When The Bass Drops

WATER + FAMILY FUN | the Reel Story a fresh(water) start on the fishing season with a common WHEN THE DROPS Bass

Kosciusko County catch

by Mike Petrucelli

With June arriving, temperatures have warmed enough that fish (not to mention fisherfolk) don’t mind being out and about a bit more.

LAKElife Country offers plenty of choices for anglers both new and expert, and a great fish to go looking for is one of the most common in Kosciusko County: Bass.

Here are three bass species to look for:

Going big

No doubt the most common bass to be found in most of the lakes in the area is the one most people likely think of when they think of bass: the largemouth bass. It’s easy to spot, as its mouth can often extend back past its eyes. When they see something they like, they go after it, making the chances of a hit on your hook pretty good.

That same temperament applies to most bass, so if largemouth aren’t around, or you’re looking to check another bass off your list of fish to catch, a few other species are found in Kosciusko County lakes.

Earn your stripes

White bass are another species to seek, and are a good, light tackle fish. They are smaller and stockier than a striped bass while sharing the coloring of silvery sides with unbroken black stripes. Look for these in Winona Lake.

Rock on

If you find yourself on Oswego Lake, Tippecanoe Lake, or Lake Wawasee, you might try casting about for rock bass. These fish tend to look a little more rounded than the largemouth and white bass. They tend to look like a bluegill crossed with a largemouth, and have a black spot near the gills—and they have red eyes.

There’s always a catch

Bass are fairly easy to catch, as long as your bait looks like something they might want to eat. Techniques vary based on the species and the angler, but trolling, casting, live-bait, and lures all can work. One way to do it, according to Joe Denton, the owner of Ye Olde Tackle Box in North Webster, is so-called “wacky worm” fishing, or, as he says the pros call it, ‘dum-dum’ fishing.

This rig is made up of what’s called a Senko worm—it’s about four to six inches in length, and is threaded through an O-ring and attached to a small hook. You just cast your line, twitch it, and reel it in.

Another lure to try, Denton said, is called a jerk bait. These tend to look like a minnow or small shark and come in 3-, 4-, and 5-inch sizes, with small hooks along the underside. Jerk baits are topwater baits, but can also be lightly twitched a few feet below the surface and allowed to bob to the top.

Whether you’re using manufactured lures or live bait, be sure to look for things that bass want to eat, such as worms, frogs, crayfish, and bait fish, to name a few.

As for where to look, try aquatic vegetation, spots in and around piers, fallen trees, holes, and drop offs.

photos: shutterstock.com

For more information on where and how to fish in LAKElife Country (and bass fishing in general):

visitkosciuskocounty.org/blog/fishing-in-kosciusko-county takemefishing.org in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/fishing/fishing-guide-and-regulations