Bass fishing is a sport that attracts thousands of sportsmen to area lakes every year. Canada, Mexico and the United States all have various types of bass in their rivers, but most fishermen appreciate the famous Large Mouth Bass. This is one of the most sought after species because of the rewarding experience of catching one.



The Large Mouth Bass is an aggressive species and will bite just about any kind of bait or lure, but there are a few kinds of fishing tackle and methods of rigging that have come to the forefront over the years. The original bass fishing tackle was a hook with a worm that is suspended below the surface by a bobber, or held close to the bottom by clamping a lead weight to the line about a foot or two above the hook.

This setup can be used with any live bait, like minnows or crawdads. Artificial worms have also been found to be very effective, especially when used in shallow creeks or rivers, and setup in a configuration called the Carolina rig. A Carolina rig has a few variations, but essentially, a lead weight that can slide up and down the line is used instead of a lead weight that clamps.

Some anglers prefer to attach a swivel and a spinner between the hook and weight, but many do not. The hook should not run through the entire worm, and the barb should not be exposed, to prevent snagging on rocks and brush, and to avoid picking up grass and moss.

Other fishing tackle that works well on bass, as well as freshwater fishing for other species, include crankbaits. Crankbaits are typically hard plastic and have a bill attached to the front.

The angle of the bill on different models will cause the crankbait to dive slightly below the surface, or as deep as 15-10 feet below the surface if retrieved quickly enough. Crankbaits typically resemble baitfish or crawdads and have many variations in size, and color, and some even rattle to get the attention of nearby fish.

Spoons are another type of fishing lure that is used for bass fishing. A spoon is like a spinner without a jig or grub attached, and it looks like a small bait fish when it is in the water.

One of the most used types of fishing tackle are topwater lures. These are ideal for bass fishing, but they are also great to fish for freshwater fish or many saltwater fish species. You can choose between poppers and spinner baits with your topwater lures. Look out for the bass, though. They like to strike the topwater lures hard, so you need to stay alert when trying to catch them.

There are other types of bass fishing lures and variations, but these are the main types. Because bass are so aggressive, some days they will bite anything, including flies and lures commonly used for other types of fish.