All About Bass Fishing - Guide To Developing Patterns

A pattern is a set of circumstances that cause bass to hold in specific locations. Once you establish “where” the bass are, you can further define the pattern by developing a presentation that works best when the bass are in this location.

3 Most Important Factors About Establishing Patterns

You can learn from every bass you catch.
Determine why each bass was in the location where it was caught.
Similar places/conditions should produce similar results.

A pattern always exists.

Everyone who catches bass is catching them on one pattern or another. The key to using patterns to help you catch more bass is to learn from every bass you catch. Start fishing areas of the lake that fit the seasonal migrations of bass. If you are fishing the right areas, experiment with lures and presentations to identify specifically where the bass are located. Every bass tells you a part of the pattern.

Position of the bass within a cove or specific part of the lake is often a critical part of the pattern. You must define if the bass are outside, half way back in the coves or all the way in the back of the cove. Once you define the right area, you can begin to hone in on specifics – type of cover, depth and etcetera.

Pay attention to exactly where you catch each bass. The first part of the pattern is the “Where” bass are located. Be specific in determining depth and where the bass are located at that depth. If they are in brush, determine which type of brush is holding more bass than another type brush. Also determine precisely where in the brush the bass are holding. Are they deep in the brush, holding in the top of the brush, on the shady side of the brush… these are details of the pattern. The more detail you can accumulate, the better chance you have of establishing a precise pattern.

Once you determine the where, turn your attention to presentation. Experiment with different lures, vary the retrieve speed, try pausing the lure, and in general find the best way to promote strikes. Bass feel the most vulnerable in clear water with little or no cover. So in clear water, keep your distance, making long casts. In dirtier water you can get closer to the targets and it’s more important to cast tight to the cover. If the bass are deep in the cover, try flipping into the center of the brush.

Catching multiple bass at the same depth, in the same type of cover, with the same lure and technique establishes a pattern. The pattern should be able to be duplicated in similar areas of the lake.

Often, a pattern will require minor adjustments in different areas depending on available cover. If you are catching bass in five feet of water from green leafy brush, you may be able to use this pattern in areas without green leafy brush that contain some other cover at the correct depth.

Patterns can be established regardless how deep the bass are holding. Sometimes it is more difficult to gather information for deep water patterns because it is difficult to “see” the elements that comprise the pattern. Depth, cover, positioning, lure choice and presentation all must be defined to establish the pattern.

In the end, a pattern is a combination of information that includes seasonal locations, positioning within the coves (or lake), depth, cover, water clarity, lure choice and presentation methods. The pattern may change throughout the day based on daily movements of bass at that specific time of year.

Understanding that “It’s not what you throw, it’s where you throw it” is important here. Focus on the lake and the bass rather than worrying about specific colors or minor variances in size or weight. Find the bass first, then experiment with lure variables.

All About Bass Fishing - Guide To Developing Patterns

3 Most Important Factors About Establishing Patterns

A pattern always exists.

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