Basic bassing
Category: Tournament
Aug 18th, 2015 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Aug 18th, 2015 at 12:00 AM
Decades of building a better mousetrap in the world of bass fishing has done just that. All sorts of them. Whether it’s the Alabama Rig, swimbaits, etc. The minds of lures designers and anglers have come up with some remarkable creations.
The recent Bassmaster Elite Series on Chesapeake Bay event won by Aaron Martens highlighted something different. Sure, it showed the greatness of the winning angler, but more to the point, the display of bass fishing basics among the top anglers was the standout.
Bill Lowen finished in second place at the Chesapeake Bay event. Lowen fished a relatively shallow area loaded with laydowns, wood and grass. His basic approach was to flip a creature bait and work a small spinnerbait through the various cover options. Super basic, but almost always effective, at least somewhat, depending on where you are fishing.
Martens found a marina area fishing the pilings on a vast expanse of boat slips. His efforts were broadcast live on Bassmaster.com. Methodically working a drop-shot, jig, spinnerbait and a bladed jig. Rotating through them to find which offering the bass wanted. So basic, but so to the point that we all as bass anglers forget. Basics are best.
We can of course expand on the basics, but in the end we chase bass for fun. If we overcomplicate the pursuit, it becomes job-like. Blech, who wants another job?
Take the lead from Martens and Lowen, get basic, fish bassy looking cover and trust your instincts. Oh yeah, catch a few bass, too.