sport fish has prompted a movement toward a catch-and-release philosophy to preserve the resource for future bass fishermen.  Keep a few to eat and release the rest for a continuing resource.

The most detrimental occurrence to bass is hot grease!

Largemouth bass have a white, flaky meat that is low in oil content.  The flavor depends on the way the fish are cleaned and prepared.  Filleting, skinning and frying the fillets are the better methods for preparing bass to eat.

The world record bass was 22 pounds 4 ounces caught in Georgia in 1932.

Current World Record bass 22lbs. 4ozs.

Manabu Kurita with his World Record Bass. Photo courtesy of the IGFA.org

Pending World Record Bass (Tie) 22lbs. 4ozs.

WORLD-RECORD-BASS

Pending World Record Spotted Bass 10lbs 4 0zs

world record smallmouth bass

World Record Smallmouth Bass 11lbs. 15 oz.

B - Seasonal Tendencies of Bass

A discussion of the general tendencies of bass during particular seasons of the year must be prefaced by the author with the following stipulation:  The following tendencies are a composite or average of tendencies for bass in reservoirs and large lakes.  Individual bodies of water may not have a population of bass that follow these general tendencies and the location of the body of water may have a direct influence on these tendencies.

Largemouth bass have, over the last several years, gained a reputation as being creatures of habit.  Most fishermen expect the bass in their area bodies of water to, more or less, do the same things from year to year.  This holds true in some areas and bodies of water but absolutely false in others.

I live and fish on Lake Ouachita in Arkansas and I can assure You after fishing this lake for over 25 years, the tendencies and patterns of the bass in this lake will not be repeated the following year.  Sometimes the same baits, colors and techniques will work from year to year but they will have to be tweaked in some manner to be effective.

A lot of the reason for this is the age of the lake.  I will use Lake Ouachita as an example.  I tournament fished Lake Ouachita in the mid 1980’s until the early 1990’s and had very little problem finding bass or catching bass.  I won 4 tournaments and placed in the top 5 in 12 tournaments and generally did very well.  During this time period there was an enormous amount of visible structure such as timber and moss beds available.

As Lake Ouachita has aged, the visible structure has disappeared, especially the standing timber and the moss beds on the upper end of the lake.  We have found ourselves depending on our electronics more and more to find underwater structure that bass utilize and hold on.

All of the above mentioned factors play a role in affecting the general tendencies of a bass.  Let us look at these general tendencies.

Winter

During this period the bass are most lethargic.  They tend to stay in one place and do not move far or fast to eat.  One good characteristic of this time period is the fact that bass will tend to school and if You can find a school, You can or should be able to catch multiple fish.

Water temperatures are generally in the mid to upper 30’s or low 40’s in reservoirs, lakes and ponds depending on the location and depth.  Some of the biggest fish of the year can and are caught during this time of year.

Early Spring (Pre-spawn)

As the water begins to warm, the bass, in conjunction with the life cycle of a bass, move into the Pre-spawn Stage.  All mature bass go through this stage.  In the life of a bass, much of their behavior is based on the life cycle and the weather.  Pre-spawn is the stage prior to spawn.

During this period, bass are foraging for food prior to the Spawn.  They need to feed as much as possible to carry them through the spawning period.  Pre-spawn usually occurs in the early part of the spring or late winter and lasts 4 to 6 weeks based on the weather and the full moon.

As a general rule the first part of a body of water to warm up in the early spring is the Northwest corner of the body of water.  During this period bass become increasingly active and aggressively feeding thus making a fisherman’s life pretty nice.

Spring (Spawn)

In the spring, March, April, May, and even June the bass begin the spawning process.  When the water temperature moves into the low to mid 60’s, male bass begin looking for bedding areas in order to build a nest.

During the period after the nest is completed, bass are concentrated in one spot – the beds.  They only move to protect the bed or their eggs.  They do not eat during this period but will strike baits that appear to be a threat to the nest or eggs. During this time period bass are also very territorial.  Bass beds are generally close together, so if You catch one look around and You will find more.

As the Spawn is completed and the eggs begin hatching, You will see thousands of little fry swimming around the vicinity of the beds.  The male and female bass are now protecting the fry.  The majority of the time the fry are in a tight bundle and close to the surface.  The adult bass will be close by protecting them.

Post-spawn

Begins when the protecting bass pass through the fry bundle eating some as they leave.  This is the signal to the fry that they are now on their own and begins the Post-spawn period.

Now these adult bass have not eaten for several weeks and are looking for a quick, easy meal.  These bass will be thin and somewhat lethargic.  As Post-spawn ends, the adult bass begin moving to the first substantial cover where they will hold until they regain some strength.

Summer

The warm weather or summer period begins when the Post Spawn ends.  Bass will gain some weight and become more aggressive.  They will begin to school and chase baits.

As the summer continues water temperatures will rise into the upper 80’s and even low 90's depending on Your location. You will have to figure out where the bass are in each body of water.  When these changes occur is all dependent on the weather conditions.

One technique that usually produces a lot of bass in the summer is night fishing.  A detailed discussion of this technique is in later chapters of this book.

TIP:  In large reservoirs, look for the thermocline with Your electronics and note what depth it is.  That is always a good depth with structure to begin fishing.

Fall

Fall and summer run together most of the time here in the South.  For bass, fall is the time for very frenzied activity.  The fall is usually a time of frequently changing weather conditions.  The weather will have a big influence on what bass do.  Keep Your eyes on the temperature gage.

When water temperatures fall into the low 70's, bass will feed exclusively.  Find the bait and You will find the bass.

One odd thing that happens in large bodies of water during the fall is the fall turnover.  When the fall turnover occurs in a lake, the thermocline that separates the warm, nutrient-rich water above from cold, sterile water below dissipates, and dissolved oxygen becomes more prevalent.  Because of the change to their environment, fish that had hovered at the mid-depth thermocline during the summer disperse over a wider area, much the same as they do when spring floods cause a lake to range outside its banks temporarily.

Bass are prisoners of their environment; they can not modify it or escape it.  Fish have to move or adjust to radical changes that affect their ability to survive.  When bass are not concerned about spawning, or getting enough dissolved oxygen to live, they are looking for their next meal.  It is mainly a bass's need for food that gets its fins in gear again as autumn progresses.

During this period, bass are going to be feeding exclusively and become easy prey for fishermen.  The bass are feeding heavily in order to survive the coming winter months when their metabolism goes way down and they do not feed aggressively.

C  Advanced Seasonal Tendencies of the Large Mouth Bass

Bass behavior is controlled by the life cycle bred into each bass and the weather.  All mature bass are subject to following the imbedded genetic code when it comes to perpetuating the species.  This is a good thing for fishermen because it makes the bass’s behavior reasonably predictable.

The following outlined tendencies are a compilation of many observations, creel reports and fishermen reports over several years and have been studied and reported as the average behavior of a large mouth bass.  These tendencies will vary for individual populations of bass in a specific body of water and also will vary by geography of where the bass and body of water are located.  Understanding these general tendencies will make it much easier for You, the fisherman, to have a good idea of where to find fish during a given season, what kind of features or structure to look for, and what baits will give You the best chance of catching a bass.

Winter

During this period of time the bass are most lethargic.  The largemouth bass is a cold blooded creature and as the water temperatures fall in the winter, the bass become less active because their metabolism has slowed to a point they do not require a lot of food to maintain themselves.  Make no mistake that baits presented in the right way and fished very slowly will entice a bass into biting.  Bass are lazy and opportunistic thus baits that appear to be wounded or distressed are an easy meal they cannot resist.

In the winter, bass tend to stay in one place and do not move far or fast to eat.  A characteristic that the bass exhibit during this period is the fact that they tend to school during this period.  If You catch one fish from an area, You should be persistent and work the area thoroughly and will probably catch more bass.  One more characteristic of this period that not many fishermen will talk about is the fact that many of the biggest bass caught during a year will be caught in the winter and early spring.  Keep on Your toes when fishing during this period and You may catch a wall-hanger.

Water temperatures during this period will be in the low to mid 20’s to mid 40's in most reservoirs depending on