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Click Below To Find Answers To Your Questions
Q. What do you do when a lake is on the rise?
Bill: When a lake level drops, fish lose their habitat. They gain habitat on a rise. This signals a fisherman to locate the new rich areas that the fish will move in on to feed. A super place to begin your search is in the water that is only a foot or two deep and has flooded the largest possible area.
Large schools of shad will often move into these areas, simply because they offer a rich source of food (plankton). Be observant and watch for visual baitfish activity.
During the warmer months, when water temps are above 70 degrees, a buzzbait can be fantastic in this situation. If the water clarity is murky you might try a spinnerbait, because it can also be fantastic.
Remember, check for places where the smallest rise in water levels will create the greatest area of new shallows.
Q: How important is pattern depth on a small lake when bass fishing?
Bill: Just like anywhere else you fish, depth is the key. Sure, it’s possible to catch a fish or two at any depth, but you can bet your best lure that the majority will select and use a certain depth level for a multitude of reasons.
It could be water temp, water clarity, oxygen, food location, pH or whatever. Regardless of the reason, you can be sure the majority will remain at a preferred depth level. Sometimes determining this depth can be difficult, but you should still attempt to work various depths with different lures at different presentation and speeds, and cover all depths from the surface to the middle to the bottom. Bass will sometimes choose the upper, shallower portions, early, late or on cloudy days. By mid-morning the concentration could be found in the middle sections of the pond and by early afternoon, the best fishing could occur on the lower sections where the deepest water exists.
The bass could be five feet deep, suspended over 12 feet of water, or they could be on the bottom. It should be your goal as a fisherman to eliminate the unproductive areas as quickly as possible and then zero in on just the productive ones.
Q. Can you give me any tips about fishing small rivers or streams?
Bill: Sure. When fishing moving water, it is always best to cast upstream because fish always face the current to meet on-coming food. That current is what brings them their meals and they learn to look for it. Fishing this direction permits you to control the lure more effectively and it looks more natural. When you cast, try for a head-on shot at the fish, as opposed to retrieving your offering so that it approaches them from the their side. This, too, will help you draw more strikes when fishing small rivers or streams.
Q. Why is fishing shoreline cover so important when top water fishing?
Bill: Large mouth bass and fish of all kinds use cover for various reasons—protection, concealment, ambush, etc. But by fishing a top water plug near objects, the shoreline or irregular features, you will increase your chances for a strike because bass use these features as a blocking force. Predator fish like to trap their prey against something such as a log, stump, weed bed, the bank itself or whatever.
Q. I have heard that casting top water into the sun is important. Why?
Bill: By casting into the sun your lure will produce a better silhouette on the surface, plus it will appear slightly larger than it is. This helps hide the fact that it is an artificial offering instead of the real thing.
Q. I constantly hear that shallow water with quick access to deep water is important to fish. Why is this so important to predators like bass?
Bill: Large mouth bass consider the quick passage to deeper water as an escape route from any type of danger. Call it instinct or habit, but bass will not normally wander very far from that escape route. Like a submarine, bass want the option of crash-diving when they feel the need. Also this change of depth affords bass the opportunity to escape light penetration, and it gives them more latitude in choosing both pH and temperature ranges…i.e. comfort levels.
Q. How do you feel about supplemental feeding in a small pond or lake and how does it affect fish growth?
Bill: Catfish, bluegills, minnows and other species all benefit directly from a program of supplemental feeding, especially when using a high nutritional feed with protein percentage of 32 percent. These fish utilize feed very efficiently. In the proper environment, fish can convert feed at a 2:1 ratio. In other words, they can produce a full pound in weight gain for each 2 pounds of 32 percent protein feed. Fish that are fed grow faster and have increased reproductive potential, too.
Bass prey aggressively on bluegill, minnows and small catfish. Supplemental feeding helps your raise a better crop of forage fish which then increases the capacity of your pond to grow and maintain a greater number of larger bass.
Q. Why does one body of water produce large mouth bass when the one over the hill or across the road does not?
Bill: We can narrow the reasoning down to three things—numbers, nutrition and forage base. As far as big bass are concerned…overstocked bodies of water…probably affect overall bass size more than anything. Growth actually stops all together when the carrying capacity of the ecosystem is exceeded. When you catch a lot of runts in a lake…it is best to look elsewhere. Your chances of catching good bass there are slim.
Nutrition is an important part of the big bass secret and the quality of it can be determined without wetting a line. Invariably waters that drain fertile soil will provide a rich food chain. And resident fish populations there will have a decided advantage as long as the carrying capacity is not exceeded.
A pond that has a good supply of high protein forage such as shad, shiners, fat head minnows or crawfish will normally be the type of pond that will produce big bass.
Q. How long should you fish at one locale before moving on?
Bill: A good bass fishing technique is to fish a spot until you have worked it thoroughly at all depths with an assortment of good lures in several colors, using variations in your retrieve. That might mean a few casts or it could dictate a couple of hours. Remember that even the correct lure fished at an incorrect depth or with the wrong retrieve might mean that you are doing nothing more than enjoying the great outdoors.
Q. Can you give me some bass fishing tips on fishing points?
Bill: The normal tendency when fishing a point is to start shallow and continue working into deeper and deeper water. This method is generally productive, but you should be aware of other ways to fish the same area. Instead of starting along the shallow base of the point and fishing deeper, you may want to start in deep water and make you casts into shallower and shallower water.
It goes without saying that if you want to keep your lure along the bottom, it is much easier to fish form the shallows to the deep. But fish won’t always hit a lure in that direction. That is why you want to vary your approach. If you don’t take a fish from shallow to deep, reverse the procedure and fish from deep to shallow.
A third way of fishing the same area is to keep the boat parallel to the drop-off and use a series of fan casts to move the lure right along the drop-off. By paralleling, you can work the lure up the slope for a short distance or drag it down the slope, depending on your angle of cast.
The important consideration is the realization that lure direction is another variable that should be considered when determining a pattern. On some days the fish will clobber a bait moving from shallow to deep and other days from deep to shallow. Try all approaches before you convince yourself that it is time to move to another point.
Q: Do bass react the same in a small body of water as they do in a big reservoir?
Bill: Absolutely! Bass who reside in these small waters are no different than those who live in larger impoundments. They exhibit the same basic characteristics and they react the same. They both move from shallow to deep and vice versa. Their behavior is the same, and it is governed largely by the season, water clarity and temperature. They relate to cover, open water and even structure both shallow and deep, just like their relatives in the large reservoirs.
Q: Is there any one key thing you really look for in a farm pond?
Bill: Yes, there is, and I’ll caution you — it won’t be found on all ponds! But, when it’s there, it’s almost always a prime location for bass fishing, regardless if they are shallow or deep.
The type area I’m talking about is normally found from the middle sections of a pond to the dam where a shallow area drops off quickly on one side of the flat into deeper water. Locations like this can hold numbers of bass year round, regardless if it’s in a farm pond or large reservoir.
And to be successful at finding them, you got to spend the time required to do some close looking’.
Q: Are there tips important to success when walking the bank of a farm pond?
Bill: When you walk the bank, it’s important to be as quiet as possible and to fish each area thoroughly.
Use a series of fan-casts. Start with a cast as close to the bank as you can. Then, on your next cast, place your lure out just a shade farther. If your first cast was at the 9 o’clock position, for example, make your next cast at 10 o’clock and so on.
This way you’ll cover the area very well. If this fails to produce a fish, you might change lures, or move down the shoreline a short distance and repeat the same motions.
As you move from one spot to another, it’s best to circle out away from the shoreline if at all possible, 30-40 feet is a good distance. By circling out, this will help prevent spooking fish along or close to the shoreline as you fan cast around the 2-3 o’clock position.
Q: When you’re limited on time, what’s the best approach to pond fishing?
Bill: When you’re short on time, you should concentrate on the following bass fishing techniques: a point that extends out into the lake, which gives bass the option of having both shallow and deep water. A pocket that’s shallow where bass can dart up into and feed or may be where a little creek, branch or ditch enters the pond, especially after a rain where fresh water is flowing in, or perhaps where the water is draining out, creating a current.
And of course, look for any type of object in the pond, such as a stump, log, brush, vegetation or tree top. One other overlooked place you sure don’t want to pass up is a shady area caused by a tree or other high object that casts a shadow out on the water. Bass use these shady spots just like other objects in the lake.
It’s also important to always be observant — watch and listen for any feeding sound. It could be a bass, and this will tell you instantly what area of the pond you should be fishing.
Q. When fishing a wing dam on a river with strong current, what locations are best for active catfish?
Bill: Normally, there are three key locations for actively feeding cats. The upper current facing the submerged dyke, the top of the dyke (if it is deep enough) and the submerged outer portion of the wing dam (perhaps the best locale), where the strongest current exists. Here, cats will position themselves along the counter current between the slower current caused by the eddy and the fast current. These areas normally produce best during low-water periods from mid-summer to late fall on most major river systems.
Q. What should I do when I am fishing a lake seemingly void of structure?
Bill: When fishing a lake without structure, it is important to remain particularly observant. Subtle changes such as a sand-to-gravel bottom or a certain species of tree might hold the key to locating the bass. Every time a fish is taken, study the spot carefully and try to pinpoint the salient features; if you find some that occurred in the first spot, you may be on to the pattern.
Keep in mind that in a lake without significant structure, even a minor change in the bottom can be enough to hold fish. So stay alert to a change of any type in a bowl-shaped or frying-pan shaped lake. For more tips and tricks check out bill dances bass fishing guides (bill dance DVDs).
Q. What about piers or docks? Are these worth fishing?
Bill: The most noticeable feature on any shoreline is a dock or pier. In fact, it is so obvious that most anglers either overlook it or pass it up. Don’t make that mistake. This is a key largemouth bass fishing tip!
Q. The lakes I fish have mostly wooden objects in them to fish around, like stumps, logs and treetops along the shoreline. Have any largemouth bass fishing tips on this type of fishing?
Bill: I know what I do when fishing what you have mentioned. Of all the objects in the water, none seem to arouse the confidence of a fisherman like a stump. Remember the shady side is typically the best side, and first side to cast to. It is always best to cast beyond your target and then work your lure from up behind and along side. Then do the same thing on the other (sunlit) side. Make several casts, sometimes the fish might not be close to the stump, but near it.
Of course a log is always a fish-attractor, too. If one end is near the surface, you can safely guess that the larger side is water-logged and beneath the surface. The bass could be anywhere along the long, either shallow or deep. Typically, if a log extends out from the bank, the greater cover will be at the end farthest from the water’s edge. Frequently a tree blows down in a storm or rots out and comes crashing into the water.
Again, if you find a stump, consider that the rest of the tree is very likely around somewhere nearby.
When you find a submerged tree/log, the idea is to cast into the tree and work the lure the direction the branches grow.
Never cast across a log or tree, a hook-up on the other side is most likely to end in a lost fish. And you run the risk of spooking others that might have bit.
Q. What should one look for when shoreline fishing?
Bill: There are two important largemouth bass fishing tips to look for while shoreline fishing. Most important is deeper water and the second is cover. Deeper water doesn’t have to have cover, but cover needs deeper water most times. I’m saying deeper water, not deep water. Three feet isn’t deep, but it’s deeper than 1 foot and in some areas of a lake, 3 feet may be the deepest water available. Also, if cover is present, visible or not, it will make shoreline areas much more attractive to fish.
Q. What is a tip for fishing farm ponds?
Bill: The point to remember when fishing farm ponds is that they are really small lakes, and they possess the same characteristics as larger lakes and impoundments. They are a great training ground for learning more about the habits and movements of bass. For more tips and tricks check out bill dances largemouth bass fishing guide (bass fishing video).
Q. My friend has a 1-acre pond that has a lot of fish, but they are all small and the pond has been there for 10 years. I have never caught any fish over 3 pounds, but I’ll catch 30-40 little bass. I am starting to wonder if the pond is over-stocked and if there is anything that can be done?
Bill: Does your friend’s pond have a problem? From what you have said, it sure seems to be out of balance. Perhaps so much so that the growth of bass is stunted.
But bear in mind a “truly-balanced” condition never exists in a pond. Fish populations continually change and never reach the state of equilibrium, or general stability, referred to as balance.
As noted in the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service publication, “Pond Management” fisheries biologists sometimes use the term balance to describe satisfactory relationships between the predator (bass) and prey (bluegill) populations of a pond. Generally, a “balanced” population must provide three things:
• Fish of harvestable size
• Annual reproduction
• A combination of fishes, including at least one predator species.
Unbalanced populations are those unable to produce annual crops of harvestable-size fish.
All this doesn’t mean the situation is hopeless, however.
If bass populations are overcrowded, the situation can usually be corrected by harvesting the surplus bass. Harvest up to 30-50 bass per acre if the population is severely overcrowded.
Personally, I do not really “harvest” bass when I fish a small body of water with such problems. What I do is move the fish to another fishing hole, where more predators (and the likelihood of future fishing fun) are needed.
Like North Carolina, most state Agricultural Extension Agencies have pamphlets that explain many more aspects of pond and lake management in greater detail. Check out the one in your area.
Q. Lakes I fish have mostly wooden objects in them like visible stumps, logs and treetops along the shoreline. Got any tips on fishing these popular objects?
Bill: There are many largemouth bass fishing techniques for this situation. I know what I do when fishing the type objects you’ve mentioned. Of all the objects in the water, none seem to arouse the confidence of a bass fisherman more than an exciting-looking stump. Remember that the shady side of an object is normally better than the brighter side. In fishing a target like this, it’s always best to cast beyond it, covering the back, side and front on one cast. Your next cast should be to the opposite side. Sometimes a bass won’t be right on the stump, but near it. By making several more casts out from the stump, you could catch the fish there.
Of course, a log is nearly always a bass attractor. Anytime you see this one along the shoreline with one end reaching above the surface, you can assume that the log is waterlogged on the larger end. The bass may be near the section that extends above the surface or out deeper where more cover is present. As stated earlier, position your boat out where you can cast parallel all of the log.
Another super object is a treetop. Frequently a tree blows down in a storm or rots out and comes crashing into the water. All that remains on the bank is a stump, or a short end of the tree base.
Most fishermen will begin to cast around the stump and only the portion of the tree protruding above the surface, ignoring the fact that the rest of the tree and most of the cover is under the surface. The key way of fishing it is to position your boat out in the deeper water and fan cast along the length of the tree.
The idea is to cast into the tree and retrieve in the direction the branches point. By doing this, you’ll minimize the chances of hanging up. Never cast across it. If you hang a bass on the opposite side, your chances of catching it are very slim. Plus, you run the risk of possibly spooking other catchable bass.
In closing, I’d like to leave you with this thought about catch-and-release. There’s a special feeling that comes from within as you turn loose a bass you just caught. Watching him swim away, you feel you’ve just made a personal contribution for improving bass fishing’s future—a guarantee of tomorrow.
Chances are you’ll never see that fish again, but someone else may. A few things you’re certain to see in time are his offspring. If you see him in the eyes of your mind and feel him in your heart, that alone is very, very rewarding.
Q. How does the bottom composition figure into your fishing strategy? Is it important, and why?
Bill: Lake bottoms are formed from a variety of materials that include mud, sand, clay, rock, gravel, grass and even boulders. In most lakes, bottom materials change as you travel the shoreline and they generally reflect the adjacent terrain. Look at the bank and you have a fair picture of the bottom structure. If the bank is sandy, the sand should extend into the water; and if there is small rock or gravel, the same material will be on the lake floor.
The majority of shorelines have transitional zones where mud might change to sand or gravel and rock might ease into a clay bottom. It’s easy for anglers to let these changes pass unnoticed or to disregard them, but they can be prime fish habitat. Bass love to lie along the transitional zone. They may feed on minnows, crawfish and water lizards on a pebble bottom and then move just over the border to rest on a bottom formed from large rocks. When you work a shoreline, watch the bottom changes and try to relate them to a pattern. If you have a hit or hook a fish, check immediately to see if the bottom material changes; just glance at the bank and you will have the answer.
If you do notice the bottom changes where hooked your fish, this might be the beginning of a pattern. Move down the shoreline until the same condition exists again. That is a useful bass fishing technique I use all the time. Let us say the bottom changed from sand to grass; you fish another changeover spot and catch a second fish. Don’t waste any more time puttering down the shoreline. Move directly to the next area where sand changes to grass or grass changes back to sand and fish there.
Again, reading the shoreline will give you a good idea of what you can expect right up to the bank, and it will provide with the clues to the type of structure dropping off into the deeper portions of the lake. As you fish the shoreline, you must continue to search for irregular features. They may be on the edge of a tree line, the beginning of a bluff, a place where a mud bank ends and gravel begins, or anything else where change takes place. Bass like to hang out along marginal territory where the land is changing.
Such study of your surroundings will help give you the total picture—both above and below the surface.
Q. I am sometimes a bit overwhelmed when it comes to fishing “big water” or large reservoirs. Can you give me some tips?
Bill: There is a tendency among anglers with super fast boats (and even among some with the slower boats) to attempt to cover too much territory, anyway. They’ll fish one spot and then crank up and run for another spot that is 8-10 miles down the lake. Much of their fishing time is spent running from spot to spot, with the result that they fail to cover any an area thoroughly. The secret of finding fish in any lake is to maximize the time that your lure is in the water.
Wherever you fish, be thorough, and then worry about covering other areas.
Q. Why are the fish I catch in murky muddy water so white or pale in color?
Bill: This is primarily caused by a lack of light penetration below the surface. A largemouth bass has color cells positioned at various levels in its top layer of skin as well as in the bottom of the skin. These cells contain pigments and color changes can be produced from influences in the environment. The cells contain elements that catch the light and then emit sheens including gold, greenish colorations or pale images. When a fish is exposed to either muddy or deep, clear water, its coloration will usually become very pale. A lack of light penetration is the culprit.
Q. I’ve often hear that 70 percent of this earth is water. What’s the percentage of freshwater versus saltwater fishermen in this country?
Bill: Of all the salt water that borders the U.S., the great majority of all fishing in America is done in fresh water, according to the National Wildlife Survey. Their report shows that freshwater fishermen account for about 80 percent of all anglers.
Saltwater anglers, those who fish deep sea, surf, shore, tidal bays, inlets and sounds. Account for about 35 percent of all anglers. If quick math tells you that the percentage of salt water and fresh water fishermen adds up to more than 100 percent, it’s because some anglers fish both and were counted more than once.
Q. What kind of creek channels do you like best when bass fishing?
Bill: The channels I like best are the creek channels found on lowland and midland lakes, because the channel ledges there are more fishable than river channel ledges. This is because they’re not as large and the water there is usually more protected. Also, the actual depth break is more defined.
Q. What is the number one cause for the loss of good fishing in a pond?
Bill: Farm ponds and small lakes are notorious for a short life span of “good fishing”. The most common cause for loss of good fishing is the over harvest of largemouth bass.
Most Mid-South ponds and small lakes are stocked with a predator-prey combination of bream and bass.
Most management plans call for no harvest of bass until they have had the opportunity to spawn twice. Traditionally bluegill can be taken as soon as they are large enough to be of interest to pond owners.
Most county extension agents or wildlife departments have free literature on proper pond management. My suggestion is that you check with them for such information.
But basically, how you manage your pond is determined by what you want or expect from it. Do you want numbers of fish? Or bigger fish? Such questions should figure into your management scheme so that your personal goal and definition of “good fishing” is more likely to be reached. For more tips go to my web site bill dance outdoors!
Q. I fish a 30-acre lake a lot during the summer near my home. The problem is visibility is less than 2-feet and it stays muddy-murky the majority of the year. It’s full of big bass, but they’re difficult for me to catch. Any suggestions?
Bill: Since the water visibility is less than 2 feet, one of the best ways to tempt big fish is to use larger lures. By mid-late summer, food abundance is many times higher. Larger offerings stand out from the plentiful natural forage, and are more likely to interest well-fed summer bass. Remember to keep this bass fishing tip in mind when fishing in murky water.
Q. Can a lake eventually be over-fished to the point that it is ruined? If so, how can we as fisherman get our lakes back to where they were?
Bill – Yes, a lake can be “loved” to death — i.e., fished too much. Heck, sometimes “not” fishing a lake enough can cause it to go out of balance. Indeed, there are many ways the “mismanagement” of a lake, pond, etc. can cause problems.
The key to solving the problem is knowing exactly what the problem is. If I were you, I would contact my local state fish and wildlife agency and see if they can check the lake and see what the problem is.
Have creel studies been conducted?
You indicate there are no fish. If this is true, the problem may revolve more around habitat or some sort of environmental influence than fishing pressure.
The bottom line? You need to get a professional opinion, and I think you would better serve getting such an opinion from a professional biologist rather than a professional fisherman.
Not only can state fish and wildlife agencies provide clues to why such problems exist. They also can provide answers.
Sometimes this involves an intensive management plan: stocking, slot limits, habitat improvement are all tools used to cure problems in fisheries.
Q. I live in a subdivision with about a 100-acre lake that’s gin clear and heavily pressured every day by property owners. I know it’s full of big bass but they’re hard to catch. Any suggestions??
Bill: Since it’s highly-pressured during the day and drinking water clear, chances are, most of the bass are feeding at night. That’s when the big fish will have their guard down and be easier to catch.
In clear lakes, you can fish with heavier line and tackle at night making it easier to land any big ’un that happens to bite. Hope that bass fishing tip helps you catch some!
Q. Do bass react the same in a small body of water as they do in a big reservoir?
Bill: Absolutely! Bass that reside in small waters are no different than those in larger impoundments. They exhibit the same basic characteristics and react the same. Both move from shallow to deep and vice versa.
The behavior of small waters bass is the same, because it’s governed largely by the seasons, water clarity and temperature. They relate to cover, open water, and shallow and deep structure, just like their relatives in the large reservoirs.
Q. Why do bass so often related to cover and/or structure?
Bill: It’s a known fact that bass, especially largemouth, rely heavily on structure and cover more than most other game fish. That structure is the geologic makeup of the lake floor, whether it’s man made or natural. Biologists and ichthyologists have proven this fact in simple, controlled experiments, where they placed several bass in a white-sided tank where the light was evenly distributed and where no sounds could be heard.
The bass swam about as if they were lost. Then a cover was placed on one side of the tank and the fish immediately moved to the cover. From the moment they are born, bass instinctively relate to some form of cover! At first, it’s to avoid being eaten by other fish and birds. Later, as they mature, bass become the predator and select cover like stumps, bushes, logs, vegetation, and rocks as ambush points to feed on a wide assortment of unsuspecting prey. Because a bass’s life revolves around structure and available cover, fishermen who understand this and become adept at locating different forms of underwater terrain invariably catch more fish.
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