ALL ABOUT YELLOW BASS FISHING
The yellow bass is known as a scrappy fighting fish specie that is well-known among light-tackle and panfish anglers. Its flesh is white, flaky, and a better catch in terms of taste than the infamous white bass. If you see a fish with brilliant yellow sides and evidently irregular stripes, then it is most likely to be a yellow bass. You can also take note of the runs of the stripe pattern. If out of all six to seven stripes, there are three to four stripes that lie underneath the horizontal line, which looks broken or hindered toward the tail, then you can't be any more sure that it is indeed a yellow bass.
You can typically catch yellow bass along cliffs and steep shore banks, gradual shores, inlets, and outlets, as well as islands of sand bars. Some bass fishes also reside in the open water or settle in the piers, docks, and pilings. If you look closely, you may also want to check them out in spring holes, walkways, bridges, freshwater lakes and ponds, holes, inside turns and coves, or lily pads to strike your catch. While you're at it, you can also look for yellow bass along overhanging trees and bushes, points and break lines, shoreline shallows, sunken objects, and even freshwater wee beds.
In terms of the fishing methods popularly used to catch bass fish, the following are the most effective ones: drift fishing, trolling, still fishing, fly fishing, bait casting, and spin casting. You may also use bait to earn your catch faster. You may lure the fish by dropping flies, jigs, small minnows, spinner baits, insects, leeches, plugs, and spoons into the water.
I know what you're thinking; too much information, right? Don't worry; in this article, we'll go over them one by one. So, get up and ready your gear for your next yellow bass adventure.
THE DIFFERENT FISHING METHODS TO CATCH YELLOW BASS
There are different ways how to earn your catch of a yellow bass fish. Listed below are the ones that are proven to be more effective methods to utilize than the rest:
Drift Fishing
Drift fishing is a method that requires a heavy load to get the lure down. However, the movement of the boat moves the bait through the water gradually. To do this, you can use a bobber or a popping plug.
Needless to say, knowing how to drift fish will enable you to fish over various fish territories as your boat can freely float with the water current or along the wind. Moreover, the drift fishing rig you are using can be arranged to enjoy fishing on the bottom or at any selected depth. Of course, this is only possible, given the fact that your drift fishing setup includes a bobber or float.
Now, let's get critical in choosing which drifting bait to use. Generally, natural baits are the ones that work best. However, if you opt to use jigs, lures, and other artificial flies, they can generate good results, too. So, as soon as you figure out how to drift fishing, you'll be able to freely and easily drift fish on ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams whenever and wherever you want.
To end, there are only two basics of drift fishing that you ought to remember: (1) both live and cut baits can be floated with a load on your line to keep it close to the base or suspended underneath a bobber or popping stopper and (2) the only contrast between drifting a lure and base fishing is movement.
Trolling
Next on the list is catching yellow bass by the so-called trolling method. It is where one or more fishing lines containing lures are drawn through the water. Trolling includes the mechanism of dragging lures behind while the boat moves forward gradually yet surely.
This, despite the multitude of trolling lures rigging techniques you want to use, remains effective because the motion of the boat consistently conveys action on the lures, regardless if you are using spoon lures, surface lures, plugs, swimbait, or spinnerbait. Ultimately, trolling with lures is the way to go if you want to catch some bass, including big game fish such as tuna and marlin.
In addition to that, learning how to fish by trolling with lures is one of the most popular methods of fishing while boating. Furthermore, you can pick either to do rig trolling lures in freshwater or saltwater.
Still Fishing
Stillwater fishing otherwise called still fishing, is a simple yet effective fishing technique utilized by both beginners and professionals in the sea. Through this fishing method, you will learn how to catch more fish in no time.
Contrary to the usual practice of cast and retrieve fishing, which practically demands a continuous movement of the line, most new anglers or beginners start with Stillwater fishing just to get the hang of it. Basically, it is when you put your bait in the water and simply wait for the fish to come and find it. It sounds pretty simple, right? Truly, if you are a beginner, this may be the way to go to kickstart your fishing hobby.
However, it is not a no-sweat activity. In fact, Stillwater fishing may also become a challenging activity, especially when doing fly fishing, because casting and retrieving the fly rod will cause disturbances in the surface. Still, you don't need to worry because there are still water fly fishing techniques that new anglers can use to slowly get them into the transition process. On a side note, this may be especially hard when you do fly fishing for trout in still water.
Fly Fishing
Before you even begin to do fly fishing, you need to take some time to think about the types of waterways you want to fish, as well as the fish species you want to catch. Only until such time will you get to know the answers about the kind of fly fishing setup you need and the types of flies to add to your beginner fly fishing kit.
First order of business, where should you go fly fishing? Upon deciding on the location, you should know about the place's local fish since you will be most likely to catch them during your trip, tight? Next, you need to observe before running into the waters. For instance, you need to know what foods those fish eat so you will know exactly what to bring during your fishing trip. After which, do the magic of imitation. For example, get a fly that looks exactly like the foods that fishes in those areas feed on so they will be enticed to get closer and succumb to the bait. Lastly, do a good presentation. This means that you need to get your fly to the fish in a natural and lifelike way.
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Warm-Water Lakes and Ponds
The first locations you should check are the warm-water lakes and ponds. These spots are great spots for fly fishing because this is where fishes usually reside in. You may also check nearby warm-water rivers, along weedy shorelines, and some shallow bays to earn more catch.
To be more specific, panfish species, namely; crappie, sunfish, and bluegill, assemble in groups along ponds and lakes. This is because most of the foods they feed on stay in these areas. On the other hand, in spring, they spawn along shorelines in nests that look like light-colored, oval depressions.
Furthermore, panfish are highly attracted to structures such as boat docks, duck blinds, and depressions in the pond bottom or shallow reefs. So, to earn better catch, make sure to spot these structures and locate the places where you should cast your fly. You may also use an interactive map to find other fly fishing spots within the vicinity.
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Cold Water Rivers
Aiming for some coldwater fish such as trout? You are most likely to find them in rivers, lakes, and ponds that have cold water all year long. In rivers, trout rely on upstream bringing food to them. Just like bass, both yellow bass and white bass alike, they spend most of their time hiding from big predators. And where else would they hide other than spots such as beneath the currents, near the bottom of deep pools, and under shoreline structures? This may include logs, brushy banks, undercut banks, and boulders. They may also hide in holes and culverts.
During their feeding time, as mentioned above, stream trout position themselves where the flow of the food comes through. This may be along the weed beds, behind boulders, at the exit of the pools, or the stream shallows. You may discover feeding trout (bass and panfish alike) by watching out for the riseforms. On the other hand, if you want to locate nymphing trout, you simply need to look down into the water and spot their golden yellow sides and open mouths flashing as they feed.
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Lilypads, Weedbeds, and Other Structures
If there's one thing you need to know about yellow bass or bass in general, it's the fact that they capture their food by ambush. Particularly, they prey on panfish and are therefore hovering around the same place where panfish reside. You may expect to see them around lakes and ponds, lurking around lilypads, weed beds, boat docks, logs, and overhanging trees or tree trunks. Other times, they may simply lie in the water near any manmade structure where they can hide. While you're at it, you may want to look for them around headlands, jetties, reefs, or along the shoreline to strike a good catch.
Moreover, yellow bass may also go into hiding in the flow of the water. You may see them around rocks, ledges, jetties, under docks, and in the riffle edges of large pools. On a serious note, the larger the bass, the more likely they live in or near, the deeper holes. This is because larger fish requires more depth for both protection and food. So, keep this in mind and don't hover along shoreline weed beds.
Spin Casting
To say the least, the first step towards fishing is to learn how to cast. In fact, the so-called spin casting reels are the perfect tools to use for beginners because they are low-cost and easily maintained. To do this, you first need to hold the rod at about waist level. Make sure to hold it tight enough that the reel is below the rod and the stem of the reel feels natural between your fingers. Next, you need to hook the line with your forefinger and open the bail while still holding onto the line.
Next, you need to pull the rod tip back and allow the tip to sweep over your dominant shoulder. Eventually, bring it forward promptly so that the rod is pointing at your target. Eyeing the rod forthcoming to your shoulder, you need to let go of the line with your finger, transferring the weight of the lure to the line and off the reel. Lastly, you need to close the bail with your hand and prepare yourself to reel using a retrieve technique.
Bait Casting
Another kind of casting is baitcasting. This is just a style of reel casting that depends on the weight of the lure to extend the line into the target area. As such, this fishing method also includes a revolving-spool fishing reel attached to the upper part of the rod. First, you need to hold the rod at waist level, allowing your thumb to fit perfectly on the bottom of the spool. Just make sure that the bait or lure hangs at about eight to ten inches below the tip of the rod. Next, you need to push the button so the reel will be in a free spool while still holding your thumb against the spool.
Going further, you need to pull the rod back and bring it forward promptly to aim for your target. After which, you need to let your thumb off the spool while the rod comes forward over your shoulder. This will enable the lure to pull the line from the reel. And then, place your thumb back down on the spool. Finally, reel once or twice to engage the anti-reverse before starting with the actual fishing.
THE BEST BAITS FOR YELLOW BASS
The best baits for yellow bass can be categorized into the following:
Natural and Live Bait
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Worms
Special worms such as nightcrawlers and red worms are good bait for yellow bass. You may also use a wax worm since they work great on a single hook.
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Spikes
Spikes are ideal in terms of size for yellow bass. You can attach them on a single hook or at the tip of your jigs, spoons, and spinners to get more bites.
Lures
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Soft Plastics for Panfish
There are different types of small but soft plastics that are created for targeting panfish and yellow bass alike. Otherwise, you can just rip a tiny piece of soft plastic from your bigger baits and make them as bait for catching some bass.
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Hair Jigs
Hair jigs are perhaps one of the best baits for yellow bass. You can either fish the smaller hair jigs, or you can tip them with a little piece of worm or minnow.
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Jigging Spoons
They are usually the best option when going for deeper water. Through this, you may easily catch some bass without tipping these spoons. But of course, you'll get so much more if you tip the hooks with a little piece of worm.
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Inline Spinners
During seasons where white basses feed primarily on baitfish, it is difficult to against inline spinners. You simply need to it out and twist it in with a consistent retrieve, and you will surely earn a bountiful catch.
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Beetle Spinners
Lastly, beetle spinners are good for catching bass, especially white bass. Just keep the soft plastic trailer on or remove it and put some worms or minnows to catch some fish.
MORE FISHING TIPS
You must now know the basics of catching yellow bass, right? You've gotten to know the various techniques to employ, as well as the best baits to use to earn your catch. Now, all you need to do is to gather up your gear and know exactly when and where to make your fishing trip. If you have access to an experienced angler, then that's even better, so you'll earn much faster and more efficiently.
Still and all, you need to invest time and exert some effort to learn the basics of fishing. You should know how to position yourself, where to find the fish, and what equipment and tools to use during your activity. In no time, you will become an expert on your own, where catching yellow bass will be nothing but an easy chore for you.
