Fishing Q&A

bass fishing help pls?

i have been tyring real hard for catching good size bass in lakes around cleveland ohio. so could someone please tell me specific lures that are good to use and how to use them. just please give me any types of tips to help me catch good bass near cleveland ohio lakes thanks a lot.

Public Comments

1. fish in the late evening. use 8lb line. I prefer crankbaits or live minnows. the bigger the bait, the bigger the fish.
2. try rooster tails in the color yellow or the hydra fishing lure and actaully sometimes big bait is not always the right way to go. bass can sometimes be "picky" about what they will bite on, so you want to bring diffrent size baits and lures. minnows and water dogs are good bait too. Hope you look into it. Good fishing! <*))))>< Steve
3. Sounds like your a beginner Bass fisherman. So this is what I would do if I was trying to explain to one of my freinds when they first started Bass fishing. I would use a line no bigger then 12 lb test. Get ya either 4/0 or 5/0 Bass hooks I don't know much about fishing up north. But I would buy me a couple of different bags of plastic worms. Prehaps, Red Shad, Pumpkin Seed, and Tequlia Sunrise. If the plastic worms don't do the jon but ya either a 5-6' Rapala Brokeback or a couple spinnerbaits (Make sure to put a tailer on the spinnerbait) Good luck!
4. Use rubber worms and work them slow.
5. Largemouth or smallmouth bass? I havent fished the Cleveland area but I did fish some south of there in Portage county and I caught several bass using a plastic worm Texas rigged . For Largemouth .I use a 4/0 to 5/0 size wide gap hook that is sharp . I prefer owner brand worm hooks. And use a small bullet weight on the Texas rigged worm. I fish them slowly bouncing them off the bottom. Near structure like rocks, trees, etc . I have used them most everywhere there was bass and caught some. For smallmouth I like crankbaits or tube lures in crawfish colors or in shad colors , depending on what they are eating and where I am fishing.
6. How are you fishing for the fish on a boat or from shore line? I ask this to get a better feel on your approch to fishing for the bass in your waters.If from shore I would od like others say throw a soft plastic worm,topwater frog or any topwater lure,spinner baits,jerkbaits even crankbaits if I have good enough open water to fish them. I will make this short but if fishing a worm dont worry about long cast target good cover and work the worm propely.I start with a no sinker rig and 4" worm or twin tailed skirted grub hooked weedless with 6lb to 8lb test line.Toss the worm into cover allow bait to sit for a few seconds then just twitch(3 or4 times) the bait and stop!I WILL then WORK THE WORM slowly back allowing it to work through the cover if I hang up I give a sharp pull to free the bait once it is free I allow it to sit for a second and then start working again. For top frogs I toss beyond cover and work the lure to the cover and stop it once it is contact with cover and just shake the bait then I slowly work lure through and over cover. Work a spinner bait I make sure it runs true so I can work the lure and let it boucne agaist cover or reel in and stop then reel in lure and repeat!Sometime with the spinner or buzz bait I like to work the lure fast through cove then I change over to a worm and rework he same cover. With a crank bait I use floater divers and as I hit cover I stop the lure allowing it to float back up little then start the retrive again. When I work a lure try to mimic true baitfish or prey actions with pauses,stops and jerks,twitching,jerks and rolls! Watch others and see how they work lures and use your own method to find out what works good for you! I use all the same methods I stated when fishing from a boat but I now can use a full line of different lures and work them to the boat. Pointers - If a bass hits a topwater bait,spinnerbait or jerk bait and it does not take it try a throw back lure as in a worm or skirted grub and let it sit in or near the same area of the strike and just twitch the bait the slowly work it! If your worms or soft plastic's keep getting pick ups but no fish down size the lure and hook and allow the fish to take the bait more! If in a boat fish the cover from all angles with a lure then wait or come back to spot and try a subtle lure and if no luck I then come back and hit it with an aggressive lure working it fast and hard.(this may work good the first time by hitting it with say worm then changing over to a jig n pig! or topwater first then a slow worked worm!) I know this is a lot and sorry to bore you but I love to teach fishing so I do hope a litte has helped you!
7. For beginners, i would go with a weedless bass stopper magnum. They are about 2 bucks a worm and are already rigged with a couple hooks. They are one of the easiest lures to use, dont need much knowledge to use these. Only thing you really need to know is to set the hook right away. You just tie it on, throw it out, and reel in. You can find these almost everywhere. I used these as i was beginning to become obsessed with bass fishing and still use them from time to time. Three colors you would need to start out with are black, natural color, and yellow/black. These colors work really good up here in the midwest. I go fishing a few hours north of you near Grand Rapids michigan. here is a link for you to check out: http://www.stopperlures.com/bass_stopper_magnum.htm good luck.
8. Not knowing what you have started with I will tell you this. First use a medium to medium heave rod. The rod can't be all rubbery or whippy on the tip end. Mus be somewhat stiff. Tie on a 1/0 worm style hook with a 16 th oz worm weight just ahead of it. Try a junebug or purple color 4 inch plastic worn to start. This is called Texas stlye setup. Toss it close to some sort of cover. Fallen tree, rock pile etc. Watch your line, do not move it till your sure it has settled on the bottom. Practice in a pool if you can so you can see what the worm is doing. Jiggle it slightly. But remember you can NEVER fish to slow with a worm. A worm can not jump or run. Fish it till you feel something thump. That thump will most likely be what your looking for. Set the hook and do it with some force. As you have to cut through the worm and hook into the fish in a split second. A light tug will not get the job done. You will need to have a feel for what's going on with the worm. Practice in the yard. Cast the worm drag it back watching everything it hits along the way. Then do the same with your eyes closed. Feel the same objects, as the worm bumps into them. On the bottom of a lake things are much the same. You feel the rock etc as it crawls along. But that thump feel. Where did that come from? Hummm. That,s him. I didn't feel that before. Slam that hook set to him. Hope this will help ya some. Enjoy.
9. all of the people who answer have good techniques, but did anyoune forget the classic live worm on a size 3 hook with a splitshot? Or you can use the gulp nightcrawler worms found in a jar at wal-mart.
10. injun has it about covered ....but i will add a buck tail spinner ....a mepps no. minnow lure ....an the ole stand by ....mister twister....good fishing