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Understanding
Bass - Part 1
by "The Bass Coach", Roger Lee Brown
Bass fishing is a sport like many others that when it comes
to knowledge and the understanding of the opponent it allows
one to become more successful. You may look at it kind of like
deer hunting, the more the hunter understands the scrapes, trails,
food areas, water areas, runs, and habitats of the deer the more
successful the hunter will become at locating them. The same
is true with Bass fishing (Bass angling), the more you understand
the Bass along with the many different circumstances and conditions
you run across the more successful you will be at catching them.
So let’s talk about a few key factors when it comes to a
better understanding of the bass. The first one we will look
at would be the survival of the bass.
SURVIVAL: A bass needs three elements to survive which are
:
1. FOOD
2. OXYGEN
3. COVER
If any one of these three elements are not present in a body
of water a bass could not survive, and just by knowing why these
three elements are so important for a bass’s survival it
will already start to make you a more successful angler.
The first element we will talk about is FOOD. Contrary to
popular belief, shad is NOT! the primary 1st choice of a bass.
Although shad is a very common food for the bass as well as other
natural baits, the number 1 food choice of a bass is a crawfish
(also known as crayfish, crawdads, etc.). A study was performed
several years ago where 100 Crawfish and 100 shad were in a tank
of water with all species of bass (Smallmouth, Spotted, and Largemouth),
and to much surprise the crawfish were eaten 8 to 2 over the
shad. There are several reasons for this, but the most important
one is that a crawfish is an easy prey for a bass to catch, and
they are fairly easy for a bass to find. And once again contrary
to popular belief, studies show that there are actually more
crawfish found in vegetation areas than around rocky areas (or
as some may know as Rip-Rap.)
A bass will eat just about anything at any given time such
as: Rats, Mice, Ducklings, Frogs, Snakes, Salamanders, Worms,
Lizards, Grubs, Baitfish, Insects, Leeches, etc. (Is it any wonder
why all the many different tackle manufacturing companies have
so many different shapes and types of artificial baits on the
market today?) but, there are certain types of artificial baits
that bass will usually prefer over the others, and a lot of these
I cover at my 3-day Bass Fishing School.
The next element of the three is OXYGEN. Oxygen is a element
that any living creature needs to survive. The main reason an
angler should pay attention to oxygen is that a bass requires
it to survive. By knowing water oxygen content in various areas
an angler will develop a better understanding why a bass acts
the way it does under the many different conditions. When a bass
has a limited supply of oxygen, it tends to get more disoriented
and much slower or lethargic. The "Key" in understanding
the rules of oxygenic water is that the cooler the water, the
more oxygen content and on the other side of the coin the warmer
the water the less oxygen content. The more oxygen a bass can
get usually during the warmer months the more active it will
be. Usually during the summer when the water temperature hits
the 80 degree mark or higher, the oxygen in the water will start
to diminish.
How does this relate to bass fishing?.... well, a bass will
usually do one of two things in a condition such as this. A bass
will drop down (usually under the thermocline mark) to water
that is cooler for a larger supply of oxygen, or a bass will
usually head for vegetation areas because of the constant producing
of oxygen that aquatic plants provide. This is mostly the case
during Spring, Summer, and early Fall.
Here are some areas where ample supplies of oxygen can be
found during these seasons:
1. Rivers - because of the constant flowing of the water.
2. Mouths of Creeks - again, because of the constant in-flow
of fresh water.
3. Deep water areas - remember, the deeper the cooler water
a better supply of oxygen.
4. Vegetation areas - constant oxygen producing aquatic plants.
5. Around Trees, Stump, & Log areas - because of the porous
wood that will hold oxygen.
6. Power Plants - because of the constant discharge of oxygenic
water
7. Wind Blown Banks - a constant oxygen source
and there are many others........
The third element we will talk about is COVER. Cover is an
extremely important element when it comes to a bass for many
reasons, and I would like to cover some of the most important
ones.
One of these reasons would be for protection. A bass, being
known mostly as a "Ambush Fish" will use cover such
as vegetation, rocks, stumps, trees, fall-downs, docks, structures,
holes, etc.... to dart out after it’s prey. A bass really
is a lazy-by-nature type of fish and will extend the least amount
of energy for the greatest amount of benefit. Bass are also known
as a territorial fish and will not travel a great amount of distance.
Another reason a bass needs cover is because of it’s
eyes. A bass does not have eye lids like you or I and prolonged
exposure to the Sun’s rays, a bass will eventually go blind.
This is one of God’s way of protecting their site. Take
notice next time you see a bass fishing show on television, you
will usually see bass being caught in shaded areas, and in and
around cover areas, these are some of the reasons why.
Now, understanding a bit more about cover and why a bass will
usually be found around it should help you "Key-In"
when it comes to "Blue Bird Skys" (high pressure periods)
and "Overcast or Cloudy Days" (low pressure periods).
I teach my students at my 3-day Bass Fishing School a much
more in depth study about the understanding of a bass during
the different seasons, daily conditions, weather fronts, etc.
and how they would put a pattern together under many different
circumstances. This article I hope will help you with a better
understanding of a bass to become a more successful angler. If
you have any questions or wish to enroll in my 3-day Bass Fishing
School you can contact me at either of my web sites at: http://www.capital.net/~rlbrown
or http://www.fishing-boating.com/basscoach or you can Email me at:
rlbrown@capital.net or you can call me at (518) 597-4240.
Until Next Time!.....Take
Care & God Bless!....."The Bass Coach"..Roger Lee
Brown
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