Halloween Bass

By Wayne Hooper

Halloween Bass is the key this month as every day is a witch-hunt. Their deep, their shallow, their feeding on the Full Howling Moon, their pulling a Vampire and sleeping during the day and that is if you can find them. Here today gone tomorrow as the weather changes quickly here in the Northeast. It is an ever-changing body of water that greets you in the early morning.

What was the temperature last night and what is the water temperature this morning. It is in the high forties, which will tell us where the fish are hiding. But no, fish-breath, the bass aren’t where they should be. We try deep water with nary a bite. We search out points, with no luck; the currents on the rivers where they flow into the lake produced the same result.

We started the big motor and made a run to the nearest rock pile. I made a cast with one hand while I keep my other hand covering my nose as the air is frigid and the run was cold! Not even a nibble. Up on plane and headed to the milfoil-surely they will be there-but no luck. It’s time to get serious so we drive our bass boat up to the nearest bridge and start casting to the pilings. The sun has now reached higher into the sky and its rays are warming my neck as we pound the water around the bridge. My partner Casey yells, “Get the net,” and I hustle to find it. Before I can open it he has the bass in the boat. It was a smallmouth that hit the scales at 2-lbs, 14-ozs; finally one in the well.

The day went downhill from there as all we caught were small largemouth that were in the one to two-pound class.

We had to leave early as we were hosting a Halloween Party for the kids in the neighborhood. We had a great time explaining about how we caught “all” our bass on Bass Kandi Baits, Spooktacular Chocolate Minnows, Northern Pike Gummy treats that we sprayed with Witches Brew. The kids loved it.

But we were fishing in late October and it doesn’t get any better than that. Well, yes it does if we were fishing in Florida or Arizona.
Speaking of netting the fish. These days, “networking” is a common word around the business sector. In fishing, good network can mean the difference between taking home a check or being just another also-ran.

It amazes me that a fisherman can spend thousands of dollars on the right equipment and thousands of hours on the water practicing his casting and never think about how to work a fish into the net.
This past year I fished with seven different members of my bass club and had the opportunity to watch each try to net a fish. This is what I saw. My son Shawn will throw down his rod and run to get the net. I welcome his enthusiasm, but there is no hurry to get the net in the water when you are playing a bass to the boat. In fact, sometimes being too quick can spook the fish and off he will go. Hopefully, you had a good hook set so you can bring him back into net range again. Another member of the club will stab at the fish to try and scoop the fish into the net. Bad move, bass-breath! You need to slip the net into the water underneath and behind the fish so he doesn’t see it coming. Still another club member will slap the water as if he is trying to knock the fish out.
When I fish with someone new I tell him to always assume I want the net. Don’t wait for me to tell you. If I decide the fish is not a keeper then I will tell you I don’t want the net. This way we will always be ready to land the fish. When he picks up the net I tell him to wet it. A wet net doesn’t hurt the fish as much as a dry one. Then I instruct him to ease the net into the water and I will bring the fish to the net. It is a simple system that works and with a little practice you will never lose a fish again to bad “networking.”

[easy-social-share]