So, you have the boat loaded with your gear, cooler packed, and are on the way to your local fishing hotspot. You dump the boat. Motor to your best spot to reel them in! The only problem, where are the Bass striking? Are they near the surface, suspended, or are they down deep? Use these 3 simple methods and you will soon know where they are and what they are striking!

1) Start at the top: I always start at the top and work my way down. For this you are going to need a 4-6 inch floating minnow. I personally use Rapala’s floating minnow 6 inches long. Look at the water. Is it clear, or is it murky or dark? If it is clear use a silver minnow with a black back. If it is murky or dark, use a gold minnow with a black back. Cast your minnow along the edge of the available cover. Aim for tree tops, docks, lilly pads or any other vegetation. Once the minnow lands let it sit still for a few seconds to let the ripples settle. then, slowly retrieve the minnow by twitching your rod and reeling in the slack. this will make the lure look like an injured baitfish struggling to swim. If there is a bass at the surface, you will get a strike! If not, move on to the next steps.

2 Going down: If the topwater bait does not entice a strike it is time to start moving a little deeper. My next approach is a spinner bait. Use a black and chartreuse or black and yellow spinner bait for clear water. For dark of murky water use black and blue, or a junebug color. (These are the color combinations that have worked for me, you can switch up your color preferences in any way that you choose.) Now, cast your spinner bait in an area that when it is retrieved it will run along the edge of the available cover. I always cast out, count to 2 and then start to reel it back in. I always retrieve at a medium pace. If you have a fairly sensitive rod (and you should) you can fell the vibration of the blade as it turns through the rod. this is the pace that I like to use. You will definitely know it when you get a strike! You will feel a sudden jerk and that is your queue to set the hook! Cast multiple times before giving up. you want to make for sure that the Bass are not suspended below the surface before moving to the next step.

3 On the bottom: Now we are going to be fishing on the bottom. For this step you will need a soft plastic work “Texas Rigged” to find the bottom feeding Bass. Yet again, I use black and chartreuse or black and yellow soft plastics for clear water and black and blue or junebug colored soft plastics for dark or murky water. You will also want to cast along any available cover and let your soft plastic sink to the bottom. While it is sinking, keep an eye on the fishing line where it enters the water. Most strikes occur while the bait is free falling. If you see unusual jerking or movement in your line while it is sinking, quickly reel in the slack and set the hook. OK, the idea here is to have your soft plastic mimic a creature eating off of the bottom. It could be a small snake, crawfish, etc. It depends on the soft plastic you are using. Once the bait has sunk to the bottom, you want to, with a twitch of the rod, lift your bait from the bottom and then let it sink again while reeling in the slack. Continue to use this method of retrieval for 15 feet or so and then reel in the bait and recast.

Study these methods and use them. Every professional Bass fisherman out there has used these techniques. Read as much as you can and find other ways to learn these tricks.

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