BASS FISHINGBass Fishing Sports Blog

The recent obsession of Clear Lake bass fishermen with the swimbait called the “Trash Fish” is a good indication of just how vital new types of fishing lures are to fishermen, especially the tournament anglers.

Bass fishermen will go to any lengths to gain that slight advantage over their competitors and once they find the “perfect” lure they will do practically anything to keep it a secret. For example, the winner of the recent FLW Outdoors tournament held at Clear Lake said he caught at least 75 bass on the Trash Fish. The result is the lure has been selling like crazy.

Clear Lake Outdoors is the only tackle store in the county currently carrying the lure and they can’t keep it in stock. The lure isn’t cheap, costing $16 for two, but the price hasn’t deterred the fishermen. in fact, the lure is so well loved that the manufacturer, Benno Heune, can’t keep up with the orders.

I am always amazed how bass fishermen guard their secret lures and their favorite places to fish. they have been known to completely buy out a particular lure from a local tackle shop in order to keep it away from their competitors. Bass fishermen also rarely tell what lure they have been using. When the announcer at a tournament weigh-in questions a fisherman how he caught his fish, the fisherman often roll his eyes, looks up at the sky and gives a vague answer, and it’s usually a lie. I have seen fishermen say they caught their bass on topwater lures even though it’s mid-January and there is snow on the ground. This happened a few years ago when I interviewed the winner of a pro/am tournament. He said he caught his bass on topwater lures in Rodman Slough. Now most fishermen know it’s rare for a bass to take a topwater lure during the cold winter months.

Later, when I spoke with his amateur partner, he said they actually caught all their fish on a jig over a rockpile in the south end of the lake. Tournament fishermen often say they caught their bass on the tackle made by their sponsors. in truth, a tournament fisherman will use any lure that catches fish regardless of who makes it.

Bass fishermen hate it when outdoor writers reveal what the fish are biting on and where they can be caught. I have had more than one fisherman refuse to even talk with me. last year I was fishing near the Lakeside County Park when I came upon two fishermen prefishing for an upcoming tournament. One of the fishermen recognized me and said to his partner, “Don’t say a word, that’s the local outdoor writer and he will place it in the newspaper.”

One well-known bass pro would always stop his boat out in the middle of the lake on the way to the weigh-in and change all his lures so that everyone would reckon those were the lures he caught his fish on.

As for secret locations, forget it. there are no so-called secret spots on Clear Lake. on any given day just about every spot that is holding bass will see at least two boats there. This is especially true during a tournament. during a recent tournament the area around the Skylark Shores Motel in Lakeport was holding bass. I counted seven boats fishing within a few yards of each other.

Is the Trash Fish the secret lure that everyone is seeking? hardly. whereas it has been catching bass and selling like crazy, its popularity will pass and another lure will take its place. actually, there are at least 25 different brands of swimbaits on the market. It’s not only swimbaits drawing the attention of tournament anglers. Remember the Banjo Minnow or the Helicopter lure that was touted a few years ago. Nowadays you rarely see one. it goes to prove that the fishermen are often not much smarter than the fish they seek.

Posted September 29 2011 – 10:02 PM

Names Chris. I've been bass fishing seriously(as seriously as a broke college student without a boat can…) for about 3 years now. My interest in fishing has spiked recently, and I've chose to put other activities and money aside to get more serious about his leisure activity. I've been reading alot about the "logistics" and methods around catchin' bass lately, which lead me to this site. I'm a member of several gun forums, and that information has proved helpful, so I thought that would also apply here.been fishing forever, but getting on a few of my buddies bass boats has given me the "itch" as they say. I can see this becoming an addiction Looking to get a boat soon(start cheap and upgrade over the next year and a half as money builds up), so ill probably be asking about that alot (ill try and avoid the "which should i buy" questions). I feel like I have a excellent grip on tactics and presentation and can read conditions well, but their is always more to learn.I look forward to learning here and hopefully giving some information back when i can. ThanksChris

Is there a john boat or similar boat I can buy for cheap that will allow me to stand to fish for bass?

Is there a way to rig a john boat or whatever to build a standing platform?

had a client who's husband rigged a john boat for shrimping. it's a wrongful death and products liability case. her husband is dead now. seems he died after his modified john boat capsized and he drowned. why not just buy a bass boat. it's not woirth the risk. but if you want to risk it, build a raft. their sturdier than a rigged john boat. just despise to see you get hurt.

jon boat. spell correctly

yes go t

johnboatsideas.com

Hey everyone! my friends and I like to go fishing and we are going to start going out on the lake bass fishing. We normally just fish from the bank at a dam for channel catfish and other fish. what are some must have things for someone just starting to fish for bass? Things like lures, line, bait, etc. also i have a cheap rod that i got for like 10 bucks so im going to need a better rod, this one sucks… So any excellent beginner rod and reels would be fantastic to. Im not trying to spend a boat load of cash since i dont know how much we will like this. thanks!

Boat. Bait. Beer. And rods with reels and line and hooks. Maybe a bobber. Gas in the boat. Fishing license. Life jacket. Float plot. Fish finder. another fish finder. Plugs in the boat. Batteres charge. Third fish finder. Trailer. Truck to pull boat and trailer. Fishing partner to pay for gas, bait, beer. anything else just question. O…..and a whistle.

Everything Jordan said is excellent advice. Try spinnerbaits. they are very versatile lures and can work in nearly any situation. Just throw it out and reel back in. as you move on and learn new things, you will become much better. Read ALOT if you want to take bass fishing seriously. I started to in the last couple years and know a honest amount now.

I agree with Jordan as well, except for the Hideous Stik suggestion; I'm not a fan of Hideous Stik rods. also, I would add a couple of top waters, like frogs and buzzbaits, and some ribbon tailed worms that you can Texas Rig. Culprit and YUM both make fantastic worms and lizards. I personally like 7.5 inch worms and lizards the best.

To get you set up with everything would take more room than you are allowed on here. you might try this web site baitcastingreelsandmore.com and see the Articles section for some tips. Hope you get set up and delight in fishing.

For lures best bets for bass are Hula Poppers, Jitterbugs, Wiggle Warts, Rat-L-Traps, and Rapala's should work fine.

I'm starting to get into using crankbaits, and can someone recommend what crankbaits for me to buy? (what depth). also, the river I'm fishing in is stained water. also, what's the deal about inflatable boats? Are they trustworthy? I'mn thinking of buying them because they're cheaper, but they look like they cound pop. lol

Well I honestly don't know anything about crankbaits but I do use inflatable boats myself and have had absolutely no problems with them. In fact I reckon people don't realize how incredibly sturdy they are these days. if you get a decent one it is pretty hard to "pop" it and even if you did get a leak there are normally more than one air chamber so there is no way you would sink.

They are in fact some of the safest boats on the water. Depending on the type of inflatable boat you are looking for you might find some good info here: inflatablekayakworld.com as they give comprehensive reviews on many of the different inflatable rafts, inflatable fishing boats and inflatable kayaks. good luck!

Rapala, Norman, Rebel, Bass Pro Shops, and Cabela's all have their own Crankbaits. Bass Pro Shops has some cheaper $3 Crankbaits which would be fantastic to try. Rapala DT04's or DT06's in crayfish and firetiger colors would be excellent choices as well. Here's just a few good Crankbaits to take a look at –

Rapala® DT® (Dives-To) Series – basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores…

Bass Pro Shops® XPS® Lazer Eye Nitro™ Shad – basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores…

Cotton Cordell® big O® – basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores…

Rebel® Crawfish™ – basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores…

Just a few different Cranks for you to look at…

If you have anymore questions feel free to e-mail me.

hooks and sharp fish fins don't work so well around inflatable boats. i agree with the BOBBER. Buy a used Jon boat or canoe. you can usually find them on sale in your local newspaper or on Craigslist on the net. i got a nice 16 ft Jon with a 15 Horse motor and a trailer for $650. if you don't want to spend that much get a canoe. I find canoes on Craigslist all the time for under $250.

On the inflatable boat question check out allinflatableboats.net/ That should answer a lot of your questions.

I would try like a #5or7shadrap or an Xrap. As far as inflatables I would get a jon boat instead. they are more stable. I got a used12 footer for 100$

i just bought a 14 foot jon-boat and im looking for cheap thoughts for add-ons for it. I will be fishing in bass tournaments with it. I already have a trolling motor. What else could i ad that isnt too expensive or i can make my self?

A FISH FINDER WILL COME IN HANDY

For fishing tournaments you will have to have a live well, unless you want pentalized for every dead fish. Try a large cooler and airater set up. you will have to drill some holes in the cooler and add a little pvc pipe but it works fantastic.

u are going to do what?with a jon boat.
fish tournaments?
c'mon now.by the time u spend $1000 dollars to fix up a jon boat with everything u need fish and be competitive in a tournament,u can spend an extra $500 more and buy urself a decent used bass boat.
reckon about it.

seats anchor rod holders can be purchased at walleye mart at reasonable prices good luck

Lots of luck with your jon-boat.the best thing you can do is get rid of it.

I just bought a bass pro shop dual rod holder, it is very cheap, but I would really like it to work!!! I'm not sure which side is right side up. one way it clicks in, but it just spins around without stopping. The other way, it doesn't click on, it just sits on the mount also it is right along the side of the boat!!!!!!! I really want to get it to stick out so I could troll with it! please help me! I am really stressed and am going on a trip soon and need this to work! also if you could I would really like it if you could send me a step by step explanation. unfortunately the rod holders didn't come with a manual.

There are two basic types of rod holder's and both require mounting the base to the boat before it will hold the tube that holds the rod in place. Normaly you would mount the base on the top or side of gunywall in such a way as to hold the tube in place that holdes the rod. Excellent Luck Fishing

Twilight fishing not only offers a break from the heat but it can also provide anglers with some of the best sand fishing there is. That certainly was the case on Wednesday night for Long Beach-based boats departing at 6 p.m. and returning around midnight.

The Native Sun took off from Long Beach Sportfishing with 51 anglers and headed a few miles offshore. Captain Gabriel Ceballos anchored the newly refurbished vessel over clouds of sand bass clearly visible on the ship’s sonar.

“See that?” Ceballos asked as red balls passed across the screen. “The red indicates density; there is a lot of bass here.”

Just after the anchor came tight, anglers started dropping 4- to 6-ounce torpedo sinkers with a dropper-loop rig and live anchovy down to the bottom at 70 feet. Hector Medina, 8, of Carson hooked up with his first sand bass after just a few minutes, followed by another by his 10-year-ancient brother, Manual.

The Enterprise out of Marina Sportfishing in Long Beach was anchored a few miles from the Native Sun but the action was no less impressive. Captain Frank Savino reported brisk action on 2- to 3-pound sand bass with a few pushing 6 pounds.

There was a strong current so a heavier weight was necessary. Twelve- to 15-pound test gave anglers an additional edge in sacking up their 10-fish limits. Thirty-three anglers were finished by 11 p.m., bagging 330 of the fine-eating bass.

Ceballos fished a tad later in the evening, giving his passengers additional time to fish. Fifty-one fishermen finished up with 417 sand bass, leaving deckhands filleting into the wee hours of Thursday morning.

“Its really good fishing right now,” Ceballos said. “Twilight has been very, very good to us.”

Off the hook: The San Diego tuna bite can’t get any more dismal. The Fourth of July has come and gone with no sign of albacore, and the little bit of bluefin tuna that is around has to be fought for with the larger commercial purse seiners.

Surf fishing has been excellent off Hermosa Beach for corbina and barred perch. Mike Pazik of Torrance has been catching corbina to 4 pounds and barred perch to 2 pounds using sand crabs for bait. Pazik said that fishing has been best around the high tide and has been consistent day in and day out.

“It’s a fantastic break. you can catch lots of fish and it’s cheap to do.”

The Redondo Special has been catching good numbers of calico bass as well as hooking big white seabass on most every trip. The calico bass bite has been red hot around the Palos Verdes kelp around high tide. Fantastic fishing has been the rule with a chance at a stout croaker.

The Toronado had 22 white seabass on Saturday at Catalina Island while Captain Allyn Watson sacked three-fish limits on the big croakers for his six anglers on Monday and Tuesday.

I found a boat in my local newspaper… I've been looking for a small fishing boat and it has everything for cheap but its a V-Hall. Would that be ok for bass fishing? it has a trolling motor and gas motor.

V hull is excellent for bass fishing, great actually in my opinion better than a flat bottom or a tri hull, unless of course you are going fishing in the ocean, then I don't know.

V hull just means when you face the boat from the front, the bottom of it forms a V, a tri hull has three smaller V formations, and a flat bottom is just that: Flat.

Small alum V hulls will handle larger water than normal flat bottoms….. They cut thru the chop…… better riding…… They cost more than flat bottoms and harder to find. only draw back Ive found on mine is its harder to enter and exit boat when when shoring.

a V hull boat is a less stable platform than a semi-v or flat bottom if you plan on standing while you fish. its better in rough water. will not get into shallower water as others. puts more drag on your trolling motor so slower trolling. you will have to select based on how you fish.

I have been around boats all of my life and a v hull is the best way to go. A v hulled boat has a better ride if your going to be in semi open waters. it is also simpler to control.

You can pay $10 for sticker or the $1,000 fine

What could be the first in a long line of quagga mussel sticker violators appeared in a Lake County Superior Court on Monday. three people were slated to appear but only one actually made it and his case was continued for three weeks so he could confer with a court-appointed public defender.

The other two defendants failed to appear and warrants were issued for their arrest. Seven other people cited are awaiting their day in court. What this says is that Lake County is taking a tough stand on those who fail to comply with the county’s ordinance, which requires that all boats being launched into any water body in the county have a current quagga mussel sticker. if not and you’re caught, you’ll pay a fine of at least $1,000 as well as court costs, which will shoot the fine up to $2,700. in addition, a misdemeanor charge will be added. That’s a lot of money to pay for not getting a $10 sticker. for those who fail to appear in court, the fines and penalties are much greater.

Several boaters have told me they didn’t know a quagga sticker was required. if that’s true, they must be living in a cave because all of the boat ramps have huge signs posted instructing boaters to make sure their boats are either screened or inspected. They also make it clear that you must have a sticker. There are volunteers working the public ramps on weekends and holidays. They hand out booklets and advise boaters about the need to have a proper sticker. the Lake County sticker requirement has been all over the internet and on the fishing blogs. the bass tournament organizations have the requirement on their websites and the tournament directors have been stressing to their contestants that they must have the sticker before going to Clear Lake.

A good example was on Sunday at the Fifth Street ramp in Lakeport. A bass club tournament was going out of the parking area and I made a walkthrough of the parking lot and observed five boat trailers that didn’t have a sticker (which is required). that tells me their boats probably don’t have a sticker either. in fact, two of the trailers didn’t even have license plates. one was parked within a few feet of a large sign that said stickers were required.

A few critics of the program are saying it’s only a way for the county to get money. actually, the county is losing money on the stickers. it costs a lot more to administer the program than is ever taken in from boats.

With the long holiday weekend approaching and boaters arriving by the hundreds, there are bound to be a lot of boats out on the lake that don’t have stickers. These boaters can expect to be cited by either Lake County Sheriff’s boat patrol or the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wardens. both organizations have a no-tolerance policy in regards to boats not having a current sticker.

The other problem involves those people who have summer residences in Lake County but live out of the county. They can’t know why they are required to get a monthly sticker. all they have to do is to change the address on their boat registration to Lake County, which will allow them to obtain a resident annual sticker. this can be done at the Department of Motor Vehicle office and only takes a few minutes. it would save them more than $100 in yearly sticker fees.

Clear Lake is one of the few areas in the state where boat launching at a public ramp is free. most lakes charge from $10-$30 or even more. at Clear Lake there are eight excellent ramps that are completely free, so a $10 monthly sticker fee is a very cheap price to pay to launch and fish in one of the best bass lakes in the West. Is the sticker program perfect? Of course not, but it is being constantly reviewed and updated and if it means a slight inconvenience to boaters to keep the quagga mussel out of Clear Lake, then so be it.