For a pulse pounding thrill on your fishing trip, try fishing for large mouth bass. Its popularity is racing up to the top of the charts as one of todays fastest growing sports. These dark eyed beauty's can easily weigh up to 10lbs in the southern states and 5 to 6lbs in the northern states. And it comes as no exception to find them weighing even more as the old record of 22lbs 4ozs may be about to break with a 25 lb 1 oz catch, if approved by the International Game Fish Association. This lunker was caught on a fishing trip in mid March of 2006 on Dixon Lake in sunny Escondido California.

Large mouth bass spawn in the soft bottom shallow areas of the lake that provide cover when the water begins to hit about 50 degrees . They tend to be passive during the spawning season and become steadily more aggressive after post-spawn. Planning your fishing trip from day break to mid morning tends to provide the most action as the fish are very active during this time. If your fishing trip is in the spring with colder water conditions it's best to target the closest depth change areas near shallow spawning flats using small jerk baits, soft plastics and spinner baits that match the color of the water. If you plan a fishing trip in the warmer months you should target the shallow areas during the morning and evening hours and the deeper structure and cover during mid day or high sun hours using larger sized rattle baits, spinner baits and top water baits. Lily pads, fallen trees, and docks offer excellent cover for fish so also make sure to target these areas as well on your fishing trip.
Live bait such as minnows and worms are also used to target large mouth bass. In fact, the favorite food preferred by large mouth bass is crayfish. In the southern states 8-10in gold shiners are used for bobber fishing trips with a hook and weight tied to the line. However, most all tournaments from entry level to professional allow only artificial baits to be used. If your fishing trip is for sport only, make sure to return the fish to the water as soon as possible as catch and release is the preferred method in most areas. However if you plan on eating your tasty catch, the following recipe is one guaranteed to please:

2 mangoes, pitted, peeled and chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 pounds bass fillets, rinsed and patted dry
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preheat the grill to medium-hot. Mix together mangoes, red bell pepper, orange juice, lime juice and basil; set aside. Brush the fillets lightly with oil. Place on the grill and cook, turning once, until done, 3 to 6 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and serve with relish. Season to taste. Serving Size: 8

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