Do Bass Like Shrimp? The Surprising Truth Explained

Shrimp can be an amazing bait for catching bass, but many anglers wonder – do bass actually like shrimp? Or are they just opportunistically eating shrimp when they are abundant? After researching this topic extensively, I have discovered some fascinating truths about bass and shrimp that every angler should know.

Why Would Bass Eat Shrimp?

Bass are predators that are programmed to eat other fish, particularly baitfish like shad and bluegill. So why would they go for shrimp, which is not their natural prey? There are a few key reasons:

• Abundant Food Source – In certain areas and seasons, shrimp become incredibly abundant as they migrate into shallow waters and swarm grass flats. This easy bounty of food is hard for bass to resist.

• High-Calorie Meal – Shrimp provide a lot of protein and fat making them a high-calorie meal perfect for bulking up bass heading into colder months. The nutritional value likely attracts bass.

• Opportunistic Eating – Bass are aggressive predators and even if shrimp aren’t their preferred food, they recognize an easy meal when they see one. Big shrimp swimming by trigger a bass’ predatory instincts.

• Curiosity – Bass will sometimes strike at shrimp out of curiosity since they move so differently than baitfish. The curiosity factor leads them to attack.

So while shrimp may not be bass’ natural food of choice, when the situation presents itself bass will certainly eat shrimp with enthusiasm.

Prime Times and Locations For Bass Eating Shrimp

Bass don’t feed on shrimp equally throughout the year. There are prime seasons, tidal phases, and locations where targeting bass with shrimp really shines:

• Fall Migration – The end of summer into fall is when shrimp begin migrating from saltwater up into brackish river deltas and tidal creeks and rivers. Their fall migration puts a bounty of shrimp within reach of bass.

• Incoming Tide – Bass feed more aggressively when water is moving into their location, bringing food items like shrimp. Fishing shrimp imitations is best on incoming tides.

• Grass Flats – Shrimp swarm shallow grass flats, so water with 3-5 feet of grass is prime for finding shrimp-munching bass. Focus on grassy shorelines and points.

• Creek Mouths – Bass will hold near creek and tributary mouths waiting to ambush shrimp being carried in by tidal flow. Target these intercept points.

So during the fall, on incoming tides, near grass and creek mouths is when you’ll experience the most success using shrimp to catch bass.

Best Techniques For Fishing Shrimp For Bass

Now that you know when and where to use shrimp, let’s look at the most effective techniques:

• Shrimp On A Jighead – A jighead paired with a 4-5 inch soft plastic shrimp imitation is deadly. Bass can’t resist the lifelike action and presentation.

• Under A Popping Cork – Allowing a plastic shrimp to suspend under a popping cork creates irresistible commotion. It’s an excellent technique over shallow grass.

• Carolina Rig – Letting a shrimp lure slowly fall through grass mimics how real shrimp move in the water. The Carolina rigging keeps it weedless.

• Shrimp Creature Baits – Shrimp creature baits like the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Shrimp provide shrimp scent dispersion and work great on a Texas rig.

• Swimbaits – Hard and soft swimbaits that mimic swimming shrimp with paddle tails and antennae do very well worked slowly through grass beds.

Experiment with these presentations until you find what triggers the bass to eat in your area. The action is the key to making bass think it’s the real thing!

Catching Numbers of Bass on Shrimp

While shrimp can catch quality bass as they pack on calories for winter, it’s also very effective at catching numbers of smaller, aggressive fish. Here are some tips:

• Downsize your shrimp imitations to 3-4 inches to match small grass shrimp better.

• Fish faster, covering more water and triggering reaction bites.

• Add rattles or other sound to get their attention.

• Fish areas with lots of shallow vegetation and structure like woody debris.

• Target smaller tidal creeks that hold big populations of shrimp.

Shrimp may start attracting quality bites, but smaller bass can’t resist getting in on the action. Lean into shrimp fishing’s ability to load up the boat with numbers if that’s your goal.

Real Shrimp vs Shrimp Lures

Can you use real shrimp to catch bass? Absolutely. However, there are some distinct advantages to using artificial shrimp lures instead:

• Consistency – Plastic maintains action and durability where real shrimp gets mangled and falls off.

• Efficiency – Easy to work and last longer compared to constantly re-rigging live shrimp.

• Weedless Options – You can rig lures weedless to fish grass whereas real shrimp get fouled.

• Scent Options – Shrimp scent lures activate bass’ sense of smell along with vision.

• Affordability – Pack of 10 lures costs around the same as a dozen live shrimp.

While real shrimp can work very well, lures make shrimp fishing more efficient, affordable and consistent. I much prefer lures for leveraging shrimp’s power to catch bass.

Final Thoughts

Shrimp go from being occasional opportunistic fare to a prime target when they migrate shallow in the fall. Bass gorge on these high-calorie meals to fatten up for winter. By mimicking shrimp with lures and fishing during prime seasonal windows, you can take advantage of shrimp’s ability to catch bass. Not only do bass like shrimp, they love shrimp done right! Tie on a shrimp imitation this fall and see for yourself the great action shrimp fishing can provide.