When it comes to largemouth and smallmouth bass, there is a lot of information available, including bass fishing advice, but there is also a lot of false information.
Perhaps no fishing subculture is more prone to the widespread belief in fishing myths than bass fishermen. In addition, you may hear expert anglers talking about fishing and fishery management all the time. Many professional fishermen, despite their skill and success, are just as prone as the rest of us to believing urban legends. We present a few commonly held misconceptions below.
We hear that bass fishing will be abundant as autumn approaches, since the fish stock up before their long winter hibernation. Autumn is undoubtedly a great time to fish, and large fish definitely appear to be more active. However, this shift is due as much to the movements of prey and shifting habitat as it is to the bass searching for their final meal of the month.
Fish’s metabolic processes adapt to temperature fluctuations in order to sustain life in the same conditions that they have evolved in, as they are poikilothermic creatures (their blood is the same temperature as the environment). Members of the sunfish family adapt physiologically to the cold by changing their heart size and chemical balances. Bass bite well in all types of waters, although their relative mobility decreases and their digestion slows down.
Because key habitat is scarce during the winter, bass in certain systems—particularly rivers—tend to be stationary. However, underwater cameras in lakes and dams capture bass swimming in both shallow and deep waters, frequently coming up to the camera for a closer look.
Manufacturers have hurried to take advantage of this misconception by releasing lures with red reel spools, red hooks, red sinkers and blades, and even red line.
Studies on bass vision reveal that they have good red detection and shade discrimination skills. However, researchers have not found any evidence of an innate attraction to it. Anglers might assume that fish should target red objects because blood is red and bleeding baitfish are more vulnerable to attacks.
Bass, however, doesn’t think that way. They lack the mental processes necessary to draw any conclusions.
Boat makers and professional fishermen often endorse the notion that the boat shapes the fisherman. Actually, more important than boat selection is the fisherman’s craft—that is, their ability to be cunning. Many of the top bass fishermen still use small, underpowered boats.
Giant bass inhabit small waters, which are best suited for small boats. Large bass boats struggle to navigate through thick foliage or woods, and they are unable to enter important shallow zones.
Small, slow boats force fishermen to slow down and focus on the fish and its surroundings, which is always beneficial to excellent catching, even on huge waters.
We can pull hundreds of bass baits in a year, let alone in a single day, thanks to the comfort and style of large, swift boats.
This notion persists despite the fact that bass fisheries have flourished in recent decades. For various reasons, managers and anglers against competition spread the myth that high mortality degrades fishing quality.
It’s true that fishing pressure makes it more difficult to capture bass, but competitive anglers cannot take all the blame. Every rod user makes a contribution. On the water, we can only hope that manners, fair play, and sportsmanship prevail because social issues have always existed.
In general, most fishermen share the same stance against herbicide treatments as every other serious bass fisherman. The destruction of habitats caused by chemical applications worries them, and the spread of diseases is another major concern.
In some cases, however, interventions may be required for navigation, leisure, or even the well-being of bass populations. Overly dense vegetation reduces the number of essential fish species, such as shad, which bass rely on for food.
According to scientific research, proper herbicide application does not harm bass. There was little difference in bass populations in treated and untreated regions, suggesting that fish did not flee in response to the chemical treatments or the decline of plant life.
Dam managers should only remove vegetation as a last resort; however, bass fisheries should be unharmed by targeted interventions in small areas.
There is some truth to this myth. Using larger lures can enhance the average size of fish caught. The relationship, though, is much more than that. This fish’s name, largemouth bass, is rather fitting. Their large mouths allow them to devour a wide variety of prey, including frogs, birds, rats, snakes, turtles, clams, amphibians, insects, and fish.
Scientists have determined the size of the prey that bass eat. Bass may swallow prey that is at least half their body length, such as shad or trout, which are narrow-bodied and have delicate fins. Bass choose finny, wide-bodied prey at smaller sizes.
Placing huge baits in a susceptible location is the secret to catching big bass with them. Huge bass live and hunt in certain areas. Some examples include long main-lake points, deep weed lines, and the interfaces between offshore vertical structures and deep water.
Some fishermen view sight-fishing for bedded bass as unethical and unsportsmanlike because it exploits the fish at their most vulnerable. Instead, many fishing traditions instill a feast-or-famine approach to fishing for bedded bass. It can be very easy to catch a bedded bass, or it can be nearly impossible.
Sight-fishing is an art form in which competent fishermen interpret a bass’s behaviour to estimate the probability of capturing it. To do it well, years of practice are necessary, along with keen observational skills, endurance, and cunning. Conversely, bass in some rarely fished waterways have the ability to swim off a bed and consume almost any thrown bait. Thus, avoid sight-fishing if it’s not something you enjoy doing.
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