10 Bass Fishing Forums: Fishing Reports & Discussions

Texas Fishing Forum

Texas Bass Fishing Forum has 119,274 registered users, 144,274 total members, 1,041,990 topics, 14,010,220 posts, and 59 forums. The various forums discuss boats, equipment, floaters, paddlers, fly fishing, saltwater fishing, freshwater fishing, and open fishing.

Website: https://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php

Ultimate Bass Forum

The Ultimate Bass Forum lets you talk about your bass fishing stories and other topics that might sound interesting. You can discuss rod building, bass fishing techniques, bank fishing, and fishing gears. The forum also shares region-wise fishing reports from the Northeast, Western region, Southeast, and Central areas of the United States.

Website: https://www.ultimatebass.com/bass-fishing-forum/index.php 

Austin Bass Fishing Forum

With 26.2k members and 447.3k posts, the Austin Bass Fishing Forum has been active since 2005. This forum community is dedicated to boat owners in the Austin area of Texas. You can join the forum, seek advice, or discuss safety, tackle, gear, reviews, classifieds, and more.

Website: https://www.austinbassfishing.com/forums/ 

The Bassholes Forums

The Bassholes Forum started in 2006 and currently has 8.1K members and 297.5 K posts. The forum is dedicated to Alabama anglers; you can become a member, too. There are various forums in the community where the members discuss soft plastics, fishing reels, electronics, tips, fly fishing, women bass anglers, rod construction, and more.

Website: https://www.thebassholes.com/

Western Bass Forum

The Western Bass Forum is an online fishing community in California with around 77,167 topics. Members need to register and login to post or reply to topics. The topics are related to the California Delta tide chart, boater card, fishing license, tournament calendar, and more.

Website: https://www.westernbass.com/forum/fishing-f201.html

Facebook Group >> DFW Fishing Forum

DFW Fishing Forum is a Facebook fishing community with around 17.7K members. It was created in April 2014, and the members talk about fish species like Dallas Fort Worth Bass, Catfish, Carp, hybrid striped bass, sunfish, and others.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dfwfishingforum/

Oregon Fishing Forum - Bass Fishing in Oregon

The Oregon Fishing Forum shares information about the top places for bass fishing, the best fishing techniques, and bass fishing reports. Some popular fishing species, such as Steelhead, Salmon, Trout, Bass, and Sturgeon, are discussed, along with fishing pots in various locations. The forum has been active since 2008 and currently has 4,704 members, 193,476 members, and 14,678 threads.

Website: https://www.oregonfishingforum.com/bass/ 

The New York Bass Forums

The New York Bass Forum was created in 2003 and is dedicated to anglers in New York. At present, it has 14.4k members and 609.8k posts. You can join the forum and discuss reports, reviews, classifieds, tackle tips, and more about bass fishing. The “Places to Fish/Fishing Reports” forum is the most popular, with 25.2M views and 203k threads.

Website: https://www.nybass.com/forums/ 

2 Cool Fishing Forum

2 Cool Fishing Forum is dedicated to anglers based in Texas and has been active since 2004. The “Individual Fishing & Game Reports” sub-forum is the largest among all the forums, with 146k threads and 82.8M views. Currently, the forum has around 117k members and 7.4M posts.

Website: https://www.2coolfishing.com/forums/ 

Bass Fishing Gear

The first step to simplify your bass fishing as a beginner is to focus on the basics. This can benefit you in the long run, even if you do not have too much stuff. Below are some fishing basics, essential gears, bass tackle basics, and basic fishing structure that you must know:

Gear Basics

To start with fishing gears, you may need a six to seven-foot baitcasting rod, which is medium-heavy in weight. You can either buy a rod-reel combo or a separate reel of a 12-pound test line. With this essential gear, you can fish jigs, worms, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, spoons, and other baits. You can visit a local sporting store and purchase a combo at an affordable price.

Bass Tackle Basics

According to the rule (the rule of art), all an angler needs is a tackle box with ten lures. These ten lures will keep you prepared for every water column level. The ten lures contain glitter jigs, westy worms, colored crankbait, purple worms, black ringworms, crawdad colored crankbait, chartreuse spinnerbait, white spinnerbait, smoke lizards, and walking bait. Additionally, you may need some slip sinkers for rigging, hooks, and jig heads for worms, lizards, and other baits.

Basic Fishing Structure

Some basic fishing structures include points, backs of coves, rocky cliffs, windy banks, brush lines, and submerged structures. Points are prominent structures that can hold a fish. When a fish uses a point, it brings it from deep to shallow water. You can use jigs, westy worms, surface lures, and crankbaits for fishing points.

You can fish the backs of coves with surface lures, spinnerbaits, or rigged worms. Depending upon the weather conditions, you may find the most effective one. Instead of changing your tackle, if you keep it limited, you can change the lures altogether. Another critical area is the Rocky Cliffs, which are steep areas that are mostly productive in summer and winter.

Here is a table listing some essential fishing gear:

Anglers use electric fishing gear, which is essential for techniques such as electrofishing. If you are a regular fisher and use electric gear, you can charge your devices with the Jackery Portable Power Station. It supplies renewable solar energy on the go, keeping your devices charged for long hours.

Jackery Portable Power Stations for Bass Fishing

Founded in 2012 with the vision to bring green energy to all, Jackery is a leading manufacturer of portable power stations, solar generators, and solar panels. To date, it has reduced tons of carbon emissions and saved around 590 million kWh of electricity. The Jackery Solar Generator, Jackery Portable Power Station, and Jackery SolarSaga Solar Panels combine into a solar power system. The power station receives DC energy from the solar panels when placed outside the sun, absorbing sun energy. The power station has a built-in inverter that converts DC into AC to charge the appliances, including the electric fishing gears you need to charge throughout the day.

Jackery Explorer 500 Portable Power Station

The Jackery Explorer 500 Portable Power Station features multiple appliance charging ports, noise-free operation, and a portable design. It is ideal for camping, fishing, and outdoor adventures. In addition to the electric fishing gear, it can charge other sensitive indoor and outdoor appliances, providing renewable solar energy without any toxic fume emission.

Appliance Working Hours

• Electric Fishing Reel (230W): 1.9H
• Fish Finder (100W): 4.4H
• Electric Fishing Rod (400W): 1.1H
• GoPro (30W): 14.7H
• Phone (30W): 14.7H

Customer Review

“ I could build myself a solar generator, but after weighing the cost and time of doing so, I decided to find an alternative. After much research, I found that the Jackery 500 fits my needs. It is lightweight, has plenty of ports, safety features, and MTTP solar charging.” -- John Newman

Jackery Explorer 300 Plus Portable Power Station

If you need power on the go to charge your fishing electric gear, the Jackery Explorer 300 Plus Portable Power Station would be the best fit for you. The power station ensures all-round safety and reliability while charging your appliances. These combine with foldable solar panels, which are book-sized and can slip into your backpack. Whether you are a resident or planning a fishing trip with your friends, you can easily carry the power station.

Appliance Working Hours

• Electric Fishing Reel (230W): 1.1H
• Fish Finder (100W): 2.4H
• Macbook (90W): 2.7H
• GoPro (30W): 8.2H
• Phone (30W): 8.2H

Customer Review

“We needed a 120v output but wanted to keep the price affordable. The Jackery 300 Plus was just the ticket.” -- Carlos Casarez

Jackery Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station

Imagine how cool it would be to take a portable power station abroad on an airplane and not worry about charging your devices. The Jackery Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station can make this possible due to its compact design and ability to provide portable power right in the palm of your hand. The power station has a tremendous solar conversion efficiency to provide AC to the electrical devices you require while fishing. This mini yet mighty power station is noise-free, emission-free, and uses solar energy to charge your devices.

Appliance Working Hours

• Electric Fish Scaler (56W): 1.5H
• Portable Fan (60W): 1.4H
• GoPro (30W): 2.8H
• Phone (30W): 2.8H
• Macbook (90W): 54 minutes

Customer Review

“I always enjoy the Jackery brand. I have the Explorer 300 and various other battery backups and solar panels. Jackery was having a great deal, so I snagged yet another pack for my many camping adventures.” -- Aaron Ryan

When to Fish for Bass

In many locations, bass fishing can be done throughout the year, but there are certain factors, such as temperature, time of the day, and time of the day in every season, which you must know as an angler to decide when to fish for bass. For example, when the water temperature is between 60-73° F, the sky is clear, the wind is blowing lightly, and there is a new/full moon in the early morning ( 2 hours after sunrise), or 3 hours before sunset, you can consider this as the best time to catch the bass.

Here is a table of which time of the day is suitable for bass fishing:

Let’s delve deeper into the best seasons for bass fishing, including tips, factors, and examples for every season:

Spring Bass Fishing

This is when the water temperature reaches about 62°F, and the bass moves from deeper water to start feeding to prepare for the spawn phase. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to catch bass during this period, and nighttime is the worst time to target bass.

Factor: In pre-spawn, bass will congregate in 3-10 feet deep water, most likely in bottoms like sand, gravel, or mud. It will prefer new-growth vegetation, logs, and brush piles. You can focus on the lakes that feature shallow bays with creek channels and feeder streams.

Tip: The best bait for pre-spawn can be a square-bill crankbait, such as Silent or a rattle/knocker. If the water is clear and white, you can choose natural colors like ghosts, bluegill, chartreuse, or orange if it is muddy.

Example: A small reservoir called Kaweah Lake near Fresno has an excellent bass population. Although it gets blown out in early spring with muddy water, you can use a medium-sized single knocker square bill in ghost color.

Summer Bass Fishing

Bass branches off into deep bass and shallow bass categories during early summer. Some bass can also stay shallow along weed edges, lily pads, and inflows, feeding on bluegills and frogs.

Factor: In summers, bass are found in shallow water, usually three to ten feet deep, and in deep water, generally more than 20 feet deep. They prefer hard or soft bottoms, depending on food availability. Their preferred vegetation is stumps, logs, and newly grown vegetation. You can focus on lakes featuring basins, underwater ledges, main points, and drop-offs.

Tip: Shallow bass fish will feed on hammer frogs, as summer is peak frog season. You can choose a yellow, green, or black frog. A stiff rod or jig rod with a hook will work the best. Once the bass grabs the frog, wait for a second to set the hook.

Example: Lake Berryessa has some bass weighing 8 pounds, grabbing black from the main lake point. To get a better hookup ratio, you should wait for a full second and then set the hook after the bass grabs the frog.

Fall Bass Fishing

Early fall is one of the best times of the year to catch a vast number of bass. Since they feed on shad, shiners, perch, and alewives, you can find them gathering up on the main forge base of the river. Early morning and late evening in the early fall season are the best time to catch bass, as the baitfish school is near the shore.

Factor: In the fall, bass prefer a five to 20-deep depth to find the big schools of baitfish. The type of bottom they will like will be hard or soft with stumps, piles, and newly grown vegetation. You can focus on secondary lake points, coves, and underwater ledges.

Tip: Try to mimic the size and color of baits the bass feed upon and cast those into the schools. Some examples include swimbait, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and Keitech swimbaits.

Example: The California Aqueduct near Fresno can be a great spot for striped bass, which can be found around the last week of September or the first week of October.

Winter Fishing

Many anglers will find winter the most challenging season for catching bass. Due to dropping temperatures, the bass moves into deeper water to find a more stable temperature, and their feeding metabolism drops. Some good spots include submerged logs, and the best time during the day in winter to catch the bass is in the middle of the day.

Factor: The water depth preference of bass in winter is twenty to thirty feet, and the bottom type can be a rock of any kind. So, bass will prefer logs and rocks in winter, and you can focus primarily on the primary points of lakes, underwater ledges, inflows, and drop-offs.

Tip: Types of rocks you can find include piles, boulders, or even reservoir dams. As the rock is slightly warmer in winter, bass will remain close to it.

Example: Lake Berryessa can be a good spot for bass fishing in January. Blade baits can be used to catch medium-sized largemouth bass. Bait choices can be bluegill and ghost-colored baits with flash.

Different states in the United States have different bass fishing seasons in different spots, water bodies, and weather conditions. Here are some states which are famous for bass fishing:

Texas

Largemouth bass can be seen throughout the year in Texas. However, March, April, and May are the best months for bass fishing; the rest are good to go. The Toledo Bend Reservoir is the biggest artificial lake in Texas, and you can find some bass in February. Cooper Lake is another spot to look out for stripers and black bass in July.

New York

Largemouth and smallmouth black bass can be caught in New York from June to November and December to June. From April to November, you can find some striped bass north of George Washington Bridge.

Florida

Bass is the all-season variety in the waters of Florida as well. The best months for bass fishing in the Northwest and North Central regions are March, April, and May. In the Northeast, April and May are known for excellent bass fishing. If you are from Southwest Florida, you can prefer February to May. In South Florida, excellent bass fishing is seen from February to May and September to December.

Minnesota

Popular bass species found in Minnesota include rock bass, white bass, largemouth, and smallmouth. You can consider good bass fishing in Minnesota waters in February, March, May, and September.

Michigan

Michigan has some size limits, possession limits, and other restrictions for bass fishing. For largemouth and smallmouth bass, you can catch and immediately release the fish in almost all waters, and it is open for the entire year. Possession season on all water, along with some great lakes, starts from May until December. On Lake St. Clair and Detroit Rivers, the Possession season starts from June until December.

Pennsylvania

Bass fishing in Pennsylvania, including spotted, largemouth, and smallmouth, is open all year. There is no harvest period From April to June's second Saturday, and anglers are prohibited from casting in bass beds.

Bass Fishing Spots

Picking the best spot for bass fishing can be challenging for anglers as they look for a more prominent bass, a quick bite, and beautiful surroundings. Here are the top five spots that you may consider your next destination for bass fishing:

Lake Champlain, New York

The lake supplies largemouth and smallmouth bass and is also an excellent destination for family vacations. Bass can be found nearby in the beds of millefoil, water chestnut, and lilypads. Moreover, the lake pressure is light for bass, and there is a Champlain scenic basin.

Sam Rayburn, Texas

This location is spread over 114,000 acres and offers a variety of fish patterns. You can catch a giant bass of over 15 pounds. The fish can be found along creek channels and the edges of hydrilla flats. The water level rises in the spring, preparing a bass stage while covering the hydrilla.

Clear Lake, California

Clear Lake is spread across 44,000 acres and has largemouths. The spawning peaks in April and May, and you may likely catch a large one during that period.

Lake Guntersville, AL

In Lake Guntersville, bass is mainly found on the edges of main lake flats in February. To catch deeper fish, you can use Carolina rigs with jerk, spinner, and crankbaits. Some big spawning fish can be found in main lake covers and creek channels.

Mille Lacs, Minnesota

Minnesota is the state with world-class smallmouth bass fishing. Some notable spots include the Mississippi, St. Croix, and Mille Lacs. Every year, you can catch a smallmouth over seven pounds.

You can find some tips here to find the best fishing spots:

Tip 1: Know the Seasonal Patterns

In late winter, you can fish on the north banks as they get more sunlight and are protected from cold winds. This seasonal pattern will help you eliminate many unnecessary spots. You can find guide reports and tournament results for many lakes online.

Tip 2: Use Maps

Using a map is another tip to help you find the fishing areas that fit the seasonal conditions. You can find places that create hard edges with voids or defined grass edges. Sometimes, you can discover creek channel ledges as there is more bass in these areas.

Tip 3: Pick Some Good Lures

Carolina rig and spinnerbaits are some excellent lures to choose from. Your confidence keeps building as you fish more. Some other baits popular among anglers include worm, spinnerbait, crankbait, and jog.

Tip 4: Be Consistent And Keep Building

Once you experiment with the lures and know which produces more, you only need to be consistent with them. The next step is to map what you found throughout your study and how the fish were positioned in critical areas.

Bass Fishing Tips

One of the critical reasons for the large population of largemouth bass in America is accessibility. Although there are many spots where you could find a bass, you may still need some quick tips to catch them regularly:

Fishing Tips

When you catch a bass on warm days, release it into the water immediately. You can use a small net and good-quality pliers to release it without harm. If you want to keep the bass, consider mid-sized and those caught in cold water. You can target areas such as lily pads, docks, and logs to get easy bites.

Gear Tips

It might be daunting for a beginner to choose a proper fishing line. The perfect line can vary in tactics, but you can opt for a 20-pound braided line to go with one. It has a diameter similar to an 8-pound test monofilament. With a twenty-pound braid, you can detect the bites quickly, as these are light but strong enough to catch a trophy fish.

Bass Fishing Lure Tips

You only need a few lures to begin with. Lures are designed for specific seasons and scenarios, but you can choose an all-around lure. An example is a wacky-rigged soft-plastic stickbait.

Use Frog Baits in Heavy Cover

Frog lures with hollow bodies are deadly in grass mats and lily pads. They easily slide over the vegetation without tangling up. Once the fish bites it, wait for a second or two, or you will pull the frog out of the fish’s mouth. One tip as a beginner you must follow with a frog lure is to turn it downward and compress the bait.

Pay Attention to Storms and Weather Patterns

Atmospheric pressure affects bass behavior, and it is believed that high pressure makes the fish feel bloated. Fluctuating pressure gets bass feeding, and the more severe the change, the better. This is why professional anglers pay attention to weather fronts.

Bass Fishing Forum FAQs

What size of portable power station do I need for fishing?

To determine the size of a portable power station for fishing, you must know the number of appliances, including electric gear and other devices, you need to charge and for how long.

For example, a Jackery Explorer 500 Plus Portable Power Station can charge an electric fishing reel (230W) and GoPro (30W),

Working Time = Capacity of Jackery Explorer 500 Plus Portable Power Station in Wh × 0.85 / Operating wattage of the appliances.

So, Working time = 518Wh × 0.85 / 260W = 1.7H

Note: While charging the devices, there will be some power loss multiplied by 0.85.

Will bass bite midday?

Most of the time, bass bite in the mornings and evenings rather than midday.

How to catch bass for beginners?

As a beginner, you can use live bait, such as worms, in shallow waters.

What is the Texas state record for largemouth bass?

The Texas state record for largemouth bass is an 18.18 lb bass 25.5 inches long.

What month does bass bite the most?

Early spring months are the best for bass bites.

Bass Fishing Forum

Bass Fishing Forums are online communities of anglers worldwide who share their fishing experiences through pictures, reports, or tips. These communities suit anyone willing to learn the art of fishing and know the essential gear and good locations. As an amateur, you can learn about different and new fishing spots that you might need to be aware of. Jackery Portable Power Stations emerge as a suitable power system to charge your devices whenever and wherever you need them. Jackery commits to sustainability with a vision to bring green energy to all.