Bass Fishing Glossary Terms

A

A.C. Plug

Big, wooden, jointed topwater bait known for drawing monster strikes from trophy bass.

Acidity

Refers to the pH level in water. Bass don't love super acidic water — can affect their feeding behavior.

Action

Describes how fast a rod bends and returns — fast, medium, or slow — and how "stiff" it feels when casting or setting the hook.

Active Fish

Bass that are feeding and willing to chase. These are the fish we're always hoping to find.

Adipose Fin

Little fleshy fin between the dorsal and tail on fish like trout — bass don't have it.

Air Bladder

Internal organ that helps fish control buoyancy. If it's out of whack, bass can struggle to stay upright.

Algae

Tiny plants that float in water. Too much algae can mess with oxygen levels and bass activity.

Alkalinity

Water's ability to balance acids. Stable alkalinity helps keep bass lakes healthy.

Amur

Also known as grass carp — sometimes stocked to control weeds, but not part of the bass game.

Anal Fin

Bottom fin behind the vent. Helps bass stay upright and balanced.

Angler

A fancy word for someone who fishes. If you've got a rod in hand, you're an angler.

Angling

The act of fishing with a rod, reel, line, and hook. That's what we do every chance we get.

Anti-Reverse

A reel feature that keeps the handle from spinning backward — gives you a solid hookset.

Artificial Lure

Man-made baits like soft plastics, crankbaits, jigs, and topwaters designed to fool bass.

Attractant

Gel or spray that adds scent to your lure. Sometimes gives you that extra edge when bites are slow.

B

Back Cast

The backward part of a cast — more important in fly fishing, not so much in bass fishing.

Backing

Line that goes under your main line on reels like fly or baitcasters. Most bass guys rarely see it.

Backlash

When your baitcaster turns into a bird's nest. We've all been there.

Back-Trolling

Using the motor in reverse to stay on structure or slow your drift. More of a walleye move than bass, but can work in wind.

Backwater

Quiet spots off the main lake or river — perfect hideouts for bass, especially in spring.

Bag Limit

The legal number of bass you can keep in a day. Know your state regs before tossing one in the livewell.

Bail

That metal arm on a spinning reel that flips to let line out or lock it in for reeling.

Bait

What you use to catch fish — could be live (like minnows) or artificial (like plastics or jigs).

Baitcasting

A casting style using a baitcaster reel for more control and power — the go-to for most bass anglers.

Baitfish

Small fish bass love to eat, like shad, bluegill, or minnows. Find the bait, find the bass.

Baitwell

A livewell designed to keep your baitfish kicking all day long.

Bank Fishing

Catching bass from the shore instead of a boat. Where most of us started, and still plenty effective.

Bass

America's favorite gamefish — includes largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass. We're obsessed with all of 'em.

Bass Boat

Flat-decked, low-profile boat built for chasing bass. Fast, sleek, and rigged with everything but a kitchen sink.

Barb

The little backward hook on your hook that helps keep bass from shaking loose.

Barbless Hook

A hook with no barb — easier on fish and required in some catch-and-release zones.

Bay

A protected area of water, often shallow — great for springtime spawning bass.

Bedding

When bass are on the nest during spawn, guarding their eggs. Sight fishing heaven.

Bell Sinker

Rounded sinker used to keep bait on the bottom. Rarely used in bass fishing.

Benthos

Bottom-dwelling critters like insects and larvae that make up part of the food chain.

Bite

That glorious moment when a bass grabs your lure. Sometimes it's a thump, sometimes just pressure.

Bite Indicator

Tools or setups that tell you a fish is on. Think bobbers, line twitch, or even your rod tip jumping.

Bluebird Skies

Bright, cloudless days. Looks nice, but bass often shut down in these conditions.

Bobber

A float that keeps bait suspended and lets you know when something's nibbling. Classic gear, still effective.

Bottom Feeder

Fish that hang out and eat off the lake bottom. Not typically bass, but they'll feed there when conditions are right.

Break

A sudden drop in depth — like going from 6 to 15 feet fast. Bass love hanging on these edges.

Break-Off

When your line snaps — maybe from a big fish, a bad knot, or rubbing against rocks or wood.

Brush Pile

Submerged tree limbs or manmade structure that gives bass a place to hide and ambush prey.

C

Caddis Fly

More important in fly fishing, but bass might munch them in rivers. Buggy critter that hatches on the surface.

California Rig

A heavier version of a Carolina rig. Some anglers use it when fishing deep or in current.

Canepole

Old-school pole with no reel. Just line, hook, and a worm — where a lot of us started out.

Carolina Rig

A rig with a heavy weight above a swivel and a leader to a soft plastic bait. Great for dragging bottom and covering water.

Catch and Release

The practice of putting fish back in the water after you catch them. Keeps bass populations strong.

Catfish

Whiskered bottom feeders — not bass, but you'll hook one now and then while dragging plastics.

Channel

The main river or creek path through a lake. Bass often hang where channels swing near structure.

Chugger

A type of topwater bait that spits water and makes a blooping sound. Think Pop-R or Rebel Chug Bug.

Chum

Chunks of bait tossed in the water to attract fish. More of a saltwater or catfish move than for bass.

Clarity

How clear the water is. Muddy water usually means tight cover. Clear water calls for finesse.

Cold Front

A sudden drop in temp and barometric pressure. Often shuts bass down and forces you to slow way down.

Cover

Anything bass can hide in or around — docks, laydowns, grass, rocks. Bass love cover.

Crankbait

Hard plastic lure with a lip that dives and wobbles like a baitfish. Great for covering water fast.

Crappie

Panfish that school up and bite jigs like crazy. Not bass, but tasty if you're into eating fish.

Crawfish

One of bass's favorite snacks. Imitated with soft plastics, jigs, or crankbaits with craw patterns.

Creel Limit

The number of fish you're legally allowed to keep — varies by species and location.

Culling

Swapping a smaller bass out of your livewell for a bigger one during a tournament.

Curly-Tail Grub

Classic soft plastic with a wavy tail that thumps on the retrieve. Still catches bass after all these years.

D

Dacron

A strong braided line material, old-school but still used as backing on some setups. Not common in bass fishing.

Dam

A barrier that holds back water. The downstream or tailrace area can be a bass hotspot when water's moving.

Deadstick

Letting your bait sit completely still — deadly when bass are pressured or in cold water.

Deep Water

Generally anything over 15 feet in bass lakes. In summer or winter, bass often slide deep to stay comfy.

Depth Finder

Also called a fish finder — uses sonar to show depth, bottom, structure, and sometimes fish.

Dip Bait

Sticky, stinky bait used for catfish — not something you'd toss for bass.

Dock Fishing

Targeting bass around docks — skipping jigs and plastics under walkways and pontoons where big ones hide.

Double Rig

Two lures on one line — can mimic schooling baitfish or double your chances when it's on.

Down Imaging

A type of sonar that gives a photo-like view straight down — helps spot fish in cover under the boat.

Downrigger

A trolling tool used more in deep-water or saltwater fishing. Rarely used for bass unless you're experimenting.

Drag

The tension setting on your reel — controls how much resistance a fish feels when it pulls line.

Drop-Off

Sharp depth change. Bass often sit just off the edge, waiting to ambush.

Drop Shot

A finesse rig with the hook tied above the weight. Keeps your bait floating up — killer for deep or pressured bass.

Drift Fishing

Letting wind or current move the boat as you fish. Can be effective over flats or structure.

Drum

A hard-fighting fish you'll sometimes catch when bass fishing. Not the target, but puts up a brawl.

Dry Fly

A fly that floats on top of the water. Fly guys use these for trout — not much use for bass fishing.

Dual Console

A bass boat with two windshields — one for the driver, one for the co-angler.

Dunking

Dropping a bait straight down into heavy cover — similar to punching or vertical jigging.

E

Egg Sinkers

Oval-shaped weights that slide on the line. Common in Carolina rigs and bottom dragging.

Electrofishing

A research technique that stuns fish with electric current for sampling — not for catching bass.

Emergent Vegetation

Plants like cattails or reeds that grow above the surface — great ambush cover for bass.

Entanglement Gear

Commercial gear that snags fish. Not used in sport fishing or bass tournaments.

Escape Cover

Thick cover where bass retreat to avoid pressure — think matted grass, timber, or undercut banks.

Exotics

Non-native fish species — sometimes invasive and harmful to bass habitats.

Eye

The loop at the end of a hook or rod where you tie your line or thread it through.

F

Feeder Creek

Small creek that flows into a lake — often brings in food, oxygen, and bass during certain seasons.

Fiberglass Rod

Softer, slower-action rod material — great for crankbaits and moving baits where you don't want to rip the hook out.

Finesse Fishing

Light line, small baits, and subtle presentations — when bass are moody, this is the go-to.

Fish Finder

Electronic unit that shows what's below the boat — depth, structure, and sometimes fish arches.

Fish Kill

Mass die-off of fish, often due to pollution or oxygen issues — bad news for any fishery.

Fish Ladder

Structure that helps migrating fish get past dams — not something you'll find in most bass lakes.

Fishing Line

The stuff between your reel and the lure. Comes in mono, fluoro, and braid — each with its place.

Flat

Wide, shallow areas with little depth change. Great spots during the spawn or for roaming bass.

Flipping

Short, precise underhand casts into heavy cover — designed to drop a bait silently right on a bass's nose.

Flipping Stick

Long, heavy rod made for flipping — gives you leverage to yank bass out of thick stuff.

Float

Another word for a bobber. Keeps bait suspended and shows when a fish bites.

Floating Worm

Weightless worm fished just under the surface — twitches and darts, great for springtime bass.

Fluorocarbon Line

Clear, low-stretch line that sinks — great for jigs, Texas rigs, and pressured water.

Flutter Spoon

A wide metal spoon that flutters on the fall — deadly for suspended bass chasing bait.

Forage

The food bass eat — shad, bluegill, crawfish, etc. Matching the forage = more bites.

Foregrip

The part of the rod in front of the reel — some rods have it, others go minimalist.

Frontal System

Weather changes that impact bass. Cold fronts usually make things tough, warm fronts can fire 'em up.

Fry

Tiny baby fish just hatched — future forage and future bass, if they survive.

G

Gaff

A big metal hook used to pull large fish into boats — not used in bass fishing and definitely not tournament legal.

Gamakatsu

A popular brand of high-quality fishing hooks — sharp out of the pack and trusted by a lot of bass anglers.

Gearing

The gear ratio on a reel, like 7.1:1 — tells you how fast the reel picks up line. Higher = faster.

Gill Net

Commercial fishing net — not something used in bass fishing and illegal in most recreational waters.

Gill Rakers

Comb-like structures in a fish's gills that help filter food and protect gill filaments. You'll never see them unless you're cleaning fish.

Grass Bed

Thick underwater vegetation that bass love to hide in — frog and flipping heaven.

Graph

Slang for your fish finder screen — shows depth, bottom, and sometimes those juicy bass arches.

Grub

Soft plastic bait with a curly tail — simple, cheap, and still catches bass on tough days.

Guide

The circular rings on your rod that the line runs through. Also, a person you pay to put you on fish!

Gunnel

The upper edge of a boat's side. Sometimes spelled "gunwale" — where you lean when flipping or netting a fish.

H

Habitat

All the stuff bass need to live — cover, food, structure, water quality. Healthy habitat = more bass.

Hard Bait

Any lure made of hard plastic or wood — crankbaits, jerkbaits, topwaters, etc.

Harness

A wire or rigging setup that holds hooks or blades, often used in spinnerbaits or trolling rigs.

Hatch

When bugs, baitfish, or other forage spawn or emerge — bass love a good hatch, especially shad.

Haul Back

Old-school term for reeling in commercial nets. Not part of the bass fishing world.

Head Shake

When a hooked bass thrashes its head trying to throw the bait. Hang on tight and keep pressure.

Heavier Line

Line with higher pound test — more abrasion resistance and power for pulling bass out of thick stuff.

Hook Keeper

That little loop near the reel seat on your rod — holds your hook when you're not fishing.

Hook Set

Driving the hook into the fish's mouth with a quick pull. Some say it's the best part of bass fishing.

Horizontal Presentation

Retrieving your bait sideways through the water — crankbaits, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, etc.

Hydrilla

A type of aquatic grass that grows thick and deep — bass love it, but it can take over if unmanaged.

I

Ice-Out

When a lake thaws after winter. Marks the start of early spring patterns in northern bass lakes.

Impact Spot

The point where your lure lands — especially important when skipping docks or fishing tight cover.

Impoundment

A manmade lake formed by damming a river — many of the best bass lakes are impoundments.

Inlet

Where a creek or stream feeds into a lake — often brings food, oxygen, and active bass.

Inside Bend

The shallower curve of a river or channel. Bass sometimes use it as a travel route or staging area.

Instinctive Bite

A reaction strike where bass lash out without thinking — triggered by speed, flash, or sound.

Intermittent Stream

A stream that flows only part of the year. During rain or spring thaw, it can bring in bait and bass.

Isolated Cover

Single piece of structure away from everything else — bass magnet, especially for bigger fish.

J

Jackplate

A bracket that lets you adjust your outboard motor height — helps improve speed and handling in shallow water.

Jerkbait

A hard bait that darts and pauses when twitched — deadly in cold water when bass are sluggish.

Jig

Weighted hook with a skirt or soft plastic trailer — one of the best all-around lures for bass fishing.

Jighead

The weighted head used for rigging soft plastics — ball head, football head, and more depending on the situation.

Jigging

Lifting and dropping your bait vertically — great for structure, ledges, and schooling bass.

K

Kicker Fish

Your biggest bass of the day in a tournament — the one that boosts your total weight big-time.

Keeper

A bass that meets the minimum size limit to be weighed or kept. Anything smaller = a dink.

Knot

The connection between your line and hook or lure — strong knots = fewer heartbreaks.

L

Laydown

A tree or branch that's fallen into the water — textbook bass cover, especially in spring and summer.

Leader Line

A section of line tied between your main line and bait — usually fluorocarbon for stealth.

Livewell

A built-in tank in your boat to keep your bass alive until weigh-in. Oxygen and cool temps help.

Line Conditioner

Spray that softens and smooths your fishing line — helps casting and reduces memory.

Line Twist

When your line coils up and spins — common with spinning reels and certain lures.

Lipless Crankbait

A flat, vibrating crankbait with no bill — great for ripping through grass or covering water fast.

LMB

Short for largemouth bass — the heavyweight champs of bass fishing.

Lunker

A big bass — every angler has their own definition, but 5+ lbs is a good start.

M

Main Lake Point

A point that juts into the main lake — often a key spot for bass to ambush bait.

Match the Hatch

Using a lure that looks like what bass are eating — craws, shad, bluegill, etc.

Matt

Slang for thick surface vegetation — where you break out the heavy gear and start punching.

Medium Heavy

A common rod power — strong enough for jigs and worms, still sensitive enough for feel.

Mono (Monofilament)

Stretchy, floating line — budget-friendly and still useful for certain bass techniques.

Moon Phase

Can affect feeding behavior and spawning — full moon nights often mean better action.

N

Natural Colors

Lure colors that mimic real prey — greens, browns, shad patterns. Great for clear water.

Navigation Light

Required for early morning or night fishing — helps you stay legal and safe on the water.

Ned Rig

A finesse setup with a stubby plastic on a light mushroom jig head — killer when the bite's tough.

Neko Rig

A wacky rigged worm with a nail weight — gives a unique fall that bass can't resist.

No-Wake Zone

Area where you've got to idle or troll — respect it, especially near docks and ramps.

O

O-Ring

Used to wacky-rig soft plastics without tearing them up. Helps your worm last longer.

Offshore

Fishing away from the bank — structure, humps, ledges, and deep-water bass spots.

Overcast

Cloudy skies — can get bass roaming and feeding more aggressively, especially shallow.

Overrun

Another term for backlash — when your spool keeps spinning and your line explodes.

P

Pattern

A repeatable scenario where you find and catch bass — like "shaky heads on rocky points."

Peacock Bass

Colorful species found in South America and Florida — fun to catch, but not the usual bass we chase.

Pier

Manmade structure extending into the water — like docks, often holds bass.

Pitching

A short underhand cast — similar to flipping, but with more line and more reach.

Plastic Worm

A soft bait that's a bass staple. Texas rig it, wacky rig it, Neko it — they all eat worms.

Plug

Old-school term for hard baits — includes crankbaits, poppers, and other treble-hooked lures.

Q

Quick Clip

A small snap that lets you change lures fast. Handy, but not great for finesse setups.

R

Reaction Strike

When a bass hits out of instinct, not hunger — triggered by speed, sound, or flash.

Reel Seat

The part of the rod that holds your reel in place — comfort and fit matter.

Riprap

Chunky rock banks used to stop erosion — bass love hanging on these year-round.

Rod Blank

The raw rod without guides or grips — the core of your rod's feel and strength.

Run and Gun

Covering water fast and fishing aggressively — especially in tournaments when time's tight.

S

Sack

Slang for your total weight of bass — "put together a 20 lb sack today."

Scent

Gel or spray added to lures to mask human scent or mimic prey — sometimes gives an edge.

Schooling Bass

Groups of bass chasing bait — usually fast-paced and fun when you find them.

Shad

Main forage fish in many lakes — bass gorge on them, and we match 'em with cranks, swimbaits, and flukes.

Shaky Head

A finesse worm rig with a jig head that makes the bait stand up and wiggle on bottom.

Side Imaging

Sonar that shows structure off the sides of the boat — great for scanning big areas fast.

Skipping

Casting a bait under docks or overhangs so it skips like a rock — great for tight spots.

Slab

Can refer to a thick crappie or big chunk bass. Either way, it's a good fish.

Smallmouth Bass

Bronzebacks — smaller mouths, big attitude. Love current, rocks, and cool water.

Soft Plastics

Rubber baits like worms, creatures, tubes — endless rigging options, endless bites.

Spinnerbait

A wire-framed bait with blades and skirt — flashes and thumps to trigger big strikes.

Structure

Bottom contour like ledges, points, and humps — not the same as cover, but just as important.

T

Tag End

The loose part of the line left after tying a knot — trim it clean to avoid hang-ups.

Texas Rig

Weedless rig with a bullet weight and hook — probably the most used soft plastic setup ever.

Thermocline

Where warm surface water meets colder deep water. Bass often hang just above it in summer.

Topwater

Baits that stay on the surface — poppers, walkers, frogs. Explosive strikes, big fun.

Tournament

Competitive bass fishing — biggest five fish win (most of the time). Strategy, skill, and pressure all in play.

U

Undercut Bank

Where water has eaten away at the shoreline underneath — prime hiding spot for bass.

Upsizing

Switching to a bigger bait or hook to target bigger bass or stand out in dirty water.

V

Vegetation

Aquatic plants like hydrilla, milfoil, or lily pads — where bass ambush and chill.

Vertical Jigging

Dropping your lure straight down and working it in place — solid for deep or cold-water bass.

W

Wake Bait

Topwater-style hard bait that creates a subtle V-wake — great for calm mornings or pressured fish.

Wacky Rig

Hooked right through the middle of a worm — it flutters on both ends, and bass love it.

Weedguard

Stiff bristles on a jig or hook to prevent snags — helps in grass or brush.

Weigh-In

The final moment of a bass tournament — show your best five and hope they tip the scale.

X

X-Rap

A type of jerkbait from Rapala — suspends well and has a great darting action.

Y

Yamamoto

Brand known for soft plastics, especially the Senko — one of the most copied worms ever.

Yo-Yo Retrieve

Letting a bait fall, then lifting it back up repeatedly — works great with lipless cranks or blade baits.

Z

Zoom

Popular soft plastic brand with classics like the Brush Hog and Trick Worm. Go-to for tons of anglers.