`POACHING YOUR BUDDY' IS A LEGAL PLAY OUT HERE.

Byline: Brett Pauly

As with many species of ocean game fish, where there is one calico bass at line's end, there are bound to be more chasing it when the conditions are right. Knowing how to target these ``followers'' will put more fish in the boat.

``It's all competition,'' said San Diego bass-angling expert Barry Brightenburg. ``Once you get one fish to respond to the bait, that stimulates the other fish to charge (the same bait) because if they don't they are going to miss that opportunity.''

Even when bass are more docile in the cooler waters of early spring, a slight increase in water temperature can prompt them to pursue another bass in an attempt to steal a nabbed prey (in this case, a plastic swimbait lure) from its maw.

Pay attention when an angler is reeling in the quarry; if there are other bass finning behind it or the tail of the lure has been bitten off, that's a sign of followers.

Brightenburg suggests how to respond: If your line is ready to cast, throw the lure alongside the hooked fish. He calls the maneuver ``poaching your buddy,'' though it's a legal play. If your lure is still in the water, remember to reel it in quickly after the next strike on another angler's line and be prepared to throw out. Better yet, get in the practice of having a second rod set up with a swimbait at the ready to toss to the followers.

Poaching your buddy can often leave him green with envy; larger bass tend to be more timid and cautious, swimming behind the pack and waiting to pick off prey that their smaller, more aggressive brethren miss, wound or can't choke down. ``The big bulls let the little calicos do all the work,'' Brightenburg said.

Other tips: Use a larger swimbait for followers; the bigger the bait, the bigger the bass. Consider tying two lures on the same line to catch a bass and a follower on a single cast. If you miss setting the hook on a strike, don't reel in; take the reel out of gear and drop the line back down to entice one of the chasers.