Bass Pickup

Bass Pickup

Two Hot Tips for Bass Fishing

Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in Bass fishing and this has led to many new business sprouting up to ride along with the wave of excitement. Hooking, pardon the pun, new Bass anglers is easy. All you have to do is to invite them for a Bass fishing trip and before you know it, they are now passionate about the sport. Businesses seek out hot interests like a heat seeking missle and we see resorts, sports gears and fishing related things being built - all with the aim to capture this hot market. As a Bass angler, clearly we have benefited from all these interests.

Right now, more and more are getting their feet wet to learn and find out what the big bass buzz is all about. For the uninitiated, Bass fishing is more than just fishing. Having a prized big bass in your hands and the opportunity to show it off is a feeling that is hard to describe. Only those who have done it will know the feeling and once you have done it once, you want to do it over and over again. But after the first bass fishing expedition, for the beginner, there is still lots more to learn.

First, you have to know the lures that you must have to enjoy bass fishing.

What the top 3 lures for catching Bass? No real surveys have been conducted but it is generally agreed by pro bass fishermen that plastic worms makes the best lures, followed by the spinner bait and then the crank bait.

After considering the lures, there are still other factors to consider, chief of which is how you intend to cover the waters

in your fishing. Do you want to cover a smaller segment of water thoroughly or do you want to skim across a larger area as quickly as possible to find fishg. Worm baits are very effective and Bass are absolutely seduced by it. However, worm baits tend to be slower and are best in certain areas which will come with experience.

One main problem with learners fishing with a worm is that they do not realise that the worm does not have the ability to sense strikes. And the main reason for the inability to sense them is due to the fisherman using a sinker that is too heavy and a line that is too thick.

To overcome this predicament, a variable buoyancy worm using lead strip sinkers can be adopted. The advantages are:

• No moving lead on the line to dampen the feel of a gentle pickup
• Precise amount of lead can be applied to deliver the worm action needed
• Bass finds it easier to inhale the worm
• It helps in hook setting
• In snags, you can quickly shake yourself loose
• Worms can be hung virtually suspended over the bottom when fishing in shallow water.

To tell how much lead strip is needed, wrap one strip around the hook and bury the barb in the worm. Ease it into the water

and watch it sink, it should barely settle toward the bottom. If it sinks to fast, take some off, etc. Make sure to use no heavier than 8-pound mono line - preferably 6 pound.

How much lead strip do you need? Well, one tested way is to wrap one strip around the hook and bury the barb in the worm.

Now, gently ease it into the water and watch it sink. It should barely settle toward the bottom. If it sinks too fast, start

again by taking some off, etc. Use a mono line that is no heavier than 8-pounds - preferably 6 pound.

Spinner baits, by virture of its construction, can move more quickly across the surface. It can be bounced on the bottom,

against tree limbs and moved in many different ways in order to stimulate strikes. It is a great probing lure for the shoreline because of its tangle-free construction.

Lastly, Crank baits are great if you want to check out a spot without wasting too much time. They cover a lot of water in a hurrry and you can use them for locating fish that may be scattered.

The most important rule is this - make it easy for the Bass to get to the lure - no matter where you are fishing in. Drop that lure right in front of them! Scientists have proven that Bass can calculate the amount of energy it will take them to go after the prey and if they decide its too much effort, they won't bother.

The bottom line is this - discover and learn to use each type of lures and find what suits you. Once you find the right one for you, you will really find enjoyment in bass fishing!

Aside from considering the lures, the other important factor is to know the accurate time in going for bass fishing.

The Biggest Bass are definitely caught at dawn or dusk. Remember - bass love to prey at ambush spots, which seems to offer lots of cover for the baitfish. They like to hide, and then pounce on their prey.

These bait fish are most active in the dusk or dawn. When they feeding, the bait fish's guard is down and less aware of threats, So that is when the bass strikes. Fish during these times for the best chances of success.

When retrieving an underwater lure in poor light conditions, pull in the lure at a steady pace once it is set in motion. This makes it easier for bass to locate and grab it.

Although I mentioned that dawn or dusk is the best time to fish for bass, there is one exception. Don't bother trying when

the water is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature causes certain aquatics species to disappear, which in turn, nullifies the food chain feeding.

Just by keeping these 2 factors in mind for bass fishing - lures and the time to fish - you are on your start to winning the

game of bass fishing. Once mastered, you can then consider other factors like water quality and weather conditions. Happy Bass fishing!

Upright Bass Pickup Homemade?

i play the upright bass for a rockabilly/blues band. for a pickup ive found a way to mount a dynamic mic on the body that points at the f-hole. it does the job, but not very good. i got a bunch of musical electronics lying around and i know theres gotta be a way to make an actual pickup from what i have, without spending any extra money. i have mics (dynamic, condenser and a PZM) as well as electric guitar pickups. are there any maguyvers out there that know how to cook something up? thanks

Most bass players I know just wrap a microphone (like a Shure SM-57) in a small towel and wedge under the tailpiece, against the belly of the instrument. It works to amplify the sound and gives a warm, natural acoustic sound.

I can't offer any MacGuyver-ish solutions, as I'm not at all electronically inclined but it seems to me you don't want to cut into the top of the bass to install a pickup, nor do you want anything like a solid-body electric bass guitar pickup because it won't give you that acoustic upright sound that's so important for rockabilly music. A 6-string electric guitar pickup wouldn't work either, IMO, as i don't think it would adequately pick up sounds in the bass range, no?

If I were you I would experiment with the mics I already have -- dynamic, condenser and PZM -- and with mic placement. Maybe there's a better place to mount the mic on the instrument, or a way to boost the signal from the mic with a pre-amp? Are you using a dedicated bass amp or running your mic signal directly into the mixing board? These are options to explore to see what gives you the best sound.