Spring Bass Fever

There's nothing more fun, or aggrevating, for a bass fisherman than spotting a big bass sitting on a bed and trying to entice it into eating. Some bass are very territorial and will strike intruding lures with abandon. Others will sit motionless, or aimlessly nose at the offending intruder until it leaves the bed. I've seen some anglers, myself included, who will work a bed tirelessly for up to an hour trying to work such timid bass into such a frenzy that it will finally take our offering. Often, said anglers go home fuming mad and empty handed.

This is the story of spring bass bed fishing. A lot of the ponds and lakes which I bass fish in have very clear water in them that make it conducive to sight fishing the beds, and I've picked up a few things along the way. If you follow this set of steps, you should be able to catch almost any fish off the bed.

Step One - Gear Up

Having the right gear and lures will go a long way. Because bed fishing is usually done in shallow, clear water, I highly recommend flourocarbon line. Its low visibility is a must for finicky bass, and its low stretch means a quick, hard hookset. For a rod I recommend that you have one medium-heavy action casting and one medium-heavy spinning rod. The spinning rod will be used for casting weightless plastics.

You'll want a good assortment of baits, but here are the key ones: lizards, senko-type wacky worms, finesse or trick worms, creature or crawfish baits, jigs, spinnerbaits, and lipless crankbaits. You'll also want some different sizes of worm weights.

Step Two - Locate the Bed

Here's where a pair of polarized sunglasses will go a long way. They will alow you to cut through the glare on the water's surface and spot the fish on the bed. It can sometimes take a trained eye to notice a bass, as they can blend in with the bottom cover surprisingly well. Take your time when working a bank, as the slightest movement can clue you into a bass' location. Also, keep in mind that bass tend to prefer to make their beds in shallow, open water with sandy bottom and lots of sunlight.

Step Three - Male or Female?

This is an important step in determining how to work the bed. Usually a bed will have 2 to 3 fish in the immediate area: a female and one or two males. Differentiating the two is fairly easy. Males tend to be smaller, and more aggressive. They will cirle around and over the bed, chasing away bream and other egg-stealers that get near the bed. Females, however, are usually much larger and will be suspended either over the bed or nearby, moving very little. Most people's first instinct is to go for the big female first, but it is usually a good idea to target the male first. The male is aggressive anyway, and you are more likely to catch him. Plus if you are working a lure near the female, and the aggressive male comes up and snatches it, the female can be spooked and swim off.

Step Four - Wacky Worm

While most people will grab a lizard or flipping bait for a bed first, I will always toss a wacky-rigged worm in first to test the waters. Often the aggressive males will snap up a wacky-rigged senko or finesse worm as soon as it enters the general area of the bed. This is often proves a much quicker way to catch fish then working the bed itself. If the fish have lockjaw, then move on to the next step.

Step 5 - Here, Lizard, Lizard...

If you make it to this step without ctaching the male, it means he is a little more focused on defending the bed itself, and you'll need to attack it directly with a bass' most hated foe: the bed-thieving salamander. Rig a small 4-5 inch lizard with a light screw-in weight and a large offset hook. When I say large, I mean that it is so big that it barely fits the body. I will explain this in a moment.

Toss the lizard just beyond the bed and let it go to the bottom. Now sloooowly drag the lizard into the bed and stop. By this time, you'll usually have a fish's attention. If he comes and looks at the lizard, but doesn't pick it up, start nugging the lizard's head up and down very subtly without moving it forward. If it doesn't pick up the lizard right away, be patient, keep doing this for a few minutes and the male will eventually pick it up.

Once the lizard is in the bass' mouth, you have to be quick. Often, the male will pick the lizard up by just the tail and spit out the lure outside the bed. This is where the big hook comes in. Set the hook hard once you see he has it and get the bass out of the water as quickly as possible to avoid spooking the female. If you're releasing the fish, do it away from the female.

If the lizard doesn't work, try alternatives like crawfish baits and jigs.

Step Six - Make Mama Mad

Female bass on beds are notoriously lockjawed. Really the only way to make them bite is to make them mad. Nothing does this better than a lipless crankbait like a Rat-L-Trap. Alternatively, a spinnerbait with colorado blades will work as well. Throw it out far beyond the female and rip it back quickly, running it in front of her face. Always keep the bait in front of the bass, because nothing will spook it quicker than having a bait run right up behind it. Make many, many casts until you make the bass mad. It seems to the bass like an invading bream that's trying to dart into the bed. Eventually, the bass will get angry and start to take swipes at the crankbait, so be ready to set the hook.

Patience is key when fishing a bed. It is easy to get mad when you see a bass interested in your lure, but it just won't take it. Don't start switching from bait to bait trying to find the golden ticket. Stick to a few baits and patterns and keep working them. Eventually, the bass will show enough interest in the bait to take a bite, so keep your cool.


Russo's Seafood Restaurant

I had the pleasure of eating at the new restuarant adjacent to Russo's Seafood in Savannah a couple of week ago and I was very impressed. While there has been a controversy over the dine-in tables inside, I chose to eat out on the porch anyway to enjoy the nice spring weather. My family's been getting our fresh seafood from Russo's since before I was born, and I had high expectations. They did not disappoint and exceeded my expectations.

I had a cup of crab stew and a fried oyster po-boy, and both were by far the best I've ever had. The crab stew contained whole lump crab meat and was very rich and flavorful. I've been eating Savannah crab stew for 25 years and I've never had any this good. The oyster po-boy was as good as any oyster house in New Orleans could put out. I could taste fresh saltwater in the oysters and it was obvious they were just a day or two out of the water. It was served with a tangy remoulade sauce, which complimented it very well, and tasty hand-cut french fries.

The service was great and fast, and I was surprised to learn that an old buddy of mine, Kevin, was working the kitchen. Kevin said that business has been great. If they keep up this level of excellance, I can see why. Russo's Seafood Restaurant has definately gone onto my list of great Savannah eateries.