Bass Fishing Rigs

The Last entry in the Bass Fishing series

A couple of popular rigs are the Drop Shot and the Wacky Rigs which are essentially the same, except for a difference in attaching the plastics. Two other fishing rig set ups, are the 'Texas' and 'Carolina' Rig. All are for bait fishing with soft plastics.

Drop Shot Rig 

This is tied right on the fishing line itself. To tie this rig, I stretch out about 18 inches or so of my line, maybe even an inch or so more. Right at 18 inches, I will double the line over on itself. Then, using a 1, or a 1/0 hook, I slide my folded over line through the eyelet of the hook and then tie the loop back over the line, don't worry about the excess or about cinching it tight just yet. Once my loop that I ran through my hook's eyelet has been tied around the line above the hook, I slip the excess loop over the hook and now  cinch the entire thing up tight. The hook is now suspended roughly 18 inches from the end of my line. I tie on a drop shot weight on the end of that line (18 inches below my hook)  and the rig is ready to fish except for my plastic. I insert through the nose of the plastic worm I've chosen and this allows my worm to swivel back and forth to entice a Bass.

Wacky Rig 

The set up is really not wacky, as it is made up exactly like the Drop Shot Rig. It's just in how I attach the plastic to the hook for a completely different presentation. After I've made up my rig, instead of hooking my plastic through the nose for that 'swimming' action, I hook it through the middle of the worm. This creates a completely different presentation, because the worm no longer looks as if it's swimming, but flopping a bit as the rig falls to the bottom. I fish this set up, either as it's going down or coming back up, depending upon 'how' I'm generating strikes.

Texas Rig 

I start by sliding a slip sinker (the size depends upon the lure I'm going to use) just by inserting the line through the small end first and sliding it on the line. Then, using a 2 or 3/0 hook and tie it on the line using the same method as the Drop Shot Rig. It's a really simple and secure knot. For the plastic, I insert it about a 1/4 inch back of the nose and then shove that all of the way up the hook. Once I reach the end of the hook, I simply bury the tip of the hook in my plastic, creating a weed guard for my hook. It affords me the ability to drag through heavy cover without snagging.

Carolina Rig 

I use an egg sinker for this one, a bead a swivel and a 12-18 long leader. I start by sliding the egg sinker on first then the bead (as a shock insulator for the swivel) and then I tie on a swivel. Now the bead helps absorb some of the shock from the weight sliding back and forth. All of the knots I tie are the same as they are strong and reliable. The knot is called a 'Palomar Knot' and it works great. At this stage, I'm half done as I now have to tie on a hook. I use a good 6 or 8 lb test leader and I tie about 12-18 inches of it to my swivel. Now I'm ready for a hook, and once again I use a 2 or 3/0 hook tying it on using the same method I've talked about. I hook my plastic on exactly like I talked about with the Texas Rig making it a weed guard style hook. Now, when I toss my line over the side, the egg sinker slides up and down and my plastic has a resistance free presentation when a Bass strikes.

That's it, the four set ups for plastics.Thanks for reading and I'll see you on the trail--

Bass Fishing in the Spring - Mighty Bite Lures are my choice

What to use in the spring

Everyone has their favorite rig for catching Bass, and I'm no different. I like to put something in the water, that will number one, xxcite the fish. Number two, it will excite them enough to trigger the 'strike' mode. Some folks prefer plastics. Truth is, what you use is dependent upon the water, it's clarity, it's temperature and it's depth, time of day, etc.

If it's muddy and you're fishing in the daylight? Use brightly colored baits (we'll get to what 'kind' of bait in a bit) but if the water is clear, you can fish the clock around. I fish from midnight to dawn. (the time of moonrise and moon set) In the spring, Bass will move to the shallower waters to feed, mostly on sunfish and on crawfish especially. Really, they are opportunistic fish and will strike about anything if they are hungry and will feed in shallow waters. 

I'm always alert for the spawning beds or areas with a lot of cover and fish in there with a top bait. With the spawn over, the Bass will begin feeding heavily on any bait fish. Take advantage.

 
To catch the big ones, I have learned that the bigger and clunkier the bait? The better the Bass will strike. (I found this out during a Striped Bass derby in Arizona) Bass will strike at most anything that resembles food to them. One rig I use for this is the Mighty Bite Lure. Fish work off five main senses. Sight, (looks like a wounded bait fish) sound (the rattles) smell, (scent sticks) feel (the lure even feels like a bait fish) and taste (again, the scent stick will draw them in)

It's a complete system that's proven to be effective on most any predatory fish, Bass included. The lure set up comes complete with everything I need, including various sizes and many interchangeable parts. What that means to you and I, is that I can change the scent stick or swim fins to create more or less scent being left in the water and what type of movement I want from my lure.

The Mighty Bite kit even contains hooks with weed guards for thick cover or for fishing on, near or along the bottom.

The lure itself looks and acts like a wounded bait fish (easy prey for a 'dinner minded' Bass) I have to say, that the overall setup can drive the fish crazy.  

If fished right for the conditions, this lure will generate that DNA triggered  'strike mode'  I spoke of earlier. Bass strike hard on this lure.

It's a complete system with simple easy to read instructions on how to use.......and fish the Mighty Bite System.

Next up:  The Texas and Carolina Bass rigs. Which is best and how to set each one up.

Bass Fishing in Texas

When to fish

As a point of discussion,  to give you an idea of the size of the state of Texas. When measured in miles: (from the state of Oklahoma on the north to the border with Mexico on the south), is 801 miles. Now, the mileage across the state (From New Mexico on the west to Louisiana on the east) is 773. 

All of this means that Texas has a land and water mass of 267,277 square miles. That translates into Texas occupying right at 7 percent of the total land and water mass in the United States!  I'm not telling you this for bragging rights, just to describe it's vast size in comparison to the number of lakes available for Bass fishing.

To be honest, there are just too many lakes in Texas to pick one over the other, so with that in mind, we're going to talk specifically of how to fish when fishing these lakes.

 
Bass are kind of just like people, they don't like it when it's hot. So Bass try to fool us by leaving their normal spots, when the water temps are above 85.  They will wait until after dark to feed. 

In fact many folks consider night fishing as the only way to catch Bass in the summertime. Believing since Bass prefer water temps around 65 or 70 degrees that fishing is normally best in the spring (after the spawn when bait fish begin to school) and fall (when the water temps fall and shad begin to migrate). Simple fact is, you can start night fishing at most any time. Even as early as January or as late as August in Texas.

Again, the spring and fall offer a good time to Bass fish because of the water temps. But really, it's the bait fish that draw Bass out, regardless of the time of year.  While it's true that the spring and the fall offer the best fishing, it doesn't mean that's the only Bass fishing times. It just means it's the "easiest."

If you are fishing for Bass in the summer, there are some simple things to do to ensure your success. Like finding the deepest parts of the lake. As usual, look for the cover on the bottom, trees, rocks, etc. Great spots for the big boys to hide. Fish later in the day or even after dark and most of all, have an assortment of baits and lures to use for night fishing.

Next up: We are going to talk about some of those lures and setups.

Bass Fishing and Mighty Bite Lures

BASS

Let's talk Bass Fishing. First and foremost, as with any fish, Bass are dependent upon water to survive, but secondly, that water must contain a food source, ie: Bait fish of some kind, snakes, crawfish, and even small frogs and lizards. Texas is loaded with lakes just like that. When you finish this lens, you should be able to go head to head with the best Bass fisherman out there.

I'm using Texas to start with, because some of my best days Bass fishing have been in Texas. I'll take a second to go into a little detail. Texas has 4,959 square miles of inland lakes, whereas Minnesota (Land of a Thousand Lakes) has 4,780 square miles of lakes ranking that state as number 2, followed by Florida at number 3 with 4,683 square miles of lakes. I tell you this to show you some of what makes Texas one of the best, bass fishing states in the country. Some of my best days Bass fishing have been in Texas.

 
In this blog, I'll get into what times of the year and how to fish for Bass. I'll describe some popular Bass fishing rigs and how to make one of your own if you choose not to buy them. 

I'll talk about plastic baits, lures to use, how and why and generally, how to catch Bass year round. But most of all, I will tell you about the Mighty Bite Fishing System and why I use it when I am Bass fishing. 

I like the Storm WildEye Live Minnow Lure for trout and I like the Mighty Bite for bass fishing.

Next up: Bass Fishing in Texas

Catch and Release - Another side of Trout Fishing

Trout Fishing

What to do if you decide to release your fish

OK....if you've followed this blog, you know you are near the end of your learning curve. In fact, this is the final entry in the trout fishing series. This entry delves into what to do once you've decided to catch and release. Catch and release is a great idea to help preserve the wild trout populations. Wild trout can always use a hand for their survival.

With that said, let's get to it. What to do with a fish once you have caught it and want to release it.

 

First, trout are kind of like ducks, in that they have a protective coating. Yep, that sliminess on their skin? It's actually there for a reason. This coating can be damaged by handling the fish too much. Touching them removes this protective coating in that spot. In fact, a hand touching their skin will actually 'burn' the fish. 'Catch and release' is a great idea and fairly simple to do. It just takes a bit understanding of some easy but important things to do and not do.

First, I wet my hands before even attempting to remove the hook. Second, if the hook is visible, I try to keep the fish in the water as I grasp the hook with my needle nose pliers. I try to do so at the curve of the hook as that affords me better control of the hook. I then gently remove the hook from the fish by pulling in the opposite direction of how the hook went in.

If the fish has swallowed the hook (which is more common in aggressive of hungry fish) and I cannot reach it, I cut the line. Note the picture on the left....I show this picture, because if the fish jumps from his hand after cutting the line or removing the hook? It can damage that fish's buoyancy bladder and maybe even kill the fish. Remove the hook with 'the fish still in the water.'


Now, I know this seems hard to do with a wiggling fish, but when necessary, I find that using a net helps me control the fish while I cut the line or remove the hook.

I try to remove the hook or cut the line without tugging on it very much. Pulling on the line can tear the insides of my fish and it's chances of survival drop way down.

I always keep the fish in the water the entire time for it's own protection. Also (and this is very important) I DO NOT squeeze the fish. (like you see the fellow doing in the picture, holding two fish in one hand) The reason is that if I do, it may cause internal bleeding which in turn leads to a really painful death for that fish.

Once I have the hook out or the line cut, I hold the fish gently upright until it regains it's balance. Once it has, I guide it until it is facing upstream. When the fish is ready? it will just swim away on it's own. I NEVER toss the fish back in or drop it from the sides of the boat or a bank. Doing that, (as I said above) I could damage or burst it's internal air bladders. A fish uses these internal bladders to control it's underwater buoyancy, so if I am doing the above from a boat or a stream bank, I let the fish swim out of the net on it's own.

 
Once the fish swims away, I keep an eye on it for a minute or so to be sure it is fine and then return to my fishing. Some fish recover slower than others, but most often, if I have done my job right? With a flip of their tail, they dive down and are gone anyway.

Well, that's all there is to it. What do you think? Are you ready to get out there and catch some fish? I say yes.

You have learned the basics of how to fish, where to fish and why. I pronounce you now fishermen and women.  I charge you to go out with your new found knowledge and I say to one and all: "Good luck, now go catch some trout."

Thanks for reading and I'll see you on the trail--

Trout Fishing Success!

You've caught your fish

Time to make a decision

If I intend to keep my fish I have just caught, I first need to know if it is legal size and that I have the correct stamp or tag for it. I consult my regulations again if I've forgotten. If my fish is legal size, then there are a couple of things to do to prepare my fish.


If it is a smaller fish, say 7 or 8 inches in length, (these are the perfect size to pan fry whole) I simply clean these fish, rinse them thoroughly inside and out and either place it in my creel or attach it to my fish stringer.

If you are not familiar with how to clean a fish, it is pretty simple. 

I hold the fish upside down (belly facing up) and look for the small hole on it's belly near the tail. Using a small thin bladed knife, I insert my knife here and cut very shallowly from that point forward, up the belly to the gills. 

Once I have the fish open, I simply remove the insides and rinse thoroughly, making sure to look for any blood pockets along the spine or anywhere on the meat. Once I'm satisfied the fish is clean, l place it in my creel or on my stringer. If the fish is longer than say 11 or 12 inches, I'm going to fillet these.

 

To fillet my fish, I clean it out exactly the same as any other fish and again place in my creel or on my stringer. I do the filleting once I am done fishing. 

To fillet, I lay the fish on it's side on a hard surface like a cutting board. Holding the head with one hand, I lay my knife blade nearly flat against the side of the fish, right behind the gills. 

Slowly I slice into the fish until I feel the blade touch bone. Pulling the blade back ever so slightly, I now semi flatten the blade (almost sideways with the fish) with the blade facing the tail.  With one sweeping motion I slice the side of the fish from the gills to the tail, removing my fillet. 

If I've done it correctly, I should have a nice piece of fish in one hand and now see a very clean row of bones from the gills to the tail. I turn the fish over and repeat for the other side. 

The first couple of times you try this, will not look so good, and you will leave some meat on the fish or include some of the bones with your fresh fillet but I promise, you will get better. Look at it this way....if your first cut takes some bones along.....the fillet from the other side of the fish is going to have far fewer bones. 

A point to note: If I do shave off some of the bones, I am careful to remove them before packaging my fillets.

Now, get these fillets on ice if you are not going to cook them right then. That's all there is to it.

Next up: Catch and release

Setting the Hook - Don't let that Trout get away!

Setting the Hook

Takes some finesse

Once you are for sure that you have a fish on the line ( the rod tip bent over to the water surface is a good indicator), you now have to set the hook. 

Setting the hook as I said takes some finesse. Try it too early (while the fish is still nibbling but does not have the hook in his mouth) and I jerk it away and the fish swims off. Do it too late (after he has taken the bait) and I risk the chance of ripping the hook right out of their mouth.

So, to be done right, here's what I do.  When I feel the first nibbling, I wait. I am waiting for a kind of solid tug. If I wait until I feel a this tug, then maybe even a second or third one, O am pretty much guaranteed the bait is in the fish's mouth. At that point, I quickly set the hook by snapping my rod upwards. Not so hard that I chance ripping the hook free, but just hard enough to 'set' the hook firmly in the fish's mouth.

Once I know my fish is hooked, I reel in slowly, keeping my rod tip higher than my head. The reason is, lowering the tip, creates slack in the line and the fish can sometime shake themselves off. I keep tension on the line with a combination of using the pole's natural flexing and keeping the rod tip up until I have reeled the fish in. Never be in a hurry, part of fishing is feeling the fight of these fish, as they love to fight and jump.

 

As my fish gets close to me (if I am in the stream), or on the shore I simply slide my net under the fish and bring it in.

Next up: Catch and release or keep your fish? I will cover both scenarios