LRF bass fishing isn’t complicated once you’ve got a little experience under your belt.
It’s not about blindly casting lures as far as you can, hoping fish will come and find you through luck (although that can happen).
It’s about skill, finesse, reading the water, picking the right lures, and targeting fish-holding spots such as structure, gullies, ambush points, and shallow feeding zones.
What changed it for me was realising how often fish are already right in front of you or moving through tight areas, rather than sitting at a distance waiting to be found.
Once you fish for Bass enough, you stop thinking about casting and start thinking about where fish are actually searching for food or lying in ambush.
You become mobile, not fixed in one spot relying on fish finding you. You actively seek them out.
You scan the water for signs of baitfish — birds diving, silver flashes, surface disturbance — signals that only experience really teaches you to read.
You stop thinking about casting distance and start thinking about precision.
WHERE BASS ACTUALLY SHOW UP
Rock marks: Look for gullies, broken ground, and tide channels between rocks. These act as natural corridors and ambush points.
Estuaries: Driven by flow. Fish position themselves where current funnels prey, in deeper channels and around structure. The transition between fast and slow water is often key.
Harbours and marinas: Bass hold tight to structure: pontoon edges, wall corners, mooring lines, and shaded areas.
WHAT BASS ARE ACTUALLY DOING
Bass are usually:
Holding on structure
Moving short distances with tide
Hunting baitfish
Sitting just outside obvious visibility
Once you find them, your job is to present a lure into their feeding zone at the right moment with a natural presentation.
Slow, controlled presentations often outperform aggressive retrieves.
LRF BASS TECHNIQUES
Small jig heads with soft plastics remain the most consistent method.
Cast into likely areas, let the lure sink, and retrieve slowly near the bottom or close to structure.
Change speed, depth, or lure pattern if nothing shows after a couple of passes.
Bites are usually positive and instant.
If fish follow but don’t commit:
Slow down
Use stop-start retrieves
Let the lure fall back into the strike zone
Lift-and-drop also works well to keep movement natural.
