How to Find Good Bass Fishing Spots

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Catching bass is a fun sport and can be challenging at times, although that only adds adventure to the sport. When anglers know how to find good bass fishing spots, they get bigger catches. Along with the knowledge of the season and the best time of the day to fish, the fishing spots are also a game changer.

How to Find Good Bass Fishing Spots

Seasoned anglers can take home some big fish on every trip because they know where to find bass at any particular time. Some anglers follow seasons, while others observe the patterns of the fish’s movement.

If you are looking for more of this species to fish, get to know more about the nature of the fish and the features of the lake or river where you will be planning your next trip. The most populated fish areas can be located if you know what to take into account:

  • The correct rig to get bass out of hiding
  • Using maps of the lakes
  • Understand the seasonal fishing patterns of bass
  • Go to the lake more often to fish
  • Be confident and trust your instinct
A girl found a good bass fishing spot

Understanding Bass

When you go fishing for bass, try to understand why it would be in a particular area of the lake or any other water body. The main motivation for this fish is to find smaller creatures and ambush them to feed on them.

Bass is an aggressive predator that works stealthily, hides in plants, and attacks its prey quickly. If anglers know how to find these areas and fish them at the right time of the day when bass will be feeding heavily on small creatures, the catches will multiply.

Another way of finding bass is to lower lures that eliminate the places where bass fish are not present. The use of search lures helps anglers find the area where bass come to bite quickly. You will know that an area in the lake does not have bass if there is no tugging on your fishing line.

Fast Fishing

Usually, anglers try to remain patient and wait for that tug on the line, as it is believed that if you stay put, bass will come and take a strong bite. However, when locating the right spots, you must fish fast. Lower the lure and make it move. If a bass fish is in that area, it will come. Otherwise, you will be wasting your time.

Instead of waiting for the fish to come to you, move to different places in the lake and see if there is bass around that spot. Hungry fish will come within a short while, and if it doesn’t, there is no point in staying in that place for long.

Seasonal Patterns

Bass like to swim in moderate temperatures, and if you plan a fishing trip during spring or fall, it will be more beneficial because hungry bass feeds aggressively during these seasons. However, winter and summer seasons can also be lucky for anglers if they know how bass moves during these seasons.

Look for areas that are protected from cold winds or areas that get more sunlight in winters. Similarly, in spring and fall, look for heavy covers where bass hide to ambush prey and feed hungrily. In summers, bass move to the bottom of the lake to lay eggs, and their hiding places are under rocks.

Using Maps to Find Spots

If you can get a map of the lake to see where there are rocks, shallow places, and even more vegetation, you will be catching big bass in a short time! You can find maps of the top bass fishing lakes on various websites, and if you have fish locators, they can help you significantly.

When you combine the seasonal patterns with the map contours showing shallow areas where bass typically swim, your fishing trip will last only a few hours, and the creel will be full! Even if you want to catch and release bass, the locations from the map and seasonal movements will coincide well to help you find good locations for this species.

Pick the Right Lures

Now that you have an idea of the lake’s physical features and seasonal pattern of bass, you will be able to locate an ideal fishing spot faster if you use the right lures. All anglers know that the lure should be an imitation of the kind of bait fish that bass eat.

Anglers must be confident in the lure they pick, and when they use these lures for fishing fast, a populated area will become obvious within minutes. Some of the most reliable baits for bass can take you from zero catches to many!

  • Crankbaits
  • Spinner baits
  • Lizards
  • Worms
  • Jigs

Any spinner bait or crankbait shaped like a minnow can work excellently. Moreover, you can use worms, flies, and lizards to attract bass within a short period. All these baits can determine your success and help you locate good fishing spots.

The Secondary Fishing Point in a Lake

Maps can tell you where there is a rocky spot in the lake or where there can be shallow water. While seasonal movements and water temperature are good indicators for finding the best bass locations, there are numerous factors like the secondary points in a lake.

An image of a man looking for a good bass fishing spots

Secondary points are off the main channel, so anglers can spot these places where the water is not flowing in or out to another place. The surface of the water at these points is still. Bass fish accumulate in these areas, and locating them will mean big catches!

Another good option to find bass fishing locations can be the Google Earth satellite view. You can see the water body from the top and all the related research about the lake or pond where you plan to go fishing. You will be able to see all the main and secondary points along with the weather conditions that impact the locations where this fish is found.

Times of the Day

While finding the best locations, anglers should know how the time of the day impacts these favorable fishing areas. For a minute, imagine the routine of bass. The fish feeds early in the morning when the light is dim, and it does not shy away from coming close to the surface to bite.

Then when the sun is overhead and the water becomes warmer, it hides under rocks where the temperature is optimum for this species. As the sun moves down, the light is low again, and bass comes out to feed. However, since the water is still warmer, it stays low. Then at night, the bass swims close to the surface again.

Apart from the depth, the shallow areas and vegetation spots in the lake are familiar places where bass are found at different times of the day. If anglers plan an early morning trip to the lake, they will find bass closer to the water surface. However, you might have to look for bass near rocky structures if it is an afternoon trip.

Follow a New Path

Do you go to the same lake every time? And do you look for the same places where you might have found many bass fish in the past? Anglers should look for new points and follow new paths to find bass. Yes, rocky structures and shallow areas will stay the same. However, this fish species keeps moving and does not gather in the same place all year.

Bass fishing is all about fun and adventure. Enjoy locating the right areas, and you will become a master as soon as you understand the factors determining a good fishing spot.

Conclusion

Anglers who want to catch big bass must know how to find good fishing locations in the lake. Once you understand how to find the best location, bass fishing will become an easy yet exciting sport for you every season.