Why Fish For Bass?
Dateline 05/24/99
Bass fishing has become one of the most popular sports around. Why, and what caused it? The hype around bass fishing is part of it, as is the fun of fishing for them. Lots of shows on TV concentrate on bass fishing. Learning about bass fishing is enjoyable, and you can hire a guide to help you catch fish, as well as teach you about catching them. You will even develop your own ideas, like my theory about bass behavior, based on my observations.
You can find bass clubs to join, and try tournament fishing on a local level. Lots of money is made fishing for bass, and the Bass Master's Classic is still the most prestigious tournament around.
Bass bite lots of different things. A jig and pig is a bait to use for big bass, and finesse fishing will help you catch bass when the fishing is tough. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits are popular, and several worm rigs will help you put bass in the boat. Topwater lures have got to be the most exciting to fish, though. Putting attractants on your bait helps sometimes, and you need a lure retriever with you!
Rods and reels are designed for specific types of fish, but the most important connection to the fish is your line. No matter how good your line and equipment is, without a good knot you will lose a big bass.
Bass boats are an important part of bass fishing. They are rigged just for that sport. Depthfinders are found on every bass boat now. You can spend a lot of money on a boat, or just fish from the bank!
You can keep a log of the bass you catch, and learn from it as well as re-live the trip. There are computer logs you can use. You might find feeding tables are somewhat accurate this way. You can learn about bass fishing from books and magazines, as well as on the net. Bass fishing games can be fun, too.
Catch and release is the norm in bass fishing, but it is ok to keep a few to cook.
Bass fishing is fun, a challenge, and can be shared in tournaments. There is lots of hype about it but people fish for bass for a wide variety of reasons. If you have never caught a bass, give it a try. Let me know if you like it!
Do you fish for bass? If not, what do you go after? Any interesting trips lately? Tell me about it. If so, you can also post information about it for others on my message board - you must register to post but can read the board as a guest. Also, if you have thoughts you want to share about this topic, let me know about it at fishing.guide@about.com. for a "Fishtale" or discuss it in the chat room on every night at 8:00 EST. Tell others what you like.
ONE YEAR AGO THIS WEEK - 05/25/98 - Backyard Camping
My article from the Griffin Daily News won third place in the 1997 Georgia Outdoor Writers Association "Excellence in Craft" competition for the nongame category.
TWO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK - 05/26/97 - Watching and Learning
If you want to learn how to catch fish, watch them. Observing them in the wild is instructive but difficult. Aquariums provide valuable information for the fisherman.
Check out Coming Next Week - Next week's column topic, contest prize and new additions to the resources lists.
