Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2020 - 61

photo-Jerry Bush

Angler's Notebook
by Jerry Bush

It is believed that a bass's olfactory system is not as great
as that of catfish and salmon, but experts agree bass use
the sense of smell more than was believed 50-years ago.
For bass, a sense of smell becomes useful at night and in
low-light situations. Many soft plastic lure manufacturers
offer scented imitations resembling minnows, crayfish,
tubes, and worms. One of the largest bass I caught was from
Lake Erie using a scented minnow imitation during an
overcast, rainy day.
This is big bass time. Never be discouraged when small
bass are dominant. Consider small bass a good indicator that
conditions are favorable for the continuing population within
any body of water. Small fish may betray the location of larger
bass, because large fish are rarely as far away as people think.
Try casting bait and lures along the first significantly deeper
ledge located beyond the area holding the small fish. If a creek
flows into the lake within 100 yards or so, seek big bass at the
creek's channel, in 5- to 15-feet of water.
A friend offered great tips regarding fishing for bass with
soft plastic lures. My enjoyment of casting crankbaits was
interfering with my technique, because my friend noticed I
was retrieving my baits too quickly. I had more success after
slowing down my soft plastic presentations. When I think I
am reeling or jigging slow enough, I slow it down a bit more.
Soft plastic lures are damaged more from being impaled by

hooks than
by fish. If you
want to prolong the longevity of soft plastic lures, consider
squeezing the rubbery material into a rubber O-ring and
attaching the hook to the O-ring instead of the bait.
There is no faster way to cover a lot of water when fishing
for bass than to cast spinnerbaits including wire arms leading
to soft plastic skirted lures. Versatile, flash lures work well
on Lake Erie, inland lakes, rivers, and farm ponds. One
condition that hampers skirted spinners is the presence of
thick vegetation. When faced with such conditions, switch
out the spinnerbaits for similar skirted lures that include a
V-shaped propeller blade. These propeller blades are known
as buzzbaits. When retrieved quickly along the surface,
buzzbaits cause a commotion that may cause hiding bass
to ambush from the vegetation. These lures also attract
subsurface bass.
Boat owners should put together a small, waterproof box
to stow away for times when forgetfulness could ruin a day
on the water. The box should include sunscreen, a first aid kit,
a multi-tool/pliers set, bottles of drinking water, and a sharp
knife. My box also includes vinyl parkas, which take up little
room and are useful during an unexpected storm. Also, silver
emergency blankets consume little room. My final item is a
pair of low-profile polarized sunglasses.

Fishin' from the Kitchen
Smallmouth Bass Wraps
by Wayne Phillips

On summer days when you do not feel like eating much,
serve these refreshing Smallmouth Bass wraps.
Ingredients for four servings:
*	 12- to 16-ounces boneless, *	 Salt and black pepper to taste
skinless Smallmouth Bass, *	 1 head iceberg lettuce,
separated into individual leaves
cut into strips
*	 6 ounces goat cheese
*	 1 cup corn meal
*	 ½ cup canola or corn oil *	 6 green onions, diced
*	 Hot sauce

Procedure

Coat the bass strips in corn meal. Heat oil over medium
heat. Fry bass strips until golden. Drain and season with
salt and black pepper. Place each bass strip on a lettuce leaf.
Sprinkle on some goat cheese and green onions. Shake on
the hot sauce. Place on a serving platter.

www.fishandboat.com 		

photo-Wayne Phillips

Serve

Serve hot or at room temperature. This is an ideal
finger food to enjoy on the deck or at the lake.

Tips

You want these to be light, refreshing bites, so do
not place too much into each lettuce leaf.
Lettuce wraps are all about replacing carbohydrates
with crunchy lettuce. Goat cheese provides a tang,
but feel free to use your favorite cheese. Blue cheese
brings on even more flavor. The hot sauce gives the
dish a focal point. If doing this for children, substitute
ketchup or ranch dressing for the hot sauce.

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * July/August 2020

61
http://www.fishandboat.com
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2020
