Page 51 - South Mississippi Living - February, 2024

A jighead worm.
Keith Lott shows off a bass he caught on a spinnerbait.
Every fisherman tells tales of the “big one that got away.” However, people who react quickly when a bass strikes could talk about the big one they caught.
Frequently, bass strike at lures and miss. That bass might circle around for another try. When that happens, anglers need
to be prepared with several follow-on options.
When a fish strikes at and misses a
bait, many people immediately throw
that same lure back into that spot again. Sometimes, that works, but usually, it doesn’t. Instead, follow up with something completely different. For example, if a bass swirls at a large floating bait, toss in a sinking soft-plastic temptation.
“It’s very difficult not to throw the
same thing back into a hole where a
fish struck, but bass very seldom hit the same lure twice,” advises Peter Thliveros, a professional bass angler. “There are endless numbers of things to throw back into a pocket for a second opportunity at a bass, but the key is being prepared to do it. I’ll drop what I’m throwing and pick up something different every time.”
For that second chance at a bass, stay ready to offer fish multiple choices.
Many people keep subtle soft-plastic temptations, such as worms or creature baits, tied on as a follow-up bait. Most soft-plastic lures resemble natural prey. They also feel like natural prey when a bass bites one. Anglers can work these soft-plastic baits slowly and keep them in the strike zone longer.
Although anglers generally go from aggressive to more subtle baits for second chances at bass, the opposite sometimes works. If a bass strikes at a soft-plastic bait, but doesn’t inhale it, perhaps it wants something moving a bit faster or one that makes more noise and commotion.
“If a bass wants to eat something, anglers can’t keep it away because it’s such an efficient predator,” Thliveros explains. “If a bass misses a bait, it’s not because it couldn’t see it or catch it.”
Changing colors, shapes or retrieval speeds sometimes helps. Anglers typically go from brighter colors to more natural bait hues and from larger baits to smaller ones to catch second-chance bass. Sometimes, a larger fish might actually want a bigger, more aggressive bait or a brighter color.
Where one bass finds a good spot
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
February 2024 | 51
A weedless
jig tipped with a craw trailer.
A weedless jig imitates a crawfish, a preferred prey for bass.
offering the best combination of cover, oxygen levels, water temperatures and a place to ambush prey, other bass would probably also like that spot. One small pocket might hold several fish instead of just the one that struck first.
Biologists doing periodic fish population sampling, use a device that generates an electrical current. When they put the probe into the water, it shocks fish. Those alive, but stunned fish float to the surface where the biologists can net them to count and examine them. Very seldom do the biologists ever just shock up one fish at a time.
Often, bass occupying the same general area become highly aggressive and competitive. They want to beat their brethren to the food. One fish striking a lure and missing could make another one interested in that bait.
In any situation, the angler who plans ahead, observes what happens and reacts quickly normally catches the most fish. Be ready to throw several diverse options to that spot to see what works best at that time.