New Skills for 2023?

It’s that time of year where I’m already wishing it was bass fishing time. So what new techniques are you planning on learning or getting better at?

-I’m going to really focus on getting more comfortable punching grass mats and pads. Did a fair amount over the past couple seasons doing it and had some great results in the limited times I tried it. Want to get more comfortable with it.

-Also continuing my momentum with jigging. Got much more proficient with it last season with large and smallmouth but still don’t have a ton of confidence with it.

-Last thing is getting more proficient with my electronics. I can read my electronics but I rarely use them to ACTUALLY find fish. I’ll use them to find good looking structure and then fish it. I want to get better at finding that structure but then go even farther and be able to say yes there’s a good amount of fish there or no, it’s not worth fishing it. Haven’t gotten to that trust level yet.

Flipping jigs. Started trying this late last fall and it was fantastic. Flip after flip jig placement was spot on. Even if it wasn’t a quick lift of the rod, swing it back in and good to go. Very nice to swing the jig in under over hanging grass on the shoreline. Then when the bass hit the fun starts. Fresh bass on a short line at boat side. Fun times. Only got to try this technique for a couple trips so looking forward putting more time into it.

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Mike i would not have guessed you fish for bass or owned any so called bass tackle.

chuck100 wrote:

Mike i would not have guessed you fish for bass or owned any so called bass tackle.

Everybody likes bass fishing….Not everybody likes to admit it.

Not hit as many pontoons skipping a 1/2 ounce jig. Surprised you didnt mention the ned rig

Youbetcha wrote:

Not hit as many pontoons skipping a 1/2 ounce jig. Surprised you didnt mention the ned rig

I figured the ned out the last couple years. It’s definitely a good one, but it’s painful for me to throw it.

I want to spend more time learning about Smallmouth on Pool 2. I did OK last year, but the size structure wasn’t great and some days they just weren’t were I would expect to find them. Obviously a lot to learn.

SR

Last season was a real eye opener for me using jerk baits. They were effective all the way until July for largemouth where I fished them. But after that they stopped biting them. Maybe I can push it out even further this season.

Traditionally more of a cold water tactic for brown bass, being able to get largies on them in warm water was maybe a bit of a stretch. But I intend to try again this season. Recently picked up a Shimano world minnow with flash boost that has some serious shimmer.

gimruis wrote:

Last season was a real eye opener for me using jerk baits. They were effective all the way until July for largemouth where I fished them. But after that they stopped biting them. Maybe I can push it out even further this season.

Traditionally more of a cold water tactic for brown bass, being able to get largies on them in warm water was maybe a bit of a stretch. But I intend to try again this season. Recently picked up a Shimano world minnow with flash boost that has some serious shimmer.

You can catch largemouth all year long on jerks. Fish them over deep weed edges and they will come up and blast them. Even in July and August. People stop throwing them in June and there are some really good summer patterns with jerkbaits that a lot of people miss out on.

mahtofire14 wrote:

You can catch largemouth all year long on jerks. Fish them over deep weed edges and they will come up and blast them. Even in July and August. People stop throwing them in June and there are some really good summer patterns with jerkbaits that a lot of people miss out on.

I’m sure of that now. I was one of those people that kinda gave up on them beyond “spring” when the summer heat started to show up. I generally fish in fairly weedy habitat too so a treble hooked lure was not a good fit. It may also just be a confidence thing too. Quite honestly sometimes I just sick of doing it. I mean a guy can only jerk off for so long, right?

Ok, my name is EPG and I’m a bass fisherman. (i’ve even fished them with chucker1000 from his boat so he can vouch for me having a bass card)

This year I’m going to pick me up some of them plastic crawdad things and try for some bronzebacks in Rosie.
Might even toss around a few heavily weighted football jigs at surrounding docks/pontoon/lifts just to get back at a few fishermen.

One of my favorite days last summer was smallie fishing the St Louis river so my goal bass-wise is to become much more knowledgeable when hitting the streams and rivers in northern Minnesota. That river is an exceptional and overlooked fishery. There are countless basically untouched areas not possible to reach by boat where you have to hike back too. Smallie fishing was some of the best I have ever experienced.

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Eelpoutguy wrote:

Ok, my name is EPG and I’m a bass fisherman. (i’ve even fished them with chucker1000 from his boat so he can vouch for me having a bass card)

This year I’m going to pick me up some of them plastic crawdad things and try for some bronzebacks in Rosie.
Might even toss around a few heavily weighted football jigs at surrounding docks/pontoon/lifts just to get back at a few fishermen.

Don’t go heavier weight in that situation, go for finese jigs

I’m actually enjoying forgetting about “bass” techniques. Advice I got 35 or so years ago to stop bass fishing and learn walleyes and habitat inside and out was a game changer.

Yes I’m getting old, grumpy, stubborn… But the new techniques I’ve seen exploited over the last 10 years is all stuff we were doing almost 40 years ago and didn’t tell anyoone

trying to make sense out of SI just do not get it

Jigging, T-Rigs, and frogs. I’ve been hung up on finesse stick baits, spinnerbaits and crankbaits a lot over the last few years.

Forward facing sonar is going to be a big one. Recently “invested” in a setup. Haven’t even had it on the ice yet. Learning how to utilize it for bass fishing during league is going to be a big focus.

Drop shot for me.
Sure I had caught a lot of smallmouth on it but I can’t remember a single largemouth I have caught on a drop shot.

Top water and refining the Ned rig. Also trying to figure out why spinnerbaits did nothing this last season. Angling pressure I believe is causing bass to really be wary and finesse in the future will play big time. Like ice fishing but the boat saw me in the shed today I swear she had a tear for me Getting the itch already

I’m still trying to master the “jig” I had awesome results with it last year and I’m going to try to fine tune it even more this year.

Lots of new techniques out there. I was reminded by a buddy last Fall that the old, reliable Rat-L-Trap has its place and it kicks butt.

mrpike1973 wrote:

Angling pressure I believe is causing bass to really be wary and finesse in the future will play big time.

Oh I think that’s been going on for years now in some waters.

I focus my efforts on lakes that receive less pressure, particularly smaller ones that have no tournaments.

mrpike1973 wrote:

Top water and refining the Ned rig. Also trying to figure out why spinnerbaits did nothing this last season. Angling pressure I believe is causing bass to really be wary and finesse in the future will play big time. Like ice fishing but the boat saw me in the shed today I swear she had a tear for me Getting the itch already

I have had really good success with punch fishing on lakes with high pressure. You wont hammer them but you will catch very nice fish. I wonder if more largemouth will tuck up in those thick areas after being chased around by guys with live imaging. I doubt you could pick fish out of those areas with live imagining.

I think this spring is going to be really good. The ice fishing pressure has been miniscule this year and I think the fish could be really tuned up when the ice goes out.

The MLF Big 5 tourney this week on Okeechobee is getting me really itching for bass.

Using count-down type jerk baits with Livescope to fish on structure. Trying to get those baits directly in the fishes strike zone and trying to learn the fish behavior depending on how they respond.

I’m reaching back into my past and planning on having a dedicated rod for plastic worms. It is kind of a forgotten bait for me for the past 20 years or so.

Also want to throw prop baits more often.

Bass Pundit wrote:

I’m reaching back into my past and planning on having a dedicated rod for plastic worms. It is kind of a forgotten bait for me for the past 20 years or so.

Also want to throw prop baits more often.

You obviously watched the Okeechobee derby.

Swimming a speed worm is something I told myself I was going to do last year and totally forgot about it. Then Okeechobee reminded me about it so I’ll be trying to do that again this year also.

Everything to do with bass fishing.
My son has joined the Farmington Fishing Club and I am signed up to be a caption for bass fishing. I have never targeted bass myself. I am going to be one worthless caption. Once the season opens I will have to jump in a boat with who ever is willing to teach me something so I can pass it along.

Rodwork wrote:

Everything to do with bass fishing.
My son has joined the Farmington Fishing Club and I am signed up to be a caption for bass fishing. I have never targeted bass myself. I am going to be one worthless caption. Once the season opens I will have to jump in a boat with who ever is willing to teach me something so I can pass it along.

If you get down my way, let me know. I would be more than happy to get you out and show you a few things. I probably don’t have as much knowledge as some on here. But been doing it for a rather long time and have picked up a few tricks along the way.

Rodwork wrote:

Everything to do with bass fishing.
My son has joined the Farmington Fishing Club and I am signed up to be a caption for bass fishing. I have never targeted bass myself. I am going to be one worthless caption. Once the season opens I will have to jump in a boat with who ever is willing to teach me something so I can pass it along.

Sent you a PM that should get you started.

mahtofire14 wrote:

Sent you a PM that should get you started.

Thank you. That is some great information you gave me.