Tips for lure fishing for sea bass and advice on choosing a good sea bass fishing rod

Where do sea bass live?

This species of fish typically inhabits areas with plenty of hiding places, such as rocky shores, areas with plenty of vegetation, and seaweed… These areas allow them to hide easily whilst lying in wait and launch surprise attacks on their prey.

Bream can be found at river mouths, estuaries, canals, rivers, streams or lakes.

Hunting behaviour

The seabass is a predatory fish with a voracious appetite. A characteristic of this species is its preference for live bait. The more actively the bait moves, the more it stimulates the seabass. Moreover, it is capable of devouring prey as large as itself.

For this reason, when lure fishing for barracuda, anglers should use live bait or artificial lures (those with high movement).

Bait for grouper

1. Naturally available bait

When lure fishing for sea bass, you can choose natural bait such as fish, prawns, earthworms or frog imitations, etc., provided that the bait is still alive. Sea bass are particularly fond of mackerel – an extremely effective bait for sea bass.

2. Artificial bait for barramundi

If you’d rather not hunt for natural bait, you can use artificial bait for barramundi; this lasts longer and is more convenient.

When fishing for sea bass in murky waters with high silt content, you should choose artificial lures in striking colours such as green, red or yellow, as these make it easier for the fish to spot the bait. The reason for using artificial bait with eye-catching colours in such conditions is that murky water impairs the fish’s vision; if the colour isn’t striking, the fish won’t be able to see the bait.

Conversely, when fishing for sea bass in clear water, it is best to choose artificial lures that closely resemble natural fish. In clear water, barracuda can observe their prey more quickly and keenly. If the lure is brightly coloured or looks artificial, it will be very easy for these fish to spot it.

Choose the shape of your artificial bait based on the fish’s preferred food. For example:

• During the spawning season, sea bass favour small fish as prey, so at this time you should use artificial lures shaped like small fish that look as realistic as possible.
• During the growth season, sea bass are particularly fond of eating prawns. At this time, it is best to choose artificial lures shaped like prawns.

When fishing for sea bass in the evening, you should choose artificial lures in black or dark green. Sea bass will recognise the lure by the shadow it casts on the water’s surface.

In addition, you should choose artificial lures for sea bass that have a high level of action.

How to rig bait for sea bass

Whether you’re fishing for barracuda with live bait or artificial lures, you must rig the bait skilfully so that it completely covers the hook and is secured as firmly as possible.

When lure fishing for sea bass, do not simply let the lure drift; instead, cast it as far and as hard as possible. This creates a commotion to alert the fish that new prey is appearing.

Sea bass fishing rods

How to choose a sea bass rod?

When choosing a sea bass rod, you need to consider many factors such as length, stiffness and weight…

1. What is a suitable length for a sea bass rod?

Generally, when lure fishing for snakehead in wide rivers or casting far from the bank, anglers usually opt for a rod around 3 metres long. At this length, anglers can manoeuvre more easily and avoid casting a shadow on the water that might alert the fish.

When lure fishing for barramundi in small ponds or lakes with plenty of aquatic plants and obstacles, a rod measuring between 1.6m and 2m is more suitable. In areas with many obstacles, if the rod is too long, it will be difficult to manage if something gets caught on the hook.

2. What level of stiffness should you choose for a sea bass fishing rod?

Regarding stiffness, when starting out with lure fishing for sea bass, you should use a rod with a ‘Medium’ stiffness rating. Once you have become proficient, you should increase the stiffness of your sea bass rod to ‘MH’ or ‘H’.

The reason for increasing the stiffness is that, once you’ve mastered the technique, anglers always want to test their skills against large barracuda. These fish are particularly feisty and possess an extremely powerful pull. If the rod isn’t stiff enough, its tip could snap at any moment under the tremendous pulling power of these fish.

c. What is the appropriate weight for a sea bass rod?

When choosing a sea bass rod, those weighing under 300g are the most suitable. With this weight, you can hold the rod for several hours without your hands tiring.

In addition, you should prioritise sea bass rods with a handle designed to absorb the force. This handle will help minimise the impact of the fish’s pulling force on the angler’s hand.

Top 10 sea bass fishing rods you should use

And now, we’ll introduce the 10 sea bass fishing rods most trusted by Vietnamese anglers today:

Daiwa Bass X Lure Rod

Daiwa AirX Lure Rod 

Techniques for lure fishing for sea bass

To successfully lure-fish for bass, you need to master the following techniques:

• The correct way to hold a bass lure rod is with a low grip. Always keep the rod and line at a 90-degree angle. Please practise holding the rod skilfully and accurately before you go fishing, everyone.
• When lure fishing for sea bass, if you feel a bite, you must continuously jig the rod whilst simultaneously reeling in the line. This action gives the fish the impression that the lure is reacting, strongly stimulating it and making it even more eager to seize the bait.
• If you feel the sea bass has taken the bait, under no circumstances should you give a sharp tug. Doing so will startle the fish, causing it to thrash about even more violently. With large fish, the force of their thrashing can be so strong that it may snap the rod or break the line.
• When casting the artificial bait for barramundi into the water, if you see the bait drifting to the left, you must guide the line to the right, and vice versa.
• When lure fishing for sea bass, choose your fishing days carefully. According to the experience passed down by seasoned anglers, you should fish for sea bass using lures from the 7th to the 13th or the 21st to the 28th of the lunar calendar each month. Do not fish for barramundi on the full moon day or the 30th day of the lunar calendar. These are times of high tide, when a large volume of seawater floods in, resulting in very few fish. For anglers in the South, lure fishing for barramundi is best during the summer.

Lure fishing for sea bass is not merely a pastime; it is an endless passion. Professional lure anglers always maintain that once the fishing bug has bitten, it is hard to shake off.

Shop at Tuấn Kiệt’s store on Shopee: