Since I'm just really getting into bass fishing I thought I'd ask some more seasoned veterans on the tips, tricks, and how-to. I belong to the NAFC and have looked online quite a lot. I figure tips from BOTL/SOTLs would be better after the smoke clears. :-)
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There are a lot of tip and tricks, But I think that we need to know what type or style of bass fishing your doing (i.e. type of bait, type of equipment, type of waters, and so on). Do you have any specific questions?
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Don't get the hook caught in your ear.:-)
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Smallmouth or Largemouth??
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Mainly large mouth.

Thanks for the tip Greg. :-)

Just general tips really. I usually fish plastics and rat-l-traps, spinners ect.
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Always fished small mouth when I used to fish. Found that the green/white spinners always worked for me, but I know that it has a lot to do with the water conditions. Lake Winnipesaukee is so clear that that color always seemed to work.
We also used to use a creature called (and excuse me if I butcher the spelling) a halgrimite. This things are black bugs that look like a centipede but have a pincher for a mouth. used to hook them just behind the head on a cap like a crayfish and put them in the water just about a foot off the bottom. fish went nuts for them!!!!! Be careful though they like to crawl under rocks and lodge in there if they actually spend time on the bottom. You wouldn't think that they would by looking at them. Most of the time you can re=used the bait too because it would get pushed up the line when the fish attacks it. I'm telling you sometime we'd just put the bait in the water and within 2-3 seconds have fish!!!!
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:-):-)

(btw, I body-pierced myself with a fly yersterday...NOT recommended!)
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Chartreuse is a big hit with bass (usually). I mainly liked to fish structure such as downed trees, especially around point, and drop offs. Also rubber worms rigged Texas style worked slowly around structure can be productive. These days I have been doing more inshore saltwater, but have started taking my daughter bass fishing with her fly rod. Working a mouse or frog imitator over lilly pads can be exciting. I am experimenting at the tying table with small snake patterns. Way back when, I had some rubber water moccasins that I rigged weedless and swam through the lilly's. BOOM!

The biggest tip is to be there and have fun!

Tight lines!
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Well see I was just kidding, but it does have some merit after all.:-)
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In Florida we fish in 4 to 6 foot bowls so not much I can offer here.

I do however love to start my morning, pretty much no matter where I am, with a Zoom Super Fluke in baby bass......twitch, twitch, twitch pause, twitch, twitch........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7kXa...eature=related


Then when that action calms down I usually go to a texas rigged soft plastic of some sort with a 1/8th the 1/2 oz. sinker.
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I was going to mention Rat L Traps, one of the best baits out there for Bass. I've also caught Walleye, Crappie, and Channel Cat on them.

When it comes to soft plastics I like to use stuff thats not seen often...Like big lizards.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...080&hasJS=true
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Don't stand up in the boat to urinate if you've had about 2 or 3 6packs.
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Soft plastics is always a go to bait for me especially when nothing else works. Just remember to go slow.
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Fish cover where you can. Along banks during early season. Find docks, submerged trees etc. Fish hold on this structure to ambush baitfish as they swim by. Fish the shade lines in the water (same reason). For bass, line from 6-12 pound is what I prefer. My go to lure is a 4" senko worm in green pumpkin color rigged texas style. I also use the new Rapala Shad Rap lure with success. The easiest way to catch bass and have fun though is using the Rebel crawfish lure. Cast and retrieve, nothing more. Can catch a bunch of fish on it too. I usually tie that on for people who are new to fishing.

-Z
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First... you need to get a shirt like the Nascar drivers wear.
Second ... you got to say that's a biggun after every fish :-):-)
Third ...my favorite way is throwing poppers from a tin boat around lilly pads :-)
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:-) :-)
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So that's what I've been doing wrong!
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Take that red bag of worms you took in the outdoorsman pass and carolina rig them. That is my go to worm when I can't get a thing on the fly rod and need to convince myself there are in fact bass in the water I am fishing. I love actively fishing with crankbaits and topwaters, but you can't beat a slowly fished worm. SLOOOOOOWWWWWLLLLLYYYY.
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I took the green worms not red ones :-)
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I meant the red bag (zoom) as opposed to what commonly are referred to as the yellow bag (berkley). Both make good plastics, I just tend to always buy zooms. Especially those finesse worms, and the trick worms are awesome too.
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