Elaine

I know a lot of fisherman in Colorado mainly target trout, but the bass fishing can be excellent at times too!!! During the summer months I spend most of my fishing time on smaller ponds targeting those big old bucketmouths. They bite hard, fight hard, and will have any angler addicted if given the chance.

A lot of trout fisherman have problems making the transition to bass for a few reasons. When you're used to throwing out tiny spinners and spoons, a big bass plug or jig looks huge. Bass routinely eat bluegills, baby bass, bullfrogs, and even snakes, so don't be shy about using big tackle...its amazing how many small fish I'll catch using a big Zara Spook.

Do you have to buy a new rod and reel for bass fishing? No!!! You can get away with using light tackle in certain situations...actually for most smaller ponds in the metro area light tackle is perfect. It limits the baits you can throw, but smaller baits can really shine at times. If you're going to use your trout rod and reel, I suggest no lighter than 6lb test and stick to lines without too much stretch. If small diameter lines are what you're comfortable with, I would use a braided line...Berkley Fire Lne is awesome. I always prefer a rod with a lot of back bone to ensure good hook sets!!!

Let's talk about some basic lures and plastics to get you started. Lipless crankbaits such as the Cordell Spot or Rattlin' Trap are great lures that don't take years to master. Using a basic slow retrieve will get you hooked into a good number of fish at many local lakes and ponds. Early in the year a Firetiger Rattlin Trap is killer on Spratt Platte(100th and Mckay). Like I said, just make long casts and a slow retrieve...Don't worry about jigging or complicating things. Cast her out and reel her in!!! Senkos!! Senkos!! Senkos!! These plastics are fish catching machines even though they don't look like much. If you're not familiar with the Senko style plastic worm, it pretty much looks just like a pen. You can rig a Senko style worm a number of different ways, but for me the most productive has always been "wacky rigged".

Basically all you do is get a light wire hook and stick it right in the middle of your Senko style worm. After you make a cast, the Senko slowly flutters to the bottom and it drives fish crazy. Bite detection is a little different when fishing a Senko...although there will be times that your line darts off and, without a doubt, you have a fish on. There will also be days when the only detection of a bite is a little twitch in your line. Basically any little ticks or pauses on the fall...I set the hook. After the Senko hits the bottom, leave it there for as long as a few minutes, look for little ticks in your line, and set the hook. A great place to use Senko's is Quincy Reservoir in Aurora!!!

I suggest waders to get to some of the brush piles, but right off the dock will put you onto fish as well. So many different companies have Senko style worms now its hard to keep up, but the Zoom Centipede is my favorite. With this lipless crankbait and Senko combination you have the arsenal to attack many of the metro area bass lakes!!!

Now its time for my favorite way to catch fish, hands down...Topwater!!! Everyday during the spring and summer months I'll be at one of my bass lakes before the sun comes up tossing out Zara Spooks and Buzzbaits. If you've never caught a bass on topwater lures, you,re truly missing out. Although I've caught fish all day on topwater lures, the best times are low light periods...early in the morning, and as the sun goes down. First, lets talk about using a Zara Spook...If you're not familiar with a Zara Spook, its what we call a walking bait. Basically thru a series of short jerks with your rod tip, you can make your Zara Spook "Walk the Dog". It takes time and practice but once you get used to walking the dog, its cake. With a Zara Spook you're limited to areas where there isn't too much weed growth on top, due to having a couple of exposed treble hooks. My favorite way to fish a Zara Spook is parallel to shore lines.

Casting 3 or 4 feet out from shore and walking the dog all the way in will get some explosive strikes. When fishing topwater lures, it's really common for bass to miss the lure a couple times before taking it. So if you get a hit, but don't hook up, cast back to the same spot as fast as possible. 9 times out of 10, the fish will hit again. Another thing thats hard for fisherman who have just started fishing topwater baits is to wait until you actually feel the fish on before setting the hook. I know its hard to hold back when you see a fish smack your lure, but you'll catch a lot more bass if you wait until you feel the fish before setting the hook. My all time favorite Zara Spook color...hands down...is red and white.

Buzzbaits are really effective top water lures and on average produce larger fish. No need to get fancy just casting out and reeling in fast enough to keep your bait above water is perfect. To really maximize results when fishing a buzzbait, bumping cover is a must. If you see a fallen log floating in the water cast over it and bring your lure right over the top of it. Something about buzzbaits hitting objects in the water drives bass nuts. Sure you'll get hung up and lose a few but its well worth the numbers and size of fish while bumping cover. My favorite color buzzbait is black!!!

Hopefully this helps out a little. If you have any questions, use the forum or email me and I'll gladly put you onto some great metro area bass lakes. Spring is just around the corner and to the people in the know, it means great bass fishing in our own backyard!!!

Eric Allee is a tremendous fisherman in Colorado. His greatest joy is helping others catch more and bigger fish. He has an excellent website and forum at:

http://www.fishinsecrets.com