Mass Bass Association Supporting Bass Fishing Throughout Massachusetts Mass Bass Electronic Newsletter Founded By Mark Linehan Mass Bass Newsletter # 0002 DESCRIPTION SECTION When To Fish 1 Where To Fish 2 Selecting Your Bait 3 Boat Fishing 4 Shore Fishing 5 SECTION 1: When To Fish For Bass Bass are probably one of the most aggressive fish you will find in the north east. Some refer to them as Fresh Water Sharks, this is because they are vicious, as far as fish go, and very territorial. Most fish will swim in and around whatever type of terrain suits them and feed on anything that they are fairly sure won't feed on them. Whereas a BASS will feed on anything that invades their domain. I am a self taught fisherman so I will give you hints and tips according to my own experiences while fishing in and around the north east area, particularly in Massachusetts. Feeding times vary for Bass, they will bite at most times of the day as far as I've seen, but in particular; when you see baitfish nipping at bugs you can be fairly sure that the bass are going to bite. Here is a list of good fishing times according to weather and how I rated the fishing 1 is bad 10 is excellent. WEATHER TIME OF DAY RATING Cloudy Morning 6 Cloudy Midday 5 Cloudy Afternoon 7 Clear & Cool Morning 7 Clear & Cool Midday 5 Clear & Cool Afternoon 6 Clear & Warm Morning 8 Clear & Warm Midday 6 Clear & Warm Afternoon 8 Light Rain Morning 7 Light Rain Midday 6 Light Rain Afternoon 8 Now I can't guarantee any of this, as bass can be very perculiar as far as feeding goes. You could have the absolute best bass fishing weather in years, and still note get a bite. There are too many factors to include in a general hint form, so you will have to determine the best times for fishing according to the lakes and ponds you usually fish. Most important is watching for the activity of the smaller bait fish, and this does not include sunfish. The sunfish will feed anytime and anywhere, and bass don't hang around snapping turtles. SECTION 2: Where To Fish For Bass Well contrary to what some people will tell you, I have not had much luck fishing for bass in rivers, or in high-traffic areas. I believe that BASS like quiet, calm waters. Now when I sat quiet, I am not refering to sound, I am refering to STILL WATERS, anyplace where weeds can grow unmolested by turbulent waters, or frequent amatuer fishing. So lakes with weeds and lily pads are usually a good spot to find bass, and also look for places with submerged trees, or bushes that hang out over the water. Bass seem to stick to shadowy spots, logs, and other such underwater structures. Look for broken weed beds, which are spots where there are large areas of weeds, with clear spots in between. Drop your bait(s) in those clear spots in between, or just on the edge of the weeds. Large submerged rocks and boulders are also hang-out spots for bass, but this mostly true in murky waters. If you can see the fish, then the fish can usually see you and they'll spook. Bass are spooked very easily, so look for spots where your coverage is as good as their coverage. SECTION 3: Selecting Your Bait As of late, I have been using new baits from BERKLEY called POWER BAIT. They make a wide variety of power baits and lures which all sem to work well for BASS fishing. Of all the baits they produce, I have had the most luck using their 4" power worm, blue with metallic blue flecks. Power worms have a scent and taste molded inside the worm, so the BASS love 'em. When fishing in heavy vegatation, try a weedless top lure, like the RAT. I use a black RAT with a yellow tail, and I work it slowly over the tops of lilypads, sort of hopping it along, and when you come off the pads into open water, pause for a few seconds this is where you'll usually get a hit. When fishing mostly clear water, between weed areas, I will use a spinner with a single blade, usually white or silver and this should get you a bass, or perhaps a pickerel if they are common to that lake. For IN WEEDS fishing I will use a jig, and work it slowly at about 4 feet down using a slight yo-yo action by lifting the rod in small jerks as I reel it in. I like to pause every now and again while reeling in, and let the lure drop down. bass will often strike while a bait is dropping. As general rules BASS seem to strike at lures that do one or more of the following. A) Appear to be wounded bait fish B) Vibrate (such as a single or double blade spinner) C) Drop and sit (such as a worm or craw) D) Move slowly and erratically on the bottom (like a craw or jig) E) Change directions a lot (such as a jig or crank bait) F) Make a lot of noise (which is vibration like a BUZZ BAIT) SECTION 4: Boat Fishing BASS hang out on drop off points, so fishing from a boat is always the preferred method. From a boat you can cast your bait close to shore, overhangs, weeds, and docks and pull it slowly away from the shore where it will move out towards open water over the drop off. The BASS will definately go after a lure moving from shallow to deep waters before they'll go after a lure moving the other direction. Boat fishing is excellent simply because you can fish any spot on a lake, whereas from shore you are restricted by casting range and finding a place you can stand. Another note of interest for boat fishing, is landing the fish. When bringing a fish into shore the fish will head for weeds, rocks, logs, and embankments which can free the bass from your line. When retrieving to a boat the fish is pulled towars open waters and away from these hiding spots making it more difficult for them to free themselves. SECTION 5: Shore Fishing Shore fishing is always less productive for BASS fishing unless you find an incredible spot. Here are some general rules to help you out if you do not have access to a boat. 1. When reeling in a bass keep your rod high, this will keep the fish from wrapping your line around any underwater structure. 2. Snapping turtles will move to spots where people fish from the shore, this is because they are smart enough to know that you are restricted to that area, and most shore fishing is done with live bait. Snapping turtles spook the BASS. So if you see snapping turtles around, chances are you won't be catching many BASS. 3. Weedless lures are essential to shore fishing. Otherwise you will be cleaning off your line every time you cast. 4. Side casting is a good method for shore fishing. Instead of casting forward into the water, away from the BASS, you should cast along the banks and move your lure slowly back to you, this will keep the lure in the strike zone longer, and eventually yield more BASS strikes. The Massachusetts Bass Fishing Association A non-profit organization dedicated to BASS fishing in and around Massachusetts MEMBERSHIP FOR 1994 IS ONLY $5.00 To join the MASS BASS ASSOCIATION: Submit your Name, Address, Phone # to MASS BASS ASSOCIATION 32 Beaver Street Salem, MA 01970 This is a brand new organization, and we don't offer much yet, but that is why membership is $5.00 As we grow and we can offer things for becoming a member we will charge a modest membership fee. All money brought in will be used to FURTHER "The MASS BASS Association", and to sponsor various events involving BASS Fishing such as the following: Lake & Pond Cleanups Tournaments Purchase & Evaluation Of New Fishing Products The collection and distribution of pertinent information We Need Your Help! That's right, we need the help of other bass fishermen in and around Massachusetts who are willing to send us the following: Hints & Tips Lure Reviews Lake & Pond Reviews Information on conventions and seminars and any information that pertains to Bass Fishing in Massachusetts All submissions are done volunatrily and no fees are paid for this information. All information and submissions become the property of The MASS BASS Association. Send submissions to The MASS BASS Association 32 Beaver Street Salem, MA 01970