MAKING THE
MOST OF
HEAVY WINDS
present the lure to them in a manner that was irresistible. He was doing so well because he learned to fish on a lake for a finicky and
elusive fish, whereas my friend grew up using only a
couple techniques to target fish that were much easier to catch.
Looking back on my own journey as an angler I
can tell you the people who walk into inshore fishing
and do well are bass anglers. While inshore anglers
are soaking shrimp, waiting for a cork to go under
bass anglers are pitching, flipping, jigging, twitching
and doing whatever else it takes to put that bass in
the boat.
I whole heartedly believe in taking a break from
speckled trout and redfish to pursue a species that
will teach you more about fishing and accelerate
your angling education. I have done this and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
This largemouth bass was taken in Chicot State Park on a Mister Twister Poc’it Craw. Note the cypress trees that break a strong spring wind. We don’t always have this advantage in the marsh.
HOW DOES BASS FISHING MAKE YOU A BETTER INSHORE ANGLER?
Bass fishing is more difficult for a number of different reasons. Because of this you will be forced to become a better angler. Afterwards
you can return to the marsh with your new skills and enjoy success
with speckled trout and redfish. You will have more fun than you have
ever had!
BASS FISHING WILL HONE YOUR CASTING
SKILLS
Bass are had across the nation and found in a wide spectrum of
habitat, from fresh to brackish and from shallow to deep. Their habitat
can be so different that it will force you to use different kinds of equipment, tackle and techniques in order to land them.
Casting across open water towards a shoreline in the marsh is
easy, but things become much more difficult when you have to pitch
under docks or overhanging trees.
Having to work around obstacles and benthic structure like pilings, sunken trees and lily pads poses new challenges that require
precision casting. To succeed in fishing these environments an angler
must acquire new skills.
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February 2016 www.marshandbayou.com
YOU GET TO TRY NEW LURES
When you are fishing speckled trout the aim is to find a horde of
dumb trout in a feeding frenzy ready to bite anything. However, I have
been on plenty of fishing trips where we caught limits of trout that
wanted a specific lure, color or presentation. If we had not been Fishing Smarter we would have struck out or only caught a few.
I cannot tell you how many lures I have retrieved across a spot before the right one caused the bass to come out and nail it. Bass fishing is the ultimate experience in persistence fishing.
With bass fishing you will try Texas-rigged worms, deep diving
crankbaits and more. Most bass lures are really just redfish lures and
vice versa. I have found that my favorite redfish baits started life in the
bass angling world. I know I talk about throwing crawfish-imitation
soft plastics for redfish, but I really like throwing a Mann’s Baby 1
Minus, too. I have caught redfish and bass on both.
YOU WILL LEARN NEW TECHNIQUES
In many places bass are fished so much that there is a lot of pressure on them. They become wise to the ways of the bass angler and
adapt in order to not get caught. On the other hand, speckled trout
wandering the vastness of the Louisiana marsh may have never seen a
Vudu Shrimp hanging lifelessly from a cork before in their life and will
quickly strike.
Bass anglers are found far and wide, fishing everything from deep,