3 Bass Fishing Techniques The Pros Don't Want You To Know About

Bass fishing techniques are wide and varied, and many pro anglers put their own spin on the classics to make them even more deadly. A good angler has an arsenal of techniques, and can quickly examine the fishing conditions and decide which lures to implement for maximum success.

Learning the many different bass fishing techniques will not only make you a better fisherman, it will increase the enjoyment you get from fishing for these feisty sport fish. There are numerous methods that can be extremely effective in landing you the biggest bass you've ever caught.

Here are 3 little known bass fishing techniques that the pros have kept to themselves:

1. Top To Bottom (aka "Search and Destroy")

When employing the "top to bottom" technique, you'll break the water into 3 depths. Surface to 3 feet below, 3 feet below to 8 feet below, and 8 feet to bottom.

Each depth, or layer, gets fished with a plastic worm until you get a strike. Once you get a strike, you stay with that layer and begin to try new lures and rigs until you find one that is getting lots of action.

You'll stay in that "layer", with that rig, until you have no action for 60 minutes. You then repeat the process, finding the "hot layer" once again. This technique is extremely effective. In effect, you've become a "human fishfinder"!

2. Going Deep

This technique is all about fishing deep areas that other fishermen seldom touch. It's fished with a Carolina Rig. A Carolina Rig consists of a heavy weight, followed by a swivel leader and a Texas rigged soft bait.

The fisherman casts into areas where there are rock beds, dock pylons, and other underwater structure, letting the weight sink to the bottom. The rig is retrieved in a slow, twitching fashion.

This gives the appearance of a worm or other bottom feeder slowly inching it's way along the lake floor. Bass that are hanging low will be attracted to the motion and hit hard.

3. The Floating Spoon

This is a one of the least known, yet most effective bass fishing techniques I have ever had the pleasure of using. The ideal conditions are fairly clear to very clear water and water temperatures below 50 degrees.

The rig consists of a bobber followed by 6-8 feet of line and a lure of choice. Personally, I think big, colorful crankbaits or flashy spoons work best.

When you cast, your lure will sit suspended in the water below your bobber. This is very effective in lower water temperatures because the bass are very slow and lethargic.

You'll want to use a very slow retrieval and just let your lure cruise along slowly underwater. You won't have to worry about depth, because the bobber will keep it constant. You'll be amazed at how many bass you'll catch with this technique.

Learning a multitude of bass fishing techniques will most definitely produce more bass. More importantly, you need to know which techniques to employ in different conditions. Something that works well in warm, cloudy water won't be necessarily be as effective as in colder, clear water.