Largemouth bass are actually members of the sunfish family.  White bass and striped bass are examples of the true bass
family.  Largemouth bass grow 4 to 6 inches during their first year, 8 to 12 inches in two years, 16 inches in three years.  They are usually green in color with dark blotches that form a horizontal line along each side of their body.  They are best known for their large mouth, as how they got the name “Largemouth” bass.

There are many places where largemouth bass can be found.  Since they inhabit nearly every body of water from small ponds to large lakes, these bass can be easily found.  During the spring months,  bass will move closer to the shore.   The spring months are also the spawning season for bass.  The bass will typically build their nest in the shallow area of the lake.  The male bass are the one who usually guards the nest.  They will not feed heavilily during this time either.  Their main focus is on the protection of the nest.  If they are caught during their spawning season, more than likely, the bass took the bait only because they are trying to defend their nest.

After the spawning season is over, bass fishing will be at its peak.  Largemouth bass in general are eager feeder and will prey on anything they can fit in their mouth.  With their large mouth, largemouth bass are capable of swallowing prey as large as a full grown frog.  Other food source for bass are crayfish, worms, minnows, and other small fishes.   Where there are plenty of baitfish, a largemouth bass is definitely nearby.

During the summer and fall seasons, bass still linger around the shores of lakes and ponds.  Around the shore is where most of the baitfish will be.  Bass will migrate to area that hold a lot of baitfish, which is usually the shallowest part of the lakes.   Under submerged  logs and vegetation are places where they like to hide.  Other places where bass can be found are rock ledges  and man-made structures.

Largemouth bass are a great fish to catch.  They can be easily found and the reason why many fisherman choose to go after them.  You don’t have to be an expert to catch a trophy sized bass.  All you really need is some luck and knowledge of the lake that you will be fishing.

The smallmouth bass, pound for pound, is one of the hardest fighting freshwater fish.  Once caught, it usually runs acrobatic leaps which is very exciting to watch and what most angler loves about the smallmouth bass.

Before going on the hunt for the smallmouth bass, you must first know its characteristics and how it looks like.  Smallmouth are bronze to brownish green in color with dark vertical stripes on the sides.  Unlike the largemouth, the upper jaw of the smallmouth doesn’t extend beyond the rear margin of the eye.  The eye of the smallmouth is reddish in color.  It has 13 to 15 rays of dorsal fins.  Smallmouth bass range from 12 to 22 inches in length.  And the normal weight of these fish are 8 ounces to 7 pounds.

Smallmouth bass are more active in cold waters than warm waters.  Start looking for them when the water temperature of around 45 degrees Fahrenheit.  The bass will suspend in 20-30 feet deep in the waters.  Some bass might wait until the water temperatures get a little warmer before emerging higher.

When the temperature reach the mid-50s, the bass will start to find cooler or deeper holes.  This is the time when the fish finder comes in handy.  Find a rock ledge that drops off quickly from about six to twelve feet is among their favorite spot. Other places to search for them are on rocky structures with or without light weed lines.

One of the most effective methods to catch the bass is to work the top of the weed beds.  Some fisherman prefer jigs, while others choose live bait.  It all depends on your preference and how well you know how to work the lures or live bait.

Here’s a list of of the best lures to catch a smallmouth bass:

* Stonefly Bugger - size 6
* Crayfish - size 8
* Zonkers - size 4
* Clouser Minnow - size 6
* Bead Head Wooly Bugger- size 6

Fishing for smallmouth can bring lots of joy and fun. These fish travel in schools so if one is caught, there are many more nearby.  The only difficult part to fishing smallmouth bass is searching where they are located, but once found, get ready for some real excitement!

Hybrid striped bass is a cross between the white bass and striped bass.  The original cross breeding is between a female striped bass and a male white bass.  The hybrid share all the same characteristic as their parent, but the hybrid are stronger and more aggressive.   The hybrid striped bass have a horizontal black line across their body.  Out of the three, the hybrid grows the quickest.  In their first year, a hybrid can grow almost 12 inches in length.  In the second year, they can grow past 15 inches making them legal to keep.  No other type of fish can grow at this astounding rate.

Hybrid striped bass are found throughout the United States, but mostly in the southern states.  They can withstand extreme temperature and low oxygen water level.  For this reason, they are capable of thriving in ponds and other places where as their parents cannot.  Along with the white bass, hybrid striped bass migrate upstream during the spawning season which usually takes place in April and May.  They are attracted to flowing water.  Tailwater areas below dams are good fishing locations when water is flowing through the turbines of the dam or spillway gates.  Also, after heavy rains, around the mouths of creeks usually attract hybrids.

You can catch hybrids on different type of artificial baits.  For area will slow current, imitation minnow baits and crankbaits are effective.  In fast current, such as areas around dams, spoons and jigs are popular baits to use. For bait fisherman, the top bait to use is gizzard shad - five inch or larger. Other baits that are effective on hybrids also are insects and liver, but the best bait of all is the live gizzard shad.

The equipment to catch a hybrid should be a strong rod, but flexible enough to absorb the shock of the initial strike, and with at least a 12 pound test line.  Hybrids are incredibly strong, hard-hitting fish that are known to destroy lures.  For this reason, it is recommended to have a few lures on hand.   The hybrids attack the lures with such great power and speed that the fish doesn’t hook it itself.  To prevent this, sharpen every hooks on the lures.

Hybrid striped bass is an exciting fish to catch, especially when one is hooked.  Not only are they fun to catch, they are also delicious to eat.  Anyone can get on the action to catch these wondrous fish.  During the spring season when they migrating upstream, fishing for them from the shores is possible.  In fact, this is the time when most rivers and streams inhabit by hybrids will have the most angler fishing.

There are six known species of Peacock bass with the Butterfly Peacock bass being the most popular.  The speckled peacock bass is the largest growing more than 3 feet in length, while the royal peacock bass is the smallest growing just under 2 feet.  All peacock bass are bright colored fish with shades of green, blue, orange, and gold being one of the main color.    The stripes on them can differ by the species, but with all species, the stripe usually fade away later in adulthood.

These bass are native to the Amazon River basin of  South America.  They are now also found in the southern part of Florida.  They were introduced to Florida in 1984 to control the growing population of exotic fishes such as the Spotted Tilapia and Oscar.   While some fisherman has tried to move them to other locations in the United States, it have not been successful because peacock bass cannot tolerate low temperature water.   As of now, the only place in the United States that Peacock bass can be found is in southern Florida.

When it comes to peacock bass fishing, most fisherman claim the best place in the world to get in on the action is on Brazil’s Rio Negro River and on Venezuela’s Lake Guri. Before even thinking about going there, one should do research on it first.  Going there without any guidance of any kind will be costly.  Since it is one of the top fishing spot for peacock bass fishing, there are guides there to help you out and is recommended that you get one.

The top lures preferred by peacock bass anglers are the topwater lures.  The bass will readily take the lures anytime of the day, even in bright sunlight.  However, overcast conditions will yield the best action. Other lures such as the walking baits, propeller ripping baits, poppers, jerkbaits, casting spoons, and bucktail jigs works great on peacock bass too.  With any lures, consider using some type of strong wire Inter or Double-Lok snap (size 6 - 120 lb break strength) for fast lure change.  Always remember to bring extra split rings and treble hooks, as peacock bass will break a few baits during the fishing trip.

On the market, there are literally thousands of different bass fishing lures available.  There are so many variety of lures that chances at the local bait shop will not have all of them available to you.  In the world of bass fishing, trends come and go, and new technologies are invented everyday, which is why it is important to keep updated on the latest news if you want to catch bass.

Almost every lures that is created has one goal in mind, and that is to replicate the fish and other aquatic animals that the bass prey on.  There are topwater lures, the lightest lure that can float in the water. The craw cranks which looks like a small crab. The crank baits that looks like a fish with long mouth, and the buzz bait that produces a noise to attract the bass to strike it.

The Pop Roller is a delicate bass bait, ideal for calm conditions and creek channel fishing.The Chug Roller, with its echoing, deep chug, calls the fish  as it runs through the water.  The Rip Roller series is the most popular among bass fisherman and the best selling lures on the market.  Due to the noise that the prop makes when skimming through the water, it attract fish near and far.  Rounding out the series are the Crank Roller and Wiggle Roller, known for its un-paralleled buoyancy, flash and structure bumping reactions.

The High Roller is designed for professional bass fisherman.  These lures are proven extremely strong and known for their top performance.  Originally made for smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing, they can also be used to fish for other freshwater gamefish.  The High Roller offers poppers, aggressive walking baits, noise crank baits and the prop baits.  All these lures are made to outperform and out-catch the competition.

There are also the Classic Bass Fishing Lures.  Similar to the Pro Series Jig, it is weedless with dual rattles built inside.  The Pro Series Spinner Baits has a premium plated blades.  In tournament, the most widely used bait is the Tournament Series Spinner Bait.  Another great lures is the Clacking Buzz bait, it is the nosiest buzz bait and popular around the world.

Lures are important in bass fishing because it is the link of the fisherman to the bass.  Without lures, bass fishing won’t be possible.  Knowing how to use the lures correctly, will catch you more fish.  As with any sports, practice is needed in order to perfect your skills, especially in bass fishing.

Most angler have their tackle box full of lures and baits.  Some of the lures and baits only get used once or twice.  Some might not even get used at all.  For this reason, it is very important to understand what lures and baits works and which one don’t.  Knowing this can save you plenty of rooms in the tackle box and save you money too.

When you go lures shopping at your favorite tackle store, try to check on the different selections of offerings that you are thinking and planning to purchase.  Before picking one out and spending some more of your hard earned money, you may want to take some advices first from someone who has been there and done that, so you wouldn’t spare any regret in the end.

Beside from the necessity of knowing the right lures and baits to use, it is a significant consideration that you must try to understand the proper way of using it and under which conditions.  For example, on a hot sunny day, using a top-water lure will not work as well as a crankbait.  During a hot sunny day, the bass are mostly hiding under the dock or other aquatic vegetation and will not respond to anything skimming the top of the water.  Using a crankbait which dives to the depth of where the fish is located will give you a better chance of a strike.

Another important tackle for bass fishing is the fishing rod and reel.  While there are no right fishing rod for everyone, the thing to do is take your time and research the fishing rod that suit the fish you are after.  A good tip to remember is the longer the rod, the farther the cast and a quicker hook sets.  A shorter rod is easier to handle and more sturdier, great for working top water plugs and short casting under brush.  Attached to the rod should be a good reel.  Most reel in a tackle shop are suitable for bass fishing.  Some are under $20 dollars while others can fetch pass $200 dollars.  Quality reels will last longer and perform better than a low-cost reel.  With quality, it comes with a price tag.  If you do a lot of fishing, it is best to go with a quality reel which will give you more money in the long run.

With bass fishing, the tackle you choose will have a big impact on your fishing experience.  Do some research on bass fishing and find out what works and what doesn’t to save you the regret of catching no fish when you are out there fishing.

Water Temperature

Most bass species prefer a temperate climate, which means their metabolism is influenced by the temperature of the water.  They can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, therefore we can fish for them throughout the year.  When the water is around 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit, bass will tend to stay closer to shore.  When the weather gets colder, bass are somewhat more dormant and sluggish and moves toward the deeper part of the lakes or pond.

Oxygen

Oxygen is also a big factor to consider when bass fishing.  The hotter the temperature gets, the more the oxygen is in the water, which is produced by the aquatic plants. For this reason, the bass will stay closer to the shoreline.  Being able to read these signals that nature provide, will give you a hint where the next big one will be at.  Also, look for spots that are not too quiet and filled with decaying plants, as this is a sign that the area is oxygen-deprived and do not have a large concentration of fish.

Clarity of the Water

You will be able to find bass in both clear and murky water condition.  Their behavior on feeding are more on how to use their energies to hunt for food, rather than the clarity of the water.  In both water conditions, bass still can hunt for their prey. As for the angler, it might be more difficult to detect where they are located during a murky water condition.  For murky water condition, most angler prefer a bright colored lures.  For clear water condition, using a neutral colored lures works great.  A great tip to remember is, if the the water are clear, head for the deeper water.

Once you fish for bass a couple times, you will be able to read the water conditions and will be able to determine where they are located.  Being able to read the water is very important, especially if you are after the trophy size bass!

Fly-Rodding

Fly fishing technique is very effective on bass.  This technique can be used to fish bass in ponds, rivers and streams, and lakes.  Start by rigging a plastic worm, with a small split-shot above the hook.  This will enable the worm to sink to the bottom.  Cast the worm and let it sink to the bottom.  Twitch the rod to make the worm appear as it is wounded.  Keep the rod tip near very low to make it possible to make a strike when the bass take the worm.

Ripping

This is a technique that uses the twitch, jerk, and go method.  This technique works best with plastic worm.  The object of this is to imitate a wounded prey. Cast the worm and let it drop and settle to the bottom, letting it stay there for about 10 seconds.  Reel some line in and twitch the tip of the rod quickly, creating the worm to jerk.  Let the worm drop again to the bottom and repeat the same process over and over until you get a strike.

Skipping

This technique is similar to the skimming the rocks onto the surface of the water to see it ’skip’.  This technique is useful when fishing with a top-water lures.  The lures skims the top of the water and produce a disturbance, which in turns, triggers and teases the bass to come up and investigate.

Spinning rods and reel combo is best used for this technique.  This technique is perfect for fishing where the bass are hiding under piers, boat docks, and pontoons.  Bass prefer shady areas, under cover of structure on sunny days.

With bass fishing, you can use various techniques to catch them.  Some techniques might not work for you, but works wonder for others.  You will have to give each one a try to find which technique works for you.