BASS FISHING
MYTHS Article and Illustrations by Charles Weiss
Bass fishing myths may seem old and odd smelling but there is some truth in most of them. Bass, both largemouth and smallmouth are, without a doubt, one of the best-known and most respected sport fish in North America. In some areas, fishing for them could be considered a national pastime, even a religion of sorts. There are literally hundreds of books, television shows, magazine articles and websites devoted to the pursuit of these fish but, despite their enormous popularity, you can never learn all about fishing for them. While there is a lot of legitimate bass fishing information out there, there are also a number of assumptions, half-truths and downright lies tossed around as fact. The still water of the bass pond is filled with stories, from the deepest bottom to the surface flotsam! I hope this collection of myths will help to separate bass-catching reality from bass-catching fantasy.
1. CATCHING SPAWNING BASS IS EASY Some fisherman consider sight fishing for spawning bass as not very sporting or ethical since it takes advantage of the fish when they are most vulnerable, while others (in regions where fishing regulations permit targeting spawning bass) see it as a fishing tradition. Either way, catching a spawning bass can be very easy at times and next to impossible at others. Take a look at the tournament results from spawning season events in the southern 36 Real Fishing – Spring 2013
USA and you’ll see some anglers bringing in massive weights while others are coming up with small limits or worse. During the spawn, bass can be very aggressive and protective of intrusions in their territory. This can make for easy pickings, especially if you are targeting male bass guarding nests. Sometimes they will quickly race out and inhale a lure but just as often
they will merely bump it away before returning to their nest. Repeated casts often lead to repeated “bumpings” until finally the fish becomes spooked and vacates the nest. This is most common in lakes with lots of fishing pressure during the spawn. On the other hand, bass in lightly fished lakes are far more likely to race out and eat just about anything cast to them. Water temperature plays a huge part in a bass’ spawning behavior and it doesn’t take much to move them on or off of their beds. A few degrees of temperature drop will cause fish to move away from their nests and waters that were teeming with fish are suddenly deserted. On the other hand, a warming trend will often have hundreds of fish moving into the shallows, seemingly all at once. It takes a lot of practice and experience to be able to read the weather to determine