Bass Fishing Bass Fishing? Watch Out For the Gators! Tip! Now that you're thinking like a fish, consider your bait. Lots of bass fishing is done with big bait because bass are fierce fighting fish and big bait just seems the way to go. Lakes in certain parts of the country contain more than something you want in your livewell. Alligators. They can be no more obvious than a rock or a log, so be careful. You want to get a bite, not get bit. Let me share one of my bass fishing experiences with you. This is bayou country. When I go to the lakes south of Houston, I have to watch for gators. So I'm always keeping an eyeball peeled for 'em. But sometimes ... So last night I look and everything is clear so I walk down to the water and start bass fishing. After a few minutes, while I'm looking around I see this big log. This big log that gets oddly thinner at the end up on the shore and thicker in the water, and has odd bumps on it. Hold on .. that doesn't look right. I look further up the log to see how far it extends into the water and... It has 2 big ol' eyes ... lookin' at me!! And it's only 10 feet away (just a quick couple of steps for a gator). Ooookay! I slowly and calmly reel in my line (on the outside - on the inside, I'm in total panic) pick up my gear and move on. So I go over to this other part of the lake, and now it's dark so I get up on a pier. I'm sitting in the woods in the dark and I hear something walking down the pier towards me. Not heavy enough to be human footsteps. With what little bit of starlight there is, I can see something about the size of a medium dog coming at me. What do I do now? Tip! Choosing the right bass fishing lure depends on many conditions. Color plays an important role of duplicating the baitfish in the particular body of water you are fishing. Well, I can't see what it is, but I can tell it's not a dog. So I get aggressive towards it to see if I can scare it away. Fortunately, it worked. I pointed the tip of my fishing pole towards it and it scampered away. As it left I thought it looked like a large raccoon. Probably nothing to worry much about after all, but they can be aggressive and rabid. But it's creepy in the woods in the complete dark not being sure what's around you. Then, in the water, I see the outline of this huge catfish swim right up underneath me below the pier I'm on. Wow! That's a big one! I've got to move bait up and fish under the pier and catch him! Tip! Spinnerbaits are one of the most popular and adaptable bass fishing lures ever invented. These effective fishing lures can be fished fast or slow, in clear or murky water, at variety of depths. So, I decide to put a light on it and see if I can get a better look at this monster. I aim the spotlight straight down into the water and... Hey, look at that weed ... there were no weeds along this pier earlier. Hmmm. So I lean further over the pier to get a better look at this mystery weed .... YIKES! THAT'S NO WEED - IT'S A CLAW - A BIG CLAW! There is a gator right underneath me!! Apparently (and I was able to confirm this on follow up visits) the gator is savvy to the fact that people catch fish and put them on stringers around the dock; making a great free and easy meal for the gator. That's enough. I'm goin' home. Forget all about that macho stuff and learn how to play guitar. Tip! Buzzbaits produce a splashing, sputtering, and gurgling commotion which bass find hard to resist. This deafening line of bass fishing lures when fished on the surface will often persuade bass to come out of deep cover. Michael Russell MgrCentral.com Established 2001 Home Business Training and Information Guides