Mass Bass Association Supporting Bass Fishing Throughout Massachusetts Mass Bass Electronic Newsletter Founded By Mark Linehan Mass Bass Newsletter # 0001 LURE TIPS Well here are some LURE tips for those readers who are not experienced with the use of non-live bait. PLASTIC WORMS Berkley's Power Worms are HOT! These jelly worms are molded with scent and flavor right inside the worm, so they definately attract the fish. They are light and sink nicely, and anyone can tell you that most of your strikes will come when your lure is sinking. The best way to rig a power worm from my experiences is a double hook method with a combination texas-rig and standard rig. The top hook should be rigged with the texas rig style (which means the hook goes into the worm, then back out, and then back in again so that the actual point of the hook is inside the worm, with the curved back edge of the hook exposed). The lower hook can be rigged normally, or also with a texas rig style. An additional tip would be to use a sewing needle to thread line through the worm so that you don't have a lot of line hanging off the worm from the top hook to the bottom hook. I got this tip from Richard Lake. SURFACE LURES I've been having good luck with various buzz baits, and I think just about any type should do you. Your best bet is to pull the lure in by hand, and reeling only when you have too much slack on the line. Remember to pause each time you pull the lure in, when you're fishing the surface, take it slow! Another good surface lure I have been using is the Arbogast JITTERBUG, this is a lure with plenty of action, and it can mimick a wounded bait fish which also attract strikes. CRANK BAITS Well as anyone who has been fishing this year can tell you, water levels are drastically low just about everywhere. Vegetation is more dense, so I have been avoiding crank baits this year. I lost two on my first day out, and didn't touch them again. Maybe when the water levels get back up again we'll see what happens next year. We need rain, and I don't think the water levels will return to normal in the spring, or at least not at first. LITTERING It seems every lake or pond I got to lately is littered with trash. You people who fish and leave all your trash behind are damaging the wildlife environment and this upsets the balance of nature. You won't have fish to catch if you kill them with your garbage. The most common types of garbage I am finding? Hook Packets (does not decompose) Plastic Lure Containers (does not decompose) Discarded Fishing Line (kills birds, does not decompose) Styrofoam Bait Containers (does not decompose) I, for one, will pick up this garbage when I see it. I would like to ask the true sportsmen out there to also please pick up any trash you see lying around your favorite fishing holes. Most of these people who trash our wildlife are too self-centered to realize they are destroying the wetlands. So we have to do our part. I know it is a pain in the neck, but we have to work together on this. FISHING HOURS Now I know a lot of people only fish the first few hours of morning, or the last few hours of daylight, but this is NOT always the only times to fish. I have done good fishing as late as 11:00am, and as early as 3:00pm. You just have to be more selective and patient about your fishing spot. For instance for the late morning hours I will hit a pond or a lake that has a tall tree line, so there remains a good amount of shadow on the water even after the sun is up high. In the early afternoon you can "FLIP" for bass under overhanging bushes and submerged structure where there is a good amount of shadows. You can also trying to find very deep drop offs at most anytime of day, as long as there is some kind of vegetation present. FALL IS APPROACHING Fall is approaching. What does that mean for the MASS BASS ASSOCIATION? It means the bass are going to slow down, which means we must slow our tactics down as well. My suggestion for this fall would have to be top lures in medium depth water over broken rock bottoms. You can fish for bass in air temperatures as low as 40 degrees in some cases. Sorry, I don't ICE FISH for bass. HELP SHARK! Yes this is the less serious section of our newsletter. Did you know some people refer to BASS as fresh water sharks because of their aggressiveness and predatorial behavior? Well, now you do! WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU! The MASS BASS ASSOCIATION needs to hear from you! We need your stories, your input, your hints and tips, your favorite spots, and more! Remember we can't afford to pay you for your submissions, but you could have the undying gratitude of BASS FISHERMEN everywhere. Here is a special list I am trying to compile, if you would like your name added to this list drop us a note! We want to know your LARGEST BASS LANDED, LURE USED, and LOCATION of the catch. This is not a contest, just a list. Please be as honest..I mean accurate...as possible. We all know how much bigger the fish get on the ride home. In doing this the MASS BASS ASSOCIATION can generate a list of the best bass fishing spots in the area, and who knows when we finally get organized enough to hold a tournament we may use YOUR favorite spot. Are you SELLING any fishing equipment? Send us a small AD and we'll run it until it sells! How much will it cost? $2.00, ya can't beat that price. WHERE DO I WRITE TO? MASS BASS ASSOCIATION 32 BEAVER STREET SALEM, MA 01970 Memberships for 1994 are only $5.00 for the entire year!!!! Why? Because we are a VERY new association and for now we just want members. $5.00 will get you a patch declaring you a member of the MASS BASS ASSOCIATION. The Mass Bass Association is more than a fishing organization, we are a group who cares about our wetlands, and we always support catch and release.