Some anglers say finding and patterning bass is the toughest facet of our sport. Others, however, believe tricking them into biting is most difficult. While they’re both inherently challenging, we must not forget the importance of landing bass. After all, an inability to effectively land big bass kind of makes finding and catching them a moot point, right?
Everyone reading this article could write books about the ones that got away. It’s a common cliché in bass fishing, but it’s true nonetheless. Much of our hard work and research flies out the window when a giant bass slips through our fingertips. It’s a gut-wrenching feeling that we all take steps to avoid.
There are three effective ways to land bass, however, and learning the advantages and disadvantages of both will drastically increase your landing ratio and decision making. These aren’t the only ways to do it, but we’ve had our best success with these methods.
- Use a net
- Swing them into the boat
- Belly land them