Shallow running crankbaits, topwater lures, and spinnerbaits are all good options to catch fish along the weedline. You could even try flipping a jig with a soft bait trailer on it. Try using a medium to medium-heavy action rod then simply take that jig and flip it into the deep side of the weeds. The depth of water could range anywhere between 7’’ to 15’’ deep. An 8oz. jig head with a watermelon colored soft bait should do the trick. Bass gravitate toward watermelon colors in most waters. At the end of the day, a jig tipped with a watermelon colored soft bait casted near or around the weedline should produce the results you’re looking for.

Well, we hope some of this information helps. The next time you’re out fishing the weedline, remember some of these tips and let us know if it helped you land your next catch. Until next time, take care and tight lines!

In these conditions, bass anglers enjoy throwing shallow-running crankbaits, huge texas-rigged plastic worms, or some sort of flipping jig. But if you’re looking to mix things up a bit, try using a drop shot or a wacky rig to fish these shallow waters. Some anglers believe that drop-shot rigs are strictly meant for deep-water fishing, which is not true. By adjusting the distance between the hook and weight you can land fish in the shallowest of waters.

For your drop shot rig, I would recommend using a 7’’ medium-action spinning setup combined with 8lbs fluorocarbon line. Fluorocarbon is almost invisible underwater and creates less drag on whatever bait you are fishing. Be sure to use a wide-gap hook that is 8’-10’ above your ¼ oz. drop weight.

As far as baits go, I have found that using some sort of 6’-8’ finesse worm in green pumpkin works best. On your retrieve, be sure to bounce or drag that lure into areas where bass are likely to ambush your bait. These areas can include places such as structures, weedlines, or pockets of grass that bass can hide. Try shaking the tip of your rod during your retrieve to make that bait look as alive and as natural as possible.

The other method for fishing shallow waters is to use the wacky rig setup. What is great about the wacky rig is that it keeps the bait in the strike zone longer thus leading to more action. To setup a wacky rig, try using a 7’’ spinning rod with about 8-10lbs fluorocarbon line. I would recommend using a wacky rig hook, which is a short-shank, wide-gap hook with round bends. Simply take that hook and run it through the thickest portion of your bait.

Well, we hope these tips help the next time you find yourself fishing shallow waters. We would love to hear how these tips have helped you land more fish. Feel free to join us on Facebook where you can view tips, tricks, and post pictures of your latest catch. Until next time, take care and tight lines!

The weather can be warm in the summertime, and that means water temperatures will be on the rise. Bass are going to key in on places where they can stay in the shade, because these spots will offer cooler water. Underwater grass offer pockets that bass can hide in, which ultimately create dynamite fishing conditions for us. On a clear and sunny day, try rigging up a flipping rod with a heavy 1/2oz-1oz jig or Texas rig, and put on a short trailer like a craw. Take this and flip it right into those pockets of grass. Let it drop down, but watch your line, because most of the time that bass will strike your bait as its falling. If you do not get a bite, let it sit for a few seconds and give it a pop or two. If that does not work, reel it in and try a different pocket. This is definitely a numbers game, but play the game long enough and you are sure to find some willing participants.

Another technique that can work great is targeting the edge of the grass. Bass will hide in these locations before ambushing prey. Try fishing these spots with a dropshot rig, set up so the hook is about 8-16 inches above the weight, with a 5”-7” finesse worm or a 5” fluke, and fish it along that edge. Use short hops, and do not forget to pause and jiggle it a little. The bass will see this and dart out of the grass for a nice and easy meal.

A third tactic that works well, especially on unfamiliar water, is to fish a weedless topwater bait right over the top of these grass beds. The bass will hear the disturbance and attack the bait with ferocity. This can be a very productive and exciting way to catch bass and can be a great trick to pull out of your bag when the fishing gets tough. I hope that these tricks will help you put some extra fish in the boat this summer. Good luck and tight lines!

Bass behavior has inspired a wide range of rods, reels, and artificial baits that give anglers a competitive edge on bass fishing. We’ve learned that bass are not bottom feeders, filter feeders and do not feed on aquatic vegetation or lifeless carrion. Bass are active predators and prefer to hunt moving pray. They are likely to ambush and or stalk their pray before making that final strike. Bass have learned to rely on a visual system that is specifically meant for detecting and analyzing movement. This means that they are always on the lookout for signs that indicate an active live bait or a bait in distress.

With this in mind, this is why it is always good to keep your baits moving! Use different retrieval speeds and different lures that might reflect light the best. The important thing to remember here is that presentation is key. Bass analyzes it’s pray based on movement, so be sure that you are presenting that bait in its most realistic form.

Also, bass lose interest when baits are moving at a constant speed. Bass will sometimes stalk a pray that is moving at a constant speed and will not strike that bait until the moment it speeds-up or slows-down. Again, bass will strike based on movement.

So the next time you are out fishing bass, be sure to use a variety of speeds on your retrieve and don’t be afraid to twitch that lure from time to time. You might just find yourself catching that next big bass. Well, we hope this information was helpful to you and we wish you the best of luck on your next fishing trip. Until next time, take care and tight lines!

The strike zone is a key concept in bass fishing. Basically, the strike zone is the area of the water that a bass can see. It is well-known that in optimal conditions, bass can see about 50 feet. However, just because they can see 50 feet away does not mean they are going to bite any lure they see within that 50-foot radius. For starters, bass see best and prefer to strike something in front of them. Without getting your lure in front of the bass, you are going to have a hard time convincing it. This is because they can’t see as well to the side and would have to waste energy turning to see the lure, and then chase after it. Doing stuff like that all day sounds like a lot of work, so most bass will sit and wait until they see something that is placed in an optimal position for them to make it as easy as possible to get their next meal.

Now we know the strike zone is in front of the bass. You can’t just throw anything out in front of them though, because the strike zone isn’t the entire water column in front of the fish. You see, bass like to attack from underneath their prey, so in order to get your lure in the optimal position for a strike, you should aim to cast so your lure is in front of the bass and also above them a bit. How much above them is harder to say because there are a lot of variables, but just know that a bass is less likely to attack your lure and give you a chance at catching them if your presentation is happening beneath them.

So, how can you utilize this knowledge when you are out on the water? One thing you can try is to fish a few different baits that fish in different areas of the water column. Think top water, mid water, and bottom. Some examples of these lures could be a frog, a spinnerbait, and a Texas rig. By fishing lures that work their magic in different parts of the water column, you will increase your chances that your presentation happens to be in a hungry bass’s strike zone and maximize your odds of getting a bite.

The next time you are on the water, try to remember these tips to put a few extra fish in the boat. Good luck, and tight lines.

Power Fishing
Power fishing is exactly what it sounds like. You like to power through different spots throwing aggressive lures into places where you think bass are hiding, and you’re looking for a reaction bite. Some lures that power fisherman favor are spinnerbaits, crankbaits, or anything that can be fished at a decent speed. You could also consider something like a football jig on a flipping rig to be power fishing due to the sheer number of presentations you are going to be making.

When you are power fishing, you are trying to play a numbers game. The more fish you get your lure in front of, the more likely you are to get one to bite. This can be a great tactic for your first day on a body of water where you are trying to figure out where the fish are holding. Due to the speed at which you can cover a spot, you will have plenty of time in a day to fish tons of water and get your presentation in front of lots of bass.

Finesse Fishing
Finesse fishing is a more subtle, thoughtful, and technical approach to catching bass. Generally, these anglers are going to be using lighter tackle, and lighter rigs like a drop shot rig, a ned rig, or a senko. Finesse presentations take longer to fish, so you are not going to be able to cover as much water as you would when you are power fishing. This technique often shines when you are fishing in spots where you know there are bass, but they just might not want to bite.

By using lighter tackle, lighter line, and down-sized presentations, you can coax a fish into biting even if they aren’t really in the mood to eat. While lots of big fish are caught with big lures, plenty of large fish will take notice of the subtle details of your presentation and can be convinced to bite, even if they’re more wary in general. In areas that receive a lot of pressure, finesse fishing can be a great way to put some more fish in your boat on a day where you otherwise may not have gotten a ton of bites if you were fishing with a loud lipless crankbait, for example.

Both techniques have their time and place, and so you should always be prepared for both. But knowing where and when to bust out the medium light spinning rod vs the flipping stick can always be helpful, and hopefully you will find your daily catch rates going up as you consider this information.

The first thing you are going to want to do is scope out a good spot you will be able to fish. You can look in person or on Google Maps. Some places you can look at are parks, boat launches, and streets or trails that run along the water’s edge. Once you find some spots that look promising you are going to need to put some boots on the ground and check it out.

When checking out a spot on the bank, I like to bring a variety of tackle. Make sure to bring different lures to fish different areas of the water column, since you do not know where the bass will be. Keep your tackle selection light. Ideally it can fit into a backpack, this way you can be mobile and maximize your chances of catching fish.

When you get there, you don’t want to just start fishing blindly. Take 5 minutes and check the place out. Make a mental note of any structure that you see that a fish might want to call home. Things you should keep your eyes peeled for include downed trees, large rocks, and deep holes. All of these could be great hiding spots for a bass. Try to keep a low profile when you are shore fishing so that you do not spook the fish before you get a chance to catch them. Take care to walk slowly and gently, since the vibrations your feet produce on the ground can be felt in the water and can scare the fish away.

Once you’ve identified some nice pieces of cover it is time to get to work. Start with something that covers the middle of the water column. This should be a lure you don’t need to work too slowly either. Think spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, or even a jig with a twister tail. This is going to be your search bait, and you are looking to find the most aggressive fish. Fish all of your cover with this first before tying on something with a little more finesse, like a senko. Fishing the baits in this order can maximize your catches because you will catch the aggressive fish first, and then come back and coax any fish that aren’t particularly hungry into biting your more delicate presentation.

Well, we just covered quite a bit about bank fishing in a short period of time. Hopefully it was not too challenging to digest, and you got some good pieces of information out of it. The number one way to find good shore fishing spots and get better at fishing from the bank is going out and doing it! So, get out there, have fun, and remember that a bad day of fishing certainly beats a good day in the cubicle. Good luck, and tight lines!

Rod Power: When you hear the word rod power, you probably think that’s how strong the rod is, and you would be right. A light or ultralight power rod is going to be very soft, and not have much strength to put up with harder fighting fish. This kind of rod would be great for bluegill or small trout. A heavy power rod, or medium heavy, would be good for bass fishing in thicker cover where you might need a little more strength to horse the fish out of its lair.

Rod Action: Rod action sometimes gets confused with rod power because they both seem to affect the strength of the rod. Don’t be confused though- rod action is basically how much of the rod bends at any time. A slow action rod is going to allow about 2/3 of the rod (from the tip down to a bit above the handle) to bend when a fish applies pressure to it. A medium action rod is going to be closer to half the rod, medium fast will be about 1/3 of the rod, fast will be about ¼ of the rod, and extra fast means that only a bit of the tip, maybe a foot or so, is able to bend.

What about the rest of the rod? Well, in all of these examples, the rest of the rod is considered backbone, which is stiffer than the rod tip and allows you to control fish. When you are fishing swimbaits, you’re going to want a medium action rod to allow a bit more of the rod to flex, because it gives the bait a nicer swimming action and doesn’t transmit your movements so sharply. When you’re flipping jigs you’re going to want a fast or extra fast action, so that you have the maximum backbone to get that fish out of the cover.

One more aspect that you should consider when buying a new rod is the rod length. The rod length plays a factor in how the rod is going to feel in your hands, how far you can cast, and how easily you are able to do certain techniques with it. For example, many people who do a lot of flipping and pitching prefer a 7’2” to 7’8” heavy power extra fast action rod. The length, stiffness, and large amount of backbone really help you get fish out of nasty cover quickly. If you are making longer casts, a long rod can help you get some extra distance as well.

Hopefully this article was informative, and you learned how action, power, and length affect what type of fish you’re going for. Good luck, and tight lines!

Carolina Rig: The Carolina rig is a pretty sweet rig when you would normally want to use a Texas rig but might be fishing for pressured bass, or spooky bass that don’t want to feel so much weight when they pick up the bait. You set it up the same as a Texas rig, but instead of putting the weight against the hook eye you are going to use a swivel about a foot or 1.5 feet above the bait and put the sinker above that. It’s a great rig to fish along weed edges, down a drop off, or around a ledge.

Ned Rig: The Ned rig has really become popular in the last handful of years as fisherman are realizing its effectiveness on smallmouth when they don’t seem to want to bite anything else. Take ½ of a senko and put it on a light mushroom-head jig, something like a 1/16oz, 1/8oz, or 3/16oz jig, and then cast it with a spinning rod and light line into any promising looking place where a bass might be. This could be by a storm water drainage pipe that leads into your waterway, a bridge piling, or even under and around boat lifts or floating docks. When the fish aren’t biting much of anything else you can always seem to catch a few on the Ned rig.

Wacky Rig: What article about bass rigs would be complete without mentioning the wacky rig? Using a #4 or #2 octopus hook or wacky rig hook, just hook a senko right through the middle and fish it weightless around any sort of structure. This rig is not very weedless so ideally you’re going to be fishing this around points, drop-offs, or docks. Just cast it out, let it sink really slowly, and then give it a few twitches. Bass can’t resist the action of a flopping senko and if there is a bass around you are sure to be hooked up in no time.

Hopefully you found this article helpful, and maybe learned about a new rig that you did not know about before. The next time you are out on the boat (or on the shore) and are wondering what you should tie on, try tying on a Carolina rig, Ned rig, or a wacky rig. All three shine in different situations, so you’re bound to find at least one of them useful on any given day on the water. Good luck, and tight lines!

Swim Jig: The swim jig is a versatile jig. It usually is rather light, about 1/16oz to 1/4oz. Imagine a swim jig like a spinner bait but with no spinner. You fish it the same way, and around the same cover as well. Just cast it out, and reel it in at a moderate pace, while giving it some action from the rod tip. When you get a bite they are going to slam it just like when you are catching a bass on a spinnerbait or a crankbait.

Football Jig: The football jig is a great jig for fishing in the summer time. A lot of people use these for flipping by attaching a small trailer (like a craw) to the jig and then flipping it in and around cover like dock posts, bridge pilings, or boat lifts. You can also target downed trees, weed edges, lily pads, or anything else that looks like it might hold some fish. The benefit to a football jig is it really gets down to the bottom quickly, and allows you to find fish easily. A bite on a football jig is going to feel like a thump or some heavy weight, like getting a bite on a texas-rig.

Shaky-head jig: The shaky head jig has become popular in the last few years with finesse anglers who are targeting more pressured bass who don’t always want a 3/4oz jig plunked right in front of their nose. You fish a shaky-head jig by putting a finesse worm like a Zoom Trick Worm on it, casting it out, and shaking your rod tip during the retrieve to really make that worm squirm and wiggle on the bottom. It kind of imitates something feeding on the bottom, and that lifelike motion will drive bass crazy. A bite on a shaky head can be violently powerful, or it might just feel like a little bit of extra weight. It is all about how the bass are feeling that day!

Hopefully you learned a few tips and techniques in this article. Jig fishing can be a great way to bring some bass into the boat when nothing else seems to be working, and is very fun as well. By having a good selection of a few different types of jigs in a few different weights you can be sure that you are always prepared for whatever situation you are presented with. Good luck and tight lines!