Fishing Bass at All Different Depths

So you’ve avidly read all kinds of instructional books on bass fishing, searched the internet on the art of angling, grasped the difference between a slow and fast action rod, and scheduled a fishing trip with friends.

Before you pack up all the lures the guy in the fishing store advised you to buy and jump in your truck, take a minute to read this article to add a couple of more advanced tips to your arsenal.

Inexperienced anglers fail to catch more bass because they don’t fully understand the uses the lure they have were made for. Lures of all types including spinnerbaits and crankbaits may have overlapping functions but were originally intended for specific functions.

There are a large variety of bass fishing lures available at fishing stores that should only be used in particular environments and in certain ways, so here’s a quick guide to the lures you should use in waters of varying depth.

Shallow Water Fishing: Although bass tend to feed in shallow waters, catching them can be a bit tricky because they’re scattered and spook easily.

Catching bass in shallow waters requires you to use lures that can be cast and withdrawn easily and in quick succession, so you can cover a large area of water effectively before moving on to different waters. Crankbaits can be used in a variety of conditions and is best used with a rod that has slow action.

Other plugs including minnow plugs that float on the surface of the water at rest are your best bets in shallow water. For super shallow waters, spinnerbaits are ideal for effectively covering large areas of water. Rigging your rod with a plastic worm is ideal for working through weeds and brush.

Medium Water Fishing: Crankbait are also ideal for medium water fishing. Depending on the exact depth of water, different sized crankbaits are needed. Crankbait that is able to dive into the strike zone as quickly as possible and remain there for as long as possible are ideal.

The depths with which crankbait dive are dependent on the size and length of the lip. Crankbait are ideally used with medium power fast action rods, so the lure will go deeper into the fish’s mouth before hooking onto it. At the same time, worms and similar bait, which target shy-biting bass, are also worth a try.

Deep Water Fishing: Bass go to deeper depths in search of cooler and consequently more oxygen-rich waters in warmer weather. Some anglers go as far to find the thermocline barrier that separates the sharp transition from warmer to cooler water since fish tend to gravitate towards that discontinuity.

Experienced anglers use pre-rigged plastic worms and jigs to fish in deeper waters. Be sure to get a worm made of soft plastic to imitate the texture of an actual worm, so the bass will hold on to the lure longer. Jigs, which move in jerky vertical motion as opposed to the horizontal motion of spinnerbaits, are useful in nearly all conditions for catching shy bass but especially effective in deeper waters.

Armed with this information, you’re ready to catch bass in any sort of environment. Fishing in medium depth waters may be your best bet because anglers tend to go to the extremes when fishing. Don’t be afraid to try something new.

Go wild and give each lure a try and see what works for you. Try surface fishing and give all the different types of floating lures a try. Just make sure you fully understand the purposes for which each lure was intended.