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