Originally Posted by
MontanaMoose
Bill, I'm no bass wizard but I learned something valuable while snorkelin' on a great bass pond. I would sit down so my eyes were just under the surface (face plate of course) and I'd cast a plug, yep a plug...and I'd see it land amongst these huge lmb's that I couldn't catch. Lesson #1 was that they scattered. Lesson #2 was that I'd start retrieving the plug right away and the bass just stayed scattered, not paying any attention to it. Ok, the big lesson #3 was that when I left the plug where it landed, not moving it at all, eventually the bass came back and they'd all gather around (20 or more at times) and just look at it. This would sometimes take well over a minute. Ah ha I thought, I'm not waiting long enough before I start retrieving.
Sure enough, the second I gave it a twitch the first time I noticed this, bingo, bass reflexive strike, fish on ! Works with a lot of flies I use, yep..I don't plug anymore but I learned a lot from doing so.
Lesson #4 was valuable too. I tried just watching the bass gathering around the plug...well, just to watch them...after about 3 minutes the first time I tried just watching, one of the bass would always inch closer and closer and finally strike, with no movement on my part. I did notice that the trebles would be wigglin' around from even the slightest breeze...the plug body even less. It got boring catching bass so easily that day but after that I slowed way down and bassin' became very interesting since I'd usually get to see the bass come to the plug (nowadays the fly) and I always get a grin when my first thought now is NOT to move the fly, but to just let it be. Try that !
Cheers,
MontanaMoose
P.S. Go to a Bass shop
and read the text that
comes with a Hula Popper..
Pretty much suggests letting
it rest a while before moving.