Ten ways to have a better 2009 Bass Season  

1.    Start keeping a log: After watching my fishing buddy, Frank Spencer collecting notes on scraps of paper for a few seasons I started keeping a fishing log of my own on a Microsoft excel spreadsheet five years ago. I have columns for date, lake, lure, weather, # fish, and “notes”. Some days I write more complete notes than others, but I always try to ensure I make some sort of record of a day’s fishing. The data that can be mined from several years fishing is very valuable. Everything from ice-out for favorite lakes to success and/or lack thereof with certain lures, water and weather conditions over the long-term becomes evident when you get some data built up.   

2.    Become proficient with a new technique: Shaky-this, Whacky-that…whatever. A huge part of bass fishing is experimentation with- and implementation of- new techniques. By the time the average bass angler has fished a season or two on a club circuit, they’ve pretty much defined what kind of angler they are, but it shouldn’t end there! While it is generally recommended to “fish to your strengths”, becoming proficient in one or more new techniques each season is the best way to increase your versatility on the lake. I notice that the best anglers are the most consistent and the most consistent are the ones that have the ability to catch fish in nearly every situation presented to them.   

3.    Expand your territory: Get out on a few new lakes. There isn’t anything wrong with mastering your home water, but you can only learn so much by staying in one place. Even lakes that appear quite similar and occur in the same general area can be more different than you may think. Many clubs fish the same 10 lakes every year… even at the same time of year. Broadening your lake horizons can be the biggest single thing you can do to improve your fishing. Approaching each new lake as a learning opportunity will reinforce the process of exploration, discovery and mastery that bass fishing is all about.     

4.    Open it up: If you don’t fish any open tournaments this could be the time to start. Generally, the competition in opens is greater than that of the club tournament scene and the open tournament prospects in Maine have never been greater. Fishing against better and different anglers will present you with the opportunity to see bass angling from several new perspectives…and that can only help you in the long run.   

5.    Fish with at least one new person: Almost everyone in the front of every bass boat on every lake in every state started out as someone some other bass angler brought fishing. Every heavily addicted bass angler alive today can trace the origins of their obsession back to that one person who got them into the sport. Shouldn’t you consider doing the same thing to some poor, unsuspecting individual? All kidding aside, the growth of bass fishing as an activity hinges on new people coming into the sport, plus, teaching someone how to fish can be a great learning experience for the teacher.    

6.    Take Pictures: A very minor investment in a digital camera can pay off with great enjoyment. Don’t you wish you had a picture of every bass over 5 lbs you caught in the last couple of seasons? Trust me; it is fun to take a look back at your previous years while you are trying to avoid going out to shovel. There are numerous types of high-quality cameras out there. Anything from your little cell phone to the professional-grade digitals “real photographers” use is capable of taking quick shots of your latest exploits. Find one that matches your interest and your budget and start documenting your catches this year.  

7.    “Ice" Fishing: Getting out early in April is sometimes much more work than it seems worth, but some people go to great lengths to discover open water as soon as April looms. March seems to be the month by which April’s success hinges upon. A cold, snowy March usually means that you won’t be boating your first Maine Bass until a couple of weeks into the season, but if mother nature is kind to us with a warm and rainy third month you just may find yourself banging some nice fish on April first. On 4-1-2000 I caught what was probably Maine’s first bass of the millennium. The largemouth hit a Husky Jerk just after sunrise. The next day, my partner boated several nice bass on another of the Belgrades from a patch of open water smaller than the floor space of his garage. Just because there is ice about doesn’t mean that you can’t catch bass! Do whatever it takes to extend your open water fishing season, you’ll be glad you did in mid-winter.   

8.    “Football” Fishing: Maine’s IFW has done bass anglers a great favor by extending the open water fishing season through the end of December in many lakes. Lakes previously designated S-23 and S-24 have now all been designated S-23 and are open for catch and release fun until midnight on New Year’s Eve! I still remember ruing the end of September, knowing that there was still quality fishing to be done if only it were legal. Now, October, November and even December are fair game. I consider October to be my favorite month to fish. Most of the largest fish of the year are had in the fall and not during the spawn as you’d expect. Had we been allowed In 2007 we could have fished East Pond until the bitter end of the year, last year, we were catching smallies from 35+ feet on Long Pond into December. There are a few gear considerations, mostly in the cold weather attire department to factor in, but if you can fish in August, you can fish in December. Listen to the Patriots on a radio…    

9.    Get involved: If you aren’t already a member of a bass club, strongly consider joining one. Even the most seasoned angler can learn much about bass fishing by fishing against and/or meeting with other anglers to talk fishing. Most clubs hold between 6 and ten tournaments annually, many even host open tournaments and/or charitable or youth events. Bass clubs also usually meet monthly off the water and discuss a variety of fishing topics.   

10.    Change your view: Try using an underwater camera of set of snorkel gear to put yourself in a bass' place. If you've ever done either it goes without saying that there are many things that can be learned by getting down to the fish's level. If you thought you knew what bass were up to when you pulled up to your favorite shoal and didn't see them on your sonar or couldn't catch them, dropping your camera down can cause you to think again. Seeing is believing as they say, and there is no substitute for seeing exactly what you are fishing. The one downside I've discovered about fishing with cameras is that after several hours looking around I develop a stiff neck, but that's a small price to pay for some good fishing info!