A Treble of Under-Utilized Techniques

trebleThere seems to be a plethora of bass fishing techniques utilized by anglers these days. In fact, many fishermen even put their own spin on the classics to make them even more deadly and increase the variety of tactics that exist. Good anglers have an arsenal of techniques at their disposal, and are constantly learning more to make themselves more versatile in numerous fishing conditions. Today, we’ll discuss three little known, but highly effective techniques that many don’t use. Add them to your skills and you’ll be a force to be reckoned with!

Floating Rig

Clear waters below 50 degrees are the ideal conditions for a floating spoon, which consists of a bobber followed by 6 to 8 feet of line and a lure of your choice (big, colorful crankbaits or flashy spoons work best). When you cast the rig, your lure will suspend in the water below the bobber, which is very effective in colder temperatures because bass tend to be slow and lethargic in such conditions. You'll want to use a very slow retrieve that allows the lure to cruise slowly underwater. The nice thing is that you don’t have to worry about depth, because the bobber will keep it constant.

Top to Bottom

When you use this technique, you'll break the water into three depths—surface to three feet below, three feet below to eight feet below, and eight feet to bottom. You’ll want to fish each depth with a plastic worm until you get a strike. Once you get a strike, stay with that depth and try new lures until you find one that produces effectively. Stay in that depth, with that rig, until you have no action for roughly an hour. If there’s no action, repeat the process with each depth below until you find the best depth again. This technique is extremely effective and I’m actually surprised that more anglers don’t know about it, let alone employ it on the water.

Go Deep

This technique is all about using a Carolina rig to fish deep areas that other fishermen seldom touch. For those of you who may not know, a Carolina rig consists of a heavy weight, followed by a swivel leader and a Texas rigged soft bait, such as a worm. You want to cast it into rock beds, dock pylons, and other underwater structure, letting the weight sink to the bottom. Use a slow, twitching retrieve to give your bait the appearance of a worm or other bottom feeder slowly inching its way along the lake floor. Bass that are hanging low and near the bottom will be attracted to the motion and strike.

Learning the many different bass fishing techniques will not only make you a better fisherman, it will increase the enjoyment you get from fishing in general. There are numerous methods that can be extremely effective in landing you the biggest bass you've ever caught, but deciding ones to implement for maximum success will take time and practice. The techniques covered today are great ways to cover water and appeal to fish behavior in a variety of situations. Practice them until you become familiar with their usage, and you’ll become a bass assassin in no time.