The Countere Guide to Big Bass Fishin’
Photos by Austin Kroos. Art by Tanzanian Wojak
Editor’s note: As you read this article, you may notice we use the word “fishin’” instead of “fishing,” and you may wonder about the difference. All we can say is that there is a huge difference, and you will understand it by the end of this article.
I was born into a fishin' family.
I’ve been fishin' since I was able to walk. I had the luxury of growing up by the water; my grandparents on both my mom and dad’s side had cabins on the lake. On my mom’s side, the family would spend more time playing games, swimming, and boating. But on my dad’s side, we’d go out fishin' on the boat from sunup to sundown.
A young Austin Kroos, fishin’ from dawn till dusk.
Most might think fishin' is just going out to the water, baiting a hook on a bobber, and catching fish to take home for a fish fry. However, my family is one of the odd ones. We never catch and cook. It’s super strange, but we look at the sport as an art. Whoever can catch the biggest fish is the master of the art.
That’s what’s so cool about bass fishin' in particular. It’s a craft, a thrill, and an incredible experience that I wish everyone would try. There’s so many different ways to catch bass: they are in nearly every freshwater river, pond and lake in the United States. Bass fishin' is a year-round activity, but every day is a different challenge to catch the biggest bass.
The main objective in bass fishin' is to figure out the fish. It may sound silly, but you’ve got to think like a bass: where they are, what they’re doing, and what they’re feeding on at that time of year. Bass fishin' can be pretty simple for those using live bait and a bobber, but when you rely on artificial lures, it becomes that much harder. Which is why so many people fall in love with the sport.
However, I understand that it’s difficult to get into bass fishin' without having any family members in it already. That’s why I’m writing this article. I want to hand down my 20 years of tips, tricks, and overall basic knowledge to get everyone successful out there on the water. Bass fishin' can seem intimidating but this article will break things down so that it will be easy for you to understand. Anyone can bass fish, but only the fearless can be great.
Types of Bass
There are many different types of bass: spotted bass, striped bass, white bass, peacock bass, etc. However, the two most popular species of bass targeted by North American sport fishermen are the largemouth bass and the smallmouth bass.
Largemouth bass are mostly what we will be talking about because that’s what most people will find in their area. Largemouths are found in almost every US state and in any kind of body of freshwater: lakes, rivers, ponds, and creeks. They will sometimes even hang out in brackish water near the ocean as long as the salt isn’t too heavy. Bass fishermen will use a plethora of different tackles to achieve the most success, which brings us to our next topic.
What Tackle to Choose?
Tackle—the equipment used while fishin'—is a topic that can easily intimidate a new fisherman. The amount of rods, reels, lines, and lures in the industry are insane...just walk into the fishin' department at a Bass Pro Shop.
Every serious bass fishermen will have an arsenal of rods and reels to for any situation or technique. For example, it’s jarring how different a “frogging setup” is from a “crank bait setup.” A frogging setup is typically going to be something like a 7-8 feet long heavy action rod, with a high speed reel and a 30-50 pound braided line (which it means can catch 30-50 pound fish). A crank bait setup is typically a 6’6”-7’2” medium action rod, with a slow speed reel and a 10-14 pound monofilament or fluorocarbon line.
Those are just two examples of the 20+ different combinations that pros will rely on to win money in bass fishin' tournaments. Without sponsorships, building your arsenal can be tough, but if you love it, it’s an investment. Just like anything else.
Picking the Right Setup
For beginners, I recommend starting with one basic setup. One that will allow you to toss every lure you need. However, before recommending a setup, I want to make sure you understand why you’re picking it. There are tons of different rods and reels out there and I want you to understand the difference.
First, there’s a spin casting setup (beginner level, only need to push a button to cast); next, there’s a spinning setup (most common, easy to start with or upgrade to from spin casting); and lastly, there’s a bait casting setup (expert level, common but hardest to use). There’s also fly fishin' which involves completely different tackle altogether but is another incredible art.
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Now to make things easy, we will start you off with a spinning setup. There are tons of different spinning setups for all types of lure, so we need to be very mindful when picking a reel (the reel is the cylindrical device attached to the fishin' rod which holds the line). Most commonly, reels are organized by size. The sizes will often go 1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000; some brands will have five sizes that go 20, 25, 30, 35, or 40. Just remember, these are referring to the size of the reel. The smaller the reel, the lighter the line it’s designed for and same for larger reels. A heavy setup would be for when you’re fishin' heavy cover (objects on the surface of the water) such as thick weeds or fallen down trees. A lighter setup comes in handy in areas that have clear water and little cover from weeds, trees, and so forth.
For bass fishin', you want to stay right in the middle. A 2000 or 3000 sized reel (or 30 or 35 reel, depending on the brand you shop) is perfect. Now that we have your medium sized spinning reel picked out, we just need a rod to go with it.
There are many lengths and actions (how much the rod bends when you put pressure on the tip) for rods. The lengths and actions help with casting distance, leverage for fighting the fish, and sensitivity to the fish bite. For bass fishin' versatility, we want a 6’6” or 7’ medium action rod. This will balance beautifully with that reel we picked out.
Now we need some line. There are three different types, and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. Braid is like a string and has 0 stretch (super strong). Monofilament is a plastic, stretchy line that is most common and easy to use. Fluorocarbon is similar to monofilament with the plastic feel, but typically a little stronger and not as stretchy.
For a beginner, the easiest and most versatile line you can go with is monofilament. An 8 or 10 lb monofilament on a medium sized spinning reel with a 6’6” medium action rod will make a perfect setup to get started in bass fishin'. This can cost anywhere from $50-$200+ but I recommend staying between $50-$100 for your first setup. You don’t need anything more than that to figure out if you love the sport.
Next you’ll need to pick out some lures and maybe some needle-nose pliers from the garage to remove the hooks from the fish. You shouldn’t need a net to land bass unless you have a steep shoreline or bank that you’re fishin' from. On occasions, I fish some spots that require nets, but for the most part you can flip the bass onto shore or just grab them right from the water. They don’t have sharp teeth—they only feel like sandpaper—so bass fishermen grab them by the mouth. That way it’s easiest to take out the hooks, get a good picture, and then release them back to the water without harming them.
Later down the road, you can get a scale and tape measure to measure the size of the fish. That way you can keep track of your PB (personal best) largemouth bass. However, in order to catch that PB bass, you’ll need to use some of these baits and lures below:
Chatterbait: A bladed jig aka chatterbait is one of the most versatile baits in the game. It thumps and vibrates when you reel it in to replicate a baitfish. You can fish it slow or you can fish it fast. There really isn’t a wrong way to fish this bait, I just recommend you keep moving it so the bass accept it as a good meal!
Wacky Worm/Senko: A plastic worm that has revolutionized the bass fishin' industry because of its effectiveness. It’s super easy to use, and it can be rigged weedless, meaning you can keep it from getting caught up in the vegetation where a lot of bass hang out. You can fish it just about anywhere, anytime. My biggest tip with this bait is to fish it patiently and slow with subtle twitches! Oftentimes this will look like an easy meal for bass.
Frog/Topwater: Topwater lures are designed for the surface of the water, and topwater frogs are by far my favorite lure to fish. Topwaters work well for ponds because in the summer the water will get covered by weeds all the way to the surface. Oftentimes dragging a frog over the weeds will work wonders. Biggest tip is to fish them slow, and count three to five seconds after you see the splash of a fish eating it to “set the hook.” Setting the hook is when you whip the rod back to get the hooks pinned into the fish’s mouth. This is crucial for any bite you have while fishin'.
Jig: Rocks, sand, and weeds are good places to fish a jig. Fish them slow and always disguise the hook with a plastic crawfish trailer. The trailer is separate from the jig—it’s a chunk of plastic that looks like a crawfish. The crawfish trailers make the bait look more realistic to the bass.
Crankbaits: These are made from hard plastic and painted to look like fish. They either float, sink, or suspend in the water, which makes them very useful when fishin' specific water depths. The idea is to either put the bait in front of the bass and have it sit there (suspended) for an easy meal, or to flash the bait in front of the bass’s face as if it’s a hard meal to get.
Swimbaits: These are a wide range of different baits that also look just like a fish. They are made from hard plastic, wood, or soft plastic material and are made to catch some big bass. They come in all sizes, colors, and body styles. The idea is to get them to swim naturally while being reeled in. When it comes to swim bait, the opportunities are endless.
There are plenty of other baits that I didn’t mention, but I suggest starting with one of the above. Get familiar and confident with one and then move to another. That’ll you put in great shape for future success.
Bass Behaviors
Depending on where you are in this great country of ours (America), fish behaviors can fluctuate. Spring is when the bass spawn. Places in the South will see spawning behaviors as early as late February and early March, while Yanks will see bass spawning in late April or early May.
Bass will eat almost anything: frogs, insects, lizards, salamanders, baby birds, and other prey. The key is to figure out what the bass in your body of water are feeding on and to replicate that using any of the lures above. As soon as you spot frogs on the shoreline, tie on a topwater lure to replicate a frag and you’ll trigger a bite. As soon as you see bluegill spawning in a bed, switch to a chatterbait, crank bait, or a swim bait that can replicate a bluegill. As soon as you see a crawfish, find a jig with that exact color and toss it out there for a big bass to eat!
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It may sound weird, but the key to being successful is to think like a bass. Put yourself in their fins and think about what you’d be eating if you were them. Over time, you’ll learn exactly what these fish like during each time of year. If you’re a beginner, just pay attention and you’ll pick things up super quickly.
Before we finish this section, I want to quickly describe what works for me during spring, summer, fall, and water.
Spring: Suspended jerkbaits, red lipless cranks, jigs, swimbaits, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, and topwaters.
Summer: Hot days call for big Texas rigged worms, topwater frogs, and swimbaits. Also, a Senko worm will always get it done.
Fall: Rattle traps, jigs, jerkbaits, big swimbaits, chatterbaits, and spinnerbaits.
Winter: Blade baits, lipless cranks, and small paddle tails that imitate minnows.
Where to Find Bass
The easiest option when picking a spot is to look on Google Maps and find a body of water in a nearby neighborhood or public park. Rivers, ponds, lakes, and some creeks will carry bass. There are also a few apps out there that can help you find some local fishin' spots.
Don’t fish any private property unless you’re given permission. I know it can be tempting, and I’m a hypocrite because I did that growing up to find untouched water. However it’s not right and you can still catch big bass in public water.
The Secret to Success
Holding a big bass the proper way—with one hand under the mouth and another supporting the body.
Something many people look for when trying to find “the secret to success” in bass fishin' is a hidden spot or esoteric lure. While both of those will most certainly make any bass fisherman’s ears perk up, I want to talk about something that I think is more important than anything else: confidence.
What I’ve learned during my 20 years of fishin' is that there’s a huge mental aspect to this sport. Fishin’ is extremely humbling because it can be very challenging. Sometimes the fish aren’t biting, sometimes you can’t figure out what they want, and sometimes you’re just fishin' the wrong areas.
The absolute main secret to success out there on the water is confidence. One mental trick I’ve learned during the tough times is to imagine a fish coming after your bait because it looks so delicious. If you can’t imagine that, you need to change lures immediately. If you’re senselessly casting without the confidence that a fish will be instantly biting your lure, you’re wasting time.
In addition to confidence, another incredible tip I’ve learned from talking to veteran fishermen is simplicity. The more you complicate fishin', the less fun it tends to be. All these colors, lures, and brands that you see filling the shelves of every fishin' department are marketing. They can easily intimidate and I want you to know there’s no need to be nervous. Just figure out what the fish are eating your area and replicate that. Don’t make it more difficult than that.
Now that you have reached the end of the article, you may ask: so what is the difference between fishing and fishin’? Well, fishing is just catching fish. But that’s not the best part of the sport. Adventures are what I call most of my fishin’ trips. Fishin’ is where the magic happens: seein’ the different wildlife, soakin’ in the ambiance of nature, explorin’ your own backyard, and havin’ a whole lot of fun.
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