Finesse
Fishing
for
Largemouth
Bass
by John Allen
photos by the author
What is it that drives people to fishing? Is it the time spent “away
from it all?” Is it the constant unknown of what the next outing
will bring? Or, is it thrill of the fight of a big fish that keeps us
coming back for more? For me, it’s the feel of a big fish slamming
my lure and the subsequent battle. In the summertime, one of
the best ways to experience these two thrills at the same time is
finesse fishing for Largemouth Bass. Finesse fishing requires the
right tackle, lures and techniques in order to be successful.
When a bass grabs the bait, you should be able to feel it, and that’s
when the fun is about to begin.
6
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • July/August 2016
Tackle
Finesse fishing requires a spinning reel and a medium or
medium-light, extra-fast action rod. I prefer a rod between
6- and 7-feet in length. The extra-fast action allows you to
feel every little bump as you move your lure. When selecting
a spinning reel, I always use the highest quality spinning reel
that I own. When you expect to hook into some nice-sized
fish on light weight tackle, you want a reel with a drag system
that is capable of keeping up.
The next most important part of your set-up is your line
selection. You want between 6- and 10-pound-test line. I
normally keep one rod rigged with 8-pound-test line and
another with 10-pound-test line. I’ll use the 8-pound-test
line in open water, where I know there is less debris and the
10-pound-test line around fallen trees, docks and heavier
vegetation, such as lily pads. I will typically use either
monofilament or fluorocarbon line. Occasionally, I use
8- to 10-pound-test braided line, which is the approximate
diameter of 2-pound-test monofilament line. Then, for the
last 3- or 4-feet, I add a fluorocarbon leader to keep from
startling fish. Using this thin braid gives the angler even
more feel. If I’m fishing for suspended bass in the middle of
the day, that are a little less aggressive on the grab, I prefer
to use the braid set-up, because being able to feel every little
movement is important.
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Lures
Due to the amount of play in
an extra-fast action rod, you’re
going to want baits that have
a lot of movement. This will
typically narrow it down to soft
plastic baits. Tube lures, crayfish,
minnow and worm imitations
can almost always be found in
my bait box during the summer
months. My heavier rod usually
has a tube lure with a 1/8-ounce jig
head on it as that is my go-to lure
around cover, which requires a
little extra strength from the line
to keep big bass from breaking it.
On my lighter rig, a wacky-rigged
sinking worm tends to find its
way onto the end of my line more
often than anything else because
of the amount of water that it can
cover as it sinks on an angle.
Tube lures, crayfish, minnow and worm imitations can almost always be found in my
bait box during the summer months.
Techniques
Soft plastic lures take less movement by the rod to
make the bait come alive. When fishing over finicky bass,
that little bit of movement can make a huge difference.
The biggest reason that I tend to use only two lures is
that it takes a little getting used to what each lure will do
with each set-up. The best way to practice is to stand on
a dock when the water is clear, and watch the bait with
each rod movement.
After casting the bait out, I leave the rod parallel to the
water as the bait sinks with the bail of the spinning reel
remaining open for a few seconds. Then, I close the bail
and lift the rod up to about a one o’clock angle. I reel up
any slack until I can feel the weight
of the lure. Next, I move my rod
down to about a two o’clock angle
as I reel down a little more. From
there, my rod movements will
go between two o’clock and one
o’clock with the average motion
being about half of that gap as I
move the lure along. A weighted
lure will typically require less
motion than an unweighted lure,
because the weighted lure is
bouncing along the bottom. You
don’t need to move the bait very
far to keep the action looking
natural. Most of your strikes will
come on the lift as the fish inspects
the bait or on the drop as the bass
spots the free fall. When a bass
grabs the bait, you should be able
to feel it, and that’s when the fun is
This finicky, summertime Largemouth Bass fell to a wacky-rigged sinking worm.
about to begin.
PFBC website: www.fishandboat.com Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • July/August 2016
7
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