Published: November 24, 2008 09:08 am      

GONE FISHIN': Lure presentation is important

By Jerry Miller

gonefishing@suddenlink.net.

One of the most critical aspects of triggering strikes from bass each day is determining what mood the bass are in. You won’t catch many bass until you first determine where to fish, what lure to use, and the type of presentation you need to get a fish to bite.

The only way I know to do this is to make a lot of different lure presentations. I usually start off with a fast retrieve and then gradually slow down until I catch my first bass. Then you have to determine how the fish are relating to the cover, etc.

The majority of the time, the strike zone will be on the front or deeper side of an object, and that you’re going to get reflex strikes the majority of the time. That means using a sinking lure like a spinner bait or worms, jigs or tubes. The bait has to drop directly into the strike zone.

During the pre-spawn time you generally have the largest strike zone. A lot of fish are moving shallow, and you can use multiple baits and presentations.

During the fall there are a lot of bass that move to channel areas such as creeks and rivers. A lot of bass are usually shallow, and there are days when they become quite active. Once into the winter period the strike zone shrinks as they migrate to deeper waters near more vertical banks, bluffs and channel bends.

Personally, I like to fish in the winter because the bass move deeper and tend to really bunch up in very small areas. Finding these deep water spots can be difficult at times but once located you can really catch a lot of big bass quickly.

In the winter, spoons and tail spinners get the nod. I used to think that the only way you needed to fish a spoon was vertically hopping it off of the bottom. I’ve caught a ton of bass with this presentation, but at times bass will ignore a vertical jigged spoon.

That’s when you need to change your retrieve or presentation. At times I use a very slow lift and drop presentation. This is especially effective in the dead of winter. Sometimes swimming a spoon just above the bottom and over cover will get you bit. Many times I’ve caught bass on a spoon by dropping the lure into the very top of a brush pile and slowly jigging it up and down letting the lure bump into the limbs. That’s when you will get a reaction strike.

One important aspect of fishing to keep in mind is fishing pressure. Most of our public lakes get a lot of fishing pressure. This means a fisherman must use a stealthy approach. Try to get as close to the fish as possible without alerting them to your presence.

Whenever I stop to fish a spot I always quietly lower my trolling motor and turn the speed to the lowest setting. In shallow water you really need to make soft, accurate presentations. This alone will get your more reflex strikes. Try to put your bait exactly where you think he is hiding.

Larger bass have a smaller strike zone, so you have to be more precise in lure placement. This is true all year long.

Usually the largest bass will be positioned by the best cover available, maybe a very large stump or a large brush pile, and usually every spot will have a fast, easy access to deep water.

Whatever size fish you are targeting, the most important thing to remember is lure presentation. A poor caster with a sloppy presentation won’t catch many bass.

Just keep changing your speed of retrieve, depth or even your casting angle. All of this is important and can spell the difference between a good day of fishing and a bad day.



Jerry Miller can be contacted at gonefishing@suddenlink.net.