Many
people think legendary fishers have secret spots or methods they use to attract
zounds of tasty fish. That may be true, but in the thousands of years humans
have been catching swimming food, we’ve come to know the best arrangements
pretty well.
Bass
is perhaps the best-known sport fish in North America. That it’s good eating
adds to the popularity of these lake-dwelling fish in large- and small-mouth
varieties. Still, what is the best type of bait or lure to attract bass? Here
are our five suggestions.
Crankbait
These
lures please the eye because they more closely resemble a real minnow than lots
of bait on the market. Crankbaits come in different varieties.
“Lipless”
baits are best used with a cast and retrieve technique while “billed”
baits are less likely to snag when bounced off the bottom. They come in a
variety of bright colors, with red and gold the
favorite of
professional angler Peter Thliveros.
Spinnerbait
If
the crankbait is the beauty queen of this contest, the spinnerbait looks like
Frankenstein’s monster.
These
lures get their mechanical look from a design that causes them to gyrate in the
water, creating a flitting of light that can attract hungry fish. Use a lighter
color in clear water or a red-chartreuse lure in muddy water. A word of
caution, though, the high number of moving parts can be troublesome in water
with lots of snags and vegetation.
Chatterbait
The
Chatterbait lure, made to bounce off the bottom, is a brand-specific item
that’s become the understood concept. These modified jig-style baits navigate
cloudy waters well.
Anglers
like them for their lifelike behavior, as good Chatterbaits are known to veer
off to one side suddenly during a slow retrieve. This herky-jerk movement
resembles that of a small fish and can often be the thing that causes a big
bass to strike.
READ RELATED: Understanding the 3 Basic Needs of Fish
Jig
Nobody
with fishing experience will be surprised to see this lure listed, as the
traditional jig is a perennial favorite and quite a simple lure in its purest
form.
Fishers
love conventional jigs for their versatility. You can fish them in any water
temperature. Fish them straight down below the boat, bounce them off
the bottom
or cast and retrieve. They are competent in clear and muddy water. They don’t
tend to pick up a large amount of foliage while going about their business. All
in all, they’re a good-ole’ reliable lure.
These
days, jigs are seeing a comeback with anglers creating their own customized and
modified arrangements like the “jig-and-pig” or swim jig. Some of
these involve adding extra bait to the lure while others add lips, fins and
blades to enhance in-water behavior. They’re fun and effective in the right
situation, but it’s probably true that the basic jig is still the ultimate in
versatility.
Worms
This
list wouldn’t be complete without a mention of the time-tested fishing lure
that is the worm. You might wonder whether we’re talking about the live variety
or the dolled-up squishy plastic “super worms.” The answer is
both.
A
live nightcrawler fished off the bottom is an excellent bait because it’s,
well, lifelike. It moves, smells and looks like a real worm because it is.
Plus, you don’t have to go to a bait shop to get them. Just head outside after
heavy rain and grab them. You can also use the worm grunting technique, where
you pound a stake
into the ground, rub it with a piece of flat iron and allow the vibrations to
encourage worms to the surface.
If
you don’t have access to nightcrawlers or need something with more size, there
are great options in the way of synthetic worms.
There’s an old saying in fishing about how companies design lures to catch fishers, not fish. With all of the colorful, creative designs on the market, there is undoubtedly some truth to that. You’ll want to do your homework so that you can be confident when selecting what pieces go into your tackle box. Make a well-informed decision about which fishing spot you choose, use your bait correctly, and you’ll catch more fish. Good fishing to you this year.
Source: The Fishidy Blog
