Bed fishing is very easy, it is the easiest bass fishing there is..

1. cruise the bank looking for them with good glasses, when they spook off the bed if they hang out and pause in a different area or generally lazily meander back they are not locked on. often youll see these fish moving BEFORE you see the bed etc.

2. locked on bass will usually not leave the bed if your just driving by on the tm, if they do it will be a quick out and back route and youll see the urgency.

3. for non locked on fish I mark a way point and leave.

4. for locked on fish Ill circle right back and fish.

I fish beds two ways.

For #2. above, I park basically over the bed, usually 5-8 feet max (7 foot rod with a 3-5 foot pitch max) from it and talon down. When I had a wood boat and saw my first ever bed fish, I went home and came back with rope and two anchors (1997).

I use a spinning rod with 20-30 feet of floro on the end so Im only dealing with the floro, usually 10lb. I tie on a florescent ned rig head and a chunk of a zoom fluke stick (or old fluke tail) that is only 3/8 longer than the hook max just the tiny tails past the hook. I super glue this on well, at the head and at the hook shank by the tail. The florescent head lets me see it so I can work it and see when it is picked up easily. I flip this out past the bed and drag it on the bed, then pop it up and down and move it all around, Ill hit the fish with it as often as possible. If they leave the bed I will chase them over there and hit them with it again etc.. This usually doesnt take too long youll see them get more and more feisty. Sometimes this will catch them on the first pitch. If they stay off the bed longer and longer and arent making tight circles reacting to the bait when hit I usually move on for a while and put them in the 1. category and try that way.

For 1. I will go back and cruise by slower and try and see the bed fish before it moves some times if I get too close this may take a few trips back by the same spot with some time in between. Once I see the fish in one spot (bed) I pitch to that bed from a distance that I do not spook them off. Here I pitch a yamamota flapping hog texas rig with 1/16 tungsten weight. round bend thin wire hook. I like to pitch that hog a few times then give them my itty bitty ned if they havent bit and they usually grab the ned first pitch. If I miss the bed with the ned a few times Ill throw the hog again then back to ned, the goal is to remove the flap hog and drop the ned as soon as possible.

If 2. fish are in water deeper than 7-8 feet Ill tie a tear drop tungsten drop shot weight 10" below my ned rig head, gives me more ability to keep it on the bed and work it up and down etc. When I chase the fish to hit him with it the line between the weight and ned works well. When you get that deep with a light ned rig it takes too long to get it back down and its too hard to move it where you want etc. a light weight head is imperative because they are not eating this bait they are just mouthing it to move it and often theyll suck it in past their lips being as its so light making hooking up simple with that exposed hook.

Another great method for 2. is a hard walking bait over the top of the bed, or a small popper. small popper to me is a crappie popper about 1.5 long with one tail treble hook with feathers.

This is what I do, take it or leave it. It works for me.. guys have boated up and seen me jigging straight under my boat and gave me the craziest looks many times it is what it is.. Guys in my local clubs have called bs on parking on top of them to my face. it is what it is. I learned I could park on top of them in 97 because that two rope method was less than perfect. This has worked for me everyplace clear in Washington State even. Ive done it with a blue bottom wood boat, silver metal, white glass, black glass all the same..

These two catagories will get you well on your way and youll learn each day there are many variations in between 1 and 2 for how locked on or not they are.

I made this post because I see this come up on here all the time and the fact that anyone would hire a guide to catch a fish you can SEE has blown my mind. Why not just help a brother out.



GOOD glasses are imperative. I use costa 580g in green exclusively. I bought them after reading about them on here and also bought blue and gave them a shot, the green seem better in every condition sun, shade, dirty, clear water etc.. The 580g are heavy lenses so I bought some 580p and they seem just as good, though being plastic they will get scratched up etc. If your on a tighter budget buy the G they will last you forever. I wear these all day fishing every day even when its over cast they reduce the glare.

agree with everything you said...I use the trick worm rigged wacky style with a small weedless hook. I'll leave it motionless on the bed if they don't pick it up by moving it. Hitting them with it annoys them into striking as well...definitely a good tip I've used numerous times in the past.

Interesting

Believe it or not being color blind is an inherent advantage to spotting these fish.

bed fishing is boring

Excellent post Jeff. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Fun trick, crush up an Alka-Seltzer and put it in a tube bait, peg it with a toothe-pick so that it doesn't all fall out of the bottom, flip it on the bed and watch the bubbles rise.......gets the fish's attention! Don't recommend this if tournament fishing.

Anyone else feel like they just read a Thad Rains article?

Then you are doing it wrong

Why not tournament fishing. That's an old trick that has probably been used thousands of times in tournaments

Bed fishing at Fork this year has been a bit different. No one out there is rolling up catching 10 out of 10 bed fish they find. Fish are acting differently this year and they are harder to see. There is a lot a good guide can teach someone out there.

Great information jeff. Guess anyone can take it or leave it, but I found it interesting at least. I admit to knowing little about bed fishing so I'm confident it helped me.

Don�t forget to put the Hydrowave in �spawning fish� pattern.