Bass fishing is like any other sport, if you have the knowledge and the understanding of the opponent it allows you to be more successful. You can look at it like Turkey hunting, the more the hunter understands the trails, water areas, food areas and habits of the Turkey the easier it will be for the hunter to locate them. The same is true with Bass fishing, the more you understand the Bass, the circumstances and conditions you face the more successful you will be at catching them. Here are a few factors of a better understanding of the bass.

SURVIVAL: Largemouth bass need three elements to survive:

Food, Oxygen, and cover.

If any one of these elements is not present in a body of water a bass could not survive, just by knowing why these three elements are so important for a basss survival will help you to become a more successful angler.

The first element we talk about is FOOD. Believe it or not, shad is NOT the 1st choice of a bass. Shad is a very common food for the bass as well as other natural baits, however the number 1 food choice of a bass is a crawfish (also know as crawdads, crayfish, etc.). A few years ago a study was done where 100 shad and 100 Crawfish were in a tank of water with all species of bass (Spotted, Smallmouth, Largemouth) and Surprise the crawfish were eaten 8 to 2 over the shad. A couple of reasons for this are that the crawfish are a very easy prey for a bass to catch and they are fairly easy for bass to find. Studies show that there are actually more crawfish found in vegetation areas than around rocky areas (or as some may know as Rip-Rap).

A bass will eat just about anything at any given time such as: Mice, Ducklings, Frogs, Rats, Snakes, Worms, Salamanders, Grubs, Lizards, Insects, Leeches, Baitfish, etc. This is one reason there are so many different shapes and types of artificial baits on the market today.

The next element is OXYGEN. Oxygen is an element that any living creature needs to survive. The main reason a bass fisherman angler should pay attention to oxygen is that a bass requires it to survive. By knowing water oxygen content in various areas and angler will develop a better understanding why a bass acts the way it does under the many different conditions. When a bass has a limited supply of oxygen, it tends to get more disoriented, and much slower or lethargic. The Key in understanding the rules of oxygenic water is that the cooler the water, the more oxygen content and the warmer the water the less oxygen content. The more oxygen a bass can get usually during the warmer months the more active it will be. Usually during the summer when the water temperature hits the 80 degree mark or higher, the oxygen in the water will start to diminish.

What does this have in common with bass fishing? Well, a bass will usually do one of two things in a condition such as this. A bass will drop down to water that is cooler for a larger supply of oxygen, or a bass will usually head for vegetation areas because of the constant producing of oxygen that aquatic plants provide. This usually happens in spring, summer and early fall.

Here are some areas where ample supplies of oxygen can be found:

Power. Plants- because of the constant discharge of oxygenic water. Deep. water areas- the deeper the cooler water a better supply of oxygen. Around. Trees, Sump, & Log areas-because of the porous wood will hold oxygen. Rivers-. because of the constant flowing of the water. Vegetation. areas-remember, the deeper the cooler water a better supply of oxygen. Mouths. of Creeks- again, because of the constant-in-flow of fresh water. Wind. Blown Banks- a constant oxygen source, these are just a few areas there are many more

And the third element is COVER. Cover is an extremely important element when it comes to a bass for many reasons here are a few of the most important ones.

One reason would be for protection. A bass , being known mostly as a Ambush Fish will use cover such as vegetation, rocks, stumps, trees, fall-downs, structures, docks, holes, etc.to dart out after its prey. A bass really is a lazy-by-nature type of fish and will extend the least amount of energy for the greatest amount of benefit. Bass fish are known as territorial fish and will not travel a long distance.

A second reason a bass fish needs cover is because a bass does not have eye lids like you or I and prolonged exposure to the Suns rays, a bass will eventually go blind. The next time you see someone bass fishing; you will usually see the bass being caught in a shaded area, and in and around covered areas.