Hook Removal Tip from a Pro

Even though they're attached to dozens of highly effective bass baits, I am not a fan of treble hooks. Not because they don't have their place but because if you use treble hooked baits long enough, this WILL happen:

So for that time when the treble hook gets you or your fishing partner rather than a bass, here's a quick tip from fishing legend Jimmy Houston as he demos how to use fishing line to remove a deeply imbedded hooks from his wife's forearm!

Good luck!

Yum Hellgrammite Intro and Fishing Tips

A few weeks ago, a post entitled "Using Soft Plastic Hellgrammite Baits for Bass" was added to the site as an overview of how to use this style of finesse bait when chasing our favorite finny prey.

The post listed several manufacturers producing a version of hellgrammite baits but we didn't include Yum's new hellgrammite since it was just being introduced and little information was available at the time.

Since then Yum has added their new bait to Pradco's Lurenet website and released a series of short videos about the bait; some with fishing tips.

I found one of the videos particularly interesting since it included tips on the lifecycle of a hellgrammite as well as several ways to rig and present it as you will see below:

Enjoy!

Fishing the Mayfly Hatch

Fishing a mayfly hatch for bass can be a very productive way to catch fish. Mayflies are a common food source for bass as well as most of their other forage. When mayflies hatch, bass and panfish will often go on a feeding frenzy and prime time to catch them when presenting the right baits.

There are a few things you can do to increase your chances of success when fishing a mayfly hatch:

1. Find the hatch. The first step is to find the hatch. Look for areas where the water is calm and there is plenty of sunlight. You may also see mayflies flying around or resting on the water's surface.
2. Use the right bait. When fishing a mayfly hatch, you'll want to use a bait that imitates a mayfly. There are a number of different types of mayfly imitations available, including poppers, grubs, soft stickbaits and tubes. Experiment with different baits to see what works best during that particular trip.
3. Fish the right spots. Bass will often congregate in areas where mayflies are hatching. Look for areas with overhanging trees or docks, as these provide shade and cover for the bass. You may also find bass feeding near the shoreline or in the shallows.
4. Fish the right time of day. Mayfly hatches typically occur in the morning, but they can also happen in the evening. The best time to fish a mayfly hatch is usually when the sun is shining and there is a light breeze.

Here's some additional advice from bass guru, Kevin VanDam on how to best take advantage of the mayfly hatch to catch more and sometimes bigger bass...

How Smallmouths Relate to Submerged Grass

Smallmouth bass are typically found in cool, clear lakes and rivers, and they are known for their aggressive feeding habits.

Submerged weed beds provide smallmouth bass with a number of benefits, including:

• Cover: Weed beds provide smallmouth bass with a place to hide from predators and as ambush points to help pick off their prey.
• Food: Weed beds are home to a variety of small fish, crawfish, and other organisms that smallmouth bass eat.
• Temperature regulation: Weed beds help to regulate the temperature of the water, which is important for smallmouth bass that are spawning or that are trying to avoid predators.

Smallmouth bass typically relate to submerged weed beds in three ways:

• They use the weed beds as a place to hide. When smallmouth bass are not actively feeding, they will often retreat to the weed bed edges to rest.
• They use the weed beds as a place to ambush their prey. Smallmouth bass are ambush predators, which means that they typically wait for their prey to come to them before they strike. Weed beds provide smallmouth bass with a number of places to hide, which makes it easier for them to ambush their prey.
• They use the weed beds as a place to spawn. Smallmouth bass typically spawn in the spring, and they often do so in weed beds. The weed beds provide a number of benefits for smallmouth bass that are spawning, including protection from predators, a place to lay their eggs, and a place for the eggs to develop.

But unlike their largemouth cousins, smallmouths definitely use different parts of weed beds as underwater videographer Kim Stricker in this short "under the water" video...

Up Your Bassin' Game with Better Decisions

Whether you're an experienced or novice bass angler, one of the keys to becoming a better bass angler is making better decisions when heading out for a day on the water.

According to bass fishing legend Jimmy Houston, there are four main factors that go into making the best decisions for how to approach each trip including areas of the water to fish, bait selection, presentations, etc. Those factors include:

1. Type of water you'll be fishing (lake, pond, river, stream, reservoir (lowland, highland, canyon, etc.);
2. Water conditions (clarity, stage, water temps, structure/cover types);
3. Time of year (seasonal period); &
4. Current and recent weather patterns.

Take a few minutes and watch what Jimmy has to say on how to consider these factors to make the best decisions during your fishing day and ultimately become a better bass angler...

We definitely have to love it when you make great decisions and your plan comes together...