Top Three Mistakes All Bass Fishermen Make At Least Once

A slight tremor runs along the 15 lb braid fishing line as I gently splash an artificial frog along a stretch of isolated lily pads.

BAM!

The water erupts as a dark green agile creature inhales the frog, and gravity sucks it back into its lair. Counting in my head, I wait for several seconds before firmly setting the hook as I sense the tension on the line. Nothing matters as my heart rate sputters whenever the large-mouth bass turns its head for another run.

Then disaster strikes. As I reach down to grab the fish, my adrenaline spikes, and I relax the tension on the line as I lean over.

Bye, bye 2.5 lb bass that I would have described as “an absolute giant.”

My ego was deflating, and I berated myself internally for making such a boneheaded mistake. In years of fishing, I had many moments of self-inflicted pain, but none was as embarrassing as this mistake.

Reflecting on this moment has led me to my top three mistakes all bass fishermen make.

Trusting The Knots

Learning to tie a fishing knot was slow and humbling. As a preteen, I couldn’t figure out why every fish that bit got away and the hook was gone until I realized that an overhand knot was not getting the job done.

The issue for bass anglers isn’t the process of learning the Improved Clinch knot or the Palomar knot.

It all comes down to the dang lack of patience when the last three casts have snagged on a log, or the wind has tied your line into a beautiful bowtie on a tree.

The fatal step is the retie.

Every fish I have lost due to the fishing knot is when I had to retie after a snag. Not much is worse than hearing the “zing” of your $25 swimbait fly off into the sunset or watching the grandpa bass grin and swim off with your jig.

Tie once and tie it well.

Leaning Into “It Worked Once!”

As a self-taught fisherman, I caught my first fish on an ¼ ounce rooster tail spinner. The only issue is that I tied it underneath a bobber and let it sit. In the luckiest of moments, a bass swam by and hooked itself.

I was convinced I had found the magical rig to catch all giants but refused to fish anything else. Weeks later, after catching nothing else, a gentle older man pulled me aside and taught me how to fish a spinner properly.

No matter the skill level or success, all fishermen have at least one bait or lure they fall back on, all because it worked once.

Strive to refine your fishing skills, not isolate. As uncomfortable as it can be, putting aside the tried and tested lures to learn a new technique will promote versatility and hone your ability to adapt.

Indecisiveness Killed The Cast

The only lousy cast is the cast you didn’t take. Casts that are shanked, fumbled, launched in the wrong direction, or even into a snag are beautiful, not bad.

I once had a wacky-rigged Senko that I tossed directly onto a stump submerged in the water. Frustrated and not wanting to retie my lure, I went into the classic mode of “Let Me Thrash My Line Around.” In the process, an 8 lb (yes, I weighed it) large-mouth bass, attracted by my Senko flapping in the water, inhaled it, freeing my line and setting my PB for bass at the time.

Fishing through frustrating casts will be much more fruitful than limiting casts you make based on your indecisiveness.

Let me know the top three mistakes you have had to overcome as a bass fisherman!