Fly Fishing for BASS Part 7... "Pattern fishing, what is it?"

Pattern: A uniquely defined set of location(s) and presentation factors that consistently catch fish.

Part 7 of The Freshwater Fly continuing series on Fly Fishing for Bass will concentrate on locating and targeting individual or smaller populations of bass.  For a bass seasonal guide refer to Part 3 "A Seasonal Pattern Guide to Locating Bass."

When we as "bass fisherman" are trying to locate fish, we must be in full hunting mode for consistently finding bass!... Yes, I said "hunting".  The style I find most successful for locating fish is a systematic, seeking, and hunting style approach of eliminating unproductive water.  It is a methodical approach, not running and gunning all over the lake at 50 miles per hour to fish a few spots that some dude at the dock told you check out.  What happens is you spend the day running from spot to spot to spot.  You may have caught a couple fish and burned through 15 gallons of fuel and you end up telling your buddy... "Damn we fished the whole lake and had only a couple of bites... what's up wit dat!"  The problem is you have not gone about the whole process of finding fish "systematically."

A fish catching pattern must first start with the time of year.  Read (FF for Bass Part 3).  The seasonal pattern knowledge will help you to select a general location that may be holding fish dependent on the time of year.  Once you choose a confidence area based on the seasonal information, you then must narrow down locations (visible habitat) within that area to find fish.  Visible and invisible habitat is stumps, rocks, weeds, lily pads, docks, rafts, depth changes, water temp. etc.  We know that most fish are object orientated... so make it easy! First find some visible objects! I first may choose visible rock
and begin fishing all visible rocks (large rocks/boulders).  Fish rocks that are on drop offs, on windy points, calm points, near weedlines, on sandy flats, etc... You get the picture.  If I haven't discovered some type of fish catching pattern, I then move to the next object, docks, lily-pads, stumps, and so on.  I fish all options until I find one that is consistently produces fish in my given area. When I do make this discovery, I replicate it, and fish the hell out of all similar objects in that fishing location!

Now, back to the definition of Pattern Fishing.  Pattern fishing to put it quite simple is this... Let's say you are fishing a couple acre pond that is home to 30 bass.  You sling your Clouser Crawfish amongst a group of large rocks along a shallow flat.  You catch a bass or two off that rock pile!  Now, if you want to catch the rest of the bass in the pond you need to go and hunt down all similar rocks and do the exact same thing. Bingo, bango! it's that easy.  Well sometimes it can be that simple.  All I'm saying is, "Most bass in a given location and at the same given time are probably doing the same thing."  So if you can duplicate how you caught the first bass, you can successfully catch more fish until the conditions change.  Eliminate unproductive water.  Fish high percentage water!

The key to determining a fish catching pattern is "AWARENESS."  You must listen to the fish.  They will tell you many times what they want.  You must mentally record everything that first fish catch told you.  What side if the rocks did you catch it on?  Was it the windy side?  Sunny side?  How did you present your fly?  What type of retrieve? and so on.  Listen to what each individual fish you catch tells you.  As the day moves on, fish attitudes and conditions will change.  You must focus and be on top of your game!  "Be aware and alert at all times... you are a hunter, you are The Ultimate PREDATOR!"  For more info. read Parts 1-6 in this series.

To continue the tradition throughout the Fly Fishing for Bass Series.  Here is some "American Country Music" to compliment your fly slinging journey to catch "America's Fish."



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