Now here’s a fish that everybody loves… the largemouth bass. Largemouth bass will take a wide variety of baits. Buzz baits, crank baits, plugs, spoons, jigs… you name it. That’s one reason why everyone loves fishing for largemouth bass.

Habitat

Their habitat is shallow weedy areas with gentle or no current. This is what to look for to target them. You will also find largemouth bass around fallen trees, stumps, under lily pads, under docks & docked boats. Largemouth bass relate to these types of structures and often will remain in one spot for hours to wait for prey.

Largemouth BassA small lake full of tall-growing and dense weeds can be challenging to fish in. It’s hard to fish comfortably without reeling in a big mess of weeds at the end of your line. The thing to do would be to find open pockets to present your bait into.

In this case, your cast or “flip” distance will be quite short because it’s harder to cast your bait into a small pocket from farther away. Again, slowly move from spot to spot to increase your chances of a strike from a larger fish. An area with a nice weed line edge is much easier and a pleasure to fish.

While working the edge, try and keep your bait between say two and six feet from the weed edge. If your bait is too far from the edge, the fish may refuse to chase it resulting in in-effective casting. Make every cast count. Place your bait in a potential fish holding zone and properly work your bait.

Water Color

Although largemouth bass do live in muddy water, your chances of catching them are much better in clear or light tea stained water simply because they could see your bait easier (relying more on sight than vibration) and you could see the weeds.

Time
Early mornings as well as evenings (‘till dark), are great times to catch largemouth bass while mid-day action may be much slower especially on hot summer, cloudless days.

Boat Approach

If you’re fishing from a boat you should enter a potential fish-holding area with a slow, quiet approach and stay as far back as possible from your target (within casting distance). The objective is to not spook the fish. Bigger, older fish are quite cautious whereas the younger ones are not and therefore are more easily caught.

Florida bass fishing can be quite exciting since largemouth grow to a respectable size with fish easily exceeding ten pounds. Similar can be said for the California largemouth strain. But, to me, catching a five pounder will make my day and hopefully yours.
Claudio

Good fishing!