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Finding The Bait
Posted on 10/21/15 at 8:56 am
Posted on 10/21/15 at 8:56 am
I read it all the time. There's even an article in Sportsman this month that talks about fall bass fishing and how you need to find the bait.
It's mentioned all the time, but i never see an explanation on how to find it. Especially something like panfish(Sportsman article says that's what the bass are more than likely feeding on right now along with shad). I've read that you can pick up submerged grass and shake it out to see what type of bait fish are in it, and that you should fish it. Is that "finding the bait"?
It's mentioned all the time, but i never see an explanation on how to find it. Especially something like panfish(Sportsman article says that's what the bass are more than likely feeding on right now along with shad). I've read that you can pick up submerged grass and shake it out to see what type of bait fish are in it, and that you should fish it. Is that "finding the bait"?
Posted on 10/21/15 at 9:03 am to Black
Electronics are a huge help.
Watch for shad "flickering" on top of the water. Look for dead bait fish floating on the surface (can be a sign of active feeding below).
It's a very important part of fishing successfully.
Watch for shad "flickering" on top of the water. Look for dead bait fish floating on the surface (can be a sign of active feeding below).
It's a very important part of fishing successfully.
Posted on 10/21/15 at 10:12 am to Black
Follow the birds. Herons are always on fish.
Posted on 10/21/15 at 10:33 am to Black
Understanding the normal lifecycle of typical bait fish and their movement in the body of water depending on water temp, oxygenation, and time of year is important.
This is shallow water, deep water, open water, near structure, in spawning areas, etc. You need to know where to start looking.
After that you use available patterns to predict where inside of those areas the bait fish will freely move or be pushed.
This is current, shade, wind, bottom substrate, and available food sources like vegetation.
Finally you actually look for signs of baitfish in the form of birds, oil slicks, dead floating baitfish, baitfish flickering/busting on surface, the smell of large groups of baitfish, and electronic signature of baitfish.
With experience you begin to identify which groups of baitfish are actively being pursued by game fish and then it all aligns and your line gets tight.
This is shallow water, deep water, open water, near structure, in spawning areas, etc. You need to know where to start looking.
After that you use available patterns to predict where inside of those areas the bait fish will freely move or be pushed.
This is current, shade, wind, bottom substrate, and available food sources like vegetation.
Finally you actually look for signs of baitfish in the form of birds, oil slicks, dead floating baitfish, baitfish flickering/busting on surface, the smell of large groups of baitfish, and electronic signature of baitfish.
With experience you begin to identify which groups of baitfish are actively being pursued by game fish and then it all aligns and your line gets tight.
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