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Trophy Largemouth Bass Fishing Tipssteven vonbrandt (1,702)    steven vonbrandt    Delaware Trophy Bass Bass Fishing Tips For Smallmouth and Largemouth BassPosted Thursday, October 08, 2009 (46 days 19 hours ago.) Viewed 36 times. Tips For Catching Trophy Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass Time and time again over the years, I have listened to many anglers and clients express their frustration at trying to catch smallmouth bass. Most anglers don't realize that these fish have their own set of behaviors that sets them apart from largemouth bass. The major differences between a smallmouth and a largemouth bass are as follows: If you fish for smallmouth here in the northeast, especially in the Susquehanna river in Maryland, you will find that smallmouth bass do not stick that tight to cover. This is even more apparent in some of our slack water reservoirs. Smallmouth relate much more to a sudden or rapid depth change than they do cover. When we fish for largemouths, we are all taught to fish brushpiles and thick weedbeds, but small mouth bass are more likely to be caught on a rock ledge that drops off quickly from about six to twelve feet. 
When fishing in the reservoirs here such as Conowingo, or in the rivers like the Susquehanna, smallmouths are sometimes caught shallow, but they are seldom more than 10-20 yards away from deep water. The Rapala DT series has been taking good smallmouth in these areas. 
Everywhere we go, we see the majority of bass anglers beating the shoreline, and as this may work for largemouth bass most of the time, if you are after big smallmouth bass, turn around and cast to the open water rather than beat the shore. Unlike largemouth, smallmouth often group together by size. I found that if we were catching smaller fish, in the eleven to fourteen inch range, we rarely caught a big one in the same area. On the other hand, when we caught a smallmouth that was above four or five pounds, many times there were several that size and even larger swimming right along with them. Big largemouth bass are loners, usually found by themselves on the best piece of structure, while larger smallmouth bass will often school together. There are several things that tell you that smallmouth bass are much better suited for strong current than largemouth. For one, their pointed noses and the sharp angle of their fins are indicators that they are more suited to current. They often get behind a rock or stump and rush out to feed. Largemouth can adapt somewhat to current, but are much more at home in slack water. Locating and then catching big smallmouth is a real challenge. That is why it is so much fun. Hopefully by reading some of these methods you have gained a better understanding of where these trophy fish go and what they are looking for, and of course, this will hopefully get you the fish of a lifetime. Remember, get out early and late in the year and brave the elements, hit these prime areas with the baits we described, and remember most of all, you are after a completely different fish! "These are NOT Largemouths!" There are thousands of small ponds, lakes, and rivers that hold "Huge Bass" from Maine to Florida. Over the last 10 years of maintaining records, and having caught and released over 600 bass from 5 to 10 pounds, from small waters on the East Coast, and one over 10 pounds from Delaware, here are the tactics I have found that produce consistent trophies each year. Even in small bodies of water (under 1000 acres), there will be only a small portion of the water that will hold the biggest bass. The most important features to look for are the areas where more than two or three different types of vegetation come together in the same area. Now, not all of these areas will hold big fish. The largest fish in the lake will always be in the best cover and locations. This will be where the various grasses combine near a creek channel on or near the beds and flats, adjacent to deep water cover. Generally, this deep water access will contain other cover also, which is not visible without the use and understanding of good electronics, and a good understanding of what you are observing. Sometimes the features on the bottom will be subtle, but will be the "Hot Spot" of the area. Small depressions, with rocks or boulders along the drop-off, if they have a current break, will be prime locations for "Trophy Bass". When there is no real cover such as rocks or trees, sometimes depth alone can provide the proper cover from light penetration, and produce good results. 
In small bodies of water such as in Delaware and Maryland, the bass are generally in or very near the same locations all year. This does not guarantee a trophy by any means whatsoever. It is rare to catch the biggest fish in the lake by conventional means. Many large bass from five to eight pounds are caught on artificials, such as spinnerbaits, jigs, frogs, swimbaits, and buzzbaits each year, but as a rule, the true trophies, 9 pounds and above, are caught on specialized techniques and live bait. Recently, several big bass have been hitting big "Saltwater" Rat-L-Traps in the 3/4 ounce and up size in various colors, worked with a fast, pumping action of the rod, and with swimbait tactics employed by the west coast anglers. The Sebile "Magic Swimmer" and the Tru-Tungsten 4 inch swimbait have really produced some big bass in the northeast. I never believed that these baits would work here until I met Bill Seimantel at the Big Bass World Championship at Table Rock lake in Missouri in 1999, and he convinced me to try them here in the northeast. Since that time swimbaits of all types have produced numerous trophy class fish. When fishing for true "Trophy Bass", the best bait to use is the primary forage in the body of water where you are fishing. This should be researched in advance by contacting the Fish and Game Department of the state you are planning to fish in, and checking with local tackle shops. You also need to know what is legal to use in each state you're fishing. Most lakes, ponds, and rivers in the Delaware and Maryland area, have golden shiners in them, and they will really produce big bass. When these are not available, extra-large wild shiners are the next best choice. If you insist on using only artificials, then a large frog, big buzzbait, a 12" worm, a 3/4 to 1 1/2 ounce Rat-L-Trap, or a "Castaic", "Sebile", or "Matt Lures" Swim Bait are the best choices. You will need at least two or three dozen shiners each time you go, and they must be in a temperature controlled, chemically treated bait keeper system to ensure they are lively. This is very important. When using live millroach or shiners over a deep structure, I like to hook them thru the back, and for drifting, through the lips. When working cattails, marsh reeds, and heavy pads, I hook them through the tail and let them swim in towards the heavy cover where the bass are. Use 3/0 to 5/0 sharp, Daiichi or X-Point hooks. I like to use balloons instead of bobbers, they work best if you blow them up to about the size of a small orange. You can tie them directly on the line, and use split shot if you prefer. The best equipment is a heavy action, 7-7 1/2 foot, E-glass or S-glass rod, of high quality, such as a G.Loomis or St.Croix. Recently, many rod manufacturers are making rods of composite and graphite materials that are lighter, yet stronger, and produce the same characteristics of the older E or S Glass rods. G. Loomis makes a good one, as well as Kistler. I always use line of at least seventeen pound test, and most of the time twenty to thirty pound monofilament. In certain deep water, or heavy cover situations, I use forty to fifty pound test "Stren Super Braid", or "Power-Pro line". I suggest using a good baitcast rod, but a spinning rod in heavy action will also work. The reels should be a strong metal reel, with at least 3 ball bearings, and strong gears of brass or better, in a 5:1:1 or 5:3:1 gear ratio, or similar range. It is best for all around power and speed on these larger fish. Knots are very important. The best knot to use is the Palomar, it has 100% knot strength. You should also learn some other specialty knots for braid and other superlines as well. The best time to go is whenever you can. However, if you have only a few days, and can choose, the solunar tables, weather conditions, and barometer, should all be considered. They play a major role in fish activity. In the very early spring, anglers who are willing to brave the elements will catch the biggest bass. These fish strike earlier in the year than most people imagine. There are some great small waters for Trophy bass in Rhode Island, Vermont, Minnesota, Florida, and of course, California, Arizona, and Texas. However in the Northeast, you can't go wrong by spending your time in Delaware at Noxontown Lake in Middletown, Lums Pond in Bear, Killens in Dover, and Diamond in Milton. The Susquehanna River, Liberty Reservoir, and the Potomac River in Maryland also hold huge fish where you can catch both largemouth and smallmouth.. These waters, fished with the techniques outlined in this article, will produce you the "Trophy of a Lifetime". Northeast Bass Fishing For Trophy Bass 
Permalink Comments (0) A Detailed Guide To Crankbait Fishing For BassPosted Sunday, October 04, 2009 (50 days 20 hours ago.) Viewed 62 times. When it comes to fishing crankbaits, there are always a million questions, with just about as many answers. Some of the common questions of what kind, what colors, when and where to use them, are going to be answered in this guide. There will always be new products and new ideas that may or may not work, but hopefully the following guide will give you the answers to most of the questions that are constantly being asked by the beginner to the advanced angler. "WHAT ARE CRANKBAITS?" There are as many manufacturers of crankbaits as there are colors. Some of the more popular makers of crankbaits are Luhr Jensen, Mann's,Bomber, Storm, Berkley, Bill Lewis, Rapala, Lucky Craft and Rebel. There are of course, many more, including hundreds of custom made crankbaits by individuals and smaller companies. Crankbaits are minnow imitating lures, that float and/or suspend in the water column, have different sized lips and body shapes, and some have no lips at all. They come in a variety of sizes, colors, shapes, and weights, all of which are designed for a particular action and depth, to closely simulate a fleeing or injured baitfish or crawfish. First we will start with the floating and suspending variety of fat and slim bodied crankbaits. "BODY SHAPES" The different body shapes that are offered all have distinct advantages over each other at different times of the year, depending mostly on water temperature, and the size of the baitfish available in that particular body of water. There are always exceptions to the rules, but basically the slimmer, flat sided crankbaits, that float, and/or suspend, are better early and late in the year, when the water temperatures are below 60 degrees. The flat sided crankbaits will mimic a fleeing crawfish early in the year, and the best colors at that time are shades of red or brown. 
The proper depth is very important, as you want the bait as close to the bottom as possible to simulate a feeding or fleeing crawfish. The lures with the flat sides have a neutral buoyancy, which is very important in making the lure perform like a real crawfish. I like touse a bait that has a bill made to bump against rocks and other cover to achieve this result without getting hung up or breaking. The flat sided crankbaits help me do this. The Bomber Flat A is also a good choice for this, and catch a lot of pre-spawn bass with this bait, using a slow steady retrieve. In the fall, I use different shad patterns like Pearl, or Chrome, for bass that are suspending this time of year. I use a steady, slow to medium retrieve for this, sometimes bumping into objects, but most of the time a steady retrieve has worked best at this time of year. In a tournament in the fall, I boated a 18 pound stringer, using this method, to win the tournament and take big bass with a 4 pounder. I like to target the shores that are wind blown first, when working these baits, and a lot of the time, in some of the New York and New Jersey Lakes that have clay or tapering gravel banks, I throw these flat sided crankbaits, because I can catch fish in areas where there is little cover and most people don't fish! The flat sided crankbaits are more for bass that are holding in water that is about 3-8 feet deep. Most of the flat sided crankbaits don't work properly any deeper than 7 or 8 feet. Most of the time I don't fish these flat sides in heavy cover, but there is one that was made by Poe's, that is called an RC3, that seems to produce well in heavier cover. In open water, I usually use a Shad Rap, made by Rapala, because I found that it produces some good bass in relatively open water. 
I use spinning gear most of the time to throw these baits, like the Shad Rap, and I use 8-10 pound test line, with a Shimano reel. I do use a baitcaster in 7 foot, with a medium-action rod, like a Lew's or G.Loomis, with a Lew's reel or Shimano geared down lower. I don't really fool around with these baits as they are mostly made of wood, and they all have their own "personality" anyway. Sometimes I go through 10 or 15 crankbaits before finding 2 or 3 with just the right action. In the colder water I like the Shad Rap and I also like the Bomber Flat A best. When the water temperature is in the 40's and 50's I like it to wiggle a little tighter, and these baits achieve this action well. 
Baitfish are the main forage of bass in cold water, so I always try to match the bait with the prey. The Flat A seems to look like a Shad or maybe a Bluegill, which is the main forage in a lot of the lakes I fish,and it works well in the lakes that have clearer water. I have used this bait with success over the tops of the Hydrilla beds in some Florida Lakes, as it doesn't pick up much grass because of the real tight wiggle. I caught several nice bass from Stick Marsh and Walk-In-Water on this bait before. It also produced good in Lake Jackson. I always try to use 8 pound test whenever I can, as it usually allows the crankbaits to achieve their maximum depth, and action. Recently the best flat sided baits here in the northeast have been the Lucky Craft Flat CB and Mini CB, as well as the new Sebile baits. These 2-inch master crank lures by Lucky Craft are essential components in the planning of tournament tactics today. To further increase productivity, you must correctly understand the different applications and effects of the Flat Mini SR, MR and DR baits and learn, through actual gripping sensations, the "sweet spots" of the respective lures. The unique screw of water flow generated by the flat side ensures the best luring movements, which are akin to those of the original Flat CB. Indeed, the SR, MR and DR are miracle baits that combine an optimal lip shape designed to quickly reach the strike zone, an effective gravity-center shift for maximal castability, and a longer stroke for attracting bass in a wider area. These Lucky Craft baits are some of the better new Flat Side crankbaits available. The other new flat side baits that have really produced since they were introduced are the Sebile Flat-Sided Rattslers. 
Sbile has only been in business since mid-2006 and the product line is characterized by several unorthodox and exciting bass lures - the three-piece lipless Magic Swimmer swimbait, the swervy Slim Stick and humpy Ghost Walker, the fantastic Flatt Shad series, the unconventional Stick Shad, trumpet-shaped Splasher, unique Onduspoon hard plastic spoon and many other Sbile lures are truly original and unlike any others out there in terms of shape and application. In 2009, Sebile introduced two crankbait series, the fat-bodied Crankster and flat-sided Rattsler. These are not as out-of-the-box and unconventional as many of Sebile's other lure designs. 
The Rattslers are not only flat-sided but have ultra thin bodies. As a result, Rattslers are a bit light in comparison to their side profile size, since they are so flat and thin. The flat sides stir and move a lot of water, creating tons of turbulence as the Rattslers wiggle along. The swimming movement can be called tight and frantic, and there is a lot of side-to-side full body flipping motion. The Rattsler 85 ML and 85 VLL are the two I recommend for average, everyday cranking on decent size bodies of water for decent size fish. I'd say all three Rattsler 65's are better suited for finesse cranking situations, for small ponds and small streams or where mainly small bass are found. The Rattsler 65's are suited to clearer water, smaller waters or finesse situations with light tackle. The Rattsler 85's are more of your mainstream crankbait size, even a little on the big size (keeping in mind they are thin). Of the three Rattsler 85 sizes, I'd say the 85 SL would be the least used model overall since it runs very shallow. The 85 SL dives just 1-2 feet, and that makes it good for fishing over thick grass or jumbled shallow wood, through the crowns of dense brush fields and so forth. Those are great sitations where the 85 SL excels. But day in and day out, the most poplar models will be the Rattsler 85 ML which runs 2-4 feet deep and the Rattsler 85 VLL (runs 10-20 feet) for deep water applications. "FAT BODIED CRANKBAITS" I like a lot of the fat bodied crankbaits when working shallow or brushy cover, as I believe they come through it better, and have a wider wobble, which at times is just what the bass want. I use these more in the stained or muddier rivers and lakes, and I also like them for running over the weedbeds when the top of the weeds come to about a foot of the surface. Mann's 1-Minus, and Baby 1 Minus and Lucky Craft are my favorites for this style of shallow running crankbait. Again, I always try to match the forage of the lake, at the particular time of year I am fishing. 
Also, many days when you couldn't get a bass to come up out of the Hydrilla for a topwater, such as a buzzbait, or a Zara Spook, you could catch a limit by running these baits just under the surface creating a wake over the grass and Hydrilla beds. Bomber makes a bait called the Shallow A, which is also good for this type of cover. 
Another method I use to replace a spinnerbait is a Cotton Cordell Big O, the one I like best runs about 3 or 4 feet deep. It creates a good wake when I reel it slowly, or if I want to burn it, it will run just under the surface and serve as a search bait, covering a lot of water quickly. I like to throw this bait around the edges of the thick weeds in New Jersey's Union Lake, and others that are similar to it. It really works well there. If I want to make an even heavier wake than normal, I just go to heavier line for the crankbaits, say 20-25 pound test. The thicker line helps keep the bait running on top. I always like to throw these baits to visible structure such as grass and docks,and most importantly later in the year, SHADE! 
In lakes that are really clear, and have little cover, the bass will relate to a shade line.This is also true in Table Rock Lake in certain areas, although Table Rock does have a variety of structure, but little to no vegetation. When I fish the shade line, I usually burn the bait. The most active fish will always be on the shady side of whatever structure there is. I cast beyond the structure, and burn the bait through the shade as close to the structure as possible. If you fish a lot of lakes that receive heavy pressure from water skiers and jet skies, and pleasure boaters, it generally creates a "Mud-line." Bass will relate to this very often. It generally is in the upper 3 feet of water, so bass will hold along the mud line so they can see what's swimming by. I cast parallel to the muddy water and burn the bait back to the boat. I usually use a white or Pearl color for this. I have used this method with success at Lake Hopetcong in the summer months. All these shallow running baits of this type produce bass well in the spring in California and Florida. Many times a crankbait will run deeper or shallower than it is supposed to according to the manufacturer. The Suspending crankbaits seem to run a little deeper than the floating ones, I suspect because they are a little heavier. The other places to target for bass with crankbaits in rivers, is the creek channels or bends. River bends collect structure such as fallen trees and brush, which in turn, creates a great spot in slower current where the largemouth lay in wait of the prey. Differences in materials should also be considered when selecting the crankbaits to use. For example, plastic lures can be abused a little more than some wood lures, but wooden baits have better flotation and action many times. There are differences in the way they have to manufacture plastic baits and wooden baits, and both have their advantages and disadvantages in each situation. Trial and error,experience, and time, are the best teachers in these matters. You can read all you want, but there is nothing like time and hands on experience to learn what works best and when. One thing I do with most crankbaits though, is change their hooks. I only use premium hooks on baits such as Gamakatsu, VMC, Daiichi, X-Pouint, or other quality hooks. I replace them after a couple of months or sooner, depending on the use, and the number of fish caught on them. 
You really need to understand and have good electronics also, to find the right cover, and select the correct depth. Many times anglers are either fishing above or below the fish. It is very important to have and know how to use a wide variety of crankbaits to cover the proper depth. I never stick my rod in the water to make the lure run deeper, as it causes you to loose contact with the bait. If you are after fish that are deeper, it is better to make a longer cast beyond them, and reel the bait to them. The longer the cast, the better, if you are trying to achieve maximum depth, as it takes a while for the lure to go down. When fishing for deeper bass there are better choices than some of the crankbaits I've mentioned above. "LIPLESS CRANKBAITS" Many times when searching for deep bass lipless crankbaits are better.Some of the better lipless crankbaits for searching and catching bassin deep water are a 1-ounce Cordell Rattlin Spot, a Rattlin' Rapala in1/2 ounce, Lucky Craft, the new baits by Sebile or Little George's. 
Little George pictured above was a mainstay for many years 
pictured above is the new spin shad by Sebile These baits proved to be a life saver one day on Table Rock Lake, when the bass wouldn't cooperate on the other crankbaits. 
Many times in Delaware Lakes and ponds, I have used similar baits in cold water very early in the year with success. These wil lalso work in the deeper, colder areas of the Nanticoke and Sassafras rivers early and late in the year. I usually stick with the Shad patterns for these baits, or solid chrome, although I have at times caught numerous large bass early with a red or orange color. Sometimes it is just a matter of presentation. Before changing the lure or color, I always cover the area at various angles at different retrieve speeds. As you can see, there is a lot to know about using the correct crankbait, and I have just touched on the tip of the iceberg. There are other subtle variations in all of the above lures and presentations that can effect how a bait catches bass. After many years of trial and error, I am still learning new ways to catch more and bigger bass on crankbaits. And isn't that the way it should be? The experimentation, and anticipation of every cast is what keeps it exciting and fun. These and other techniques can be discussed in depth with professional anglers and guides at Northeast Bass Fishing For Trophy Bass.
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