Is Bass Fishing Good After the Rain?

Posted on February 14, 2023 by admin

The Short Answer to Is Bass Fishing Good After the Rain

Yes, bass fishing can be good after the rain. Rain can cause the water level to rise, which can attract bass to areas they may not have been to before. The water can also become murky and full of debris, which can make it difficult to fish but can also provide more cover for the bass to hide.

Discover the conditions where rain can help or hurt your bass fishing below.

Bass fishing after a rain storm
Bass fishing after a rain storm

The Long Answer to Is Bass Fishing Good After the Rain

Bass fishing can be amazing after the rain, but like most things, there are different situations where that is true and where it isn’t. Let’s break some of the basics down.

When Fishing is Good After the Rain

If you are fishing in the spring and there is a warm rain that runs into a colder body of water you can really do good. The first thing is that bass will migrate to warmer water.

Another aspect is that bass tend to move into the current for a fresh food source as they are ambush predators and runoff can bring the forage they are looking for, or attract it into that area.

Another rule of thumb, if the water is warming, is that bass will move up with the water when it is rising. This can work in a lake or a river. There are exceptions to this which we will discuss later.

This same idea can apply to the summer months when cooler water is running into a warmer body of water and the bass will move up the same to cooler water and to feed.

Spinnerbait Fishing Can Be Amazing In These Conditions

Squarebill Crankbaits Shine in These Conditions

When Fishing is Not Good After the Rain

In the winter when the water is typically a lot clearer, the cold water runoff can mess up fishing. Not only does it bring debris into the water but makes it murky. This can really put bass in a negative mood.

When the water is already cold and colder water runs in it makes the bass either stay where they are or move deeper to warmer or cleaner water. Bass are cold-blooded, so they will find the warmer water and so if cold water is running in this will detur bass.

For instance, in a highland reservoir where I fish quite a lot, in the winter when the snow melts and runs off it really messes up the fishing. The bass will either shut down and stay in their deeper locations where the water temperature is more consistent, or they will move to cleaner water altogether.

In some lakes, this will not be the case, so test it out, but as a rule of thumb bass that are getting conditioned to clearer cold water don’t typically navigate to colder more stained conditions.

Another situation where bass will be harder to catch after the rain is when the weather front has moved through and the runoff has slowed, leaving bluebird skies and stained water.

If the weather is warm, or the water running in is warm, this can still help, but typically the two to three days after a cold front comes through the bass will get tight to cover and be in a negative mood.

You can still catch them by fishing in the thick cover, but it will not be as easy as when the pressure is falling and there is still overcast. In these situations, I will go to finesse tactics or Texas rigs.

I Explain Texas Rigs Here

Finesse Jigs Can Shine

Wacky Rig Bass

Drop Shot Finesse Fishing

Bass Fishing After the Rain – Conclusion

Bass fishing can really make you stop and think. That is one thing I love about this sport. That said, these are general rules that I have seen in my fishing after rain storms, but they are not solid rules.

The bass in your lake or river could totally go against what I have shared, but it is a good place to start as it seems to be part of their normal behavior.

I am always learning and growing and our understanding of bass behavior is ever-changing.

My experiences will be a good place to start, but go out and try for yourself. Fishing is always changing and not all bass are alike.

To your post-rain bass fishing success,

Jonathan Burke
LiveBassFishing.com

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Wacky Rig Fishing – When the Wacky Rig Saves the Day for River Bass

Posted on February 13, 2023 by admin

This story is about how wacky rig fishing saved the day on a desert river here in Arizona.

Wacky rig fishing for bass
Wacky rig fishing for bass

Have you ever had one of those days where you had it in mind how you were going to catch the bass and it just didn’t work out? I know I have and this day was no exception.

I went out ready to throw a micro jig and I thought that was going to be the ticket. From past experience, I did pack more baits though.

Well, after about 30 minutes of no bites and breaking off on a rock I decided to tie on a wacky rig stick bait. Boy was this the right decision.

Wacky Rig River Bass Fishing Video

Wacky Rig Fishing for Bass in the River

I’ll have to admit that Wacky Rig Fishing is one of my fallbacks and it works well, especially as the water warms. It’s kind of like a drop shot to me, except I prefer to fish it to a drop shot.

How To Fish a Wacky Rig?

The cool thing about wacky rig fishing is that you cast it out and let it fall. It really does all the work. The stick baits have this hypnotic shimmy as they fall that drives the bass crazy.

Get Your Wacky Rig Stick Baits Here

I typically throw it at a target like shade or structure and let it fall to the desired depth before giving it a pull or some hops. If you watch the video above you can get an idea of what I mean.

One of the biggest tips that I can give you is that most of your hits come on the fall so be a line watcher. Watch for a jump in your line or just for something that isn’t normal. Reel up and set the hook.

Wacky Rig Fishing Terminal Tackle

Today I was fishing it weightless with a VMC Neko Hook. I really like this hook because it is sticky sharp and the longer shank seems to really get the hook in a little better. you can also get the weedless version in the VMC Neko Hook too.

Get Your VMC Neko Hooks Here

Get Your Weedless Neko Hooks Here

I was throwing it on 10-pound test fluorocarbon and it worked really well. A lot of times I will drop to 6 or 8 if the fish are finicky, but today I took this one rig and it worked well. If I am around heavy cover I will jump up in line size too.

Get Your Budget Fluorocarbon Line Here

If the current is strong, or the bass are deeper or want the bait to fall faster, I will go to a weighted wacky rig hook.

Get Weighted Wacky Rig Hooks Here

What Rod and Reel to Use for Wacky Rig Fishing

On this trip, I was using a Shimano MGL 7o baitcasting reel on a 13 Fishing Fate Black 6’7″ medium fast power rod. It actually performed well. If you are looking for an amazing baitcaster that can throw light baits then the Shimano MGL 70 is an amazing workhorse.

Get Your Shimano MGL 70 Reel Here

Get Your Fate Black Casting Rod Here

A good option for using a spinning setup for wacky rig fishing is a 7′ medium fast action spinning rod and a 2000-size spinning reel.

Get My Favorite Spinning Reel Here

Get My Favorite Spinning Rod Here

Wacky Rig Fishing can be an amazing and fun way to catch bass. Grab yourself some hooks and your favorite stick baits and go catch some bass.

To your Wacky Rig Fishing success,

Jonathan Burke

Get More Wacky Rig Info Here

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How to Tie a Double San Diego Jam Knot

Posted on February 2, 2023 by admin

Learn how to tie a Double San Diego Jam knot fast. I’ve been using the San Diego Jam knot for over 30 years and it doesn’t fail me.

I love the Palomar knot and still use it a lot, but the double San Diego Jam knot is easier to tie when you are working with baits with treble hooks or big baits where it is hard to get the loop over the bait.

How to tie the double San Diego Jam knot

San Diego Jam Knot Story

I have been using this knot for over 30 years and didn’t know what it was called until recently. A professional walleye fisherman showed me how to tie the San Diego Jam knot when I was 11 years old in a tackle shop in Phoenix, AZ. I have been using this knot ever since.

I used to tie it in the single version but learned that the double knot is just that much stronger and still easy to tie once you get the hang of it.

I still tie the Palomar knot a lot, especially on my Texas rigs and my drop shot rigs, but if a bait has trebles or is bulky, I still use the San Diego Jam knot for most of those applications.

See how I tie the Palomar knot here.

How to tie the Palomar knot

If you see the loop that you have to run the bait through, you will see why I feel that the San Diego Jam knot is superior for most applications.

Tips for the Double San Diego Jam Knot

How Many Wraps

One of the first tips is to only loop it 3 or 4 times. If you do more than that it will not snug up as well. Believe me that this knot will not fail, especially when you run it back through the top.

Pull the Tag End

Another tip is that you want to pull the single tag end while you are pulling the knot tight or it will leave a giant loop and could cause failure in your Jam knot.

Wet Your Line

Always be sure to wet your line before you tighten up the Double San Diego Jam Knot. If you don’t the friction caused when tightening the knot can cause heat to break down your line. This can lead to knot failure.

Line Suggestions

This line works well with both mono and fluoro. I typically suggest a fluoro for most applications unless you are fishing topwater lures, then go monofilament.

Get Your Budget Fluorocarbon Line Here

Get Your Best Fluorocarbon Line Here

Get Your Monofilament Line Here

Final Thoughts on the Double San Diego Jam Knot

I have a soft spot in my heart for this knot. I learned it as a young angler, and like an old friend, it has served me well for all of these years. This knot is super strong and doesn’t fail if you follow the guidance above.

If you haven’t used this knot, I suggest you give it a try. Practice before you get on the water and you will be set when you need to tie it in the field.

To your fishing success,

Jonathan Burke

LiveBassFishing.com

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How to Know What Color Bait to Use for Bass Fishing

Posted on January 24, 2023 by admin

There are so many details on how to know what color of bait to use for bass fishing, but there are some basic rules and ideas that will make it a lot easier for you. 

Flipping a Texas Rig for Bass
Knowing Bait Colors Makes Bass Fishing Easier

When it comes to bait colors to use for bass fishing there are so many ideas and opinions, but I use some general rules to get the job done or at least to get off on the right foot. 

I look for some key details when I am fishing and then there will be some seasonal variations to bring into the mix. 

Knowing the Right Colors – Water Clarity

The major factor that I look for when I am choosing a bait color for bass fishing is water color and clarity. 

Knowing Colors to Pick For Bass Fishing
How to Know the Right Colors to Use for Bass

The rule of thumb here is that the clearer the water the more natural baits are the ticket. This can be the translucent or shad style colors. My absolute favorite colors for clearer water conditions are green pumpkin and watermelon. 

Matching What They Are Eating

That said, I will also look at the bait in the body of water as well. What are the bass eating? If they are eating crawfish or bluegill then the green pumpkins and watermelons are players. 

If they are on a baitfish bite then the more baitfish colors like smoke or shad colors are the ticket.

On the other hand, if the water is super stained and visibility is low I will turn to something like purple, black, or blue. These darker colors create contrast in the murky water and allow the bass to see them more easily. 

Color Example

Bass Caught on Texas Rigged Craw
Darker Colored Baits for Dirty Water

In my local river, I fish for instance the water can really get chocolate milk with runoff and I will always throw a black, blue, or purple color and really up my odds of catching bass. 

Simply put, more natural and green colors for clearer water and darker colors like blacks and blues for more stained water. 

Test it out, but these are good rules to start with. 

What Color Baits to Use – Seasonal

Another variant in choosing the right color bait for bass fishing is the time of year. 

Early Spring Colors for Bass Fishing

In the pre-spawn or early spring, bass start feeding up for the spawn and moving in a pattern toward the spawning bays. When this happens a red color with some orange is hard to beat. 

Of course, you can still play with other colors, but as a general rule the bass start keying in on crawfish and they devour red. This can be a red crankbait or a red chatterbait, but this time of year the red colors seem to really shine. 

As the year progresses the bass will key in on green pumpkins and browns when feeding on crawdads, but red will play throughout the year. If there is more water clarity the more translucent reds seem to do well. 

Late Spring Colors for Bass Fishing

As the season progresses bass will begin feeding on bluegill and shad when they move up to spawn. Bluegill and shad spawn will start happening.

Typically the shad spawn happens soon after the bass spawn. This will create a shad pattern. Your white colors and silver colors will work well. 

When the bluegill spawn occurs a little bit after the shad spawn your green pumpkins with blue hues will become key players. Again, matching the forage that they are feeding on. 

Summer Colors for Bass Fishing

During the summer you can venture out and even fish some of the bright chartreuses and blueback baits to get their attention because they are feeding more than ever with the higher water temps and metabolism. 

At this point, just look at what they are feeding on in your body of water and match it. 

Fall Colors for Bass Fishing

As the fall approaches the shad and baitfish patterns will dominate again, but again, look at water clarity as well. 

Early Winter Colors for Bass Fishing

When fall begins to transform into winter the red crawfish patterns can play again. You will just have to experiment to see what they want. 

Winter Colors for Bass Fishing

In the dead of winter duller and more translucent baits seem to work better whether that is a red craw pattern or a baitfish pattern. Some tone of purple really seems to work well for me in the winter as well. Even in clear water the purples really work in the winter. 

Color Bait to Use for Bass Fishing – Conclusion

These are all general rules. In certain areas and bodies of water, certain colors just seem to work. Here on the West coast the morning dawn color always seems to work.

It is always a good idea to do some homework and check the local reports and tackle shops to see what is working best where you are fishing. 

Either way, this is a good place to start when it comes to knowing what color bait to use for bass fishing. 

To your fishing success,

Jonathan Burke

LiveBassFishing.com

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Multi-Species Arizona River Fishing Trip for Bass on the Ned Rig

Posted on January 9, 2023 by admin

It’s been cold where I live and I got tired of fishing through the ice for trout, so I dropped down to the desert and fished the river with a Ned rig for bass. I really didn’t expect to have a multi-species day, but I guess the good old Ned rig catches more than bass.

Caught a trout while river bass fishing on a ned rig
I caught a trout while river bass fishing on a ned rig

I have been catching a lot of trout ice fishing this season, but it really isn’t my favorite. I love to fish no matter what, but bass fishing is my love. That is why I thought it was so funny when my first fish of the day was a rainbow trout!

I did go on to catch some bass, but that is why I had a funny reaction to the trout. You can check out the video to see my reaction below:

Muti-Species While Fishing for Bass in a Desert River in Arizona

I love fishing the river and while most of the bass are pretty small it is still a blast. The cool thing about river bass fishing is just getting to unwind and connect with the river. The desert scenery is beautiful in January and I was able to wear shorts and wade in the water…in January!

Get Ned Jig Heads Here

Another Ned Jig Head Option

Get My Favorite Ned Craw

Get My Favorite Ned Worm

How I Catch River Bass in January

I caught a majority of my bass on the Weedless Ned Rig. The water is still pretty cold and the fish are way more lethargic than usual. I use a weedless Ned because the bottom is so snaggy with all of the rock.

Today I was still working it with twitches. I started fishing the river by slowly dragging it, but noticed that the bass were way more engaged when I was twitching the Ned rig while dragging it.

The Ned Bait that the Bass Wanted

Some days you have to see what the fish are telling you and these river bass wanted a slow-moving bait, but still wanted a more aggressive action. The bait of the day was a new Bass Pro brand soft plastic Ned bait with a short fat profile and pinchers on the side with little action.

The bait fit the profile while the more aggressive action didn’t as much. I even tried a Strike King Ned Bug to see if they wanted more action from the pinchers, but no luck.

The fat, do nothing profile was key to the whole system. Once the bass got wise to the Ned rig I did catch one more on a drop shot, but it was just one bass. The Weedless Ned rig won the day for the river bass and trout fishing on this day.

The Gear I Used to River Bass Fish

In the past, I have used a spinning rig with 6 to 8 pound test line, but lately, I have really been loving my Shimano BFS reel on a medium-light inshore casting rod that was made for inshore trout fishing down South where the freshwater meets the salt and the trout and redfish are the fish of choice.

It has a really light tip that works well for BFS gear and light line. There is something exciting to me about fishing light tackle on a casting setup. If you haven’t tried it I would highly suggest you give it a go.

My advice would be to grab a handful of Ned baits and some Ned heads and get out and see what you can catch in the river this winter. That is if you have open water. If not, you may have to wait until ice out.

To your fishing success,

Jonathan Burke

LiveBassFishing.com

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