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Defining the
Strike Zone by Scott Gaines of
GetStartedFishing.Com
I’d like to share with you an article I just finished reading-
“How to Define A Strike Zone” Written by Steve Price. The article
can be found in the Oct 2002 issue of Field and Stream.
This is a great article. It talks specifically about Bass, but I’d
think it holds true for other species as well.
The article starts out: “In Bass fishing, the strike zone is the
distance a fish will move to strike your lure. It is a way of
measuring how active or inactive bass are at a particular moment.
Defining this zone will tell you where to cast your lure how to
retrieve it and which lures to use.”
After reading this I went WOW!! This is something every beginner
needs to be aware of. You’ve always heard seasoned fishermen tell
you “The fish will tell you what they want”. This is one of those
ways.
Steve interviewed Skeet Reese and Rick Clunn, two champs that have
some great advice to offer! Here are some of the highlights of the
article: The first fish or 2 may be the most important ones to
help you determine the strike zone. You have to pay attention to
what was happening. What was your retrieve like? How deep was your
lure? Were you fishing close to cover or were you farther out?
Answering questions like these help you to determine the size of
the strike zone.
The strike zone can be anywhere from 6 inches to 50 feet. The guys
give the example of fishing by a stump…If you caught the fish away
from the stump on a crankbait, you can assume the fish left the
stump and followed your lure…. You may want to consider staying
with crankbait. On the other hand, if you have to fish right on
the stump to get a strike…The fish may want a slower presentation,
something other than a crankbait. Because the fish moved only a
short distance to strike.
Another clue that help you narrow the strike zone is how the fish
is hooked: A fish hooked on the outside of the mouth often
indicates the lure was running too shallow A light strike may mean
the lure size is too large A hard strike means you’ve got the
correct lure and retrieve.
Skeet and Rick went on to talk about how the strike zone changes
with the season. Indicating that Spring, Summer and Winter have
small strike zones and that low light conditions often expand the
strike zone no matter what season it is. Be sure to watch the
surface for any baitfish activity, This is another indicator of a
large strike zone.
One last note, the strike zone is something that can change in
minutes or it might be the same all day. So keep paying attention
to your surroundings and be aware of how your lure is working.
I advise you to track down this article if possible. For me, this
article served as a reminder, pay very close attention to detail.
Watch your lure and how it’s being retrieved. In addition, know
your surroundings. What type of environment are you in? Are you
working around cover? How deep are you fishing. What are the
strikes like? If your paying attention, the clues are there, all
you have to do is put them together.
By Scott Gaines, Founder of
Get Started
Fishing.com. |
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