8 Myths About Bass Fishing

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Has someone ever told you something about fishing you don’t believe? Well, it might not be entirely true. Here’s a list of commonly misheld beliefs about fishing for bass.

1. You Can’t Fish in Cold Water

False. While you certainly won’t catch more fish when it’s cold out, there’s nothing to say you can’t be successful. When it’s cold, bass are less active - and as their metabolic function lowers, they eat less. You might have to work a little harder, but there’s always a way to target fish.

2. Big Lures = Big Bass

Have you always believed a bigger lure will get you a bigger fish? A large lure might enable you to catch a bigger bass, but that’s not to say it’s the best tool for the job. Lure selection should cater to what the bass are eating in the lake you fish - in addition to season, weather, and water clarity. Size doesn’t always matter.

3. Bass Hate The Rain

People tend to attribute the lack of bite to the precipitation itself - but it’s all about the pressure. Low barometric pressure, which often accompanies a storm, tends to make fish more inactive. So as long as it’s not a low pressure day - there’s no reason to think you can’t land fish.

4. Shhh - You’ll Scare Them!

Not quite. Unless you’re tossing things into the water, the fish aren’t going to be bothered by your fishing partner’s loud talking. Whether or not you’re bothered is a different story.

5. You Need a Boat to Catch Big Bass

Considering bass come inshore to spawn, this is debunked pretty easily. Many a trophy fish has been caught from the shores of small and even large ponds. It’s not where you are - it’s where the bass are.

6. Fish Bite Out of Hunger

Partially true. Fish feed out of instinct - when their body tells them their blood sugar is too low, they find food. But bass can also be triggered to bite as a defense mechanism - particularly during spawning, male bass can be aggressive in defense of their bed.

7. Go In The Morning or Evening

Partially, again. Shallow water heats up during the day - thus driving the fish to deeper water. So, from a shore fishing perspective - the bite is always on when the shallows are cooler, which is during the morning and evening. But with a boat, you can target fish after they make the move to deeper waters.

8. Big Fish Like Deep Water

Bass don’t have a “preference” of which water depth they like. It’s all physiological. When the water warms on summer days, fish will go towards the cooler, deeper water. During the winter, fish will migrate towards deeper areas of their habitat as their metabolic function begins to lower. But just because a fish is big, doesn’t mean it’s going to be deep.

Bass Fishing Myths Debunked! | eBaits Tackle Box

Did you believe any of these age old fishing myths? Now that you know, go out and educate, appreciate, and catch more fish!

5 Gadgets Every Angler Can Use

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Fishing has come a long way since the end of the 20th century. The industry is starting to incorporate the latest technology and trends, and some of the coolest angling tools ever are coming onto the market.

Want to step up your game in 2018? Check out these cool new gadgets.

Rapala 50lb High-Contrast Digital Scale

$39 at Tackle Warehouse
A good scale is one of the most important pieces of any angler’s toolkit. How are you going to catch trophy fish if you can’t accurately weigh them?
Rapala, one of the biggest names in the fishing industry, has put out the scale of future - a 50lb, high contrast digital scale.

It features a clipping system, rather than a hook - which erases the need for the kind of rough handling that old-school scales required. An intuitive design allows easy switching between increments (lb, oz, decimals or kg), setting tare weight, and a variety of other functions.

Yeti LoadOut Bucket

$39 at Yeti

Fishing is largely about versatility - getting the most function possible out of minimal amounts of equipment. The Yeti LoadOut bucket does just this.

Built like a brick, no different from everything that Yeti puts out. Injection molded plastic keeps it lightweight, and strong. Any Yeti product will keep anything warm or cold for a freakishly long - and this bucket is no different.
Whether you need a place to keep bait, or a container for hauling a 12-rack of Bud Light - this bucket is your best friend. Best of all, Yeti’s 5 year warranty will make sure it stays with you for a long time.

YakGear Fish Stik

$34 at YakGear

Kayak fishing is on the rise. More anglers than ever are launching lightweight, plastic-body crafts on their fishing adventures. The one caveat? Space - there isn’t a ton of it on a kayak. Luckily, YakGear can help.

The Fish Stik is a full-featured measuring board, designed with space in mind. When folded out, you can measure fish up to 36”. Stowed away, it condenses down to a mere 12” in length. Thoughtful additions like a bump board and line slot make measuring a breeze.
Available in 3 different color, and KBF tournament certified. Spend less time digging around your kayak, and more time fishing with the Fish Stik.

Deeper Sonar Pro+

$219 at Amazon

Long gone are the days of clunky, inaccurate sonar fish-finding systems. The people are Deeper Sonar decided it was time for a better, faster, and stronger sonar system - so they went out and made it.

The Pro+ is a smart, intuitive, and wireless sonar system. It lets you connect to your phone without wifi, or cellular data. It’s also the only portable sonar system on the market that has GPS-enabled mapping - meaning you can create custom maps of your favorite fishing locations, and review them afterwards. It also provides a variety of other useful information, bottom contour, depth, water temperature, and much more.

Incredible range, a user-friendly design, and a solid price point make the Pro+ a great option for any angler. Don’t miss out on your new PR because you don’t know where the fish are!

Lew’s Mach Speed Carbon Steel Pliers

$40 at TackleDirect

Every serious angler must have a dozen pairs of pliers. Each set has their own quirks, pros, and cons - and everyone has their own preference. Lew’s has listened to what fisherman have been saying for years, and put out the last pair of pliers you’ll ever need.
The Mach Speed pliers are designed to be as efficient, and durable as possible. C45 steel and an ArmorShield coating ensure these pliers will last for years. Custom Winn grips, and a spring loaded handle will make this tool feel like it’s an extension of your own arm. An integrated wire cutter, serrated side cutter and crimping jaws give you all the versatility you might need.

When buying tools, particularly for fishing, it’s important to buy something that’s going to last. Lew’s doesn’t disappoint here. Snag the last pair of pliers you’ll ever need.

Calling on All Anglers – The Pre Spawn & Why it Matters to You!

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Ahhh, Spring. After a dreary and often fishless winter, most anglers look forward to spring as the start of their season. The water warms up, the days get longer, and the fish start biting. What else could you ask for?

Interestingly, every year, some of the best fishing actually happens just before spring launches into full swing. Fish start coming out of their vegetative winter state. Male bass make a bed, find a mate, and then raise a group of offspring. Afterwards, the male either swims to warmer waters, or moves on to mate again.

What is the Pre-Spawn?

As the water temperature rises, so does the metabolic function of the bass. Throughout the winter, they survived on a minimal diet, eating only to survive. As spring approaches, gearing up to a point in which they must mate, food intake becomes a much more important (and instinctual) function.

Bass are actively moving from deeper water into shallower areas - both to find warmer water, and a safe place to build bed down. This migration also comes with a marked change in instinct, and feeding patterns - all of which can lead you to some monster fish.

What to Look For

Pre-spawn fishing can lead to some incredible results. To set yourself up for success, here’s a couple things to look before getting on the water.

1) Pay Attention to Water Temperature

Water temperature is everything, when it comes to spawning. Almost like an alarm clock, it’s what tells the bass it’s time to get moving, and ready to mate. Look for temperatures anywhere from 55-65 degrees. Fish will tend to spawn earlier as you get closer to the equator, where water temperatures rise far more quickly.

2) Get to Shallow Water

Winter fishing is based largely around slow, deep-water fishing. Inherently, the spawn actually drives fish out of deeper water. As they get closer to their mating period, bass will move towards shallow water closer to shore. This provides both warmth, and better protection for their bed. Cast in around 10-15 feet of water, targeting fish as they search for sheltered places to mate.

3) Seek Out Underwater Structures

Shallow water is often littered with structures, both natural and man-made. Trees, rocks, sunken boats, and plethora of other objects all provide areas for fish to rest as they migrate. Target a structure, and throw a variety of lures to see what depth the fish are sitting at. A single sunken tree can provide dozens of fish, as the bass move slowly along their shallow migration route.

4) Find Out What They’re Eating

One of the easiest things you can do as an angler is figure out what forage foods exist in the body of water you’re about to fish. What are the bass naturally eating, and have been potentially feeding on all winter? Ask local anglers what the fish like to eat. You can also throw out a pot/trap while you get the boat and rods set. Come back and check the contents right before you launch - and you’ll get a great idea of what little creatures are swimming around, and providing meals for giant bass.

Final Thought from eBaits Tackle Box - Get Out There!

Early spring is by far one of the most exciting, and rewarding times to fish for bass. The fishing can be slow, and you might have to whip out 5 or 6 different techniques - but there are big fish to be found.

In California, three of the biggest bass ever caught were in pre-spawn lakes. We’re talking 21 and 22 pound fish, coming out of 55 degree water.

So what’s your excuse? Get out there, brave the cold, and hook a monster.