Glossary of Terms

Water Types

Lowland Reservoir

Manmade (dammed) lake with flat-bottomed coves and defined creek channels. Examples: Rayburn, Seminole.

Upland Reservoir

Manmade (dammed) lake with steep, rocky banks in mountainous terrain. Cove bottoms are V-shaped. Examples: Table Rock, Mead.

Riverine Reservoir

Manmade (dammed) reservoir that maintains many of its river characteristics (shape, how it fishes, etc.). Examples: Logan Martin, Kentucky, Pickwick.

Natural Lakes

These are naturally occurring lakes that formed without the use of dams. These types of lakes are much more common in the northern U.S. and Canada, whereas lakes in the southern and western U.S. are often manmade (dammed). A southern example of a natural lake is Okeechobee. Northern examples are Champlain and Oneida.

Tidal Waters

These remain tidal and are affected by tidal flow. Examples include the Potomac and Mississippi rivers, as well as big estuary areas like the Mobile, Louisiana and California deltas.

Factors

If you are entering a pattern and feel that the existing categories don't exactly fit, do the best you can. For example, pockets off a Riverine Reservoir might be best represented with River and Main Lake Pockets for Macro Factors. Another Macro Factor example: If fishing islands in a river or a creek mouth on a river, Macro Factors might be River and Main Lake Offshore Structure – a river is not a lake, but you get the picture. Creek pockets may be Back of Creeks or Shoreline, etc.

That said, be as minimalistic as you can. If you check off too many things because you can't make up your mind, the data will be less valuable.

Put the details of the Macro, Habitat and Lure factors in the Details section of your pattern entry.

Macro Factors

Macro Factor

This is the part of a water body where the fish were caught, such as points, coves, backwaters, main lake structure, etc. A pattern can have one or more than one Macro Factor.

Current Macro Factors:

Back of Coves

Backs of Creeks

Backwater Off River

Canal

Creek Channel Structure [can also be small creeks]

Large Bays

Main Lake Offshore Structure

Main Lake Pockets

Main Lake Points

River

Secondary Points

Shoreline

Tailrace

Back of Coves

Self-explanatory. Can refer to the back of main lake, river or creek coves.

Backs of Creeks

Self-explanatory.

Backwater Off River

Self-explanatory.

Canal

Self-explanatory. Locks are put into this category.

Creek Channel Structure

Means any structure (usually) or cover in a creek.

Large Bays

Self-explanatory, usually part of a larger system like a chain of lakes or, for example, a bay off a major river or a Great Lake.

Main Lake Offshore Structure

This is obvious structure things like humps, rockpiles, ditches, etc., but can also include main lake grassbeds offshore, shelbeds, etc. This also includes island points.

Main Lake Pockets

Self-explanatory. Up to you whether you think Main Lake Pockets or Back of Coves is more applicable to your pattern. Maybe both are.

Main Lake Point

Any point on a main water body (lake or major river), meaning not in rivers, creeks or othyer tributaries. Note that island points we define as "Main Lake Offshore Structure" because they are "offshore."

Secondary Points

Points in creeks and other tributaries of a river or lake.

Shoreline

The shoreline of any part of a water body, used as a Macro Factor when it is the or a major part of the pattern. Shoreline is used for bluff banks.

Tailrace

The current/wash below a dam.

Habitat Factors

Habitat Factor

This is the type of cover or structure where fish were caught: bushes, rocks, docks etc. A pattern can have one or more than one Habitat Factor. Remember to note any important details of the habitat in the Details section of a pattern entry, and note these factors even if they are not directly related to your pattern: for example, if you were fishing a spawning bed behind a seawall you would check off Spawning Beds and Seawall.

Current Habitat Factors:

Docks/Manmade Structure

Emergent Veg

Gravel/Clay

Ledge/Drop

Riprap

Rock

Seawall

Spawning Beds

Submergent Veg

Undercut Bank

Wood

Docks/Manmade Structure

Docks are any docks: piling docks, floating docks, shllow, deep, etc. Noe that this category can refer to the latter (like boat ramps, bridges, pilings, sunken barges, wing dams, jetties, etc.) more than the former. Note the details of the Docks or Manmade Structure in the Details section of your pattern entry.

Emergent Veg = Emerg Veg = Emergent Vegetation

Plants that break the surface of the water, like pads, cattails, tules and flooded terrestrial grass. Vegetation mats just under the surface are classified as Submergent. Mats that break the surface are Emergent.

Gravel/Clay

Usually refers to bottom content, also used for shell beds and sand. A sandbar will be a combination of Gravel/Clay and Ledge/Drop.

Ledge/Drop

Self-explanatory. Can be a bar, including a sandbar. If there is something on the ledge, check it also (e.g., Wood, Rock, shell bed, etc.).

Riprap

Self-explanatory.

Rock

Any rock other than riprap, which is broken out separately.

Seawall

Man-made shoreline wall, typically made to stop shoreline erosion.

Spawning Beds

These can refer to any spwaning beds, including bluegill beds. Note which species is involved in the Details section of a pattern entry.

Submergent Veg = Sub Veg = Submergent Vegetation

Underwater (submerged) plants such as hydrilla or milfoil. Vegetation mats just under the surface are classified as Submergent. Mats that break the surface are Emergent. Moss and scum should be classified as Emergent Veg.

Undercut Bank

A bank where water runs underneath the visibale shoreline.

Wood

Any and all wood: stumps, logs, laydowns, brush, bushes, manmade brushpiles, etc. Note the details (which wood, how deep, etc.) in the Details section of your pattern entry.

Lures/Baits

Lures obviously refers to the lure or lures/rigs that worked (not just were used) in a productive pattern, whether a tournament or non-tournament pattern.

Every lure ever made is not listed: These are best looked at as lure types. Some are cut-and-dried (e.g., Buzzbait, Jerkbait, Swimbait), others not as much: For example, a Senko could be a Worm if fished in the conventional deadstick fashion, or a Fluke if fished more aggressively.

Occasionally, rarely-used lures will be jammed into certain categories – like Roadrunner-type baits into the Spoon category. In these and all other cases, lure (and other) details – type, color, weight, brand, etc. – will be/should be enterered in the Details section.

Current bass lures:

Buzzbait

Chatterbait

Crankbait

Dropshot

Fluke

Jerkbait

Jig-n-Pig

Jig-Finesse

Jig-Football

Jig-Swim

Lizard/Creature

Topwater

Spinnerbait

Spoon

Swimbait

Tube/Grub/Craw

Worm

Buzzbait

Self-explanatory.

Chatterbait

Refers to all Chatterbait-style baits, meaning the original Chatterbait and all knock-offs.

Crankbait

All crankbaits, including lipless baits (e.g., Rat-L-Trap). Note the Details of any bait in the Details section of a pattern entry.

Creature is not broken out separately. Generally a large creature bait should be in the Lizard/Creature category, and a small creature-type bait should be Tube/Grub/Craw category.

Dropshot

When Dropshot is selected, use of a soft-plastic bait is assumed so it does not have to be noted separately. In other words, choosing "Dropshot" and "Worm" for a pattern means that an angler used a Dropshot as one technique and a Worm (Texas rig, etc.) as another.

Fluke

All soft jerkbaits. Sometimes "Fluke" can mean a technique too, like jerking a stick worm). Fluke can mean a floating worm but so can Worm: classify it acfording to how it's fished for that particular pattern. Sometimes Fluke can refer to the bait used with a non-conventional Fluke rig, like on the end of a Carolina rig. Put the rig Details in the Details section. Note that since Senkos are typically fished non-aggressively, BassGold Staffers typically classify them as Worm and recommend you do the same.

Jerkbait

Hard jerkbaits only, like a Pointer or Rogue.

Jig-n-Pig

A jig tipped with anything short and relatively stout, like a chunk or craw. The "pig" part does not have to mean a pork craw, which is rarely used anymore. If a jig is tipped with a worm or anything long, then it should be classified as a Worm. A tube, twintail or any other kind of grub, and a soft-plastic craw or smaller creature-type bait on a jighead, usually would be in the Tube/Grub/Craw category. Note the details of any rig in the Details category of a pattern entry.

Jig-Finesse

Any smaller-than-normal jig rig that's not a Tube/Grub/Craw, often a spider jig.

Jig-Football

Any jig using a football-shaped head (e.g., a Mop Jig).

Jig-Swim

Self-explanatory.

Lizard/Creature

A lizard or lizard-looking/creature baits like the Gambler Bacon Rind, etc. In general, big creature baits should be in this category, while small creature baits should be in the Tube/Grub/Craw category. Note any rig details (e.g., Carolina or Texas rig) in the Details section.

Topwater

Any topwater: Spook, Pop-R, Frog, etc.

Spinnerbait

Self-explanatory.

Spoon

Any spoon, from weedless spoons fished shallow to jigging spoons fished deep. The lake and conditions should give a big hint for which it is, but use the Details section to include clarifying details. Other jigged baits like tailspinners and Roadrunners should be categorized as Spoon with, again, details put in the Details section.

Swimbait

Self-explanatory.

Tube/Grub/Craw

Any smaller soft-plastic, including twin-tails, smaller creature-type "appendage" baits, etc., even if fished on a jighead. Note which bait(s) it I and any rig details in the Details section.

Worm

Any straight worm-type bait, regardless of tail style, length or depth fished. These include straight-type soft-plastics of any size, from 4" French fries to 10" standard worms. Note bait and rig (e.g., Texas, Carolina, etc.) details in the Details section. Aggressively-fished (jerked) worms like floating worms or trick worms should be Fluke, not Worm. So Senkos should more often than not be classified as Worm.