Lee Bailey Fishing Factors™

Frogging for bass in full swing

August 23, 2024 by lbailey

Frogging for bass is arguably one of the most thrilling ways to catch a bass. Hollow body frog fishing combines the adrenaline rush of an explosive topwater bite with the physical nature of grass fishing. Frogs are one of the most weedless baits on the market. The hollow body frog is an indispensable tool for tournament anglers. This is the best way to try to access big fish in heavy cover. Frogs are also a great option for novice topwater anglers who don’t want to constantly worry about snagging.

A combative brand of fishing unrivaled in terms of excitement and big bass attraction. The frog bite starts to heat up in the spring. But gets better as the days become longer in the summer.

Hollow body frogs don’t only imitate amphibians

Vegetation and fishing pressure grow in the summer months. Bass will start to miss your frog, blowing up just behind it, or struggling to penetrate through dense mats. To stack the odds back in your favor, you can make a couple of small adjustments to your frog. Helping boost hook-up ratios and pique interest. If the cover allows, try slightly bending your hooks up and out with pliers to help improve your hook-up ratio. A frogs hook points should be angled away from the plastic body. This gives the frog a better chance of burying into the mouth of the fish. Some anglers will even go as far as adding a stinger hook if the fish are swiping at it.

A heavier frog will sit deeper in the mat and is less likely to move when fish strike. To increase the weight, try removing the hook and inserting small weights into the hollow body cavity. Not only will it help boost your hook-up ratio around thick mats, but it will also extend your casting distance. To set your frog apart from the competitors, try adding an acoustic element of attraction by inserting a small glass rattle into the body. Create a pop of color and scent with some dippin’ dye.

Frogging for bass with a heavier frog will sit it deeper in the mat

Popping, walking, buzzing, and pointed nose hollow body frogs provide anglers with different actions. There are shapes that make them better suited for fishing different types of cover and retrieve styles. If you’re fishing targeted pieces of cover, walking frogs are a great option. They can be worked in place to help keep you in the strike zone longer. Alternatively, if you need to cover water around sparse cover or along the edges of grass lines. I would choose a buzzing or popping frog. They offer more efficiency as the action is created by reeling, twitching, and moving the frog across the surface. In extremely matted vegetation standard or pointed nose hollow body frogs may be the best option. The cupped mouth of a popping frog or legs of a buzzing frog could have a tendency to hang up.

Frogging for bass is explosive whether you’re methodically crawling a frog over mats, popping it along a tule berm, or walking it in open water, you can’t help but feel the anticipation of being a split second away from a new personal best! The hollow body frog presents a substantial meal for large opportunistic fish making them a must-have for any angler’s bass fishing arsenal. Pair a hot summer day with emergent vegetation and you could be in for some of the most exciting topwater fishing that can be had all year!

Posted in Lure Specific, Summer | No Comments

Quickly Break Down Flooded Bass Fishing Cover

August 8, 2024 by lbailey

Flooded bass fishing cover conditions incites one of two responses from fishermen; there are anglers who dream of endless shallow water targets to fish, while there are others who dread the confusing maze of new cover available when water levels rise. Whether you love it or hate it, high water and flooded conditions are a common occurrence in most reservoirs, lakes and rivers. Especially in spring, when bass migrate shallow, so you need to understand these scenarios.

Flooded bass fishing cover conditions

How to fish flooded bass fishing lakes and rivers

With all of the crazy rain many of you have been experiencing, I decided to put together a comprehensive piece that will help you keep catching ’em even in these nasty conditions. I will teach you how to make the most of a muddy situation and fish through a flood on your local fisheries.

“The best advice that I can give anybody, is that they need to do their research on flooded bass fishing cover as to what that body of water normally does when it comes up or goes down.”

Some fisheries are able to move more water through them at a faster pace than others, returning to a somewhat stable level more quickly. Whereas on some other fisheries, the same amount of rainfall has longer lasting effects.

There is always a pattern within a pattern in high water. Some days they want to be in the thickest part of the bush, others they may swarm new growth (green limbs or leaves in the water) or you’ll notice you get bit every time you come across a horizontal laydown in the water. They might be in the deepest bushes or the ones in the dirt. If you get more than one bite on a specific type of cover, it’s no accident.

Not all fisheries flood the same. Some come up and go down quicker. Others rise 25 feet and some just two. Some have more current and in some the fish are less effected by the mud than in others.

Posted in Summer, Technique | No Comments

Spring bass fishing

April 19, 2024 by lbailey

Spring bass fishing, let’s talk about it for the Northeast and then we will cover the south.

Bass fishing the Northeast!

Spring bass fishing is the time of year that every Bass fisherman who is worth his salt looks forward to. The thought of Bass that haven’t seen a lure for at least 3 months is enough to stir any of us into a frenzy.

Spring has it’s advantages but it can have its own unique problems as well. Rising water temperatures can send Bass into flurries of activity that are a Bass fisherman’s dream come true. But, just as quickly, a stubborn early spring cold front can be a nightmare that puts the fish back into hibernation mode.

Can you feel it in the air? The bass can. Springtime ushers in changing air temperature, longer days and stronger sun angles, all of which trigger a fish’s instincts to move out of deep winter holes to search for food and the all-important spawning beds. Even right here in the Northeast, many of the biggest bass will be caught between mid-March and May.

Spring bass fishing diagram shows bass movements.

Typically, the areas that you will want to target will be in the 8- to 12-foot range. This will vary slightly on the overall depth of the lake, but generally speaking, this is a very realistic depth to find fish working toward their spawning grounds. In this instance try a small suspending crankbait. A bait that suspends in the strike zone and can remain very still is key this time of year and will entice even the most finicky fish.

Bass are most definitely creatures of habit. Their instincts—to hunt, take cover, and spawn— are primarily dictated by the temperature of the water in which they live. When the water is warm, between 55- and 65-degrees Fahrenheit, largemouth bass begin to spawn. Bass start to feed massively during pre-spawn, which generally occurs when the water is between 48 and 55 degrees.

Some anglers maintain that the moon cycle is almost as important as water temperature when you’re going after some giant bass pre-spawn. The new moon and full moon are times when bass are very active.

Fishing The South!

Some anglers live in warmer zones and may have been angling for bass for months already. Others have been patiently waiting for the lakes and rivers to thaw and the warm fronts start moving in.

Bass prefer to make nests in shallow water at the base of lilly pads near (relatively speaking) deeper water. Sand or hard clay may be used when bass do not have access to lilly pad bases. Male bass often build nests near structures such as submerged wood or weed beds. Bass stay near these quality spawning sites throughout the spring.

Spring bass fishing top lures of choice.

Larger bass are generally caught early in the fishing season. For smaller waters, anglers often catch the largest bass in late February and March. Fishing in the south anglers catch more large bass in March and April.

After the spawn the females can be found in deeper waters near the nest sites. They will suspend in deeper water as the males stay shallow to keep protecting their fry. The spawn is extremely stressful for bass and they need to feed like crazy to recover. That is why the pre-spawn, spawn, and post spawn are such an amazing time to go bass fishing.

Pay Attention and Catch More Fish

Pay attention to these details. You’ll increase your catch and unlock the secrets to early spring fishing.

“One thing to remember is that the real reason why we all enjoy fishing so much is the fun and camaraderie we experience with our friends and family. Some of the best fishing stories have nothing to do with how many fish we caught or what bait or technique we used. They are about the people we were with when we created those memories”.

Posted in Spring, Tips | No Comments

March Madness for bass

March 21, 2024 by lbailey

You’ve made it through the winter although there were times when you doubted you would. March Madness for bass, has you forgetting about all the cold weather and subsequent falloff in your fishing activity.

March in the southern U.S. is different from March Madness for bass in the northern U. S. And, of course, it’s different all the way in between, as well as different in every other early-season month.

March Madness For Bass. What a great time to fish for bass.

So it’s hard to say what’s good for one person is also good for another. Especially when you consider that spring bass fishing takes place in many varied types of water.

Nonetheless, there are some things about where to fish that hold true for everyone. So here are eight March Madness for bass fishing tips.

Eight March Madness for bass fishing tips

Be a temperature watcher. Some areas of a lake or pond warm up quicker than others. If you notice a difference of a few degrees in a particular spot, it may be the thing that attracts bass there to warm up and to feed.
Fish late in the day in early spring when the main part of a lake or pond is still cold. Surface water warms up several degrees on a sunny day. Maybe more so in the back reaches where there’s a bay, inlet, marsh, or wetland.
If you have options where to fish for bass, try shallow lakes and ponds first as the season progresses. They warm up quickly with warm and stable weather, more so than deeper bodies of water.
If you have several rods to employ, always keep one rod rigged with a swimbait. There’s probably no lure type that is more universally successful in early to mid spring than a swimbait.
Crankbaits are also staples for spring bass fishing. Try a super-shallow running version in extreme shallows. A slightly deeper running version in 3 to 6 feet of water.
Crayfish populations in lakes warrant the use of crankbaits and jigs. Work them along rocky areas, including rip rap banks. If you can, fish parallel along the shoreline rather than perpendicular to it.
With swimbaits and crankbaits, a sign that you’re fishing too fast is getting “bumped.” This is what happens when a bass nips half-heartedly at a lure.
A lot of spring bass fishing involves searching and covering a good deal of water. That is not what a jig does best, yet jigs catch a lot of spring bass (and other species). First try small-profile jigs that can be worked either along the bottom or up in the water column. Then larger-bodied jigs along the bottom and around cover, such as bushes and stumps.

March Madness for bass basic lures for spring.

Six Additional Tips you can use during March.

Pairing the best early season bass lures with the best fishing techniques can hook a bass. But in the fickle March Madness for bass fishing season, a little extra help can never hurt. Here are a few more early spring bass fishing tips to set you up for success this season:

Cast for repeat results: One of the best tips for early spring bass fishing success is to pay close attention to what works for you and what does not. Because bass behavior will change frequently with the fluctuating weather and temperature in spring, each day on the water may call for a different approach. Once you find a technique that wins you a bite, repeat the same cast and retrieve to catch a few more.
Fish out the area: Bass will often congregate in the same areas in spring — meaning if you catch one, you may catch a dozen more in the same spot. After your first catch, continue to cast along the same ridge or point. If you do not get a second bite, try fishing the same area from different angles before moving to a new spot.
Pay attention to water conditions: Fickle spring weather can make it challenging to locate bass, but by paying attention to the water conditions, you can find bass more quickly on each subsequent spring fishing trip. Once you find an area where bass are congregating, take a mental note of the water color, depth, temperature and bottom conditions. Consider the location of the ridge or point relative to channels and flats. These details will help you track down bass more quickly next time.
Use the wind to your advantage: On spring days when the water is clear, bass may see your bait too clearly and be wary of biting. Wind can help to disturb the surface of the water to attract bass better. If you are not getting any bites on a clear lake, try casting when the wind picks up.
Fish the mudlines: If you are having trouble locating bass on a spring day, look for mudlines created by wind and waves. Bass will often hide along the edges of mudlines where they have the advantage over baitfish which are drawn there to feed on plankton.

Following ice-out, look for protected shallow coves or bays with dark bottoms, as these spots will be the first to warm up. If these areas contain rocks you’re in good shape, because in these areas insect activity will begin earlier, which will attract baitfish, which in turn, will attract the bass.

Posted in Spring, Tips | No Comments

Wintertime River Smallmouths

January 10, 2024 by lbailey

Angling for Connecticut’s wintertime river smallmouths is a paradox. The cold weather period is perhaps both the best time to catch trophy bronzebacks and the most likely time for fishermen not to even receive one bite. Here are tips from Lee Bailey Jr (Three time Bassmaster Classic Qualifier) on how to experience more of the former and less of the latter.

Wintertime River Smallmouths on the Connecticut River

“How many writers even suggest fishing for wintertime river smallmouths. Water temperatures are near freezing. Ambient temperature is so cold that you have to dunk your rods into the water to thaw the ice from the guides. Or when the water is so muddy that you can’t see the bottom half of a brightly colored 6-inch soft bait as you hold it at the surface of the water.”

Jigs, Tubes and crankbaits are excellent for Wintertime River Smallmouths.

Most river smallmouths need deep water to winter. In Connecticut and Massachusetts I have conducted tagging studies which revealed that smallmouths migrate up to 60 miles from summer to winter habitat. In many cases, the trip is much shorter, sometimes nonexistent, but a migration of some length is the rule. Most wintering sites on rivers are at least 5 – 20 feet deep up in the North sections of the Connecticut river.. Down the South end of the Connecticut, smallmouths tend to migrate shorter distances and sometimes stay in creeks all winter. They seek deeper water, but a wintering site doesn’t necessarily have to be 20 feet deep.

The Connecticut River doesn’t freeze everywhere during winter, active smallmouths tend to rise up and feed in shallower water. This is usually between 2 and 10 feet deep. Rock bars, gravel points, boulder fields, and shallow flats immediately adjacent to a wintering hole become activity sites. In high water, smallmouths will be on these same spots where they extend up onto the flood plain. The closer to shore, the slower the current becomes. In high, cold water, slack areas become key.

“Deep” is relative to latitude. “On the Connecticut River, ‘deep’ water can vary from 5 feet to over 10 feet,” “Just find the deepest water and scout the entire vicinity around it. Some great smallmouth rivers have long stretches of nothing but shallow water. Smallmouth will travel as far as it takes, sometimes miles, to find water deep enough to satisfy their comfort and safety zones. And they remain in these areas for weeks (up north, make that months).

A wintering site doesn’t necessarily have to be 20 feet deep.

“In winter, deep holes near a shoal or falls are perfect trophy smallmouth areas. In high, muddy water, concentrate on eddies formed by islands that end abruptly. Those ending in a gradual slope are usually too shallow and too swift to be comfortable for larger smallmouths. The holding area for smallies at the ends of these islands is much smaller underwater than they appear to be on the surface. Islands that end abruptly form the bigger, deeper, and slower holding areas trophy bass prefer. They remain in areas like these until river conditions return to normal.

“The Connecticut is an excellent destination for winter smallies because it has such diversified habitat and plenty of it,” “Fish don’t have to move long distances to winter. I typically locate new winter holes during the low water months when you can see the content of these areas better. Then I will go to them in the winter and check them out. Some work out, some don’t. Only time on the water will tell.”

Lastly, please be sure to always wear a lifejacket while wintertime fishing and check river gauges to make sure water levels are safe.

See You On The River

This CT River Fishing Guidebook is the most comprehensive compilation of maps, Lees Lures and river Fishing Factors I have ever put together.

Strategies For Bass

Strategies For Bass paperback has the most impressive collection of up-to-date information, anglers will learn everything they need to know to catch more bass.

Posted in Technique, Winter | No Comments

Find Early Prespawn Bass

December 26, 2023 by lbailey

Find Early prespawn bass fishing gives anglers an excellent opportunity to catch monster bass. As the bass emerge from their deeper wintertime haunts in preparation for the spawn. They are notoriously indiscriminate when it comes to their feeding behavior. The result is simply giant bass and lots of them.

Although early prespawn bass can be quite predictable, it’s important to understand they’re like people in a sense each one exhibits unique behavior.
Whenever you approach the beginning stages of the prespawn, I suggest going through a thorough process of elimination.

While some folks like to start deep and work their way shallow, I am actually the polar opposite. I always target the backs of creeks and short pockets before I do anything else.

More importantly, however, I believe shallow water plays host to more bass than you might think.

It doesn’t matter where you go there are always going to be bass in shallow water. Will they be the ones to win a tournament? That really depends on the fishery, but shallow areas give me a complete overview of the water temperature which is a huge deal in the early prespawn.

Find Early Prespawn Bass with these important factors.

Every bass angler is guilty of it. After months of ridiculously frigid water temperatures, we become glued to our electronics, searching for the warmest water possible. This obsessive behavior isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but make sure to keep an open mind towards other important factors as well.

In my opinion, I think 50 degrees is the magic number for early prespawn movement. At that point, they are ready to move and make something happen. But there’s something much more important than water temperature. Their clock heavily correlates with the length of days and it’s an easy thing to overlook. You can have a brutal cold front come in and they will still be steadily moving up if the days are getting longer.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the various factors that influence the behavior of early prespawn bass, you’re ready to start catching. These are my hard to beat five areas.

Funnels
Primary points
Secondary points
Main lake flats
Backwater ponds

See You On The River

This CT River Fishing Guidebook is the most comprehensive compilation of maps, Lees Lures and river Fishing Factors I have ever put together.

Strategies For Bass

Strategies For Bass paperback has the most impressive collection of up-to-date information, anglers will learn everything they need to know to catch more bass.

Posted in Spring | No Comments

Late Fall Bass Fishing

December 10, 2023 by lbailey

Late Fall Bass Fishing during the transitional seasons of the year can sometimes seem challenging. With a few key late fall fishing tips, you can bump up your cool weather catch rates while using artificial baits and lures.

Late Fall Bass Fishing can be some fantastic bass catching action. The bass are feeding for the long winter. Shad and bait fish are slow and or dying making it easy for bass to feed. A passing front can trigger some of the best bass fishing action of the year. And a final bonus, there will not be many anglers on the water. Most are hunting, opening up the lake to anywhere you might want to try your hand at catching a bass of a lifetime.

Consider these Late Fall Bass Fishing pointers when heading out to your local spots:

Use search baits to cover more water. One of the most important fall fishing tips is to cover plenty of water versus spending too much time in one spot. Use search baits, like a crankbait, Binsky blade bait, swimbait or topwater, to quickly locate schools of bass that are chasing shad to fatten up for winter.
Fish the flats. Bass generally head into shallow water during the fall months. Check flats that are adjacent to grass beds, and try fishing in 3 to 6 feet of water with a few good fall fishing lures.

Note significant drops in water temperature. Another one of the best fall fishing tips is to consider the impact that a cold front will have on the activity level of bass during this time of year. As we transition into late fall fishing and see more significant drops in temperature. Shad will keep moving shallow and so will the big bass.

To sum up, these late fall fishing tips for big bass mean covering more water, fishing shallow flats near grass, downsizing after a temperature drop, and switching your lures if you’re not seeing enough action.

Now you can plan a day of fall fishing with your family,

Get ready for some late season fun on the water with Florida Bass Fishing Guide Lee Bailey Jr!

See You On The River

This CT River Fishing Guidebook is the most comprehensive compilation of maps, Lees Lures and river Fishing Factors I have ever put together.

Strategies For Bass

Strategies For Bass paperback has the most impressive collection of up-to-date information, anglers will learn everything they need to know to catch more bass.

Posted in Fall, Tips | No Comments

Baby Buzzbait Midsummer Bassing

December 6, 2023 by lbailey

Baby Buzzbait midsummer bassing begins after the hot weather has set in, bass fishing can be fantastic. Warm waters mean an increase in the metabolism of bass, which can lead to more frequent feeding activity. Additionally, Warm waters allow anglers to move faster and burn lures. The Baby Buzzbait™, not only works retrieving it directly by a bass. But also through the edges of their larger strike zones.

It’s smaller size, especially the 1/4 oz size allows the bait to be sucked in the bass’ mouth deeper.

When bass are aggressive, anglers can choose between lots of different lure options. Methods and can often use their favorites to score. Still, the most efficient method is usually going to be a faster approach. Smaller -sized offerings are usually best, the water has an abundance of small prey at this time. Picking a lure that can be fished fast, such as a Baby Buzzbait™, spinnerbait, lipless crankbait, is a top option. Swim jigs paired with paddle-tail swimbaits and some blade baits can be good choices as well.

Buzzbaits may all look the same on the shelf, but each has its own special features

While standard-sized offerings can produce, be ready to quickly switch to smaller sized lures if the bite doesn’t pick up. Likewise, while a slower Baby Buzzbait™ midsummer bassing retrieve speed is best, if the standard and slow speeds don’t produce, be ready to radically increase the speed, even faster than the higher-speed approach common when summer bass are active. Burning lures at high speeds can play on the instincts of bass and cause them to attack lures when they normally wouldn’t with slower retrieves.

Baby Buzzbait midsummer bassing may all look the same on the shelf, but each has its own special features that will work better in different places. A basic buzzbait will simply spin the blade on the top of the water making a slight trail behind it and a slight noise as it moves. The Baby Buzzbait™ is the most compact size on the market today. It’s smaller size, especially the 1/4 oz size allows the bait to be sucked in the bass’ mouth deeper. This produces more bass in the boat, resulting in bigger creels and a lot of fun.

Posted in Lure Specific, Summer, Tips | No Comments

Summer Glide Bait Fishing

December 6, 2023 by lbailey

Summer Glide Bait Fishing is best when bass are in their main summer patterns, understanding what the fish want helps you plan your big-bite strategy. Here’s the skinny on proven giant-finding prowess.

One of those innovations over the past 10 years is the emergence of Glide baits. These oversized, hard-bodied fish imitators originally were created to mimic trout in California lakes, but have transformed into replicating large bass prey across the country. Glide baits can resemble trout/ gizzard shad/ perch and other types of fish that bass feed on.

Summer Glide Bait Fishing brings in the giants.

Summer is a prime time to fish Glide baits. For the most part, anglers have learned that these lures produce best in the late pre-spawn, and summer to late fall.

Summer Glide Bait Fishing requires a shift in perspective and expectations. The most important thing to remember is that the number of strikes you can expect go WAY down, especially as the size of the bait increases. For the most part, the most productive and popular sizes are 6-9 inches. Most of them will weigh between 2 and 6 ounces.

Glide bait areas are dependent of the type of cover and clarity available

Casting distance is critical. It is especially important to cast Glide baits as far as you can. Most of the time they are fished in cleaner water scenarios. As well, this gives the bass more time to find and tract your bait. While tracking the big ones in Summer Glide Bait Fishing . Most Glide baits have a built-in, wide side to side action when reeled straight in. Most experts with this technique prefer to work the bait almost like a jerkbait…twitching the bait to make it dart harder side to side.

Glide bait areas are dependent of the type of cover and clarity available on the lake you are fishing. Since you are targeting big bass, you must fish big bass areas. Some of the better Glide bait locations are bluff banks, steep channel banks, points, and over deeper grass beds. When approaching these areas, wind is your friend. Getting a Glide bait bite under calm conditions in the summer is exceedingly difficult.

Posted in Lure Specific, Summer | No Comments

Binsky In Late Summer

December 6, 2023 by lbailey

Binsky In Late Summer works so well when those bass move offshore and begin to school in deeper water, that’s when you can get your money’s worth out of this blade bait.

It’s a good bait for pressured or schooling fish. Bass don’t stop eating bait fish when the water gets warm, so continue to use a Binsky blade bait no matter what time of year it is. When it’s in the dead of summer, you might not be able to just pull up and drop-shot on a school of fish. But, if you use a Binsky, they eat it at first sight.”

A Binsky has the kind of versatility that you simply can’t get from a drop-shot.

A blade Bait is great to use in summer because it can sink like a rock to whatever depth you need it to/ You can get the reaction bite with it because it’s so fast and moves so quickly. It’s also a good casting bait to use when you’re waiting for topwater fish to blow up because it’s so heavy and you can throw it far.

A Binsky blade Bait is great to use in summer

Binsky In Late Summer is more effective than a suspending stickbait during this time because it can probe deeper and catch fish in the 30 to 40 foot range. Steep drop-offs along main and secondary points or creek channels in the major coves are the prime spots to introduce the metal Binsky to bass.

The best sizes to use for this blade bait are 1/2-ounce for depths under 20 feet and 3/4-ounce for probing deeper than 20 feet. After making a long cast, allow the bait to sink to the bottom on a slack line before starting your retrieve. You want to lift that bait just enough to where you actually feel it vibrate. Once you feel it vibrate then kind of let the lure pull back down on a more tight line to where it will pendulum out a little bit. You don’t want it to go straight up and down during your retrieve.

Make sure you work the lure all the way back to the boat because bass will frequently hit the lure right under the boat. Match the lure with a medium-heavy rod and baitcast reel filled with 15-pound fluorocarbon line.

Posted in Lure Specific, Summer, Technique | No Comments