Bass fishing in summer

The warm weather is upon us and for a lot of anglers this signals the heating up of the Australian bass bite, along with quality by-catch species including golden perch and saratoga.

For many, the holiday period also creates the opportunity to explore new waterways, the chance to target bass for the first time or perhaps land a new personal best fish, with a 50cm bass considered a trophy.

In this article I wanted to run through five of my favourite types of bass lures and breakdown where and when I fish each presentation.

Australian bass are an iconic species that hit hard, are renowned for the power and speed of that first run, the stubborn fight and they photograph well, giving anglers a lasting souvenir of their catch.

Quality bass fishing is available to anglers along much of the east coast, from around Tin Can Bay in Queensland down into eastern Victoria.

 

This freshwater species can be found in many rivers and creeks, along with plentiful numbers stocked into lakes and impoundments throughout their region of distribution.

Remember to check your local rules and regulations regarding targeting this species.

Over the past 30 years of targeting bass, I have learnt that it’s important to have a variety of presentations at your disposal, as the mood and aggressiveness of this fish will vary dramatically based on variables such as weather, water temperature, wind and available bait species.

Factors such as shifts in barometric pressure around weather events, the lead up to a full and new moon, the rising water temperature throughout the day and afternoon low light – all can trigger a hot bite.

Let’s take a closer look at a handful of presentations that have been effective additions to my bass kit over the years.

Soft plastics and jig spinners

Soft plastics have long been a favourite for anglers targeting bass, as they are inexpensive, look real, feel real and can be rigged to fish a wide range of environments – from topwater to deep schooled fish, even weedless for fishing heavy cover.

Two of the most popular options are curl tail and paddle tail plastics, with paddle tails my preferred option, representing the many small baitfish that bass feed on.

If I was to suggest only one plastic, it would be the Z-Man Slim SwimZ, a proven tournament winner.

I run the 2.5” if the bite is tougher or the average size of the bait smaller, stepping to the 3” model when targeting bigger fish, often in bigger impoundments with larger bait.

Slim SwimZ have an underhooked tail that makes them swim on the sink and throughout the retrieve, even when winding extremely slow if the fish are shut down and holding on the bottom.

 

I commonly fish this plastic on a 1/4oz jig head for fishing slower tapering edges, stepping up to a 3/8oz and even 1/2oz jig head along steeper edges and when chasing bass in schools that are commonly holding in 6-12m of water.

Colour wise, I’ll run a natural-coloured baitfish such as Baby Bass or Opening Night if the water is clear, switching to a dark silhouette or ultraviolet-reactive colour such as Gold Rush or Blood Oil in dirty water and low light.

These can be matched to a colour in the TT DemonZ jig head range, with a 1/0 my go-to hook size for the 2.5” and 2/0 or 3/0 for the 3” Slim SwimZ.

A priceless addition to your kit is a jig spinner – a small stainless-steel frame with an attached blade that can be clipped onto the jig head to add flash and vibration to your soft plastic, attracting fish and triggering strikes.

This little accessory can fire up the bite, and I will commonly start the session with a jig spinner attached, removing it if the fish are totally shutdown and are looking for a more finesse presentation.

Spinnerbaits

Key areas I’ve had consistent success when targeting bass include points, rapid changes in depth and available structure, such as timber, weed, rock and lilies.

Structure holds bait and also absorbs warmth from the sun, in turn warming the surrounding water.

One of my favourite presentations for targeting bass around structure is a spinnerbait, with its design characteristics adding to its snag resistance.

The stainless-steel wire frame allows it to bounce through structure, while the blades produce flash and vibration, and the jig-like head and skirt pulse, creating movement and added attraction.

 

Spinnerbaits can also be fished in open water and slow rolled through schools and dredged along the bottom when fish are shutdown.

My go-to spinnerbait is an Australian favourite, the TT Vortex+, with its quality components, hooks and compact frame perfect for bass.

My go-to weights include 1/8oz for skinny water creek fishing, 1/4oz for fishing weed and lily edges, up to 3/8oz and 1/2oz for fishing steeper edges and deeper schooled fish.

And my go-to colours include whites (Purple Glimmer), purples (Purple Mauve) and golds (Somerset Gold), with a stack of colours available to suit different environments.

Chatterbaits

If you love bass fishing and haven’t fished a chatterbait, check out the Z-Man ChatterBait MiniMax.

It’s built for bass, with a quality 2/0 hook and available in 1/4oz for creek work, shallower weed and lily edge bites, and 1/2oz for deeper edges and schooled fish.

This presentation is one of my summer favourites – it has action, vibration, noise and flash unlike any other lure, allowing you to show the fish something completely different.

It is designed with a lead head jig and silicone skirt for movement, with a blade mounted to the jig eye that creates an erratic swimming action, noise as it knocks on the head of the jig and plenty of flash.

 

This is a great presentation for covering water and targeting active fish or for firing multiple casts at key structure until you stir the fish up enough to make them eat.

I fish it with a long cast, allow it to sink to the desired depth, give it a rip or two to fire up some flash and vibration, then slow roll it back.

An occasional pause to allow it to sink before commencing the slow roll again can also trigger bites.

A favourite for targeting timber snag piles that I know hold fish, I have cast a ChatterBait 10 times before getting a bite, then landed eight fish from eight casts from the snag pile once they were fired up to feed.

Favourite colours again would include purples and golds.

Tailspinners

Tailspinners consist of a metal body, generally minnow shaped, with a blade on the tail that spins on a swivel to create flash and vibration.

Another lure in my kit due to its versatility – they cast long and sink, allowing you to fish at any depth.

They are more subtle than a spinnerbait and can also be fished vertically around structure and schooled fish, making them especially deadly for anglers fishing with live imaging sonar, allowing them to watch the fish react to different retrieves until they crack a pattern and trigger strikes.

Tailspinners can also be slow trolled – select a suitable tailspinner weight and trolling speed to keep the presentation in the strike zone.

 

My go-to tailspinner is a relatively new addition that has already accounted for a stack of fish – the TT FlashPoint+.

With its minnow-shaped body that has a subtle swimming action and quality ball bearing swivel that allows the blade to swim at dead-slow retrieve speeds while sinking, making it perfect for vertical jigging, as well as cast and retrieve.

FlashPoint+ is available in three sizes, with the smallest 33mm (9g), it’s a great starting point for targeting bass from the edges down to about 6m of water, where I commonly encounter them.

The castability of this presentation also makes it ideal for anglers chasing bass land based in areas with minimal structure.

Blade lures

Blade lures have always been a favourite in my bass kit, again due to their versatility, along with the variety of models and colours and their proven effectiveness.

These metal minnow-shaped blades sink, again allowing them to be hopped and rolled down the edges or fished vertically among schooled fish and around structure.

A deadly presentation on winter schooled fish, they are also a favourite for targeting actively feeding fish in summer, with the vibration and flash attracting brutal strikes.

I commonly fish blades of about 42-44mm (7-10g) as a starting point, with the ability to step down in size for the impoundments that hold smaller bait and fish or up to a larger blade for targeting trophy fish in deep water.

 

This presentation is a favourite for a stack of other species too, including golden perch and redfin.

Blades vary dramatically in terms of profile, design, terminal tackle and action, so I carry a selection in my kit.

TT Switchblade+

This blade has become a favourite for Aussie anglers with its proven profile, colour range and action.

A great starting point for covering water in search of active fish or targeting fish vertically, the Switchblade+ has a medium vibration at slow retrieve speeds through to more aggressive rips without blowing out.

An absolute killer if the bass are feeding on bony bream.

 

TT SwitchPrawn+

A more recent blade addition, the SwitchPrawn+ has a tighter more aggressive vibration that is perfect for targeting actively feeding schools and catching numbers of fish.

It also comes fitted with assist hooks rather than trebles, which makes it dynamite for impoundments where the average fish size is smaller, as these hooks do not miss.

TT SwitchMinnow+

This is a new addition to the TT blade range and an exciting one in terms of design.

The SwitchMinnow+ has a more open subtle vibration on the lift/retrieve and a colour-matched silicone tail that creates a ‘swimming’ action on the sink, making it an effective blade option for targeting bass that are feeding less aggressively, while still maintaining the advantages of a blade – including long casts and the ability to get it down to fish holding deep.

Fish on!

If you haven’t chased bass before, summer is a perfect time.

The warmer weather sees the fish become more active and the edge bite really heats up.

If you love bass fishing, I’m sure you have a few of these presentations in your kit already and you’re well into the season, landing some quality fish.

 

Bass are a hard-fighting and challenging species to target, with a mood that changes throughout the season – even during the session – making it more important to have a variety of presentations in your kit.

Cover water, change things up – including presentation and retrieve – and, if fishing with other anglers, try each fishing a different presentation or technique until you crack a pattern.

Hopefully this article assists you with both targeting Australian bass and also selecting a couple of proven presentations that land you that trophy fish.
See you on the water.