Many times we head to the water, thinking how great it would be to catch just a bunch of fish; size is irrelevant, just catch fish. The problem is most of us don’t understand the basics enough to go target just bites and end the day with bunches of fish.
With that in mind let’s see if we can take apart the dynamics of bass fishing as it relates to catching fish regardless of the size of the fish. The fall time of year is a period where these basics really apply because the bass are moving and feeding up to get ready for some cold winter months. Thus the first lesson in numbers, it is very much related to the time of year, understanding where bass are in the cycle as it relates to weather is very important. Bass basically become aggressive two times a year; the first being prior to the spawn and the next in the fall as they prepare their bodies for cold water and less feeding.
Once you have put yourself out on the water during the correct cycle the next thing is bait selection; in a nut shell its very simple, go small and cover a lot of water. The whole idea of putting numbers in the boat is very much related to bait size, smaller baits get more bites, end of story; SPRO square bills, small worms, SPRO ¼ oz. rattle baits, small swim baits, small crappie size 1/32 oz. jigs and more are the type of baits you want to use when trying to locate bites and just put fish in the boat. Although we have all caught that extremely small bass on big baits, and that big lunker on small baits; the idea of going small is extremely important to catching pure numbers of fish.
Lastly cover water, meaning keep your foot on the trolling motor, continually sweep the area around the boat for bites and fish hard until you get a bite. Don’t be myopic, change your small baits and when one works slow down, become more precise and catch fish. The numbers game is fun, and this is the time of year to try it.
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
www.facebook.com/FishGuntersville
Email: bassguide@comcast.net
Call: 256 759 2270
Capt. Mike Gerry