Humminbird Fish Finder Reviews

Are you looking for a quality fish finder? In that case, you’ve come to the right place. In here, I will present the top 5 Hummingbird Fish Finders which will take your fishing experience to maximum! Using one of the top-quality, professional Hummingbird fish finders, you will get a hold of a wide range of fishfinding options. You will get crystal-clear imaging, laser-targeted tracking results, even in the murkiest waters, or where the bottom of the sea, lake or river has the most irregularities. With a super tracker like a Humminbird Fish Finder 1198c SI Combo or Humminbird Fish Finder 998c SI Combo, fish will literally have no place to hide! So, without wasting anymore of your time, here are the most effective Hummingbird Fish Finders out there.

Humminbird 998c SI Combo

Out of all Hummingbird fish finders, the Humminbird 998c SI Combo one is probably the best when it comes to the price-quality ratio. I’ll tell you exactly why.

First of all, it has an 8″ diagonal, 16:9 TFT color display, which will provide you with crystal-clear images. Its wide screen, 480v x 800H is the perfect fit for a professional or casual fisherman. In fact, even if you’re the average weekend fisherman, this device will bring you the same results as the pros’.

The Hummingbird Fish Finder 998c SI Combo has DualBeam PLUS Sonar, with an up to 8000 Watts PTP power output. This feature will make your unit reliable from shallow to up to 1500 ft waters. You can optionally equip it with a 200/50 kHz transducer and this way you will be able to use successfully even for 3000ft depths.

It has HD quality Side Imaging and Down Imaging, allowing you to adapt better to any given environment or fishing conditions. One of the Hummingbird fish finders with these options, will increase your effectiveness in a wider range of angling styles. It’s Side Imaging delivers snapshots of photo-like clarity in up to 150 ft deep waters,  covering a massive surface of 480 ft from the left to the right of your boat.

As far as it concerns me, I really prefer the Side Imaging because the Hummingbird depth finders with this feature provide a better overview of the bottom contour, structure and the orientation of cover, and because of the huge amounts of water I can scan. Anyway, if you’re a catfisherman, you’re after big Atlantic sturgeons or basically any species of bottom fish, the Down Imaging of this fish finder should work like a charm.

As for the GPS capabilities of this electronic fishing gadget, the Humminbird Fish Finder 988c SI Combo has its own, built-in ContourXD mapping, giving you access to a wide range of maps. Plus, it’s compatible with Navionics and LakeMaster. Its 50 channel GPS will provide you with accurate and quick positioning. Also this device a great chartplotter. Like most Hummingbird Fish Finders it has a memory that will allow you to store up to 3000 waypoints, 50 routes or 50 tracks with 20,000 points each.

Humminbird 1198c SI Combo

The Hummingbird 1198c SI Combo is by far a high-end fish tracking tool. Endowed with an enormous 10.4″ diagonal, full-color display, with a super 600V x 800H pixel resolution, it will provide you with images close to the clarity of a photography for almost anything it will detect. Due to the SuperBright LED backlight LCD technology, it features clear visibility even in direct sunlight.

Being one of the Hummingbird Fish Finders equipped with DualBeam Plus sonar, it has a 1500ft depth penetration. Has both Side Imaging and Down Imaging. The 180 degree view provided by the Side Imaging displays clear images up to 240 ft, on both sides of your boat. Images are so crystal that I could clearly see even the crab traps of other fishermen and also if they were full or not, when I took this baby out for the first time.

It does not have an internal GPS. However has a 50 channels GPS which will provide you with an accurate positioning. Its generous memory capacity will allow you to store up to 3000 waypoints and 50 routes.

The wide screen of this fish finder not only that will allow you to find fish and/or sunken objects or structures, it can be used for advanced chartplotting and trackplotting, with an incorporated CountourXD mapping system. Since it’s one of the elite Hummingbird fish finders, the 1198c SI Combo  is compatible with LakeMaster and Navionics charts.

Although this is the best Hummingbird fish finder at the moment when it comes to performance, the only major technical difference between Humminbird 1198c SI Combo and Humminbird 998c Si Combo (number one reviewed here) is basically the big screen. The price difference is quite significant though. Anyway, if money isn’t a problem, out of all Hummingbird fish finders, this is the best solution for you.

Humminbird 898c SI Combo

The Humminbird 898c SI Combo is almost as performant as its bigger brothers, the Hummingbird Fish Finders 998c SI Combo and 1198c SI Combo, only it has a less wider screen – 7-inch diagonal. It has however, high-resolution 480v x 800H display, providing brilliant colors and crystal-clear images. Its CCFL backlight increases readability in low light conditions.

Just as the previous two Hummingbird fish finders here, the 898c SI Combo has DualBeam PLUS Sonar, Side Imaging and Down Imaging, which makes this fishing gadget a very useful tool for various styles of fishing or structure finding. Although the screen is smaller, you’ll still get photo-like captions which, needless to say, will sharpen your overview upon the bottom of the sea, river or lake.

It also has the build-in CountourXD cartography software and it’s compatible with Navionics and LakeMaster maps and charts. The GPS features of this Hummingbird fish finder are: 50 channel GPS, trackplotting and chartplotting. Also, like most Hummingbird fish finders, it has a memory of 50 routes, and 3000 waypoints and 50 tracks with 20,000 points each.

All in all, even if it’s lighter than the first models presented here, this Hummingbird fish finder still is a professional fishing tool that will help you a lot in finding the biggest catch of your season. The price is also quite acceptable.

Humminbird 798ci HD SI Combo

The Humminbird 798ci HD SI Combo is quite a nice fish finder for the price, an excellent choice for the weekend fisherman. Although it has a small color display, only 5-inch diagonal, 640V x 640H, with LED backlight, it will provide you with accurate and crystal-clear images.

Just like the Hummingbird fish finders above, it’s equipped with DualBeam PLUS, sonar with a 4000 Watts PTP power output and a reliability down to 1500 ft. Side Imaging (reliable for down to 100 ft), and Down Imaging, which makes it ideal for different fishing styles.

About its Side Imaging and Down Imaging, I want to add here that you should use them at a steady speed to get a maximum volume of information about what’s underneath. Other than that, these features work just fine.

As for the GPS features, the Humminbird Fish Finder 798ci HD SI Combo has a 50 Channel GPS, it’s also endowed with the ContourXD mapping system like its bigger brothers, and also has the Chartplotting and Trackplotting features. This fish finder is, of course, compatible with the Navionics and LakeMaster charts, having a dual SD card slot. Also has the same memory of 50 routes, and 3000 waypoints and 50 tracks with 20,000 points each.

Humminbird 597ci HD DI Combo

Last but not least of the elite Hummingbird depth finders has to be the Humminbird 597ci HD DI Combo. It’s a small unit, yet very handy. Just like number four in this review, has a small color 5″ display, 640V x 640H with LED backlight.

Although it has only Down Imaging, it still comes with the DualBeam PLUS sonar and the SwitchFire Sonar so you can see separate sonar returns in Split Screen Zoom, for a better interpretation of the bottom. Images are pretty clear since it’s HD, and once you’re used to the DI type of display, this Humminbird will become an indispensable tool for finding fish.

This Humminbird Fish Finder also has the built-in cartography system as the 900 series of Hummingbird fishfinders have. Its included UniMap reflects the US coastline, inland waters and rivers. Also includes an over 3,000 US lake maps database, powered by Navionics. Therefore, you will be able to enhance your fishing and get better fishing results in the lakes or waters near your home, or basically wherever your fishing destination will be, in the U.S.

Last but not least, it has a memory of 3000 waypoints, 50 routes or 50 tracks w/ 20,000 points each.

The Hummingbird Fish Finders presented here are the most complete of each series. They are all indeed elite fish finding tools. They all come with various System Network options like WeatherSense, CannonLink, but only the 800,900 and 1100 series mentioned here are Ethernet compatible.

Ethernet is a connectivity solution to other Humminbird units, allowing your to share waypoints, routes, tracks, GPS position and even Sonar information. However, you won’t be able to get SI Sonar information on a Humminbird unit that’s not compatible with SI.

All in all these are all top-shelf Hummingbird fish finders and which will maximize your fishing experience. They all have 1 year warranty. As far as it concerns me, I don’t think you’ll ever regret of purchasing any of the Hummingbird Fish Finders reviewed here.

570 DI

The Hummingbird Fish Finder 570 DI is a device that focuses only on finding fish. Although it doesn’t have any GPS capabilities, its Down Imaging is a reliable feature that will enable you to clearly distinguish between fish and other objects that pass under your boat.

It has a medium size screen, 5-inch wide with 640V x 320H pixel resolution, monochromatic – FSTN LCD.

Its sonar capabilities include DualBeam Plus/SwitchFire and Down Imaging. The Down Imaging is reliable for up to 250ft depths and the SwitchFire returns are accurate in waters down to 800ft deep, with a 2000 Watts PtP power output. In fact, if you’re fishing in waters less deeper than 250ft, this Humminbird unit can be as good as a 900 series Hummingbird Fish Finder or 1100 series Hummingbird Fish Finder that has Down Imaging.

It’s also equipped with a quick-disconnect mounting system. This feature allows you to quickly remove unit head from the mount. It also gives this fish finder the ability to tilt and swivel.

If you’re not looking for navigational capabilities in your Hummingbird unit, the Hummingbird 570 DI is not a bad choice. Even if it’s not one of the SI Hummingbird Fish Finders , its clear images provided by its Down Imaging are just about what you need to determine the contour of the bottom, measure the water depth and of course, locate the big ones in every fishing trip. It’s a great choice for the recreational fisherman, for a good price.

Burbot are fish that don’t generate a lot of buzz, in general, among anglers. That’s because in most cases, they share the same habitats with other, more interesting game fish, like steelheads, pike, walleye, smallmouths or largemouths. Plus, they’re nocturnal, they’re “winter” fish, and they’re not that easy to catch any time during daytime, especially in summer time.

If you haven’t caught burbot so far, they look something between catfish and eel. Photo speaks for itself. But despite their rather ugly appearance, they’re really tasty fish. So, if you would like to try something new, and burbot are on your list, here are a few words about their diet, habitat, and some tackle tips.

Where to Catch Burbot

Burbot are specific to the 40°N latitude, most common in lakes and streams of North America and Europe, quite common in the Great Lakes, especially Lake Erie. Although they prefer, and they’re usually found, in cold rivers, lakes and water reservoirs, they can also live in brackish waters. They’re bottom feeders, crepuscular and night hunters, highly piscivorous. They tolerate quite a variety of bottom compositions, their feeding grounds can include sand, silt, rubble, gravel or mud. They spawn during the winter months, when they migrate to shallower waters near shoals, or leave the lakes for rivers.

Since burbot are bottom feeders, evidently you’re going to have to look for them on lake or river bottoms, and during summer, in deeper, colder water substrats. They can live at depths up to 300 m (over 950 ft.). On the Great Lakes, but also in general, the best burbot fishing is done from December to March. Within this interval, they move from the deepest parts of the lakes, to the gravelly and sandy shoals, to reproduce, and they can be caught in a depth range of 50-30ft. So, if you really want to score one or two decent burbots, you kinda have to prepare for some cold, late-winter nights.

Fishing Techniques for Burbot

There are two main fishing techniques for burbot: still-fishing with rather heavy sinkers and stink baits, dead or live bait, or active fishing with heavier lures, of various types. Of course, since burbot are winter fish, ice fishing is another method, which calls for a different approach and tackle, however, baits are the same.

Baits and Lures for Burbot

Since burbot fishing is night fishing, it’s always a good idea to provide some sort of glow-in-the-dark buzz. So, consider using glowing lures, jig heads, or small glow sticks tied near the hooks.

Live bait. Burbot are highly piscivorous, thus many anglers have reported better results with live baits rather than dead or stink baits. If you’re going with live bait, nightcrawlers, whitefish, minnows, eels, crayfish, leeches, freshwater mussels or snails are great choices. Also, whatever small benthic fish (bottom feeders) dwell in the lake or river you’re fishing for burbot, should be an excellent choice. But in general, they’re not very picky when it comes to food. Don’t forget though to check the regulations regarding live bait for in a new area you’re fishing at, though.

Dead baits. Among the dead baits, you can always try any type of fish strips available, like herring, salmon, sucker, carp or liver strips etc. It’s not a bad idea to prepare your dead bait one or two days before, adding some fish attractant (SmellyJelly – Crayfish is a great choice) to whatever fish strips or small dead fish you’re going to use, and letting them imbibe well.

An important aspect to know about burbot is that they will almost always grab their food head first, so, if you using small fish, no matter how you fix them on the terminal tackle, the hook should be near the tail of the bait fish.

Lures. Glow in the dark jigs, spoons and spinners are excellent for catching burbot, if you want to go with lures. For jigs, the classic 3/8 is always a good choice, especially if paired with twister tail grubs – Yamamoto curly tailed grubs are the ones I usually go with, however, small tubes, cover craws, or double-tailed worms work as well. Make sure that any rubber / plastic bait you’re using is glowy. If you’re fishing in deeper waters than 30-40ft., from a pier, from the shore of from a boat, you might want to use heavier jigs, up to 4oz.

Other lures I’ve had great results with were glow in the dark tandem spinners or Cleo spoons or Swedish Pimples.

In general, no matter what lure you use, you will considerably increase it’s productivity and buzz by adding a piece of natural bait on it, whether is a small minnow, a fish strip, a nightcrawler or red earthworm. They have taste organs on the small barbel underneath their mouth, and sometimes they check the lure. If it doesn’t taste right, they will move along.

Tackle for Burbot

Rods. Depending on the fishing method you’re using for catching burbot, you can use different types of rods. For example, if you’re still-fishing and you’re not handling the rod too much, a longer (9’6″ – 14′), slow action rod is better. In case you’re jigging, a shorter rod (6’6″-8′), fast or medium-fast action is best, as it will allow you to feel the jig, or whatever lure you’re using, better. Of course, for ice fishing, you’re going to need a short, ice stick, so a 34-36 graphite rod, with quite a bit of a backbone will do excellently.

Reels. The optimal lb. test line range for burbot is 10-15 lb., therefore, have your rod paired with a small / medium size reel, with a spool appropriate for this line range. Best recommendations I can make here, are Penn spinning reels, such as Penn Battle Spinning BTL5000, or BTL4000, an Abu Garcia Orra SX30 Spinner, or a Daiwa Exceler HA 3500.

Line. As I mentioned above, 10-15lb. test, monofilament, is a good choice for catching burbot. However, if you find a spot with bigger ones, you should go with 20lb. Also, depending on how snaggy the bottom is, braided might be a better alternative in some cases.

Hooks. Burbot have big mouths, so don’t be afraid yo use bigger hooks. No. 4 – 7 should do. However, depending on the bait you’re using, you may need hooks with long or short shank. For example, if you’re fishing with mussels, you’ll need short shanked hooks, while if you’re using fish strips or nightcrawlers, longer hooks with medium or longer shanks are better.

Rigs. When it comes to rigging for burbot, first it’s best to be informed about the rules and regulations of the area you’re fishing at. You may not be allowed to use more than a certain number of hooks, or specific rigs. But in general, the classic rig, with the sinker (4 to 8oz.) at the end of the line and the hook attached a 10 inch leader should do. Since they have small teeth, it’s not bad to have a braided or fluoro leader, as these types of line are more resistant to abrasion. Also, it’s important that the bait lays on the bottom, so using a small sinker on the hook, or a small jig headed hooks is not a bad idea.

Source: humminbirdfishfinderreviews.com

385ci DI Combo

Among the Hummingbird fish finders in the 300 series, the Hummingbird fish finder 385ci DI Combo is one of the newest models, and clearly one of the most performant. The price of this unit is also not bad, considering all its capabilities.

Although it’s one of the small fish finder units from Humminbird, the 385ci DI Combo is endowed with a full color screen with LED backlight. It features a diagonal of 3.5 inches, having a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels.

The 385ci DI Combo is also one of the best Hummingbird chartplotters. It has quite a reliable and precise GPS, and it comes with the UniMap mapping package, which covers the whole continental U.S. coastline, providing you with accurate charts in almost any location you want to wet your line.

It’s also compatible with the Navionics Gold and HotMaps, and LakeMaster, featuring a memory card slot for this type of upgrade.

The Hummingbird Fish Finder 385ci DI Combo has great capabilities for finding fish. It has DualBeam Plus sonar just like the Hummingbird fish finders in the 800, 900 and 1100 series, which allows you to observe in split screen both the returns of the sonar from the 60° and the 20° sonic beams, or even blended together, for a much better appreciation of the bottom and of the game or bait fish that pass under your boat.

Of course, the 385ci DI Combo fish finder has Down Imaging technology, which is even better than the SwitchFire display that most fish finders have, allowing you to see images of the underwater world close to the clarity of a photo. With this piece of technology, fish will literally have nowhere to hide.

It’s memory can store up to 2,000 waypoints, so you can save the location of each and every great fishing spot that you wish to revisit in the future. Plus, you can add therer up to 50 routes and 50 tracks.

Like all the other Hummingbird Fish Finders, the 385ci DI Combo has a one year warranty.

Catch and release is a fishing practice acting as a technique of conservation. Many recreational anglers practice catch and release, and on certain lakes and rivers, such practice is even required.

However, even though this method would seem friendly to the fish, eco-friendly in general, just by hooking a fish you can cause it a lot of damage, and by releasing it you actually sentence it to a very long and painful death. So, if you want to do this right, here are a few tips.

Aspect #1: Hooks

First of all, you probably have heard that certain hooks are made of specific alloys that are quickly degradable, especially in salt water. That might be true, but releasing the fish with a hook in its throat or in its stomach is far from being the right thing. Even if the hook will rust and decompose rather quickly, and even if the fish gets another chance to lay or fertilize eggs, the hook inside it will most likely cause a bacterial infection, and the fish will eventually die.

I once caught quite a big northern pike, it was about a 109 cm (3.5 feet) long, but it was so thin, I first thought it was an eel. The fish was evidently sick, and not surprisingly, I found a big, rusty hook in its stomach, surrounded by an extensive infection. The fish would have probably died eventually. I wonder for how long the poor thing had been struggling with that inside it.

So, as a conclusion to this, if you’re practicing catch and release, it would be best to go with bigger hooks than the number appropriated for the fish you’re targeting, so that they won’t swallow them easily, even though this may diminish the number of fish you’ll land. Also, use barbless hooks, even if there’s a bigger chance for the fish to spit them out, or unhook themselves. And when it comes to treble hooks, well, these can cause quite a lot of damage to the fish, so it would be best not to use them.

Aspect #2: Fishing Line

The second important aspect about catch and release regards the fishing line. Sometimes line can snap and the fish goes away with 20-30 feet of line, or even more. Evidently, the line can (and probably will) get tangled in weeds and tie the fish in a certain spot, making it vulnerable to predators, or making it impossible for it to feed. Or, it can wrap around its fins, considerably impair its movement, damaging its slime coating, making it vulnerable to infections.

On the other hand, even if fish can eventually spit the hook and releave itself from the piece of fishing line attached to the hook, the line can still be very dangerous to other wild life. Aquatic birds or mammals like beavers or otters can tangle into it, and even lose their limbs trying to releave themselves.

Now, to avoid line from snapping and to prevent the fish getting away with it, first, polish your technique and never make any mistakes that will allow the fish to break the line. Thoroughly check the condition of the line on all your setups before any fishing session. If it’s to worn off, replace it. Also, you even though some fish are really spooky, you might consider using stronger (and most likely easily visible) line, to avoid the line to break. Fluorocarbon line, for example, is less visible in the water, and even if it’s more expensive, it might be the best solution.

Aspect #3: Fish Slime Coating

Some fish, especially the ones with small scales, like the Salmonidae (trout, salmon etc), Esocidae (pike, muskie etc), or Siluriformes (all catfish species) which don’t have scales but just a thick skin or bony plates, strictly depend on their slime coating. That coating acts as a protection against fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms and parasites. If you catch a pike, for example, and handle it too much, you will most likely ruin its slime coating, the fish will become susceptible to infections, and might die.

Therefore, it’s best to not bring the fish to the boat if possible, handle it as less as possible, and even consider unhooking it while it’s still in the water. If you still want to photograph the fish, make sure you wet your hands to remove as less slime as possible. Also, when practicing catch and release, it’s best not to use a net.

Source: http://hummingbirdfishfinderreviews.com/

Fishing for largemouth bass is one of America’s outdoor delights, a sport that many anglers dedicate to completely. That’s because catching these warriors provides a lot of thrill, they’re not extremely difficult to catch and they don’t require some extra expensive or unusual tackle.

In this post I’m going to try to cover an all-purpose tackle for largemouth bass, tackle that should allow you to be effective with any type of bait. But first, especially if you’re not exactly an expert when it comes to largemouth bass, here are a few words about their habitat and habits.

Where to Catch Largemouth Bass

First of all, bigmouths are fresh water fish, present in lakes and water streams of various sizes. They’re the easiest to catch in early spring, when water temperature is around 45°F (7°C), and at this time you’ll find them at depths between 2-10 feet.

As the water temperature rises up to 55-60°F (12-18°C), they will start searching for a spawning place, usually in shallow water, with direct access to sunlight, not very far from the shores or riverbanks, and at depths up to 6 feet. They are strenuous defenders of their spawning beds, just like walleye and other predatory fish, and even if they’re not hungry, they will bite almost anything that passes by. Therefore, in this period, you should use the most visible and noisy lures, that will be attacked by the bass.

As the summer sets up, and the water temperature climbs over 80°F (26°C), largemouths will reduce their movements, to conserve their energy. Also, by this time, you’ll find the larger ones deeper than the smaller ones, but even if the water is quite warm, you can still catch them in shallow waters, especially in the morning.

During the fall, as water temperatures begin to drop, their feeding activity will increase. Using fast and noisy lures this time, and also colorful lures, brings great results, especially near structures, ledges, at the ends of the weeds, or near steep shorlines.

In winter, evidently largemouths are more lethargic, so just as fishing for any fish in winter, you’ll have to look for them. When ice fishing for largemouth bass, there are higher chances to find them on the base of deep drops, green beds or where you know there are submerged logs.

Fishing Techniques for Largemouths

I’ll try to be brief here. It’s pretty obvious that active fishing with various types of lures is the most attractive technique for catching largemouth bass. However, you can still catch them by still fishing using various rigs, float fishing or trotting down rivers, wobbling live baits, or trolling.

Fly fishing works as well, of course, but in this case, catch and release will be problematic. There’s a reason they’re called largemouths. You should expect them to swallow your flies completely, being very difficult to un-hook without causing them internal damage. And releasing a fish with hooks inside them is just barbaric. Even if you release the fish and you see it swim away with no problem, you actually sentence it to a slow and painful death.

Live Bait and Lures for Largemouth Bass

Largemouth bass are predatory fish, they like their food on the move and they will grab almost anything that fits in their mouth. In fact, they can eat prey that’s up to 30% of their body lenght. If you want to use live bait instead of lures, minnows and shiners are a great choice, and you can catch them yourself to have them fresh, on the lake or river you’re fishing on. Frogs and tadpoles are also great.

However, one of the best live baits that you can use and get excellent results are nightcrawlers. These are pretty much the universal bait, which can catch almost any fish, from bluegills to premium bass.

When it comes to lures, there are 3 types of lures that are considerably better than others on bigmouths fishing. These are:

Spinnerbaits. These lures can be used with success the whole year. However, there are a few specifics. In clear and shallow water it’s best to use smaller lures, up to 3/8, with for deeper waters, over 20 feet, 3/8 should be the smaller size used. In spring, bigmouths seem to be more insterested in smaller spinners, so it’s best to go with single-bladed Mepps spinners, silver or yellow. In very cold water, or when temperature goes over 25°C, bass become sluggish, so retrieving should be slower. If you’re using tandem blades, always go with Indiana blades, rather than Willowleaf.

Crankbaits. These are lures that are best used in waters with plenty of structures, stump fields, ledges and drops, rocky bottoms or places with a lot of vegetation. They trigger a lot of baits when they bump into stuff. Choose crankbaits with a higher wobble and warmer colors if the water has a higher grade of turbidity. As opposed to that, go with natural colors and less wobble in clear water. Best crankbait sizes for largemouth bass are between 3-5 inches.

From this class of lures, you might want to try out:

Lucky Craft Fat CB Crankbait (BDS4) (Original Tennessee Shad), Koppers LIVETARGET Gizzard Shad Crankbait (Silver Pearl), Lucky Craft Rick Clunn Rattlin’ Crankbait (White Shad), SPRO Fat John 60 Crankbait (Chartreuse), Ultra Light Cranks, Matzuo Kinchou Minnow, Uncle Wesley’s Minnow.

Jigs. Although jigs can bring excellent results on bass year round, they’re best used in spring, or on cold water, since they seem to be more alluring when fished slowly. Also if you prefer fishing from docks, the jig should be head of your list. Of course, jigs are very productive when fishing in grassy, gravelly or sandy bottoms. Since they don’t have such a buzz output into the water as crankbaits or spinners, it’s best to use jigs in clear water. The most popular weight for a largemouth jig is 3/8, but depending on the depth you’re targeting you can be more flexible, choosing the more appropriate weight, between 1/16 and 1/2. Flipping jigs are the best, I usually go with 3/8 brownish, black and blue, or cola, or if the water has some turbidity, with white or chartreuse. When it comes to soft baits, Cover Craws, tailed worms or minnows have also worked greatly for me so far.

Poppers and buzzers work as well, of course, but it’s best to use them when you see there’s a lot of bass feeding activity, in shallow waters or near the surface. And from this class of lures, you should go with hula poppers, skitter pops and skitter walks (Rapala are the best).

Tackle for Largemouth Bass

As I said in the beginning of this post, I’m going to try to cover here an all-purpose “recipe” for a rod-reel-line for largemouths. However, most anglers will tell you that there’s no such a thing, that you should have multiple set-ups for any type of lure/bait that you’re using. But if you don’t really want to go pro, here’s a balanced setup that should cover as many bass fishing techniques and lures as possible.

You’ll be needing a 6’6″ – 7′ medium rod, moderate action, rated for 10-20# line, a spinning or baitcasting reel, rated for line in similar range 10-20#, and at least 150 yds of 10-15lb. pound test monofilament line. If the water is too clear and also snaggy, you might want to go with fluorocarbon though. It resists better to abrasions and it becomes invisible in the water.

A good example that should fit to the above “recipe” is the following:

Shakespeare Two-Piece Medium Action Ugly Stik Spinning Rod
Penn SSG Graphite Series Spinfisher Spinning Reel
Berkley Trilene Big Game Monofilament Custom Spool (15lb)

The whole setup should be less than $100. And as you can see, I went with spinning gear, as a baitcaster reel might give a headache to a beginner angler.

Now, if you want to invest in some decent tackle, and multiple sticks for various baits, here are a few rods and reels to give a look to:

Rods:

G Loomis Classic Bass Spin Jig Rod (6′ Light / Fast) – SJR721 GLX
G. Loomis Classic Flipping Stick Bass Rod FSR904X(GL2)
G. Loomis Bass Crankbait GL2 847C CBR
St.Croix MBC66MF Mojo Bass Casting Fishing Rod
St. Croix Legend Tournament Bass Casting Rod TBC73MHF
St. Croix Triumph Casting Rod TRC70MF

Reels:

Abu Garcia Black Max Low Profile Baitcast Reel (12-Pound/145-Yard)
Abu Garcia 6500C3 Ambassadeur C3 Baitcast Round Reel
Abu Garcia Orra SX30 Spinning Reel
Okuma Trio High Speed Spinning Reel (Trio-55S)
Shimano Baitrunner D Spinning Reel
Daiwa Exceler 2500 TSH

Line. I always keep the line within the 15-20lb. range, and always go with fluorocarbon.

Hooks. In case you’re going with live bait, don’t be shy on using bigger hooks even if the bass you’re targeting aren’t that big. I usually go with 1/0 – 2/0 octopus hooks, Owner or Gamakatsu, or Aberdeen-type (long shank) when using nightcrawlers. As the hooks on lures, the most popular size for treble hooks is 2/0.