Just when we have it all figured out, we don’t.

For some time, most anglers thought they knew quite a bit about bass. We’d all been successful at catching fish, and the good days outnumbered the bad. Sure, a new lure came along every now and then to show us what we were missing, but, overall, a bass is a bass.

Or is it?

With the advent of new technology, anglers are catching fish in places and with ways we never thought possible. Maybe we don’t know so much, after all.

This frequently crosses my mind. Come with me as we explore historic bass fishing principles that can now be thrown out the window.

Bass can’t see your line

Of course they can! We all recognize the need to scale down line size in clear water, connect fluoro leaders to braid and avoid any lines with reflective or high-vis qualities. But that wasn’t always the case. In fact, not long ago, fishing line manufacturers bragged that their high-vis lines caught more fish than drab colors, as anglers were better able to detect bites. It was assumed that a bass was too stupid to correlate fishing line to fake food. High-Viz Stren Gold sold like hotcakes. Not anymore.

ChatterBaits are strictly grass lures

Surprised by this revelation? Then you haven’t been paying attention. This was the mindset – even touted by top pros – when the first ChatterBaits came on the scene. “They hang up in wood,” we were told. Who came up with that nonsense?

Plastic trailers don’t work in cold water

In the 1980s, pork-rind trailers were a must for cold-water fishing. They simply generated the most bites, we were told, because plastic trailers were stiff and lacked action. If you weren’t using a jig-and-pig, you were fishing for second place. Today, there are still jigs, but no pigs. I guess plastic works after all.

Bass always move deep in winter

I used to believe this, until I got serious about ice fishing. On Lake St. Clair, where waters remain clear throughout the winter, it was not uncommon to watch bass swim through shallow weedbeds while pursuing yellow perch. At times, the bass were so relentless that they ruined productive fishing areas. Both largemouth and smallmouth were common residents in 4 feet of water, with plenty of deep water nearby. The fish remained active all winter. Still do.

Suspended fish are impossible to catch

I vividly remember Larry Nixon saying, “A suspended bass is the hardest fish in the world to catch.” A few decades ago, anglers never even tried. Today, of course, suspended fish are all the rage, winning tournament after tournament for anglers dialed into the open-water approach. Shows you what we know.

A bass is a bass

No, it’s not. Florida bass are completely different than Michigan bass. I should know. The areas they inhabit, the lures they prefer, speeds of retrieve, color preference, active periods; all are different. Smallmouth are nothing like largemouth in most places. The only thing constant is that you can grab them all by the lip. Nonsense at its finest.

Lizards are nest-raiders

I purposely saved this one for last. Today, it seems comical, but there was time when springtime anglers insisted on throwing plastic lizards, crediting a hatred among bass for salamanders. We were told these amphibians raided bass nests and ate eggs. I can honestly say that I’ve never seen a waterdog or mudpuppy or hellbender anywhere near a bass. Never seen one spit up by a bass, swimming through the shallows or laying on a log. I’ve seen lots of bluegills around bass beds. And I know bullheads are targeted by bass during spawning season for sure – ask any old-timey Florida bass guide. Perhaps big bass thought plastic lizards were bullheads. In any case, I still have a 100 bags of Zoom lizards laying around, should a new set of rules be drawn up.

It’s hard to say what’s next. Will we give up on Colorado blades in muddy water? Does fluoro really catch more fish than mono? And do buzzbaits really catch fish in the snow?

I look forward to continuing my education.

(Joe Balog is the often-outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)