Black Ops Bassin'
With the
days getting cooler and the nights getting longer there’s one thing in particular
that is sure to heat up, Bass fishing. Largemouth this time of year tend to
break out of their normal feeding patterns with one goal in mind, fattening up
for winter. A wise angler will take this opportunity to attempt to bag himself
a vulnerable, hefty fish.
My buddy
Adam Chavez and I like to take advantage of these overly aggressive fish by
doing something a little out of the box, night fishing. Adam brought me to this
technique last fall and I’ve been having a blast with it ever since. We decided
to hit the water a few times this week and it paid off with some pretty decent
fishing.
(Doubles tend to be a common theme)
(Clearly I have an issue with camera flash)
(This Bass survived having a cut gill by using the "Cola Trick" its a fish saving method everyone should know)
(A chunky fall Bass)
Largemouth Bass actually feed quite
well after dark, relying more on sensations and pressure changes felt through their lateral line rather than visual cues used during daylight hours. That
being said, you want to use something with a lot of vibration, for example, Colorado
bladed spinner baits and paddle tail swimbaits work well. Not only do they put
off a good deal of vibration they are also great search baits for the frequent
long casts needed to find roaming fish. Topwater can still be very effective
this time of year, but with the colder nights we’re getting we are learning
that more often than not a spinnerbait is more productive that a buzzbait or frog.
(No matter the bait selection, your color of choice should always be Black. Contrary to popular belief, Black actually poses the best profile against the night sky)
This has just been this first round of
what I am sure is going to be a great Fall full of chunky night fish. With deer
season upon us, take advantage of the less populated waterways and go bag an
Autumn brute of your own!
Fish Hard or
Stay Home,
Josh Dolin
