Top 3 Bass Fishing Techniques You Must Know
Bass fishing is fun. It is never the same because of the number of variables. The different ways to catch them is endless. That is great but can also make it seem a little overwhelming. Let’s pull back and examine the top 3 techniques you must know and learn to be a bass angler.
#1 – Wacky Rig
Now to avid anglers, this sounds funny to say because it is super basic, but it works in so many circumstances that it has to be learned first. A wacky rig is nothing but a straight worm that has a hook stabbed in the middle. The worm sinks as some rate and when the hook is pulled by the line, the worm collapses or doubles over. When the tension is released, the worm straightens back out. This action drives bass crazy so many times. It is a great rig for Pond Fishing, river fishing, and big lake fishing. It works for largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass.
Once the wacky rig is mastered, it can grow into other techniques too. The Neko Rig is a great way to fish wacky style but deeper. The Flick Shake is just a weighted hook wacky rig. You can even wacky rig your bait on a drop shot too. If you have confidence in the basic wacky rig, you can jump to these other finesse rigs very easily.
#2 – Flipping
Flipping and punching are techniques that catch bass most common anglers don’t fish for. Flipping can work on any body of water that has bass in it. Flipping is a heavier tackle Texas rig that is made to go into cover and get the bass to bite. Punching is just a heavier version of flipping that allows you to put your soft plastic into even thicker cover. Once you learn flipping, it is an easier progression to learn punching.
Flipping has probably won more bass tournaments than any other technique. A lot of the bigger bass go into areas that are harder to access so they don’t see as many lures. These areas include under lay downs, in grass clumps, and in hard-to-reach parts of a dock. The other key is the heavier tackle can get those fish out of the cover you are flipping. If I could only choose one bait and technique to fish professional bass tournaments, it would be to flip a D Bomb.
#3 – Drop Shot
The drop shot is my third choice because it is so versatile and catches bass that power techniques leave behind. The drop shot works in ponds, small rivers, big rivers, clear water, stained water, shallow water, and deep water. There are not many times when a drop shot won’t work. It is commonly known as a finesse tactic for clear water and light line but I have become such a huge fan of the Power Drop Shot that I pretty much keep one tied up at all times.
The Finesse Drop Shot is the one that started the whole drop shot craze. That is the way it came from Japan and the ultra-pressured lakes they fish. I rely heavily on a finesse drop shot when I am fishing for smallmouth bass. I would even go so far as to say I don’t think there is a better brown fish rig. Don’t let the light line and smaller line fool you. It is great for catching bigger bass. Stingy bedding bass are suckers for a finesse drop shot. Needless to say, the drop shot is one of the first 3 bass fishing techniques you need to learn.