Rick
March 14th, 2004, 01:52 PM
A bass is a bass, wherever it may live
(just passing this along)
Some years ago a Honey Hole reader wrote a letter to the editor
pertaining to the lake reports in the magazine. He was confused about
how lake reports for lakes he never fished would help him find and
catch bass at his favorite lake, which happened to be Bob Sandlin.
While I can understand someone not realizing that a lake report for a
lake in Oklahoma would do them any good in Texas, it's beyond me why
they wouldn't read it anyway. Anyone who subscribes to Honey Hole
should read everything in it. I say this because, with all due
respect, you'd be very surprised at how much help all the staff
writers can be regardless of what lake or specific subject they might
be covering in that issue. Even the bass club reports and tournament
results in the back of the magazine can give insight into how the
fishing was and other things like what lures caught fish, etc.
Fishing knowledge is knowledge. What I mean is bass don't know where
they live. Trophy bass in particular follow certain patterns in their
daily lives. That doesn't change drastically, whether they live in
Texas or wherever. Large bass are the most stable fish in any
population. Their daily habits are much less subject to outside
interference or influence than smaller bass. But even smaller bass
have basic patterns which they live by because those patterns work.
County and state lines only intersect human lives, the creatures do
not know that they should act differently because they live in another
state.
Although I had never fished Bob Sandlin at the time of the
aforementioned letter, I don't believe there would have been any
problem at all for me to have gone to the lake and located trophy bass
there. Because of what I know about the habits and lifestyles of
largemouth bass, the same application can be used at any lake. When it
is time for bass to utilize creek channels in their movements, they
will all be doing so at all lakes that have similar water temperature
and weather. When some of the bass have dropped off to deeper water
following the spawn, it will be the same at many other lakes across
the nation. Perhaps not at the same time, as in what our fish do in
spring may occur somewhat later in the season further north where
temperatures are colder. But it will happen in much the same manner
when conditions are right.
Bass are bass and by their very most basic natures need food, a place
to rest and a place to spawn each year. Their urge each day is to find
food to fill their bellies. This is why you can find the food source
and find the bass. They must all eat, again regardless of where they
live. By the very nature of the beast, when it is hungry it will seek
out prey. This is where the angler can learn to pattern bass and make
that patterning work to their advantage. Bass are structure oriented,
much like humans, and prefer to follow a certain pathway - be that
creek channel or shallow drop or whatever. They will move along this
line of known territory toward a feeding lane, returning only later
when their urge to feed has been satisfied. While they are in their
preferred feeding range they will be most active and most easily
caught.
Only active or semi-active fish are catchable. It is only on the most
extremely rare occasions that someone catches a bass that was
inactive. In active, or non-active, fish are not usually moving or
feeding. They are not interested in any activity. If you locate these
fish, you generally will know it by the fact that you may have marked
fish in the area but have simply been unable to make one hit a lure.
When you locate active fish, most of the time you can locate these
fish again in the same place and at the same time the next day. Only
major fronts or other severe weather or water change usually
interferes with their daily patterns. This is especially true of the
larger bass, those seven pounds or bigger. And once you've found these
working patterns, those same patterns can be duplicated on other lakes
in similar conditions - even if that's in another state.
Too many times during the course of our tracking we found that the
things anglers were most bothered by simply didn't affect the fish at
all or very little. Like muddy water for example, which we will often
use as an excuse for not catching fish. Generally the fish become
accustomed to such things. If the water is usually fairly clear but
becomes muddy for a few days following spring rains, those fish don't
just stop needing to feed because the water is muddy. It is we who
must adjust and change something we're not doing right to entice them
to take a lure.
So it's very simple. Regardless of any other specifics, if you find
fish while their feeding and active, you will catch fish. If they are
inactive, you likely will not catch fish. Knowing when they are and
aren't active is a big key to fishing success. And just remember this
is true, wherever the bass are living.
(just passing this along)
Some years ago a Honey Hole reader wrote a letter to the editor
pertaining to the lake reports in the magazine. He was confused about
how lake reports for lakes he never fished would help him find and
catch bass at his favorite lake, which happened to be Bob Sandlin.
While I can understand someone not realizing that a lake report for a
lake in Oklahoma would do them any good in Texas, it's beyond me why
they wouldn't read it anyway. Anyone who subscribes to Honey Hole
should read everything in it. I say this because, with all due
respect, you'd be very surprised at how much help all the staff
writers can be regardless of what lake or specific subject they might
be covering in that issue. Even the bass club reports and tournament
results in the back of the magazine can give insight into how the
fishing was and other things like what lures caught fish, etc.
Fishing knowledge is knowledge. What I mean is bass don't know where
they live. Trophy bass in particular follow certain patterns in their
daily lives. That doesn't change drastically, whether they live in
Texas or wherever. Large bass are the most stable fish in any
population. Their daily habits are much less subject to outside
interference or influence than smaller bass. But even smaller bass
have basic patterns which they live by because those patterns work.
County and state lines only intersect human lives, the creatures do
not know that they should act differently because they live in another
state.
Although I had never fished Bob Sandlin at the time of the
aforementioned letter, I don't believe there would have been any
problem at all for me to have gone to the lake and located trophy bass
there. Because of what I know about the habits and lifestyles of
largemouth bass, the same application can be used at any lake. When it
is time for bass to utilize creek channels in their movements, they
will all be doing so at all lakes that have similar water temperature
and weather. When some of the bass have dropped off to deeper water
following the spawn, it will be the same at many other lakes across
the nation. Perhaps not at the same time, as in what our fish do in
spring may occur somewhat later in the season further north where
temperatures are colder. But it will happen in much the same manner
when conditions are right.
Bass are bass and by their very most basic natures need food, a place
to rest and a place to spawn each year. Their urge each day is to find
food to fill their bellies. This is why you can find the food source
and find the bass. They must all eat, again regardless of where they
live. By the very nature of the beast, when it is hungry it will seek
out prey. This is where the angler can learn to pattern bass and make
that patterning work to their advantage. Bass are structure oriented,
much like humans, and prefer to follow a certain pathway - be that
creek channel or shallow drop or whatever. They will move along this
line of known territory toward a feeding lane, returning only later
when their urge to feed has been satisfied. While they are in their
preferred feeding range they will be most active and most easily
caught.
Only active or semi-active fish are catchable. It is only on the most
extremely rare occasions that someone catches a bass that was
inactive. In active, or non-active, fish are not usually moving or
feeding. They are not interested in any activity. If you locate these
fish, you generally will know it by the fact that you may have marked
fish in the area but have simply been unable to make one hit a lure.
When you locate active fish, most of the time you can locate these
fish again in the same place and at the same time the next day. Only
major fronts or other severe weather or water change usually
interferes with their daily patterns. This is especially true of the
larger bass, those seven pounds or bigger. And once you've found these
working patterns, those same patterns can be duplicated on other lakes
in similar conditions - even if that's in another state.
Too many times during the course of our tracking we found that the
things anglers were most bothered by simply didn't affect the fish at
all or very little. Like muddy water for example, which we will often
use as an excuse for not catching fish. Generally the fish become
accustomed to such things. If the water is usually fairly clear but
becomes muddy for a few days following spring rains, those fish don't
just stop needing to feed because the water is muddy. It is we who
must adjust and change something we're not doing right to entice them
to take a lure.
So it's very simple. Regardless of any other specifics, if you find
fish while their feeding and active, you will catch fish. If they are
inactive, you likely will not catch fish. Knowing when they are and
aren't active is a big key to fishing success. And just remember this
is true, wherever the bass are living.