Tips to Take Large Bass Anywhere: Part Four
John E. Phillips 11.15.11
Where Large Bass Live with Pro Angler Ken Cook
When I interviewed Bassmaster Classic winners to learn how they would locate the biggest bass in a lake, they all agreed that you needed to hunt for areas that no one else would fish. Several anglers mentioned they take numbers of big bass on clean banks that don’t have any cover or structure on them. Most fishermen will look at these areas and say, “There’s no point in fishing that spot, because there’s no reason for a bass to be there.” Although there may not be but one or two bass in a half-mile of clean bank, those couple of bass usually will be larger bass that are very aggressive, since they haven’t seen many lures. Too, bigger bass like to hold on the deep tips of long points. Because most anglers fish in the top 5 to 8 feet of water on a long point, that zone is the story of water that receives the most fishing pressure, boat traffic and wave action. All that pressure on the baitfish and the bass will cause them to move-out onto the deep end of the point. Although very-few anglers fish the deepest tips of points before they drop-off into a creek or a river channel, that’s the place where you’ll probably locate the bigger bass. Fishing longer and more intensively in what appears to be non-productive areas may help a fisherman catch bigger bass.
Just as a detective might consult human behavioral scientists to determine what a particular personality type might do under stress and pressure, I talked with fisheries scientist, Ken Cook of Meers, Oklahoma, who won almost $1 million catching bass, before retiring recently. A consistent competitor on the professional bass-fishing scene, Cook could tell me why large bass did what they did and base that information on sound, scientific principles. “Big bass like their solitude,” Cook says. “By the time a bass reaches its trophy potential, it probably has had some negative experience with anglers. Therefore, it has learned how to avoid fishermen. Big bass prefer to hold where there’s some type of overhead cover, which can be either heavy structure or deep water.” A big bass becomes very-territorially-minded if it finds a piece of heavy cover that it can stay in without being harassed and often may spend much of the day in that cover, while remaining relatively inactive. The only way to catch a large bass like this is to put a bait close to the bass. Even though the fish is a large bass, it’s still an opportunistic predator that will attack any bait that passes close by. According to Cook, “If the big bass isn’t in heavy cover, the fish will generally go to deep water. Bass that are deep are very hard to catch, because an angler can’t place his lure as accurately in deep water. Too, he can’t see the structure where the fish is holding. Accurate lure presentation can trigger an instinctive bite from a large bass that may not want to feed. But most fishermen are not as proficient with lures in deep water as they are in shallow water.”
Click here to go on to part five, bass pros Denny Brauer and Larry Nixon on catching bass. Click here to go back to part three.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
