Today in the 50s, tomorrow in the 80s-don’t you just love the weather in Mississippi?
The recent tease of cold weather re-energized me about hunting season. Breaking a sweat and fighting off those friendly mosquitoes isn’t quite something that I look forward to, but you have to pay the price if you want to reap the rewards.
But there is something that outdoorsmen can do when the weather gets too hot to go into the woods. And that is to grab a rod and reel and go wet a line.
Ranked the most popular activity by outdoorsmen, fishing is the All-American sport.
There are various types of fishing that everyone can enjoy.
There is lazy fishing, active fishing and just plain do-it-yourself fishing. You can run trotlines, grab catfish with your hands, fly fish for bream and even grab an old cane pole and just go and have some fun.
But when the temperamental fall season rolls around, I only have one thing on my mind–bass fishing.
There is nothing better than the battle between man and fish, preferably a big one.
The culprit lizard hits the water perfectly. You let the lizard sink to the bottom and start working your rod from 10 to 12. Wham! You set the hook and the fight begins.
This is a common scenario and fall is the perfect time to go after those largemouth before the cold weather sets in for good.
When the summer season ends, bass begin to become more active and start looking to feed more on shad and bait fish.
This presents anglers with a prime opportunity to go and catch good bass.
The pattern of bass in the early fall is much like that of summer bass, but the bass are more active and get back to their predator mode during this time.
In order to be successful during this season, you need to locate creek channels, ledges, rock points that protrude into the water and vegetation areas. These places typically hold bait fish which, in return, hold bass. Find the bait fish in these areas and you will find the bass.
Some of the more popular baits used during this period are six-inch worms, deep-diving crankbaits and jigs. The color of these lures are important, so when the fish aren’t biting, change your lure color and try again. Remember, during this time bass are feeding on shad, so try and mimic an injured shad while retrieving your lure.
Bass will eventually move back to shallow water, following the bait fish. During this short period, the bass are really active, acting as bears before they go into hibernation.
To be successful, you really need to fish an area often and try to pattern the bass. Learn where the bass are going during each period of the day. Fish different areas at different times and take notes.
Each body of water is different. The only way to know where the bass are is to get out there. Take a depth finder out with you and draw a map of the bottom of the lake. Draw some conclusions about where you think the fish will be and then go to work.
Hopefully, you will get to experience a heavyweight bought with a largemouth.
And maybe, just maybe, you will win.
Jake Fagan is a senior communication major. He can be reached at [email protected].