Commonly Used Bass Fishing Terms

Some Common Glossary Terms of Bass Fishing

Every now and then in bass fishing terminology stands in our way of communicating so I thought I would expand some of the glossary of terms common to many bass fisherman.

Baitcast reel - revolving spool fishing reel mounted above the rod
Bed fishing - the tactic of fishing for bass that are holding on or near spawning beds

Breakline - an area of transition from one depth to another, one cover type to another, one water temperature to another, one water color to another, one substrate to another

Bucketmouth - slang term for largemouth bass

Community hole - a well-known and frequently fished area where numerous anglers have had success

Countdown lure - a lure that sinks in the water at a predictable rate

Deadsticking - technique by which bait is cast and allowed to lie motionless for long periods of time

Downsize - to scale down tackle or lures for a more finesse approach

Dropoff - an abrupt change in bottom contour, typically at the juncture of a flat and channel a ledge

Flat an expanse of bottom with relatively little change in bottom contour or water depth

Jump fishing the practice of targeting schooling fish that are obviously feeding on baitfish near the surface

Ripping - retrieve technique frequently used for jerk-baits in which the lure is violently and rapidly pulled forward

Stickbait -  a hard or soft lure that is generally long and slender and designed to emulate a baitfish

Strike zone - the area around an individual bass in which the fish will strike a lure

Wacky rig -  rigging method by which a soft plastic bait is hooked through the middle and fished without a weight

These are just some of the many commonly used terms, I hope they help you better understand the sport of bass fishing!