Forage-First Fishing
Bass Fishing Blog
Seasonal patterns, technique breakdowns, and forage science for anglers who want to understand the why behind the bite.
31 articles in Techniques
TechniquesMay 7, 2026
Bass Fishing Around Laydowns: Pick Apart Wood the Right Way
Laydowns are classic bass cover, but the best fish often sit in specific limbs, shade pockets, and depth changes.
TechniquesMay 7, 2026
Finesse Bass Fishing: When Natural Baits Beat Power Fishing
Finesse fishing is not only for tough days. Learn when subtle natural baits catch bass that ignore faster presentations.
TechniquesMay 7, 2026
How to Fish a Frog Over Summer Grass Mats
Frog fishing is more than casting over grass. Learn where to throw, how to work the bait, and how to land more bass from mats.
TechniquesMay 7, 2026
How to Fish Riprap for Bass with Shad and Craw Patterns
Riprap attracts both crawfish and shad. Learn how to decide which pattern to use and how to make better casts along rock.
TechniquesMay 7, 2026
How to Fish a Shad Spawn for Bass Without Wasting the Morning
The shad spawn can be fast, shallow, and short-lived. Learn where to start, what to throw, and when to leave.
TechniquesMay 7, 2026
How to Fish a Swim Jig Like a Bluegill
A swim jig is one of the best bluegill imitators for bass around grass, docks, wood, and shallow cover.
TechniquesMay 7, 2026
Jerkbait Bass Fishing: How Long Should You Pause?
Jerkbait pauses catch bass, but the right pause changes with water temperature, clarity, and fish mood.
TechniquesMay 7, 2026
Skipping Soft Plastics Under Docks for Bass
Skipping gets a lure where other anglers cannot reach. Learn simple dock-skipping targets, baits, and presentation tips.
TechniquesMay 7, 2026
Summer Dock Fishing for Bass: Shade, Bluegill, and Quiet Casts
Docks hold summer bass because they create shade and attract forage. Learn how to fish them with better angles and lure choices.
TechniquesMay 7, 2026
Topwater Poppers for Bass: When and How to Fish the Forgotten Bait
Poppers are consistently underused by bass anglers who reach for walkers and frogs instead. Here's when the popper outperforms, how to fish it correctly, and which situations it was made for.
TechniquesApr 21, 2026
Chatterbaits in Spring: The Bladed Jig Pattern for Prespawn Through Postspawn
The chatterbait (bladed jig) produces from water temperatures in the mid-50s all the way through post-spawn. Here's how to fish it through each phase.
TechniquesApr 17, 2026
Walking Topwater Baits: How to Master the Walk-the-Dog Retrieve
Walking baits produce some of the most explosive strikes in bass fishing. Here's how to do the retrieve correctly, pick the right bait, and set up for maximum hookups.
TechniquesApr 3, 2026
Punching Matted Vegetation: The Heavy Cover Technique for Summer Bass
Bass under matted vegetation in summer are some of the biggest, most catchable fish in the lake — if you can get a bait to them. Here's how to punch effectively.
TechniquesMar 31, 2026
Buzzbait Fishing in Late Spring and Early Summer
The buzzbait's window is short but explosive. Here's when the bite is best, how to fish it, and how to convert the fish that blow up and miss.
TechniquesMar 20, 2026
Swimming Jigs for Post-Spawn Bass: Covering Water Fast
The swim jig is one of the best post-spawn tools because it covers water quickly at the right depth and speed for transitioning bass. Here's how to fish it.
TechniquesMar 10, 2026
Flipping and Pitching Shallow Cover: Precision Fishing for Spring Bass
Flipping and pitching are precision techniques for getting lures into tight cover where bass stage and spawn. Here's how to do it efficiently and catch more fish.
TechniquesMar 6, 2026
Soft Plastic Worms in Spring: The Versatile Tool You're Underusing
Soft plastic worms work from pre-spawn through post-spawn in more situations than almost any other lure. Here's how to fish them through each spring phase.
TechniquesMar 3, 2026
Bed Fishing for Bass: How to Find, Target, and Land Spawning Fish
Sight-fishing for bass on beds requires patience, precision, and the right presentation. Here's a complete guide to finding and catching spawning bass.
TechniquesFeb 24, 2026
Shaky Head Finesse for Pre-Spawn Bass in Pressured Water
When public lakes get pounded in pre-spawn and fish wise up to jigs and crankbaits, the shaky head finesse rig keeps catching them. Here's how to fish it.
TechniquesFeb 20, 2026
Swimbaits for Big Pre-Spawn Bass: When Size Matters
Big swimbaits target the largest pre-spawn bass selectively. Here's when to throw them, which sizes to use, and how to fish them on staging structure.
TechniquesFeb 13, 2026
Mid-Depth Crankbaits for Pre-Spawn Bass on Points and Flats
A mid-depth crankbait running 6–12 feet is one of the most efficient ways to locate and catch pre-spawn bass on staging structure. Here's how to fish it.
TechniquesFeb 10, 2026
Jig Fishing for Pre-Spawn Bass: The Slow-Roll and Drag Method
A jig is the most versatile pre-spawn tool. Here's how to rig it, where to fish it, and how the slow-roll and drag retrieve maximizes your catch from February through April.
TechniquesJan 30, 2026
Carolina Rig for Winter Bass: Covering Bottom at Depth
The Carolina rig lets you cover bottom structure efficiently in cold water while keeping a natural, slow-moving bait in the strike zone. Here's how to fish it in winter.
TechniquesJan 27, 2026
Drop Shot in Cold Water: The Most Reliable Winter Technique
The drop shot rig outperforms almost everything else when water is cold and bass won't commit. Here's the complete setup and presentation guide for winter.
TechniquesJan 23, 2026
Jigging Spoons for Bass: A Complete Guide to the Forgotten Technique
Jigging spoons are one of the most effective deep-water bass techniques in winter and summer, yet most anglers never throw one. Here's everything you need to know.
TechniquesJan 9, 2026
Mastering the Suspending Jerkbait for Winter and Early Spring Bass
The suspending jerkbait is one of the most effective cold-water techniques, but most anglers fish it wrong. Here's how to maximize it from January through April.
TechniquesJan 6, 2026
The Finesse Jig: Your Best Friend in Cold, Clear Water
When water is cold and clear, a finesse jig with the right trailer outperforms most other techniques. Here's how to rig and fish it effectively.
TechniquesDec 16, 2025
Cold-Water Finesse Fishing: When Bass Won't Commit
When bass are cold, slow, and uninterested in power presentations, finesse techniques close the deal. Here's what to throw and how to fish it.
TechniquesDec 5, 2025
Blade Baits for Winter Bass: The Underrated Cold-Water Weapon
Blade baits get overlooked in winter, but they're one of the deadliest cold-water tools for suspended and deep bass. Here's how to fish them right.
TechniquesNov 13, 2025
The Angler's Guide to Bluegill Cranking: DT Series Deep Dives
Rapala DT series crankbaits in bluegill colors are among the most overlooked tournament tools. Here's when to throw them and how to fish them right.
TechniquesOct 30, 2025
Frog Fishing for Bass: The Complete Guide to Hollow-Body Frogs
Hollow-body frog fishing produces some of the most explosive strikes in bass fishing. Here's everything you need to know to fish them effectively.