| The first step to catching a largemouth bass is to find | | | | temperature, and some even submerge to varying |
| out where the bass are located. You can do this | | | | depths to give you a good estimate of the water at |
| through trial and error and likely waste a lot of time | | | | different depths.) In this scenario your best bet would |
| before success, if success comes. Or your can get a | | | | likely be to use a lure that penetrates the water by 1 |
| good feeling of where the bass are hanging out by | | | | -3 feet, or even a top water lure. Keep in mind that the |
| determining the temperature of the water that you're | | | | more shallow areas are the fastest to warm up to the |
| fishing in, and then using the appropriate lure to get you | | | | preferred temperature, so a logical fishing spot would |
| into their neighborhood. This isn't a hard process, but it | | | | be in shallow waters (preferably around weeds) using |
| does take some simple calculations. | | | | a shallow diving or top water lure. |
| The preferred temperature of the largemouth bass is | | | | Another example would be if you're in the southern US |
| approximately 77 degrees (Fahrenheit). This is the | | | | state like Florida and you've had 3 consecutive months |
| temperature that bass feel most comfortable in and | | | | of temperatures around the 100 degree range. In this |
| are quite active. And given that the body temperature | | | | scenario the surface temperature is likely to be higher |
| of the bass is the same as the temperature of the | | | | than 77 degrees - especially in the shallow water. In |
| water in which they are located, the trick to finding | | | | this case, you would likely be more successful to fish in |
| bass is simply finding out where the temperature in the | | | | the deeper waters with deeper diving bait - perhaps a |
| lake is likely to be around the 77 degrees. | | | | crank bait or spinner bait. |
| There are a lot of factors that determine water | | | | Sometimes the water never reaches 77 degrees - like |
| temperature - location of lake, season, depth, previous | | | | in the late fall and early spring months in Michigan. And |
| day's temperature, etc. However, you don't have to be | | | | since the basses metabolic/activity rate is based on |
| exact - this isn't a science experiment! Your goal is to | | | | the water temperature. The lower the temperature is |
| be pretty sure where the 77 degree water is, and the | | | | from 77 degrees, the less active the fish are. And in |
| variance in the depth of your lure should help | | | | those cases, you will find that it's much more difficult to |
| compensate for any errors in your figuring of the | | | | catch bass during those times. |
| actual depth. | | | | Keep in mind that bass will migrate to warmer water |
| For example, if it's a midsummer month and you're in a | | | | once the temperature in which they are located falls |
| mid-west USA state like Michigan where the | | | | below approximately 73 degrees. They will also move |
| temperature was likely 80-90 degrees for the previous | | | | to colder water when the local temperature reaches |
| couple months, then it's very likely that the water | | | | 83 degrees or so. So they are always in search of |
| surface temperature is close to 77 degrees. (Note: | | | | that 77 degree neighborhood. If you keep these basic |
| You could purchase a water temperature gauge to | | | | points in mind, you will be much more likely to find |
| give you a more accurate measure of the water | | | | yourself inside the bass's neighborhood! |