1st Cast Fishing Lures

In the world of fishing, there are so many baits/lures to choose from.  The question is, which one to choose and when do you use it?  If you have put any time at all on the water chasing your favorite prey, you know what I am talking about.  I have said before that I have at least 3 favorite techniques that I use, Cranking, Jigs, Texas rigged soft plastics.

I have my opinion about what the perfect bait is, but I would be really interested in hearing what you think.  I like a bait that can be used in more than one technique or situation.  I am not necessarily talking about color here.  I am talking about taking a soft plastic like a Beaver Craw and using it as a Jig trailer or Texas rigging it.  Of using a Trick Stick weightless Texas rigged and then Wacky rigging it with a jig head, either fishing shallow or deep.  Take a Brush Bug and Texas rig it with a 3/8 oz weight then turn around and through it on a Carolina rig.

Just click on the pictures above for a better view.

Until next time, Keep Fishing!

These days there are so many lures to choose from that it can be very confusing and definitely very expensive!  Bass Fisherman can be very particular about their baits.  If they have a certain lure in a certain color that they have caught more than a couple of fish with then they will stick with it.  Makes sense.  The problem these days is that most of the lures that are on the market have gone through the roof when it comes to price. 

If you will take the time and search the Internet you can still find some great values on Bass Fishing lures.  You can find soft plastics at a discount price that will out perform some of the big name high dollar soft plastics.  As I said earlier, bass fisherman (including yours truly) are a particular group when it comes the our equipment which includes lures.  We find it hard to change sometimes if there isn’t a big name endorsing the product.  I can tell you that if you want a bigger bang for your hard earned buck, then shop around and you will find it.

Cranking is one of my favorite techniques.  I wrote earlier that I have two or three favorites.  But Cranking can be so much fun and very productive.  Using a crankbait such as the Storm Big Bass Suspending Crankbait can be a great tool when the bass are in their summer pattern or even during those early months when the water is cool and the bass are pre staging / suspending and not real active.

Using a Crankbait will allow you to cover a great deal of water to find where the bass are hanging out.  During the summer months we all know that they tend to move off into deep water.  Deep is a term that can have a different definition on different lakes.  In your favorite lake deep may mean 20 or 30 ft.  At Table Rock Lake in southwest Missouri it can mean 45 or 50 ft.  In that case you had better be prepared to drop shot a finesse worm in 40 feet of water in the tree tops.  But that is a topic for another day.  In other lakes around the country deep could be the next drop off from 10 to 12 feet.

Suspending crankbaits that dive to 10 feet or more give you the opportunity to crank the bait down to the desired level and have it stay there to entice those fish up from 12 or more feet.  Believe me, when they are hanging close to the bottom they always have a watchful eye looking up for an easy meal.  Do yourself a favor and give one of these deep diving suspending crankbaits a try.  Remember you will always do better if you are outfitted with the right kind of Bass Fishing Tackle.

This is a Shad colored Storm Big Bass Suspending Crankbait. It dives to 10ft. You know your lake better than anyone else.  What color works better for you?  They come in a wide range to fit your bass fishing needs.

Types of Casts

• Overhand
• Sidearm
• Underhand

Notable tips will help with accurate and successful casting such as casting past the target when possible and keep line tension and keep a low trajectory in order to obtain as little noise as possible when the lure enters the water. Casting is a smooth wrist action that should be performed with your fishing lure let out a few inches below the rod tip enabling more momentum from your cast.

It is also important to match the rod and reel quality to the weight of bass fishing lure you are using. Faster, limber tipped rods are easier to cast and after loading the rod a smooth sidearm follow through will result in an accurate cast, with practice.

When the water rises, what should you look for to find the bass, or better yet where should you look?

In my part of the country we have experienced some extremely high water this past spring and now during the mid summer months.  The weather has not been cooporating with the fishing.  High water is a hard time to fish for most of us.  There are a couple of things you can do to make it easier on your self.  If the water has been at the same level for a few days, then typically the fish will move up and possibly be as shallow as 6 inches.  I know it is hard to believe but it does happen.  This is especially true if the water is muddy at all.  Look in the flooded brush, around picnic tables, or walls with either Spinner Baits or a creature bait such as the Brush Bug (two of my favorites).  You want lures that will cover a lot of water fast until you locate the fish.  Then slow down and work your pattern out.

When the water starts to fall, then the bass will typically pull back and be a little tough to catch for a day or so.  No matter the conditions, make sure you are safe and that you have the right Bass Fishing tackle.

There are many different types of fishing lures, all designed to ultimately resemble prey for the fish and attract them to the hook.  Types of fishing lures include: jig (a weighted hook with a lead head opposite the sharp tip), surface lure (a lure that floats), spoon lure (thin and shiny, like the utensil), crankbaits or plugs (lures that move back and forth through the water at fast speeds), artificial flies (used in fly fishing with a fly rod and reel, designed as decoys for a number of different types of prey), bass worms (made of plastic or rubber, look like worms or lizards), and spinnerbait (pieces of wire bent to a 90-degree angle with a hook at one end and a flashy spinner at the other).

Whether you are seeking discount bass fishing lures or a more custom type of bait, there are fishing supplies out there to fit your

One of the hottest baits today on the market because of their presentation at night or in slightly murky water as well as their ability to grab the attention of concealed fish. Jig fishing requires the attention of your pole movements at all times.

As you drop the line to the bottom and feel it hit, drop your rod tip and reel up the slack as you drop it back slightly. Most strikes when initially dropped with only feel like a slight line twitch and in certain conditions when you cannot maintain a line tension you may want to change to a heavier jig. Jigs can be used as both drop bait, casting and swimming lure. Depending on the ground cover a weed guard is mostly not necessary with bass fishing jigs but is recommended in dense cover.

This is what can happen when you are willing to try a new bait.  This is a friend that wanted to try the new Halo Jig for a tournament last weekend.  I can tell you that the conditions were less than perfect, water as you can see is muddy and the wind was whipping up to 25 or 30 mph on occasion.  The Halo jig that he used and bought was the 3/8oz 5/0 hook in Green Pumpkin Craw color.  This happened to one of two that he landed in less than 45 minutes on the water.  Good things happen to those who are willing to try new lures and go for one fish at a time, in other words concentrate on what the fish are telling you.

Congratulations on the catch!

Go to http://www.1stcastfishinglures.com  and see why these jigs are so special!

When do Bass usually spawn?

Bass usually spawn around a full moon after the water surface temperature has reach a sustained 63°-68°F. Because their metabolism is based on water temperature, bass will feed at lower temperatures, but generally seem to become more active when the surface temperature is above 55°F. They are very active in waters over 60°F.

Because water temperatures are affected by water clarity, location, depth and in-flowing water, you may find bass just starting to feed for the spawn on the southeast end of a lake while they may have spawned or be in the middle of the spawn in pockets on the north side of the same lake. And bass on a murky shallow water lake will probably be feeding before the bass in a deep clear water impoundment.

I had a chance to fish a power-plant lake in East Texas. Because the waters were warmed by the power plant, most of the bass actually spawned in January of the year. We were there the last week of February, the surface temperatures were from 68 to 74 degrees F, and there were beds everywhere, but only a few still had bass preparing to spawn.

If you plan your trips to lakes so you are there as they are peeking on the 60 plus degrees surface temperatures, you can actually have a month or two of pre-spawn fishing. And be sure to bring all of your best bass fishing supplies. Just be careful how you handle the old girls, and turn them loose quickly so they can finish what they are feeding for.

These days you have plenty of options when it comes to bass fishing tackle.  I don’t know about you but I have more than I could use on any given day (but it still doesn’t seem like enough).  The question always comes up though, what if they aren’t biting on a particular bait or color.  So as bass fisherman, we like to be prepared for anything.  To me, tackle covers the whole selection process.  This is from rods & reels to line, to lures and the net.

Are they biting on soft plastics today?  Would a Brush bug work or a Beaver Craw and what color are they looking for?

If the conditions are right, what spinner bait am I going to throw and do I need to burn it or just slow roll it down to 8 feet?  What blade should I be using?

 Maybe it is a day when the lizard bite is on or you should be throwing a Jig.

The point is that we all go through this whether we are in a tournament or just out with our family having a good time.  Bass Fishing Tackle and Bass Fishing lures can be confusing and expensive.  In todays economy, we need tackle that will perform and last.  We need quality products at a good value. Read the rest of this entry »