Understanding Actively Feeding Bass

Bass that are actively feeding are typically off cover, either suspended or roaming to hunt for forage. When they stop actively feeding some suggest that’s when they return to nearby cover if available or suspend near the best structure. In some cases, actively feeding bass will push bait fish to the surface which enables birds to also feed on the bait fish.

Why is Understanding Actively Feeding Bass Important?

It is important to understand actively feeding bass to:

  • Identifying Active Feeding Bass: To identify the signs and scenarios of active bass as some suggest bass that are actively eating have a high probability of striking the right lure.
  • Lure Selection and Presentation: When identifying active bass there may only be a short window of opportunity as such it is advised to have the best lure and presentation ready.
Understanding Actively Feeding Bass
Off cover and actively hunting for forage some suggest takes place when:  
  • Active Feeding Behavior:
    • Roaming Movements: Bass swimming at steady pace generally at consistent depth often observed visually when shallow.
      • Shallow: Some suggest bass roam shallow when hungry looking forage. Some suggest they roam deep(offshore) but are harder to identify.
      • Root Around Bottom: Some suggest that active bass will root around in soft bottom looking for forage. As such, some suggest bass will target a lure in soft bottom.
      • Grass Lines: Some suggest that bass will follow grass lines looking for forage.
      • Pushing Bait Fish: When bass school they push bait fish to the shore and/or to the surface to reduce the number of escape routes.
    • Suspended: Not all suspended bass are active, but some actively feeding suspended bass targeting bait fish often in schools.
      • Looking Up: Common, for schools of baitfish to be suspended mid to near top of the water column and thus the bass will be suspended looking up.
      • Looking Down: Forage, including baitfish, can be on the bottom and thus the bass is suspended looking down. 
      • Pushing Baitfish: Some suggest that when there is a school of suspended bass they will work together to push baitfish to the surface to reduce the number of escape routes.
  • Seasonal Triggers: Seasonal consideration doesn’t mean that bass actively eat all day, it means that bass actively feed more often during the day depending on weather and other conditions. Seasonal considerations are:
    • Spring: Some suggest that pre-spawn bass are actively feeding to recover from the winter and prepare for the spawn. Also, post-spawn bass are actively feeding to recover from the spawn. Spawning bass are not actively feeding.
    • Summer: Some suggest bass are more actively feeding due to the increased metabolism and the energy requirements. Some also suggest more opportunistic feeding behavior where there are only short feeding windows.
    • Fall: Some suggest bass are more actively feeding to prepare for winter:
    • Winter: Bass are not actively feeding and some even suggest a very reduced opportunistic feeding. 
  • Daily Triggers: Also referred to as feeding times, feeding frenzy or bite windows which can be minutes in length caused or influenced by:
    • Time of Day: Some suggest that early morning shallows result in bass being more active presumably as they are hungry from not eating at night. Some suggest that an hour before sunset to sunset.
    • Weather:
      • Drop in Barometric Pressure: Some suggest that a drop in barometric pressure will trigger bass to actively feed possibly because of the potential of colder water in the near future.
      • New Wind Current: Some suggest wind triggers bass to more actively feed possibly because new wind first stirs up the forage food and positions the bass in the current.
  •  Schooling Behavior: Some suggest that when one bass is actively feeding it triggers others to come to that location and/or triggers others to actively feed.
Figure 1: Birds actively feeding on bait fish can indicate bass pushing bait fish to the surface
Additional Considerations
  • Fishing Fast: Fishing fast can help find active feeding bass while at the same time producing a reaction bite if the lure comes close enough to a bass who is at an ambush point.
Actively Feeding Bass - It's About the ALLURE™

Fishing Fast Lures
Some suggest fast lures to cover water to find actively feeding bass.

Surface Contact Lures
Some suggest top water lures when bait fish are busting on the surface.

Suspended Bass Lures
Not all suspended bass are active, but sometimes they are.

Horizontal Presentation Lures
Some suggest that actively feeding bass will chase moving lures.

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