How often have you gotten ready for a bass fishing trip to a body of water you have not yet fished and found yourself wondering where are the fish are? Fear not, for this is not a problem that only happens to you as it is one of the more commonly discussed fishing topics in bass fishing.

Learning the right ways to go about detecting the hot spots for bass can be rather challenging and even frustrating at times. This is due to the many factors that are all dependent upon each other. You must know how to read your map, you must be able to seek out the more practical locations where active bass might be both in the early spring, late fall and after a cold front. You must understand water depths, temperature and clarity, seasonal patterns, and how to find structured areas or areas with vegetation.

The key to learning how to use a lake map is to study it over all at first and then divide the lake into sections. You then fish the sections and note any hot spots accordingly. Plot anything on the map where you notice irregular contours, vegetation, shallow water in close proximity to deeper water and any kind of structure.

There are many different kinds of techniques and baits that can be used when bass fishing, but many of these are rather tricky to master since so much bass fishing consists of fishing within grass and weeds. This can lead to a lot of tangled fishing tackle. Unfortunately, this is one of the best places to find your bass is the spots that are rather full of grass and weeds.

If you are having a difficult time locating weeds then there are other things in the water to keep an eye out for. Be on the lookout for overhanging tree branches, stumps, rocky areas, road beds, docks and ditches. All of these places are popular homes and hideouts of bass. As long as you are not making the mistake of fishing for bass in open water, then you are probably in a decent location.

Always be sure that you have done your research on the area that you have never fished before. Many times just learning about that new environment can help give you clues as to when to fish and with which kinds of lures. Always have a variety of tackle, fishing gearnd a great deal of patience.

Springtime is just around the corner. This has every bass angler scrambling to gather and organize their fishing gear because the bass are beginning to think about spawning. Here are a few handy tips to keep in mind before embarking on your first trip of the season.

Water temperature: Once the water in lakes reach the upper 50s and 60s, bass will most likely be out and about. This is typically when they will begin to head for their spawning locations.

Creek channels: These are almost like roads or freeways for bass. Places on these channels are stopping points for you. Here you will want to fish using crankbait and bouncing it along the floor of the lake. Try craw and green colors.

Presentation: Keep in mind the water is still rather chilly during the pre-spawn season so the bass will most likely still be a bit lethargic. Slowing down your presentation will help no matter which lure you are using.

Location: Drop offs, fish points, prior road beds, ledges and grassy spots in close proximity to deeper water but also close to spawning locations are a perfect place to start.

Weeds: It is no secret that bass are partial to weeds. Choose any area with beds of weeds that are across from a channel that most likely feeds from a particular area and drag out your topwater baits.

Warming up: Once the temperature of the water begins to climb above 60 degrees, bass will begin to look for their final place to spawn. This is when bass are at their hungriest and they will eat just about anything.

Wind: If wind begins to look like a problem then it might be a good idea to switch your bait to a swimbait or move into a cove.

Cold Fronts: A cold front has the possibility of sending the bass back into their deep water hiding places. This will also mean that they will feed less again as well.

Shallow Coves: If you can find a shallower cove, remember that here, the water warms up much faster. Bass will be looking for warmer water to search for crawfish and schools of shad. Try using a smaller jig complete with a craw trailer.

Once the weather has been warm consistently for a good few days it is time to begin looking for your bass fishing in their spawning areas and stump fields. Try bouncing a crankbait off of some stumps or using a topwater lure rather slowly and the fish will most likely notice you. Enjoy the fishing!

If you are an avid fisherman, chances are you have considered or at least been curious as to what it might be like to embark on a fishing trip in Canada. With all of the giant, beautiful, clear rivers and lakes Canada has to offer, there are certainly many opportunities for spectacular fishing getaways.

Regardless of whether or not you are on the search for the perfect weekend retreat for the whole family or a trip to some of the most remote places only accessible by plane, Canada has what you are looking for if it has anything to do with fishing and the great outdoors. Bass fishing or carp fishing, you can find it all here.

Located 500 miles north of Yellowknife is Great Bear Lake. This lake’s closest road is nearly 300 miles off into the distance; making this one of the most remote lakes you might ever have the pleasure of fishing. It is nearly 12,500 square miles of purely clear water that only sees the light of day for around 100 days of the year. The rest of the time it is covered with an icy layer, responsible for the ice cold waters, which are in turn responsible for harboring some rather old, large fish. Some of them have lived for as long as 80 years.

One community exists on this lake consisting of no more than 500 people at the most. Additionally, there are four lodges with almost 300 miles of water in between each other. Since the lake is only without ice for a few months out of the year, these fishing lodges can only operate for a few months out of the year as well. Between all four lodges, their total occupant capacity is around 160 guests at one time and this is spread out over a vast 12,500 miles.

Another great location to consider is Great Slave Lake. This lake is found around 300 miles to the south of Great Bear Lake and is almost as big and isolated as well. The only difference is that it is home to a charming, active little city on its shores called Yellowknife. This city is considered the Grand Central Station for many of the lake’s fishing accommodations and lodges. It has access to its own airport with plenty of daily flights in and out of the area that will take you to other cities you might like to visit during your stay.

These are just a few places that Canada has to offer its fishing enthusiasts. With friendly, helpful service and a venue suited for everyone, why wouldn’t you want to try your next fishing trip in Canada? So get your fishing gear in check and come on up.

People just starting out at largemouth bass fishing are embarking on an extremely rewarding and exciting sport. This activity has also been known to be somewhat addictive as it does call for some techniques and methods one has to master in order to become successful.

While starting a new hobby usually will require a monetary investment into the fishing tackle that is needed, you won’t have to spend a fortune on new gear when getting started with bass fishing. All you will need are the basic pieces including a fishing reel and rod, fishing line, hooks and bait. You can often times find these for a total of around $50. This is all that you will need in order to begin reeling in plenty of bass. Tackle shops or sporting goods stores will have every item that you need.

Once you have all of your fishing gear set up and ready to go, it is time to get out onto the water and begin fishing. You will want to start in the shallower parts of the water as bass tend to prefer these areas. This will also assist in familiarizing you with your new equipment. Once you feel as if you have somewhat of a feel for the task, you can then begin to venture out into deeper waters in order to focus on the bigger fish. You will want to aim to fish near drop offs in the water or submerged logs or trees to find the big ones.

You may begin to notice that depending on the time of day, different fishing methods may work better at one time then at another. Very early in the morning as well as dusk, you might have better luck at hooking some largemouth bass in shallower areas as they search for small animals and bugs.  During these hours, smaller bait and tackle will work the best. Later in the morning and early afternoon, the bass will usually move out into the cooler parts of the water where it is deeper in order to wait until it cools off so they can once again feed. These are the times that you will want to use bottom lures like crankbait and jigs. Cast them into deeper regions and retrieve them slowly for the best chances.

Once you have felt a fish bite, never make the mistake of prematurely setting the hook, or jerking back on the line in order to ensure the hook penetrates the mouth. If you don’t wait for the bass to fully get the bait within its jaws you will unfortunately only reel in your hook. Wait until the fish have taken some of your lines slack and then go for it. Now all that’s left to do is reel him in!

While there are many crappie fishing tips, the first bit of knowledge you will need to know is where exactly to look for these fish. Even anglers who have been fishing for years admit they don’t always know where to look, so here are some basic guidelines to adhere to when looking for great crappie fishing locations.

At particular parts of the year, crappie will be easily found in the deeper spots of the water. However, one of the best places to find them are when they haven’t headed for these deeper parts due to warmer temperatures of the summer. It is then when you will want to set your sights on the logs, weed beds, lily pads and rivers and other parts of the area where they might prefer to hide in the day time.

These are the spots that fishermen should always aim to fish when in search of crappie. Having the ability to locate prime hideouts as well as slowly positioning oneself for the cast without disturbing the fish are necessary skills when fishing. Since crappie tend to be most active in the autumn and spring, a fast moving jig, bob with a minnow or a cork will suit the angler quite well.

In the summer months, fishermen will want to try searching for crappie in the shadier areas that are closest to deeper waters, so remember to pick the right fishing gear. Try checking underneath bridges and docks in these times as you will have a good start there. You will also have more activity beginning at dusk and ending at dawn in the summer as crappie love to eat once it is dark outside.

You will most likely easily find crappie in creeks and rivers with snags and sunken trees around the banks. You might also be lucky enough to hook a trout of bass in these parts as well. Even if crappie don’t seem to be out and about, you will very likely catch something in these areas of the water.

When you are looking in lakes for catching crappie, they often spend most of their time away from shore, so you will want to cast your line from a boat as opposed to shore fishing. Since many crappie hunt at night, you will especially find a great deal of fish the few days before a full moon. While crappie fishing and location scouting will definitely take some time and practice, the fish are out there and it’s only a matter of time until you are reeling them in.