Your Questions About Bass Fishing Tips For Fall

Your Questions About Bass Fishing Tips For Fall

Mark asks‌

Where is the best place to find bass when the water is rising and falling on a river?

I am going fishing on the mississippi river and want to find bass but we are getting a lot of rain here so I was wondering if anyone has any tips on finding bass with the water changes.

LMBassFish answers: Fish the points and inlets and oxbows especially the mouth of the oxbows where it goes into the river if there is a current there, which on a rise and fall it should be. But on the Mississippi river most of the time the oxbows and the stiller water in them is fantastic bass fishing- the water is usually clearer in the oxbows, then the river itself, and the fishing conditions are much more pleasant. Good luck and good fishing.

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Carol asks…

Where to go in the Appalachian Mountains South to North in a car/road trip?

We’re aiming to be in Washington/Baltimore after this and need some general tourist bits to stop and see, eat, drink, swim, walk, sports, meet, etc along the way.

We leave from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta and head up!

Anyone got any tips?

Thanks!

LMBassFish answers: Right when you get out of the airport you start heading north.

I suggest you first take a stop in the Nantahala National Forest. It’s on your route north and it’s right at the border of Georgia and North Carolina.

Things to do in Nantahala Forest: -There are trails for all fitness levels, from a short woods walks to strenuous hikes to mountain peaks.

-Find Water Falls. There are many waterfalls in nearby state and federal parks (with no

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admission fee) to discover.

-Find the Best Views: There are lots of perfect spots to cuddle and enjoy the views of the gorgeous mountains.

-See the Smokies: Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Asheville is the most visited national park. There are 520,976 acres to explore. This International Biosphere Reserve is home to rugged mountains (many peaks in excess of 6,000 feet), historic homesteads, and 100,000 different types of plants and animals. Four entrances to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are within 50 miles from downtown Asheville.

The Nantahala Forest is right near the city of Asheville, you can lodge there and stroll the shops in the old town.

Here’s a link to Nantahala touring and Asheville: http://www.romanticasheville.com/index.html Further North in the state of Virginia you can stop in Jefferson National Forest.

There is a lot to do in this Forest for example.

Camping: The George Washington & Jefferson’s developed campgrounds are within easy reach of many of the forests’ recreational opportunities. The campground season runs from early April to about October 31.

Campground fees are determined by the amenities provided. Reservations for Morris Hill, Trout Pond and Grindstone campgrounds are made by calling the National Recreation Reservation System at 1-877-444-6777. Group campsites are available in several areas. Contact the district offices for reservation information. Non-fee sites are generally more primitive and remote.

Camping is also permitted outside of developed campgrounds. Please practice the “leave No Trace” ethic. There is a 21-day limit for camping.

Trails: The Forests have approximately 2,000 miles of hiking trails. The internationally famous Appalachian National Scenic Trail extends for more than 330 miles across both Forests. In addition, there are ten National Recreation Trails covering nearly160 miles. Whether it’s hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking or riding an OHV, the forests have something for you to enjoy.

Picnicking: The forests’ developed day-use areas offer picnic sites and, in many cases, picnic shelters for larger groups. Seasonal day use parking permits are available, allowing unlimited parking at most day-use picnic and swimming areas. Please check our fee schedule for the current cost.

Fishing and Hunting: With diverse habitats, the national forests feature some of the highest populations of wild turkey, white-tail deer, black bear, squirrel and ruffed grouse in Virginia.

The forests offer excellent opportunities for both bait and fly fishing. Native brook trout are found

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in more that 500 miles of streams. Many streams and most lakes are stocked with rainbow trout.

Anglers also catch bass, bluegill, and channel catfish.

State regulations govern hunting and fishing. Wildlife and fish populations are managed by the Forest Service in cooperation with the Virginia Dept. Of Game and Inland Fisheries and West Virginia Dept. Of Natural Resources. State license and a National Forest Stamp are required for both hunting and fishing.

There are also places to stay, eat and shop. Here’s a link to their website: http://www.stateparks.com/jefferson.html Head a little east while still being in Virginia and you can go to the city of Richmond (the capital of Virginia). It’s still on your route to D.C infact it’s only about 100 miles south of it!

In Richmond there is also a lot to do.

There are, Outdoors and Sports Historic Sites Wineries & Breweries Museums Theme Parks & Zoos Shopping Caverns Arts & Performances Exhibits Golfing Cultural Heritage State Parks Dining Spas National Parks Here’s a link for everything to do in Richmond + surrounding areas: http://www.virginia.org/ Then just head up north 100 miles and your at your destination Washington D.C. Here’s a link for EVERYTHING to do in D.C.http://beta.washington.org/ Here’s a link to Google Maps that can help you plan your route: http://maps.google.com/maps?ct=reset Here’s a link to an atlas of america:

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http://www.amazon.com/American-Atlas-Expanded-5th/dp/0935127380 I hope you have a nice trip! I hope I’ve helped. Message me if you have any more questions.

Betty asks…

How are you supposed to “feel” your lure hit the bottom of the lake?

I would like to learn how to fish soft plastic worms better, but when I weight them and cast them out, I’ll wait and wait and wait until the worm hits bottom. The thing is I can never feel when it has. When enough time goes by I’m positive that it has but I’d have no way of knowing. I hear of tips with worms and jigs to hop the lure along until it hits the bottom again, and “feel” for the structure. What is preventing me from feeling it? Do i need a heavier weight? Please any and all information about this subject will help.

I think I should mention that this is for Largemouth Bass. I’m getting tips to use bobbers,so please don’t give information about other fish besides Largemouth Bass which will strike a lure from the bottom.

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LMBassFish answers: If you cant feel the bottom, you are probably using a rod that is not sensative enough to feel it. I have found that I get more bass without a wieght. The only reasons that you should ever use a bullet wieght is when you need that extra wieght for casting a worm, and if you need to get the worm through thick weeds. Without the sensativity of your rod to tell you when you hit bottom, watch your line. When it hits bottom, it will have slack. I would suggest you try the YUM dinger, in a 4 inch size, in watermelon seed color. It technically is a stick bait, but it is similar to a worm.

If you are familiar with senkos, that is almost what dingers are, but better. I use that dinger as my goto bait. I have had many great days using the dinger.

TYPES OF WORM RIGS: Varying both the amount of weight and the rigging method allows you to fish plastic worms under a wide array of conditions. 1. Rig the worm weightless with a light wire hook when sight fishing around shallow cover in clear water. 2. When bass are holding in or close to cover, use the Texas rig method. 3. When bass are on deep structure or in areas with relatively clean bottom, or when they’re holding on the outer edges of or suspending above submerged grassbeds, try Carolina rigging the worm.

PLASTIC WORM TACKLE: Since plastic worm fishing demands a hard hook set, a stiff rod is recommended. Many pros use a 6 foot medium heavy to heavy action baitcasting rod with a fast taper for Texas rig worm fishing. Some prefer a rod with a pistol grip handle. Some pros use a 6 foot to 6 foot, 3 inch graphite heavy action spinning rod when casting a Texas rigged worm. A Texas rigged worm may also be pitched or flipped with the appropriated longer rod. Employ a baitcasting or spinning reel with a normal ( 5:1 ) gear ratio. Use only abrasion resistant lines when worming. Use 14 to 20 pound test mono or heavier high tech lines with baitcasting reels.

On spinning reels, use 10 to12 pound test line, 8 pound test in very clear water. High tech lines work well on spinning reels when worming because they have no memory. When Carolina rigging, use 20 pound test mono or heavier high tech lines as the main line. Pro anglers differ in their preferences for leader lines. Some use lighter ( 12 to 14 pound test ) mono leaders; others use the same line on the leader that they use on the main line; still others use a heavier leader line. Keep in mind that using a lighter leader facilitates easier breakoffs below the swivel should the lure become hung, thereby allowing you to retrieve the sinker, bead, and swivel for rerigging.

SELECTING SINKER AND HOOK SIZE: It’s important to balance both the hook and sinker to the worm as well as use the right weight for the situation at hand. Here are some tips: 1. A 1/3 oz. Sinker is most commonly used for worming. 2. The denser the cover your fishing, the heavier the sinker you should use. Pros routinely use worm sinkers as heavy as 1/2 oz. When worming in matted vegetation. 3. Conversely, when fishing outside cover, your sinker should be lighter. Many anglers use 1/8 and 1/16 oz. Weights in cold water when bass are holding around logs, rocks, or other easily traversed cover. 4. Bass will vary from place to place, and even from one hour to the next, as to the rate of fall that will trigger them into striking. Normally in cold water, they want a slow fall, and a fast fall in hot water. If you aren’t getting strikes, vary the worm weight up or down until you find what the fish are looking for. 5. When determining hook size, remember that the length of a worm hook is not as important as the worm’s diameter. For a 6 inch worm of average thickness, use a 2/0 worm hook. For a fat 6 inch worm, use a 3/0.

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Likewise, use 3/0 and 4/0 hooks on 7 inch worms, 5/0 and 6/0 on 9 inch worms.

WORM STYLES: Plastic worms come in various styles. 1. Worms with twist or ribbontails are primarily used when Texas and Carolina rigging. These are highly effective in submerged vegetation, murky water and anytime bass need an extra visual trigger. 2. Straight tail worms are most commonly used for weightless riggings ( floating ). 3. Spear and paddletail worms are normally used around cover and are effective when fished on top of matted vegetation. 4. Short finesse worms are used in clear and/or deep water and when bass are shy to bite. 5. Short, blunt ( French Fry ) or ( Do Nothing ) worms are popular on Carolina rigs. 6. Judge the proper worm thickness by weighing water clarity and density of cover. In clear water with submerged vegetation, a slender worm appears more realistic and slides through grass more readily. But in murky water with stumps and logs, a fatter worm may be more visible.

WORM COLORS: You don’t need every worm color under the sun to catch bass under most conditions. Here are some guidelines: 1. For years, the most popular worm colors were purple, blue, and black. These colors still work and should be included in any worm selection. 2. In clear water, use lighter and more translucent colors. Blue, strawberry, and melon green are favorites.

Flake colors are also more effective in clear water. 3. In murky water, use darker and less translucent colors, such as black or purple. 4. Pumpkin is favored by many pro anglers in the spring. 5. Many worms are available with the body one color and the tail another. Where visibility is low, a worm with hot color tail ( chartreuse, orange ) will often trigger strikes.

SCENTS AND RATTLES : Scents. Many pro anglers use lure scents with worms, or scent impregnated worms, believing these may trigger finicky bass to bite and hang on longer.

Experiment with these products to determine their utility to your personal fishing style. Liquid scent additives also help grease a worm and make it slide through dense cover more easily.

Worm Rattles. They are tiny metal beads inside glass or plastic cylinders. These can be inserted into the worm body and emit a clicking sound when the worm moves, not unlike the sounds made by a foraging crawfish. Worm rattles are favored by many pro anglers in murky or weedy conditions Pick Your Worm: 1. Six to seven inch long worms are the everyday staples of bass fishermen everywhere. Four inch worms are newly popular for light line, so called finesse fishing for heavily pressured fish in clear water. If you’re deliberately targeting bigger bass, go to a 10 or 12 inch worm, but be aware that you will sacrifice catch numbers for the possibility of a single trophy. 2. Most anglers almost always use worms with curled or ribbon-like tails that wiggle when moved through the water; the built in action means they’re easier to fish. The only exception anglers make is using straight tailed worms in dense, woody cover where the thin tails of swimming worms tend to wrap around branches, which is a nuisance. 3. There are worms with numerous ribs or ridges, sometimes called ringworms. Ridges attract bass with underwater vibrations as you slither the worm against logs, rocks, and weeds. They also add apparent bulk to an otherwise very slim lure. The hot new worm style is and exaggerated ringworm design with a fat, flat body called a zipper worm. 4. Finally, you’ll need the right colors. Start with three: dark (such as motor oil, deep purple, or black), neutral (smoke, pumpkinseed, or salt and pepper), and bright (bubblegum, bright chartreuse, or bright red). In general, follow the rule of using dark colors in off colored water, more subtle colors in clear water.

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Worm Hooks: 1. Sharp hooks are the first commandment of worm fishing. Worm hooks are large, usually sizes1 to 4/0, and hard to set properly in a bass’ tough jaw unless they’re super sharp. Sharpen them yourself if you like, or buy ultra premium presharpened worm hooks. Many anglers even sharpen newly purchased hooks to their own satisfaction. 2. Light wire hooks in sizes 1 and 1/0 allow a worm to sink more slowly, and they penetrate better on a strike. Use them especially with 4 inch worms. Heavier irons to size 4/0 (for 10 to 12 inch worm) give a more secure feeling when fishing water that holds bigger fish. Straight shank, round bend designs give a slightly better hookset but don’t hold the worm on the hook as well when casting and fishing as do common, offset shank versions.

Rods, Reels, and Lines: 1. Both spinning and baitcasting gear are useful in worm fishing but not for the same things. Spinning gets the nod for casting ease with unweighted, near surface worms, plus Texas rigged worms with weights to 3/8 ounce for bottom bouncing in fairly open cover, like along the edge of a creek channel. You’ll also want spinning gear to handle the light line and smaller weights used in split shotting and other finesse techniques. 2. Baitcasting gear gives more muscle, which you’ll need for long distance casting with Carolina rigs weighing 1/2 to 1 ounce, for flipping heavily weighted Texas rigs tight against dense, woody cover, or when using heavier weights to penetrate dense mats of surface weeds to reach the bass lurking underneath. 3. Rods run the gamut from light tipped spinning rods for fishing small worms on light line on up to a 7 foot flipping stick for heavy line baitcasting work. Match your rod sensibly to both technique and water conditions, and remember this: The lighter your rod (regardless of length, design, or action) the greater the sensitivity you’ll have for detecting bites from bass. 4.

Most worm fishermen spool up with nylon monofilament: usually 8 to 12 pound test with spinning gear and 12 to 20 pound test with baitcasters. In many cases, braided or fused fine diameter superlines, or even the new fluorocarbon lines, can work better because they stretch less than nylon, thereby giving more sensitivity to strike as well as more direct power on the hookset. 5. The fine diameter and extreme strength of superlines, however, can make them harder to handle. They are also useless around rocks because of poor abrasion resistance.

Fluorocarbon, meanwhile, is extremely abrasion resistant, sinks readily, and is supposedly less visible to fish. Many anglers use superline as a main spinning and baitcasting line for most plastic worm work, while adding a fluorocarbon leader for abrasion resistance. Use Palomar knots with superlines, improved clinch knots with fluorcarbon.

The Shallows: Fishing plastic worms in shallow water is simple and exciting because you can often see the strike. Use 6 or 7 inch worms Texas rigged with no added weight. Cast the worm with spinning tackle to specific targets of likely cover along a shoreline or shallow flat. Retrieve the worm in short twitches, making its tail squirm and wiggle. The worm itself will sink no more than a few inches between twitches. If you need to get slightly deeper, add a single split shot about a foot in front of the worm. If the bass are being fussy or seem spooked, try casting the worm directly onto the bank or shoreline, and then ease it ever so gently into the water.

The Middle Depths: The middle depths of most lakes (meaning down to 10 or 15 feet) often offer the greatest variety of bass holding structure in summer, ranging from creek channels and submerged timber to weedy rock piles and dropoffs. Texas rigs, Carolina rigs, and split shotting all pertain to worm fishing here, depending on the type of structure as well as water clarity. 1.

Texas rigs are basic; use a sufficiently heavy bullet style weight pegged at the worm’s head to

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allow you to reach and feel the bottom easily. Often this will be a 1/4 or 3/8 ounce weight. Cast along the edge of a submerged creek channel, for example, and allow the worm to sink. Be ready for a strike as the worm is sinking; you’ll be able to detect one by a tap on the line or if the line at the surface suddenly darts in any direction. When the worm hits bottom, retrieve it in short hops with your rod held at about 45 degrees above the water’s surface. Take in slack line between hops. When a strike comes, it might be a violent heavy surge, or it might be a subtle tap-tap felt in the line. In either case, reel down and pull hard. 2. Fishing a Carolina rig in this situation is a bit different in that the worm is separated from the weight by about a 2 foot leader and suspends slightly above the bottom. The noisemakers incorporated in this style of weighting can also attract fish in off colored water. 3. The West Coast technique of split shotting can also be deadly in mid depths, especially in clear lakes with heavy fishing pressure. This is a light line technique; it won’t work in heavy cover. Use a light spinning rod spooled with 6 pound test.

Texas rig a neutral toned , 4 inch worm on a light wire size 1 hook. Add a size BB split shot about 2 feet in front of the worm. Cast along the edge of a dropoff or over a medium depth flat, allow the worm to reach bottom, then slowly retrieve the worm. The object is to keep bottom contact with the small weight as the worm trails behind. This takes a careful, attentive touch, as does detecting strikes, which are often subtle.

Deep Structure: 1. Summertime bass often hang deep, especially in large lakes and reservoirs, and a Carolina rigged worm carrying 1/2 to 1 ounce of weight will enable you to cover lots of territory at depths of 15 or 20 feet or more. Fishing a Carolina rig is simple: Make a long cast, let the rig hit bottom, and then drag it back slowly along the bottom. An occasional sharp pulse or two with your rod tip will cause the rigged weight to click against the bead and swivel, and (in theory at least) the underwater noise will cause bass to swim over and see your trailing worm. 2.

A new technique called drop shotting, meanwhile is a deadly method of fishing plastic worms straight down to bass in deep water. Drop shotting essentially means fishing a worm as a dropper above the weight itself. Tie on a worm hook, and leave a long tag end (about 2 feet) trailing from the knot. Attach a weight (1/4 ounce, say) to the tag end, and Texas rig a worm on the hook above the weight. Although this rig can be cast and retrieved, it’s generally better to drop it straight down to fish on structure that you’ve found with your boat’s electronics. Once the weight hits bottom, the worm is suspended about 2 feet above the weight. Jiggle and jig the worm slightly, and be ready for a hard yank.

As varied as these techniques might seem, they’re just a few of many possibilities. And while you experiment with others, you might also wonder just how it is that our new age of bass fishing, plastic worms work better than the real thing.

Have fun and tight lines.

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Richard asks…

What’s the best bait/spots for striper fishing?

I would love to upgrade my striper fishing abilities so i was wondering what were some good baits and where the fish were this time of year in lakes.

LMBassFish answers: I found this and other information about that striper fishing abilities and baits here: http://www.stripersurf.com/tips.html Bait Fishing: “Let’s Get Serious!”

“The Fine Line Between Fish and Man” If you are a serious fisherman and want to increase your chances of hooking AND catching a trophy bass you should read this two part article. You might not agree with it 100% but that’s what makes fishing interesting.

Bait Fishing: Stripers, “Jersey Clams” and Island Beach The ubiquitous Skimmer Clam, used throughout the Northeast and why it’s the best striper bait on the central NJ shoreline. Information on methods, surf fishing tackle, and line.

Bait Fishing: High Low Bait Rig The best bait rig for the Striped Bass fisherman and the best rig to use if you practice “Catch and Release.”

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About the time of year, someone asked: when the best time of year to stripe bass fishing off he coast of N. C. Or S. C .surf fishing that is ?

The other perons replied: From my knowledge and experience John, I would pick the fall for north and south Carolina, there are fabulous guides, locations and destinations for some great angling opportunities.

Http://www.wfn.tv/experts/ask/TravelExpert/question139.html

Jenny asks‌

Is Farm Pond, Framingham,Massachusetts as good a fishing area as they say it is?

Im gonna do some late 5-6 hour fishing there and I do not own a boat and I am going to be using my saltwater rod with maybee a plastic worm or something in that area. Please tell me if it’s as good as they say and please tell me what is recomended for fishing there.

It is also late September (23rd) and its the first day of Fall here so tips and tricks for the fall would help too.

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LMBassFish answers: If you are using a salt water rod I fear the reel will have much too heavy a line on it to not be seen by the pond’s fish. The only way around that is to tie on an 8 pound leader of about fifty feet. Another thing fishing ponds that are well fished you might want to stand 20 feet from shore and cast plastic worms, lizards, and larger grubs all around the shallows close to the shoreline areas before you walk up. Walking up to the edge will certainly spook the bass that feed close to shore. Use fall colors for shallow water, earth tones: browns, rusts, darker green backs and tan bellies on swimbaits and for deeper water you might want to go toward the blues and purples. If the pond has any open deep areas you can throw a crankbait out and easily bring it back without getting snagged. The small water secret is to make the bait look like it’s dying, changing rod tip heights, fast then slow and even stop retrieves, spastic, erratic ways changing the retrieve up. Come back and tell us how you fared.

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