Curiosity

A minor reason bass strike is out of curiosity. This amounts to only about 2 percent of the time, but it's still worth considering. Occasionally you see fish cruising around in clear water.

One of the best ways to catch them is by twitching a small surface plug. I take a small topwater bait and sneak up on them where the fish can't see me. I don't cast right on top of the fish because that might scare them. I throw within 8 to 10 feet of them so I know they'll see the lure floating there. When the bait splats down, instantly you'll see the fins raise on the fish, and next you see him turn and look at the plug. Most of the time the fish is not going to do anything.

When he starts to turn away, I barely twitch that lure, and the little bit of movement gets him interested again. Invariably he moves in just a little bit closer. He'll look at it and maybe half-circle it. 
The plug lies there for ten to fifteen seconds, and again the fish turns to move away slightly. Then I twitch it again, and the bass circles right up beneath it. Again the plug is still, and he's up there pretty close, just inches away. And then again at the last minute he starts to sink or turn. I twitch it once more, and he'll suck it in.

Many of these kinds of strikes are merely gentle sucking strikes with no more ripple than a popping bug makes when it's taken by a bluegill. A plastic worm fished on the bottom can produce the same type of strike; it's the same concept.

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