By now most of the visitors to this site, probably know how I love livebait fishing. However, there are a number of conditions when artificial lures might just be a better choice. The following is an outline of some, but not necessarily all, of those conditions.

In stained or murky water, bass tend to rely less on site, and more on feel and smell. In these conditions, a bass can't afford to be as finicky. Just as the basses field of view is lessened, so is its opportunity to feed. If a meal comes within range, a bass must feed while it has the chance. It is also possible to cover much more water with artificials. And since bass tend not to move around as much in murky water, this can be a big plus. Also, most artificials (even a plastic worm, when worked aggressively) tend to put off more sound and vibration, than the real thing, which can help a bass to zero in on its prey. Finally, since the biggest attraction of live bait is visual, murky water tends to negate its positive effects.

For many of the same reasons listed for murky water, artificials tend to be more effective at night. But also, bass are less wary at night and definitely make a lot more "mistakes" about what to feed on. I firmly believe that if an angler wants to catch big bass consistently, and feels that he has to do it on artificials, night time is probably the best time.

Bass in moving water, such as rivers or sloughs (ie. Ca. delta), tend to feed more out of spontaneuos reaction. I believe this is because, in many cases, their food source is constantly moving. If baitfish happen to come by, a bass had better eat while it's there. Because that meal could be miles away in a short period of time.

connection. There is no doubt about it...... big bass eat planter trout ! Of course, fishing with a live trout for bait is "very illegal". Besides that, I'm not sure an angler could get the real thing, to go where he wanted it to, or do what he wanted it to. So what's the logical alternative? Large trout pattern lures. There are a number of these lures available on the market today. However, in my opinion, the best one for the job, is the Castaic Trout. Not only are they very realistic in appearance, but also they have a swimming motion which is virtually the same as the real thing.

During the height of the spawn, bass do not rate feeding as a high priority. Now they are thinking about making babies, and protecting the nest. At this time, any foreign item which intrudes the nest, stands a good chance of being attacked. However, it is usually the smaller male, which does the large part of the defending duties. Females tend to be much less aggressive. Since feeding is not the motivation at this time, whether or not your offering is real, seems to be of little consequence. During this period, the number one threat to a nest, in most regions, is the bluegill. So then, it stands to reason that an artificial bluegill can be a very effective lure.

Here is a technique which has been effective for me in the last couple of years. I rig a baby Castaic Bluegill, with a sliding worm weight on the line. Usually 3/8 to 1/2 ounce. You can remove the bill with a pair of dikes, and then maybe file it down a little. This makes it easier to control, and since your not swimming it anyway, does not hurt its effectiveness. Make a cast past a nest and let it sink. Then hop it along until it gets to the nest. At this point, try to leave it in the strike zone as long as possible, twitching and popping it, without actually covering much distance. Also throw in some long pauses.

Remember, if you do manage to catch a bass off of a bed, it is particularly important to get that bass back into the water as fast as possible, so that it can get back to its job of protecting the nest.

Finally, the best time to use an artificial is "when they are working !" I guess it's in the nature of fishing, but not always is there a logical explanation as to why a particular lure has been so effective. With that said, keep your ears open. If you hear about a lure which has been doing it, go on and give it a shot, and if it works, make sure you let me know.

	Good fishin' to ya'
	Fish Chris