COLUMN : NEWELL ’ S NOTES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As a freelance writer and photographer , Rob Newell has been reporting on fishing tournaments for more than 20 years , finding the stories between fish and angler to be a stretched line of triumph , heartache , torture and inspiration . capitalizing on curiosity
Pros now combining big baits , forward-facing sonar to appeal to bass ’ inquisitive nature
E ver since fishermen began using artificial lures to catch bass over 100 years ago , anglers have learned a tremendous amount about the different moods and attitudes of bass through the use of lures . Over time , anglers have learned to use certain classes of lures to directly poke a bass ’ current demeanor in order to provoke a strike .
Temperaments such as being defensive , competitive , reactionary , hungry and curious are all moods that anglers take advantage of through the use of certain lures .
Most anglers are familiar with provoking a bass ’ sense of defense when fishing for a bass guarding a bed . Continually aggressing a bass bed with any type of soft-plastic lure eventually makes the bass bite out of the inherent need to defend the bed .
Hunger usually presents itself in the form of schooling bass that are in a full blown allyou-can-eat mode . Topwaters are great tools for appealing to that appetite . Along the same lines , competition among bass is another mood anglers can target . Usually competition is for food , but during spawning season , male bass get competitive for females and may “ flex their jaws ” on prey just to show off .
In the reaction category , lipless rattlers , ChatterBaits and even punching mats are all techniques that suddenly flash a lure in an unsuspecting bass ’ face , making it react in a millisecond , usually by opening its mouth and inhaling the annoying offender .
In summary , hunger , competition , defensiveness and reaction tend to be the most common moods anglers use to
ILLUSTRATION BY JOE MAHLER
16 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | JUNE-JULY 2023