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Shallow Bass Fishing in Cold Water

Posted by Walker Smith on Wed, Mar 13, 2013 @ 07:40 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Hank Cherry Fights Bass

Hank Cherry goes against the grain by targeting shallow bass in cold water

Photos and Article by Walker Smith

When many of us think of bass fishing in cold water, we envision uncomfortable temperatures, finesse gear and deep water. While deep fishing techniques can certainly yield nice catches in the colder months, you won’t find Elite Series pro Hank Cherry doing it. In fact, cold water often means the exact opposite for him—shallow water fishing.

We had the opportunity to chronicle his impressive showing at the 2013 Classic on Grand Lake and his approach to the brutal conditions caught our eye. While a large number of competitors were congregated on deep water points and brush piles, he had the shallow water all to himself.

The biggest misconception

A Lake Norman native, Cherry has spent years perfecting his cold water fishing skills. Although many anglers expect cold water bass to suspend in deep water, his experience tells a different story.

“Like Grand Lake, Lake Norman is a deep lake,” Cherry said. “People tend to get confused and think that bass always suspend in depths of 30 to 40 feet in cold water—that’s not the case. The colder the water gets, the shallower the bass suspend.”

Throughout this year’s Classic, his theory held true. After experimenting with several different deep water areas in practice, he began focusing his efforts toward shallow water. The results were immediate.

“If I was marking bass on my Lowrance in 18 to 20 feet, I wouldn’t spend much time in that area,” Cherry said. “I knew they weren’t ready. It’s all about time management and being in the right place at the right time. When I returned to those areas later in the day without marking fish in deep water, I’d fire some casts shallow and really catch them.”

Although the late winter shallow bite gets better as the day progresses and the sun gets higher, don’t be afraid to hit some shallow areas first thing in the morning. The first hour of daylight can get these fish in some abnormally shallow water.

“In rocky lakes, bass will migrate from nearby deep water throughout the night to feed on shallow rocks,” Cherry said. “Even though the sun isn’t high yet, you can catch the tail-end of a major feeding period if you get to your shallow areas at the very beginning of the day. They’ll back off into deeper water soon after daylight, but you can bust ‘em again once the sun starts beaming.”

Clues to look for


Sun positioning and feeding periods are important to successful shallow fishing in cold water, but there is a particular biological phenomenon that makes it consistent. If you’re not paying close attention, you’ll probably miss it.

“When cold water causes a massive shad kill, I really believe that the majority of shad go toward shallow water to die off,” Cherry said. “It’s extremely important to keep an eye out for occasional flickering or other types of surface disturbance. Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean big bass won’t move shallow to take advantage of an easy meal.”

To detect a possible shad kill, Cherry makes sure to keep his head on a swivel at all times. As he’s working his bait, you’ll see him constantly scan the water’s surface, searching for any irregularities. Bass are very opportunistic predators, so if you find an area with dead or dying shad, big bass are never far behind.

Water temperature and bait selection

As anglers, we all have a tendency to make things more complicated than they should be—that’s what keeps us coming back for more. Throughout the late winter, however, Cherry makes a concerted effort to keep his bait selection and methodology as simple as possible.

“I have very simple guidelines throughout the late winter,” Cherry said. “When the water is in the 46- to 49-degree range, I keep a jerkbait in my hand religiously. When the water temperature gets in the 50-degree range, I tend to gradually stray from the jerkbait in favor of a jig. I’ve tried almost everything and this combination consistently produces.”

When conditions call for a jerkbait, Cherry opts for a Megabass Ito Vision 110+1. He’s not too particular on colors, but prefers a blue-colored back in cold water. To make the most of the bait’s enticing action, he recommends a 7-foot medium-heavy Denali Rosewood with 12-pound Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon line.

“I use fluorocarbon on everything except my topwater baits,” Cherry said. “I’m a big believer in jerkbait fishing with it during the late winter because all too often the bass just nip at the jerkbait. The low stretch and sensitivity of fluorocarbon lets me detect bites as soon as possible, translating into more fish catches this time of year.”

If the fish aren’t actively chasing a jerkbait, Cherry relies heavily on a 9/16-ounce E.R. Lures Jig on a beefed-up 7-foot, 3-inch extra-heavy Denali Noirwood with 20-pound Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon.

“Like jerkbait fishing, fluorocarbon line is very important to shallow jig fishing in cold water,” Cherry said. “Cold water tends to make bass a bit line shy, so you need a strong, low-visibility line that can withstand big hooksets.”

Areas to target


Cold water bass can quickly become wise to heavy fishing pressure, so Cherry tries to find areas that are off the beaten path.

“I don’t particularly like fishing obvious things that everyone can see or notice,” Cherry said. “I have a ton of success targeting sandy bends and gradual sandy points. I like to focus on areas with a softer drop to them that allows bass to easily move from deep to shallow water. Again, I can’t stress it enough—the presence of shad is everything in the late winter.”

If he’s got a jig in his hand, it might as well be springtime—Cherry specifically targets ultra-shallow floating docks.  

“The black underbellies of floating docks hold heat in cold water,” Cherry said. “The water underneath them is often a full degree warmer than the surrounding water. It may not seem like that big of a deal but it makes an enormous difference. I’ll flip a 9/16-ounce jig around these docks as shallow as I can possibly get it. It’s a great way to catch some giants.”

As we grit our teeth and push through the last bit of this year’s winter, don’t be intimidated by the cold water temperatures. Resist the urge to fish deep water and give shallow fishing a shot. If you know what to look for, what techniques to use according to water temperature and the proper areas to target, you’ll wish you had tried it sooner.































































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Five for 5 | Davy Hite's Favorite Prespawn Bass Lures

Posted by Walker Smith on Wed, Jan 30, 2013 @ 08:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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DavyHiteMopJig
By Walker Smith

Prespawn bass fishing is something that every bass angler looks forward to. After battling cold temperatures and slow fishing throughout the winter, anglers nationwide are chomping at the bit to get back on the water. Believe it or not, great bass fishing isn’t very far away. As you ride out the last bit of winter weather this year, now is a great time to start gearing up for big, prespawn bass.

Phoenix Boats pro and former Bassmaster Classic champion Davy Hite looks forward to prespawn fishing every year. When he hits the water, you can be sure he’ll have these five prespawn baits rigged up.

Jig to catch the big females

The Buckeye Mop Jig will catch monster bass all year long, but Hite most often turns to it during the prespawn. When the bass begin their migration toward staging areas, such as primary and secondary points, he targets several different types of cover and structure with it.

“I’ve won more money with the Mop Jig than any other bait,” Hite said. “During the prespawn, I like to use it anywhere around deep water. I’ll hop it around chunk rocks and pea gravel, drag it around wood structure and grass lines and even cast it on points to intercept transitioning bass.”

For his trailer, Hite primarily uses a Trigger X Aggression Flappin Craw. While at rest, the bait’s pinchers rise to emulate a threatened crawfish and kick when retrieved, making it hard for a big bass to resist.

Spinnerbait to cover water

When the water temperature is below 70-degrees, Hite uses a Terminator Spinnerbait as a search bait for prespawn bass. Not only does it allow him to efficiently cover water, but it also catches a lot of big bass.

“Whether I’m fishing rock, grass or laydowns, this spinnerbait is a big player in my prespawn arsenal,” Hite said. “Terminator designed the head to rip free of grass and roll over cover without breaking or getting snagged.”

Hard jerkbait to fool cruisers

Throughout the prespawn, bass don’t always position tightly to cover, or to anything at all for that matter. As they suspend and roam the shallows in search of suitable bedding areas, Hite gets on their level with a Rapala Husky Jerk.

“There’s something about a Husky Jerk that bass can’t stand,” Hite said. “I retrieve it with a ‘jerk, jerk, pause’ retrieve and when it gets close to a cruising bass, I let it sit right in front of its face. More times than not, these wary prespawners will crush it.”

Soft jerkbait for cooler water

In colder prespawn conditions, Hite uses a Trigger X Drop Dead Minnow to target the same cruising bass he would normally fool with a jerkbait.  This slow-falling soft jerkbait perfectly imitates a dying shad, which are often prevalent in the very beginning of spring.

“I fish this bait very slow in the prespawn,” Hite said. “It has a very unique, quivering fall to it and it shakes side-to-side as it falls in a big circle. If you give it a few soft twitches and let it settle, you’ll notice that it’s not your average soft jerkbait.”

While many anglers watch the bait to detect strikes, Hite keeps a close eye on his line when looking for bites. If he notices even the slightest movement or twitch, he immediately sets the hook.

Crankbait for rocky areas

Rocky areas have long been known to be extremely productive areas throughout the prespawn, and to effectively fish these rocks, Hite relies heavily on a Rapala DT10. Similar to the spinnerbait, he is able to both cover water and fool monster bass with this crankbait.

“Rip rap, rocky points and shallow gravel bars are all prime areas for the DT10,” Hite said. “Adjacent deep water is very important to this technique. Channel swings near shallow flats give prespawners easy access to both deep and shallow water, and this crankbait will catch them.”

Before you know it, spring will arrive and it’s always best to be prepared so you can make the most out of the good fishing. As the bass start moving shallow, these five baits will help you catch more fish.












































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8 Lures You Need in Your Winter Bass Fishing Box

Posted by Jason Sealock on Wed, Dec 12, 2012 @ 07:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Wintertime bass fishing




My most productive non-ice fishing lures for winter time bass fishing

By Jason Sealock

You're scraping ice off the windshield, as the truck sputters and grumpily tries to warm its interior. Breathing in exhaust fumes as cold chills pulse down your spine as you hook the trailer to the hitch. The nose begins what will be a full day trickle as your ears already burn from the frost trying to adhear to your lobes. The allure of big lumbering sluggish bass in icy cold water fills your brain as you scramble to the cab of the truck. It's winter time, and surprisingly some bass anglers hate it.

To an extent, all anglers probably fall victim to "rut fishing" at some point throughout the year, and winter can be the worst time to be in a rut about how you approach your fishing. A few simple facts will hopefully give you better perspective and hopefully some tips on tackle will make your quest to catch bass a little easier this winter.

First, bass don't need to feed every day. There metabolisms slow to a crawl and they don't need as much coal for their furnace so to speak. So they don't have to eat as much or as often. That makes smaller baits a good option or extremely slow moving big baits that they don't need to run down to satisfy a week's worth of food requirements.

Second, bass group up and spend a good portion of their winter motionless. They populate an area that has food and deep water nearby and hover there until early spring. So spend time looking for deep concentrations of bait, cover and bass and realize fish use the smallest percentage of the lake of any other time of the year.

Now for the good news. Bass do eat in the winter. They stay near the bait because they need to eat. Also, they stay with their friends, so if one bass isn't eating today, chances are a buddy right next to him is. They are very keyed into shad this time of year and the shad can be struggling to stay alive if the water temperatures are dipping into the low 40s. So while they are looking for those injured dying shad, they won't pass up a slow crawling craw right in their face either. They are still opportunists and will seek to eat whatever they can in close proximity.

Having addressed their "tendencies," here are my 8 choices for targeting and catching sluggish cold water bass and some tips on how to make them more effective.


Deep suspending jerkbaits

I spent a lot of time watching shad die in the winter when I fished on clear water fisheries like Table Rock and Beaver Lakes in the Ozark Mountains. These shad would kick and pause, flutter and float and sometimes sink slowly out of sight. I've incorporated mimicking this kick-and-float behavior into chasing winter bass with deep diving suspending jerkbaits. A Lucky Craft Staysee, a SPRO McRip, Megbass Ito Vision 110+1 and a Jackall DD Squirrel all do a great job of twitching and jerking in water 8-12 feet deep. The sound, flash and water displacement in clear water can all lead big bass out of deep haunts to grab a quick easy meal.

Tip: I sometimes weight my jerkbaits so they will slowly sink. When I know I'm fishing for bass deeper than 10 feet over much deeper water, I actually like for my jerkbait to mimic those shad I saw dying for many years on other fisheries. I will add lead golfers tape or a few extra split rings to make my deep suspending jerkbaits slowly sink after a rip or pull so they look like a shad struggling to stay afloat.


Blade bait

A blade bait is a dynamite lure for stair-stepping down steep 45 degree banks into the zones bass are holding. Where a spoon derives its action after the hop or pull as it flutters on the fall, a blade bait attracts on the actual rip and drop.

Tip: I will fish a blade bait like a lipless rattling bait and just slowly wind it along, hoping it bumps a rock or two. I think the subtle vibration, couple with the clinking and clacking over rocks, draws those deep bass in for a closer look and the slow crawl is easy for them to run down.


Jigging spoon

A jigging spoon has been a staple over the years for deep wintering fish. It looks like nothing, but it casts like a rock, gets to the bottom and into the strike zone with blazing speed and can be worked in place easily on a vertical presentation with a simple snap and fall on slack line.

Tip: Slack is critical so learn to drop or cast the spoon and watch your line as it falls. Think it stopped too early, reel up fast and set the hook. See your line jump, set the hook. I often cast out a few yards from the boat and hop it around to cover a small circular area where I think the bass are holding and being out away from the boat helps me watch my slack a little easier as well.


Tail spinner

Another deep small hunk of lead with some flash, a tail spinner has been a hot ticket in Texas lake in colder years. The ability to hop it, wind it, pump it and work it various ways both near the bottom and up in the strike zone make this simple tear drop lure a dynamite presentation.

Tip: I use a lighter one a lot of the time to get a slower fall in the winter. I think a lighter weight really lets the blade work and you can keep the bait in their strike zone for a much longer period on each cast, which is critical in the winter.


Under spins with shad tails

When you are fishing deep flats, a lure you can cast and wind slowly along the bottom or up off the bottom if you find the bass suspended can be the ticket. Something like a Sworming Hornet or a Buckeye SuSpin with a small swimbait or shad tail like the Optimum Opti Shad or Basstrix can easily mimic a shad in cold water that might have a slight stain to it.

Tip: Super glue is your friend. Super glue the swim tail to the head and you can fish all day with one tail and head, well at least for a lot more fish than you would otherwise. And a pumping and stop and go retrieve can also trigger bass who might slowly lumber behind but never strike.


Grub

A grub is such a simple and old faithful lure, that many anglers totally forget about them. Fact is, this bait really shines when the water is ultra cold. I've caught bass in water below 40 degrees on a grub and 1/4 ounce jighead. When bass suspend in vertical cover, a grub can be a dynamite lure to catch those otherwise stationary bass. Wind it slowly and methodically and most bites will just feel like a little pressure as you wind it.

Tip: Small diameter line helps keep the lure down and swimming steady through the water. The lure doesn't weigh much so heavier line causes it to rise too much. I like some of the new grubs like the Strike King Rage Tail grub or Zoom Fat Albert that put out a lot of vibration.


Casting jig

One of my favorite ways to catch smallmouths this time of year, is casting to 45 degree banks and steep points and bluffs with a casting jig. Something like a Cumberland Pro Lures Pro Caster or a Stan Sloan's Booza Bug are ideal for this technique. I will tip the jigs with a Zoom Chunk or Zoom Super Chunk Jr.–something with flat appendages that undulate more than twist and thump.

Tip: I'm normally fishing this on fairly open rocky banks with occasional stumps or laydowns. So I will opt for very light line like 10 to 12 pound fluorocarbon. The lighter line gives the bait better depth control and I think the fish look at a jig this time of year longer than other times of the year before biting. So I want to stack the deck in my favor with very natural presentations, trimmed skirts, natural chunk  colors to give the bass a real meal looking profile.


Drop shot

I've definitely built up a lot of confidence with a drop shot over the last decade. And I just smile when I hear guys tell me bass won't bite plastics in cold water. They will bite the right plastic. Especially if presented in a very realistic manner. The bass are often tight to the bottom so I will keep my leader lengths fairly short and I will let the drop shot sit for long periods. I still want to butt it up against a rock or a stump and work it painfully slow around an isolated object. But sometimes just barely flicking the tail is all the action it needs.

Tip: Choose a bait that gives you more of an undulating or vibrating tail action. I think a bait with a slightly thicker body and tapered tail gives you that tail vibration or whip you need for cold deep water bass.  I really like the new Strike King KVD Dream Shot and the new Berkley Twitchtail Minnow for cold bass.














































































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Jason's 2012 Bass Fishing Wishlist

Posted by Jason Sealock on Thu, Dec 06, 2012 @ 08:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Jasons Wishlist 2012



Wishing, wanting, lusting – whatever we call our desire for new fishing tackle, it definitely comes to a head this time of year. Of course it's closing in on Christmas, but as I get older the holiday is more about eating and family time and watching my son open new presents and light up with the joy of a child on Christmas morning.

But for fishing tackle this is the time of year when all that new stuff we saw back in July becomes available to those of us who've been dying to get our hands on it. We're fortunate at Wired2fish to be the first to use a lot of the new products, sometimes before they are released at major events like ICAST and the Bassmaster Classic. It has quelled my anticipation but led me to realize we have a duty to give our take on some of our favorite new tackle this time of year.

Maybe you are letting folks know what to get you, maybe you're looking for your significant other who loves fishing and you don't know what to get them. So we all put our heads together and came up with more than 30 items that we think folks will enjoy adding to their fishing next season. These are some of my favorites for the 2012-2013 fishing seasons.  More of Walker's and Terry's favorites will be coming in the next several days.


Minn Kota Talon, $1,449

To be perfectly honest, I was a bit skeptical about the shallow water anchoring systems until I got them and used them for a season. But now, while I'm sure I can live without them, I don't want to. They have served so many purposes this year, from launching a boat alone, to flipping and even fishing shallow areas at night. It's an invaluable tool now and has made me so much more efficient. It's a high priced item that really aids your ability to deal with things like wind and pressure. I'll have a full blog on what I learned from the Talon this year in the next month. But for now, I can say I love its easy install, easy programming and operation. There's no hydraulics to worry with and the grey poles on the back of the boat have been the hot conversation piece for me at local gas stations.


Lowrance HDS Touch, from $1,299

The new Lowrance depth finders appeal to the "techno-geek" in me. They operate more like a tablet or smart phone with intuitive layouts and menus. The screen eases strain on your eyes, even in direct sunlight. I love the easier rigging with the units, with a direct connect from the Structure Scan transducer and Ethernet networking. They look great, work well and for someone who spends long days staring at a graph, they are just a joy to use.


Abu Garcia Revo 3rd Generation Baitcasting Reels, from $129

We got our first few Gen. 3 Revo reels from Abu Garcia back in the spring, and we were so excited after the first outing, we couldn't wait to start talking about them. The reels are lighter, lower profile, cosmetically appealing and cast as far and as smooth as any reels we've ever used. They offer blazing speeds up to 8:1 gear ratios and the same low-end power from their 5.4:1 models. From styling to functionality, these are truly some of the best reels we've ever used.


Denali Terry Bolton Offshore Worm and Jig Rod, $209

I reviewed this rod earlier in the year, but can say it's been a staple in my rod collection all season.  The rod works for pitching docks equally as well as it does casting big worms offshore or hopping spoons for deep bass. It's listed as a heavy action but fishes more like a medium heavy with some power on a long, deep hookset. At 7-feet, 2-inches, it gives you a good casting rod, easy to fish rod and powerful fighting rod for all your "away-from-the-bank" needs.


13 Fishing Omen Baitcasting Rod, $99

13 Fishing impressed us with their introduction at the 2012 ICAST show in Orlando. From the way they talked about their products and fishing to their "design and manufacture everything" mentality, they show a unique insight to building quality tackle. Their Envy rods are amazing great rods, but we're equally impressed with their $100 offering, the Omen series. These rods feature great styling, a small frame Japanese high modulus blank, custom made components like a split grip that allows you to touch the rod blank with the tip of your finger. Their styling and quality will make this rod very popular among anglers in 2013.


Megabass Ito Vision 110 FX or FX Knuckle 60 , $27

We thought Megabass did a good job of making some lures more practical to the situations anglers face. Two of those baits that debuted at ICAST really proved their forward thinking in designing tackle. The Ito Vision 100 FX expanded on their weight-transfer system that already helped make their slender and lively jerkbaits cast better in windy conditions by adding a collapsing bill that greatly reduces a jerkbait's tendency to helicopter on the lip's turbulence in the wind. 

Meanwhile the Knuckle 60 gives you a square bill and sub-surface crankbait for fishing over the top of shallow grass in one. With a lip that locks in place in two positions you can fish 2-4 feet deep or just 1 foot deep with the snap of the lip. The bait has a great casting weight, hunts and tracks well and swims well over and through cover. The colors are the same great Megabass colors anglers have come to demand.


Browning MPACT Zeiss Fishing Collection Sunglasses, $179

I've been wearing these shades most of the year while fishing. They are light, comfortable and fairly stylish. But the real draw is in their Zeiss optics and Ripel water and grime protection that is built into the lenses. The lenses stay clear even in a down pour and they are easily cleaned with a wipe to keep your vision under the water at maximum potential. Their Back Country lens is the best early morning low-light lens we've used to date. We know several pros who were using these in those sight fishing slugfests to finish in the top of the pack by finding more beds in practice than their competitors. A great set of glasses for an avid angler.


TH Marine G-Force Handle, $30

This would make a great present for any angler that owns a boat and trolling motor. As a guy who has literally been flung out of a boat when a trolling motor cord snapped, I can tell you I have a new found love for this seemingly simple gadget. I'm an angler who moves a lot because I know fish generally bite when you put a bait near them. So I try to hit as much water in a day as I can. That's a lot of lifting and dropping of the trolling motor. This cable reduces the effort, makes snug or worn trolling motors pop in and out of place so much better.


Strike King KVD Jerkbait, $9

I'm always on the lookout for jerkbaits that look a little different, act a little different, but perform very well in terms of casting and erratic dancing on slack-line twitch. Jerkbaits tend to have a narrow window of opportunity in an angler's strategy, but for $9, you're going to want to have a few of these in your jerkbait box this winter. They have great colors, two different sizes, they get down well and suspend well and dart lively. They sound good and look good and that's reason enough to own a few to me.


Rapala DT Custom Ink Crankbaits, $7

Generally "new colors" in lures don't thrill us much as anglers. But sometimes a new color or set of colors comes out that really produces and it's hard not to get on the new color band wagon. The DT line of crankbaits have been a staple. The DT 6 is a coldwater killer and the DT 10 is the perfect mid-range crankbait while the DT 16 and 20 catch a lot of deep bass on offshore structure. Now with the new Ike's Custom Ink colors producing so well, our confidence has increased with this crankbait line. The blueback herring and Smash colors have fooled a bunch of bass this year for me and I'll be getting a bunch more in the different sizes of these two colors.


Zoom WEC E2, $20

It was tough to review this crankbait because it's one of those baits to keep under wraps but it's just too good not to share. It's a wide wobbling, hunting lure that can wreck the bass around shallow wood cover. And as a little side note, the smallmouth hate this crankbait. Each bait is hand assembled, hand painted, clear coated and packaged. They are not readily available everywhere so that sort of adds to my confidence with the cranks when I find a shallow cranking bite.


Heddon Chug'n Spook, $7

This bait remained hush-hush though the fall topwater bite, but several anglers revealed the power of the new Heddon Chug'n Spook as something "the bass hadn't seen before." It's big, makes a big commotion, loud, casts a country mile and comes in great colors. The hooks are cheap and need to be replaced, but the bait is solid for a little less than $7. Folks underestimate the power of a big walking lure. If you don't have one in your box, this is a good one to start.


Lazer Trokar EWG Treble TK310, $7

Trokar brought a new sharpness to fishing hooks and now they've brought it to treble hooks. Not to say they are the sharpest but they are a new sharp. They've made it vogue to pressure set on fish and this type of edge on a fishing hook makes more sense to me on a treble hook. The price will be inhibitive to some anglers, but I can tell you a handful of my favorite baits are rocking the new EWG and short-shank hooks from Lazer Trokar.

Stay tuned to Wired2fish.com for more Wishlists from other staff members in the next few days.
















































































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Fall Fluke Fishing

Posted by Jason Sealock on Wed, Oct 17, 2012 @ 08:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Fall can be a dynamite time for soft jerkbaits



A more subtle approach can pay huge dividends in the fall

By Walker Smith

As the shad begin their annual migration to the backs of creeks in the fall, anglers are provided with a unique opportunity to break out their shallow fishing tackle and load the boat with chunky bass. As fishing pressure increases and the bass become wary towards the constant barrage of noisy crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwater plugs, a quieter, more natural approach is often a large key to success.

Situations like this are when soft-plastic jerkbaits like Zoom Super Flukes can prove to be worth their weight in gold. It’d be nearly impossible to find a bass fisherman who is unfamiliar with Super Flukes, as their subtle, darting action and outstanding castability have caught big bass for anglers all over the world. While they will certainly catch fish all year round, Flukes are a “must have” throughout the autumn fishing season.

Key areas

Flukes will catch fish in almost any situation, but to maximize your success throughout the fall, locating the bait is of the utmost importance. While many professionals rely on advanced electronics in tournament situations, sharp eyes and keen observance are often all that’s necessary. As you survey the water, pay close attention to any surface disturbance, as it could be indicative of bait activity. When targeting bass, especially in the fall, they will never stray far from the bait.

Secondary points are great areas to target throughout the fall season. During the fall migration, both shad and bass will often stage on secondary points before they move towards the back creek flats. As bass are opportunistic predators, they will position themselves on these points while waiting for big balls of shad to pass by. When the opportunity is right, the bass will ambush unsuspecting prey.

As autumn continues, shad will leave the secondary points and inhabit the shallow creek flats. If you’re not sure when this occurs, don’t worry—it is pretty difficult to miss. Keep an eye out for any shad flickering on the surface, because it will often look like you can walk across the water on shad. Even if only a few shad are on the surface, thousands more can be below them, so any surface activity is worth a few casts.

It’s pretty tough to get “too shallow” in the fall. When the time is right and the shad are stacked in the backs of creeks, never hesitate to throw a fluke into dirt-shallow water. During the day, feeding bass will periodically move up into the shallows to feed on susceptible shad, so if there is deep water nearby, don’t be afraid to kick up a little mud and go shallow.


Presentation is everything

There are a few specific presentations that we have found to be especially effective for fall Fluke fishing. When the sun is high and the balls of shad are pushed deeper in the water column, a slower, more methodical approach is pretty tough to beat. In order to get the Fluke into the optimum strike zone, it is essential to let it sink for long periods of time. Following a long cast, start out by letting it sink for a few seconds and retrieving with a slow, sweeping motion.

This method can be difficult to master, due to the difficulty in detecting bites—you really need to become a “line watcher” in order to catch the bass before it feels you on the other end. Even the slightest twitch or jump in your line calls for a hookset.

During lowlight conditions, however, shad become much more active and remain higher in the water column for longer periods of time. Situations like this are especially exciting as it allows for a faster, much more erratic retrieve. I like to make very long casts and work the Fluke just as I would a hard jerkbait, with a “jerk-jerk-pause” retrieve. Be careful, however, when you’re popping your rod tip, because if you do it too hard, it is very possible to rip the bait out of the fish’s mouth. The softer you work the bait, the earlier you will be able to detect bites.  

Regardless of the weather conditions, every effort needs to be made to land the Fluke softly onto the water’s surface. When surrounded by sometimes millions of live shad, loud or unnatural noises can often spook both the bait and bass, which can make catching fish very difficult. A side armed roll cast is best, as it allows the Fluke to seamlessly enter the water, while also emulating a fleeing shad. With the Super Fluke being so streamlined in its design, this technique takes just a short period of time to master.

Check out why it made it on our list of Five Fall Fishing Lures for Under $6 a Piece.

Downsize your gear

As much fun as it can be to catch big bass on heavy tackle, it doesn’t always work. Light tackle is always a necessity when Fluke fishing in order to obtain maximum castability and optimum performance. While it is, in fact possible to work a fluke on bait casting gear, spinning gear offers anglers an easier starting point. And with the better light braids on the market, you can make long casts and still get good hook sets without sacrificing pound strength in your line by using braid with Flukes.

Fluorocarbon also works well with Flukes because the sinking nature of the line can make it easier to get the bait down a bit to the bass and the clear properties make it a great alternative to braid in ultra-clear water.

A 3/0 EWG hook is also hard to beat on a Fluke. Many anglers believe you have to have a big hook but a 3/0 hook covers the bases well for fishing with soft jerkbaits.

Colors

Color selection is always one of the most important factors to successful fishing, and it is no different when fishing with Flukes in the fall. In sunny or clear water situations, we opt for much more natural colors, such as White Ice or Smokin’ Shad. Because bass are able to see the bait from much further away in these conditions, it is important to imitate their natural forage to the best of your ability. If the bite is super tough and the fish are being stubborn, I love to take a Sharpie marker and draw the characteristic dot of a threadfin shad onto my flukes. Anything that adds realism and increases your confidence is always worth doing.

In cloudy or stained water situations, brighter colors can prove to be very effective. Although it may not look like a shad to us, that doesn’t mean it won’t fool a big bass in the middle of a feeding frenzy. Green Pumpkin and Chartreuse colored Super Flukes are great for these conditions. Because Flukes are largely a sight-oriented bait, I love using Chartreuse in order to keep track of the bait and see strikes long before I see them.

If the bass aren’t interested in your hard baits this fall, don’t be afraid to downsize by throwing a soft jerkbait, like one of our favorites, the Zoom Super Fluke, at them. It’s an awesome sight to see a big bass boil on top of a Fluke—something that will probably become quite addicting. Great for both advanced anglers and bank fishermen, a Fluke will catch some really big fish. Targeting the correct areas with the correct presentation, gear and color selection has the potential to yield some outstanding results this fall.

  The area between the thumb and index finger is called the thenar space. The skin is called  webbing. If you love to shred your thenar space and tear up your webbing, you are Wired2Fish!
















































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Five for 5 | Five Lures You Should Dig Out of Grandpa's Tackle Box

Posted by Jason Sealock on Tue, Sep 11, 2012 @ 07:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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jitterbug

Throwback lures can still be very viable bass fishing options

By Terry Brown (photos by Matt Saulcy)

Being around fishing for as long time can be an advantage. Seeing the old and now the new gives perspective on the creative and the copied. Living through the early days when the technology was in its infancy, baits were sometimes archaic and clunky but they were original. They were best we had and they caught fish. Today, space age materials and manufacturing processes have for the most part replaced handmade. Plastic and tungsten has replaced wood and lead but the heart of the design is still relevant and many of the builders have the same passion.

Today’s fishing community has kept up with new products and new technology. Matter of fact they live for it and seek information on anything new. Manufacturers create lighter and stronger tools now, however, they may not necessarily be better.

Jason Christie has won a bunch of money this year on the old original Rebel crankbait that is no longer in production and it was the key to his latest Bassmaster Open win on Ft. Gibson.

There are several products that have been around for a while that I still like to use. They may be a bit battle scarred, but all they need is to be dusted off, customized a bit and brought back into action. They still catch fish. Remember, the old set the course; the new just streamlined it.

Five old bait favorites, in no particular order, that still catch fish today are:



1.    Fred Arbogast Jitterbug - The Jitterbug is a topwater bait that has a very unique metal lip and a pivoting line tie that allows the bait to walk slowly side to side. To-date,  nothing has been built that has the same wobbling action. It is exceptionally good at night and low light conditions and works well around lily pads and fished parallel to the bank.

The Jitterbug is best worked slowly in calm water. A steady retrieve and a slower gear ratio reel is a must for this bait.

If an older model is used today, change out the metal hardware and replace with eye hooks, split rings and sharper hooks.  The Jitterbug is still sold today. There are nine models of the Jitterbug including a weedless and jointed models.


2.    Cotton Cordell Big O - One of the first molded plastic crankbaits this shallow diver has some unique properties that make it special including a very unique rattle, with several small BB’s, a wide wobble and a molded bill that makes it super durable. Cotton Cordell made this bait from a Fred Young carving in 1973. The Cordell Big O is still sold today but we really like the older models best for tough days on docks and over grass.


3.    Heddon Zara Spook - The Original Spook is a two hook model that also came with screw in hardware. The unique side to side walking action coined “walking the dog” generates big explosive blow-ups. The cigar-shaped bait had no lip or rattle and some even came with glitter glued to the bait. The “old dogs”  are the ones I like best but remove the hardware and use better hooks. The old hardware can bind, pull loose and cause lost fish.


4.    Rapala Floating Minnow - This lifelike, balsa stickbait has been around for decades, one of the first baits from Rapala. Its shape and lifelike action imitates a minnow, and because it is made from balsa, it floats very high on top of the water. It works great both jerked in shallow water and fished like a topwater. I especially like this bait in clear water and during the spawn. A couple of quick jerks followed by a long pause allows the bait to float to the surface and mimic and injured minnow.

Just about every gamefish on the planet has fallen victim to the Rapala Floating Minnow, and rest assured it is still a big seller today for Rapala.

The lip design allows the bait to dive nose down and have erratic action when twitched. My two favorite colors and sizes are Silver (11S) and Gold (11G) and comes in several lengths including my favorites of 11 and 13.  Its casts on a 6 foot baitcasting set-up well but seems to have more followers using spinning gear. The hooks on this bait are super sticky out of the box and are short shank models that do not tangle.


5.    Bagley Diving B II - This Jim Bagley creation was one of the first wide-wobbling, deeper-water balsa crankbaits I purchased. The Killer B and Dredge were later models I gravitated to, but I still have an affinity for the action of the Diving B II.  This bait is silent, has the unique rounded Bagley lip design and was carefully painted to make it visible to bass in a variety of water clarities. It dives 6-8 feet depending on line size and utilized a wire through bait technology to hold the hooks and lip line tie as a single unit making it very durable and easily tuned.

This bait works well on points but was especially effective on docks with a stop and go retrieve. You can actually tune the bait to run under the dock on the retrieve. Stopping the bait and letting it rise quickly generates the most vicious strikes.

Other great baits I still have in my arsenal that didn’t make my top five but still have a place in my memory banks are the original Storm Wiggle Wart and Short Wart, the Luhr Jensen Woodchopper, the Smithwick Devils Horse, the South Bend Nip-I-Diddee, the Heddon Hellbender, Brother’s Bait Company Limberneck Spinnerbait, the Lunker Lure Original Buzzbait and the Heddon Tiny Torpedo.

Don’t be afraid to pull some of these old baits out and give them a try. I bet you catch fish on them.  
















































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ICAST 2012 Coming Next Week

Posted by Jason Sealock on Fri, Jul 06, 2012 @ 01:00 PM
  
  
  
  
  
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ICAS2012 Sneak Peaks

Christmas shopping in July.

That's how I always feel when I'm thinking about heading to ICAST. The ICAST 2102 show finds itself back in Orlando this year. Bring on the humidity, afternoon showers, blazing temperatures, good food, good friends and loads of new fishing tackle.

At Wired2Fish, we're fortunate that many brands allow us to test products way in advance of manufacturing or release at ICAST. Over the years we've been able to tweak some products before release to the public so brands wouldn't run into "gotchas" after production.

This year we've had a lot of products in our hands for months but gave our word that we wouldn't let any proverbial cats out of the bag so to speak. The nice thing is we've already had some real fishing experiences with the products most will see for the first time next week.

That's sort of the point to us in covering new tackle. It's not just what's new, but sorting through the fluff from press release materials to get down to why an angler needs this bait or that line. Obviously the manufacturers have spent a lot of time trying to make products better for anglers. We would be remiss to just say here's the new stuff and not tell you what we like about it.

We also want you to feel more like you're at the show this year so we're going to shoot a lot more hands on video and photos of the products so you have some sense of reference and can get a good feel about the products before you look to buy them later this fall.

This Year's Buzz

Folks like to quantify the show each year based on the new offerings -- "The Year of the Swimbait," "The Year of the Low-Profile Reel," "The Year of the Frog" or "The Year of the Umbrella Rigs." The truth is fishing tackle like any manufactured category of products have trends. Lighter, lower, wider, stronger are all key phrases you see repeated over and over in press releases from year to year and probably lead to the categorizing of each show.

This year though rather than lumping the new tackle into a category we'd rather just focus on what's cool we hear coming out of each camp.

Berkley

There Havoc soft baits released a few new shapes for this year's show, namely the Pit Boss Chunk for jig trailers and the Rocket Craw which has already helped David Dudley win an FLW Tour event this season.

But they really went to town on beefing up their lines. Several of their most popular lines, namely Trilene XT and XL have been reformulated and repackaged in smaller spools. They offer a couple new monofilaments aimed directly for spinning applications and casting applications.

They have a slick new castable umbrella rig call the Schoolie Rig. It comes packaged by itself or in a great all in one kit with 5 swimbaits, 5 jigheads and the rig.  This year will no doubt see a lot of new players in the castable umbrella rig market.

St. Croix

St. Croix has some amazing new designs to their Legend Xtreme Rods. We've been playing with the new medium-heavy power Legend Xreme. The obvious new feature is the all new Xtreme-Skin handles that are very comfortable, light and surprisingly very sensitive. The handles look cool and serve the function of repelling dirt, water and fish slime so they are easily cleaned after each trip to look like new again. The rods feature a new FRS technology that makes a smaller but tougher blank without adding any weight.

Abu Garcia

Yes. We've been putting the new third generation Abu Garcia Revos through the paces as well. We love em. We're not even trying to smooth it over. The reels are lighter, lower profile, cosmetically appealing, and fish extremely well. The Revo S, SX, STX, Premier, Winch and MGX are all astounding reels that will please a lot of anglers this fall. We'll have a lot more about them next week.

Big Bite Baits

They came out with the new Coontail worm that you've probably seen featured in some of our videos this early summer and in a few photos. They also are releasing a new Buzzing Warmouth and a smaller Cane Thumper. Stay tuned for more on those.

Megabass

The now famous albeit difficult to always find stateside Japanese manufacturer is releasing a bunch of new products at ICAST. The Knuckle 60 square bill crankbait, the 110 Square Lipped jerkbait, The Spark Shad soft swimbait, and a frog/creature bait called the Para Bug. We're excited to see these baits, get our hands on them and share them with you all.

Rapala

Rapala has a new line of balsa baits called the BX Minnows that we're pretty excited to check out. There is a jointed BX Swimmer and the straight BX Minnow. They feature balsa encased in copolymer shell that makes them very durable yet super erratic. We've played with the BX Minnow and it looks pretty sick in the water.

Snagproof

We're excited to get our hands on the new Ish's Poppin' Phattie. It's a uniquely shaped frog that has cupped sides to the pointed mouth. It should be a dynamite addition to our frog collection.

Spro

There are new sizes of popular lines coming out of the Spro camp this year. The long awaited Little John Baby DD 60 and the new Fat Papa 55 Medium deep runner both look to be solid additions to already proven lines.

Yum

We got our hands on a bunch of their new plastics already including the Craw Chunk, Mighty Craw, Lil SuzEE and the Yumphibian, not to mention several new castable umbrella rigs to accompany their very popular YUMBrella. Their Flash Mob and Flash Mob Ultralight will be big hits and their mini version for panfish and white bass will be a hit we're sure as well. The Craw Chunk is an awesome crawfish trailer with flapping claws that comes in two sizes. The Mighty Craw will be a killer punch bait or finesse bait alike. The lil Suzee gives them a finesse swimbait in that niche and the Yumphibian looks to be a very viable option for a creature bait for flipping and Carolina rigs.

VMC Hooks

VMC is making a big splash this year at the show we've heard. We've already seen their new offset widegap worm hooks as well as the Rugby Jig designed and approved by Mike Iaconelli. Their new resin encased eyelets will eliminate the problems with line cuts and knots sneaking through the hook eye anymore. They are said to be releasing a flipping hook, offset worm hook, heavy duty worm hook, wide gap hook, heavy duty wide gap, heavy duty swimbait and weighted swimbait hooks as well as a new trailer hook and a new wide gap spinshot hook.

Lots to share from the VMC camp this season.

Sunline

Sunline is offering a new braid and a new finesse fluorocarbon at this year's show. The new braid is the SX1 that was designed with input from Brent Ehrler and Aaron Martens for those applications like drop shots that need a light sinking braid. The new FC Finesse fluorocarbon will also be made for situations like leaders on drop shot or shaky heads. We've tested some preproduction spools and love them both.

Shimano

They are said to be offering a new Calcutta D reel and a new Crucial Castable Umbrella rig rod at this years show and we'll probably see a few new reels that they've kept under tight wraps.

G.Loomis

They have a new GLX Crankbait Series debuting at the show as well as new GLX Flipping rods. WE're anxious to get our hands on these as they are said to be 35% stronger with brand new reel seat designs.

Ima

Ima is introducing a new floating jerkbait/wakebait and a mid depth crankbait called the PinJack 200 that we're anxious to see and test.

Gamakatsu

The Swivel Shot should come back at this show and be released finally and they are also offering a new Short Shank EWG Treble in regular and 2X Strong versions. We should also see their Alien shaky heads and the G-Finesse Wacky Head.

Eco Pro

Eco Pro Tungsten is coming out with a bunch of new stuff at the show we've heard. We've seen their new castable umbrella rig that is modifiable called the Roll Tide Rig. But we also hear they've got three new jigs, two new jig heads, a punch weight with skirt collar and maybe some other stuff as well. This will be a fun booth to visit because we're pretty OCD when it comes to terminal tackle.

Damiki

The Korean based manufacturer has been bringing lots of cool tackle to the market each of the last few years and this year sounds like much more of the same. We've not got to see any of the new products yet but we here there is a big 11-inch Air Mega Miki II worm, a deep diving narrow bodied crankbait called the Abyss 90 plus a new creature flipping bait and a soft bodied swimbait for umbrella rigs or on a single jighead. We've already got a note to swing by and see their new stuff.


That's just some of the stuff we've played with or heard about leading up to next week's show so stay tuned to wired2Fish next week. We're going to be bringing hourly blogs and videos from the show highlighting ALL the cool fishing tackle we find. We're tasking a force of guys at the show this year to make sure we cover it all for you so keep it locked on Wired2Fish starting next Tuesday night and the NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE from Orlando and Wednesday morning from the ICAST show floor.

Christmas in July is upon us.




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Fishing Feature | Fooling Fry Guarders

Posted by Jason Sealock on Fri, May 25, 2012 @ 08:30 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Mark Menendez explains how he catches fry-guarding bass in the post spawn


By Jason Sealock

Bass fishing often boils down to small windows. Windows that open and close constantly. The windows might revolve around the forage. The windows might revolve around spawning cycles. Or they simply revolve around certain baits that present the best option until the bass move to the next place in their annual migrations.

But these windows of change can often make the bass more predictable from year to year. It's also the ability to recognize when one window is closing and another one is opening that separates the highly successful professional angler from every other angler.

The spawn creates those situations where the bass movements, behavior and locations can be predicted almost prognosticated from year to year. They are going to stage, feed and get fat. They are going to move to flatter, more protected area to nest and mate. They are then going to take their young and guard them until they reach a sustainable size. Then the bass will move off to their summer haunts on the main lake.

That period however when the bass leave their spawning areas and play "predator-fish fly swatter", attacking anything that comes in the zone of their fry, makes them predictable and opens a window for a fun, yet often chaotic opportunity.

Their unquenched thirst for protecting the miniscule fry from basically everything else that swims in the lake makes them highly susceptible to imitations and would be attackers.

The recent PAA event on Old Hickory saw several top finishing anglers fishing for those bass guarding fry in and around the shallow cover. What would also make the bass predictable during this same time of the year is the shad spawn. Although the shad spawn on Old Hickory was a little bit off, the fry guarding tendencies lead to several top finishes for the pros that figured out the open window of opportunity for those bass.

Mark Menendez finished third in the bass fishing tournament, and save for one 4-pounder that hit a swim jig six times without ever opening its mouth, he fished a pretty flawless event by focusing on those fry guarders after the spawn.


Menendez keeps his fry guarding approach fairly simple. He sticks primarily with three baits, three types of cover and three cadences to tempt and trick the overly protective parents.

His three baits of choice in specific order are a Strike King Caffeine Shad, a 1/4-ounce Strike King Hack Attack Swim Jig and a 3/8-ounce Strike King Premier Plus Spinnerbait with small colorado blades on it. Generally he's going to keep the colors pretty straight forward. If he's fishing in shallow water or dirty water he's going to go with darker blue gill colors. If he's fishing out away from the bank a distance or if the water is much clearer, he's going to go with a lighter pattern like a shad.

He prefers the Caffeine Shad for its erratic action that triggers those onlookers watching with protective eyes on their fry. He prefers the 5-inch size so he can throw it far, work it fast and give a little more menacing profile to the fry. It's his go to bait when the bass are still up close to the bank and in really skinny water because he can get it in that fry guarding zone without spooking the bass.

As the fish move out, he switches over to the Hack Attack Swim Jig and the Strike King Premier Plus Spinnerbait. He often adds a trailer with some bulk to help keep the baits up in the strike zone because fry tend to always stay at or near the top around cover. With a bulky Rage Tail Craw or creature bait, you can keep the light swim jig or spinnerbait up in the strike zone.

"I look for fry guarders around three basic forms of cover," Menendez said. "Buck brush,  laydowns and docks offer all the protection bass fry need as they progress through the spawn. Obviously I start shallow, and as the post spawn period progresses, I move out with the fish and the fry to deeper cover targets. At the Old Hickory PAA event last week, there was a full blown shad spawn in the water willows, but the bass had already migrated out to deeper cover. I found the ends of docks to be the best producing cover for fry guarders."

He fishes the swim jig and the Caffeine Shad on braid. He always uses 50-pound Seaguar Kanzen braid now. Previously 30-pound braid was his choice for the smaller baits, but he found that fishing for bass guarding around hard-targets you could actually cut your lighter braid. Now that he's gone up to 50-pound in a quality braid, he doesn't have those problems anymore.

He'll fish the spinnerbait on 20-pound Seaguar Inviz-X fluorocarbon line because he wants to keep the bait up in the strike zone where the fry are swimming near the surface.

His rod of choice for the fry guarding techniques is a Lew's Tournament SL 7-foot, 2-inch Extra Heavy power rod. The rod seems stiff but incorporates a nice mod-fast tip that gives him great accuracy on his casts. The reel needs to be high speed as well. Menendez chooses a Lew's Tournament Pro 7:1 baitcaster for these applications because those fish hit like a ton of bricks and you need a super fast reel to catch up with them and set a good hook.

His retrieves stay fairly straight forward. Most of the time he'll start with a steady, straight retrieve. A lot of days that's how you have to work the lures to get bit around those skeptical bass. Other days you'll get a lot of fish that he calls "swimbait fish" where they just follow the bait a long ways and never commit to it. Those fish you have to add some variety with twitches, stops and pauses and darts and dives to get the fish to react to a sudden movement.

A third retrieve he'll often do with the spinnerbait is almost a subtle hopping almost like a slow-motion version of stroking a jig. Where he pumps the spinnerbait up and through the upper water column to keep the bait moving in different directions through that fry zone up near the surface. That often catches a lot of bass for Menendez as they slide out deeper during the later periods of the post spawn, fry-guarding window. Menendez feels like the start and stop of raising and lowering the rod clicks the blades together causing bass to strike out of impulse.

Often times the angles you work the lures on the targets can be the real key as can be multiple casts to the targets. Because the bass are guarding and chasing predators all the time, it's often the case where an angler casts down one side of a target while the bass was on the other side chasing something away and never even saw your offering. 

"I've had times where I cast down one side of a log and get nothing," he said. "Then I cast down the other side and still nothing. Then I make a few casts across the bushy part of the laydown. Then I finally make the risky cast where I know I'm probably going to get hung up, and the bass bites. That's just what you've got to do sometimes to get them to see the bait and commit. But I always feel confident with the heavier line that I've got a fighting chance when I make that cast."

He often starts his search just out from those shallow flat spawning areas and works out to the first contour change. Just the first bit of "verticality" in the area can really draw those fish out, especially if there is not a lot of cover shallow. They fish want to move deep but they don't want to go all the way out to their summer haunts just yet.

"In the PAA tournament, I found several areas where they had spawned and then moved out to those first contour changes and there were docks at the end of them," Menendez said. "I would fish the swim jig down the fronts and sides of the docks and the bass would barrel out from under there and crater that Hack Attack Swim Jig. That's just an awesome bite when they hit it like that. If I could have got that one 4-pounder to eat instead of just nosing my jig every time, I probably would have moved up a spot. But that's just how those fry guarders are sometimes -- protective, not always hungry."




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Ice Out, Bass In

Posted by Jason Sealock on Mon, Mar 19, 2012 @ 10:12 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Jeff Gustafson smallmouth on jighead and minnow style plastics

Please melt, ice. That's a common phrase we've seen typed by anglers on Facebook lately. Fishing in the northern tiers is about to make an annual shift from house and tent to boat and bank. As the ice melts, the shanties and augers will go to the shed as the boats and tackle boxes are organized for spring fishing.

In places where bass fishing is allowed around ice out, many folks find themselves a bit stumped on where to start. Fortunately in those same northern tiers there are consistent anglers who've proven certain strategies really work when the ice disappears and the bass reappear. Quite frankly, not many folks target bass under the ice, so you're talking about fish that haven't been tempted and teased for many months – making them more willing to take a lure if you get it around one.

One of the fascinating aspects of fishing is that it is local, regional and national. What we mean by that is certain patterns, techniques, even colors seem to work on a national level, while specific techniques and colors seem to work regionally and yet you can even more narrowly define certain baits, colors and techniques that really slay the fish on just a local fishery. Many of the techniques that work on Kentucky Lake don't necessarily work on Lake Champlain or Mille Lacs.

We talked with a well known Canadian angler who knows as much about ice out strategies on natural lakes as probably anyone in bass fishing. Jeff Gustafson, aka Gussy among his fishing friends, is one of the top anglers in Ontario and the northern US. He’s won several major events in Canada including the Kenora Bass International and International Falls Bass Championship. He’s a regular guide for fishing and hunting in Ontario and also hosts a Canadian television show Fishing with Gussy.

He’s bringing his talents south this year in the FLW Tour Opens, finishing 20th in his very first FLW Tour Open tournament one Lake Okeechobee, his very first time on the lake. No doubt his natural lake experience was a big factor there as many pros with 10 years of fishing down there, still don’t have Okeechobee figured out.

But back home, he’s still guiding for fish under ice and already chomping at the bit to get started on some ice out bass fishing.

“I think the ice-out period offers anglers some of the best fishing of the year,” Gustafson said. “For a week or so after the ice goes out the smallmouth are really schooled up in large groups. Think of all the bass from a 4 or 5 mile stretch of shoreline grouped up on a single structural element. The largemouth in contrast will go shallow, looking for the warmer dark-bottomed water they can find on our natural lakes. When you find these spots you can literally catch 100 fish in a day.”

In natural lakes up north, targeting smallmouths or largemouths are much more independent situations than on highland reservoirs and river impoundments of the south. It seems on those natural lakes they have very little crossover on the places they frequent during the ice out stages and you often have to style your game plan and techniques and tactics around one or the other.

Smallmouths Deep Dynamite

Gussy offered his wisdom in both respects and it was apparent he’s developed a sweet tooth for big schools of smallmouths offshore during ice out. Initially he’ll start deep and then work shallow as the season progresses. But generally he starts 20 to 30 feet deep checking likely places like the flat at the end of an extended point or off the sides of humps. But what he regularly finds is smallmouths that have been waiting all winter for the ice to melt to put on the feedbags and gorge themselves. So, the fish are hungry and vicious. As the water warms a little, the fish will move quickly to the shallows.


“A key forage for us this time of year is smelt,” Gustafson said. “For that reason, we focus on long slender 3 to 5-inch baits.”

For the deeper smallmouths, his bait of choice is a jighead with a minnow style plastic on it like a Zoom Fluke. He pitches them and fishes them vertically or in short horizontal presentations just off the bottom around the big groups of smallmouths. He prefers a Northland Mimic Minnow jighead in either 1/4 or 3/8 ounce depending on if he’s going 20 or 30 feet deep. He likes a 4-inch Impulse Mimic Minnow or a 5-inch Trigger X Minnow. He experiments with a drop shot some too but feels he gets a more natural presentation in the depths with the jighead approach.

His approach is very methodical for the deep smallmouth. He doesn’t just cast blindly. He uses his Humminbird 1198 to pinpoint fish on the bottom. Then he drops his jig and minnow to the bottom and stops it just before it gets on the fish. He watches on the sonar and then just as he sees his bait nearing the fish on the bottom, he stops it. The cat and mouse game works wonders for starving smallmouths.



“It’s sort of like if you crash the jig into the bottom, you tip the fish off that something is up,” he said. “You have to be sure it never touches bottom. The fish are looking up for their food. You have to hold it as still as possible. Just get it to their level and don’t jig it up and down. They come up and crush it.”

His tackle for deep jigging smallmouths is 7-foot, 4-inch G.Loomis Bronzeback Medium heavy power rod and a Shimano Stradic 3000 reel with 10-pound Power Pro braid with a 4-foot, 10-pound fluorocarbon leader.


After the water starts to warm up, the smallmouths bolt for the shallows. This is when he really whacks the fish on a jerkbait. He believes a suspending jerkbait out-fishes every other presentation in the small window from ice-out to prespawn. Because the water is cold though he’s again real methodical and slow in his approach.

He works the bait quickly down a few feet and then throws long pauses into the presentation. His favorite bait hands down is a No. 10 Rapala X-Rap jerkbait.

“The X-Rap is so easy to use,” he said. “It runs perfect out of the box. Casts well. Suspends perfectly.”

This is a real feast or famine time of the year for smallmouths and Gussy’s advice is simple. If you’re not catching fish, move. They are not going to be everywhere. You are looking for those places where the fish want to be connected to some sort of structure – a point, a hump, a saddle, boulder slide, etc. You run the high percentage areas and eventually you’re going to find the fish foraging in an area. Again there will be spots on a certain area that will be cast after cast of fish fighting action. That’s what you’re looking for. So if you’re not catching fish, it’s on to the next area that offers feeding and structure opportunities.

For his jerkbait fishing he likes 6-foot, 8-inch medium heavy rods with 6.3:1 reels and 10-pound fluorocarbon line.


Largemouth Iced Tea

Largemouths on natural lakes seem to take on a totally different personality than their brown brethren in the ice out period. Instead of grouping up deep they seem to rush right to the shallows looking for the warmest sun soaked bottoms in the lake. The weeds are obviously dead this time of year, but typically those weed covered bottoms will be black and dark and radiate more heat than other sandy parts of the lake.

Gustafson looks for depressions, ditches, troughs and slight depth changes that offer them some travel routes and safe havens when the weather changes. He’s also hoping for warmer and sunny days as that tends to increase the ice out bass’s feeding and activity levels. Likewise afternoons are better than mornings as the warmest waters will be found late in the day after longer periods of sun.

Baits like the Senko are a top choice for largemouths roaming the shallows of these clear natural lakes of the north. Gustafson prefers a Northland Impulse Dip-Stick in black, watermelon, watermelon red or other natural popular colors. He wacky rigs the soft stickbaits on 2/0 Gamakatsu Wide Gap Finesse hooks. It’s a deadly combination for clean, shallow water.

But more importantly he likes to fish the bait on 20-pound yellow Power Pro braid with a 12-pound fluoro leader.

“I started using the yellow braid last year and it really pays off with certain techniques like this,” Gussy said. “More than 90 percent of your bites on soft stickbaits come on the initial fall, and it’s like having a strike indicator with that yellow braid because you’ll see your line jump when one bites. You want the bait to sink on completely slack line, so you won’t feel the bite. You have to see it on your line.”

He uses a 7-foot, 1-inch GLX Senko rod from G.Loomis and a Shimano Sustain spinning reel.

The only time he changes his ice out approach for largemouths is during those cold front days. This causes the bass to back off the shallow bays and move to the first little change to deeper water out from the bays. There he will use finesse crankbaits like a Rapala Shad Rap. But his absolute favorite is a DT3 Flat. He will target those depressions and subtle breaks where the largemouths seem to stack on those nasty cold days.

“I have nearly worn the paint off some of my crankbaits on some of the nasty days during the ice out period,” he said. “On lakes like Lake of the Woods or Rainy Lake, you can just crush the bass with this technique. It’s amazing how deadly crankbaits are for largemouth when they pull back and get in this mood in the north country. Yet still a lot of people don’t use crankbaits for bass in the ice out period. But I’m not complaining!”





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9 Bass Fishing Jerkbaits You Shouldn't Live Without

Posted by Jason Sealock on Fri, Mar 16, 2012 @ 12:01 AM
  
  
  
  
  
Add to delicious  delicious  
  
  
Some of Terry's favorite bass fishing jerkbaits

By Terry Brown

Warming temperatures in the Spring bring out the birds, bluegills and bass anglers. Many of the  country’s fisherman have been cooped up indoors sorting tackle, getting boats ready and dreaming about warmer days.

Springtime is also jerkbait time, and this year that could be a short window of opportunity as bass move very quickly from their deep water haunts to spawn. Most spring seasons, anglers have several weeks for fish to move up in stages, but with all indications pointing towards an early spawn, there may be only a few days where they stage. Believe it or not, in a recent two-day period, we have seen water temperatures jump 24 degrees from 40 to 64 degrees.

Staging bass will still be ready for jerkbaits, but that window could be very short. Prespawn could be replaced with spawn and post spawn this year. Umbrella rig anglers might love it, but jerkbait anglers may have to rely on post spawners to show the value of these deadly shad imitators.

I have had the pleasure of utilizing jerkbaits to my advantage for many years. I see them as a way to catch deep-water suspending prespawn bass, shallow water staging bass on flats, and bass on main lake blow-downs prior to spawn.

I have been fortunate enough to follow the bait evolution from early days to present. Our first baits were all topwaters we built into suspenders. A little solder, some golf club tape and even drilling and lead pouring were some of our early efforts. We even used rubber core lead sinkers around the hook shanks to give these jerk and divers their action. Some anglers talk about the good old days, but with jerkbaits, the good old days are now.

Gone is the necessity to customize. It is now replaced with factory models that not only look sweet but also perform much better than the make shift models of yesteryear.

Jerkbaits, rip baits, stick baits, twitch baits or whatever you may call them are now designed to suspend indefinitely, slowly rise or even sink a bit depending on design. Colors vary but manufacturing processes have allowed for much better and more realistic looking shad and minnow imitators. Depending on water clarity there is a color combination for just about every body of water.

Here are nine jerkbaits for you to consider. They are in no particular order of rank just numbered to correspond with the above photo. You may have others but these baits have been tested, won events and will always be part of my jerkbait arsenal. Click the underlined titles to see the available colors, sizes and prices of each.


1.    Ito Vision 110 Family - A relative newcomer to this genre and one that, by design, is difficult to get in certain colors, the Ito Vision family of jerkbaits shines across the country when conditions demand a suspending presentation. A creative and unique body style casts easily thanks to a weight-transfer system that makes it rear weighted on the cast and front weighted when sitting horizontal in the water. To familiarize yourself with this proven tournament winner, read our recent review here.

2.    Smithwick Rattlin' Rogue (Suspending) - One of the earliest baits to come out in a suspending model, the Rattlin' Rogue has a large following across the country. I particularly like the model with the three Excalibur hooks and foil finish. The larger model, 5 ½ inches,  is the one I prefer  for castability, but the smaller one, 4 ½ inches, can be equally effective. Even if the water is super clear, I like rattles in my jerkbaits so bass can find them with sound and flash over deeper water. Smithwick makes them in a wide variety of colors, but I have several hand painted models that get a special place in my boat. For some reason, in my area a bit of pink on the bait seems to be the ticket for early season bass, and I have several varieties of that color on several baits. Pay attention to accent colors that really seem to trigger fish on your fishery.


3.    Spro McStick - A relative newcomer to the genre of fishing baits but due to painstaking detail design by stickbait expert Mike McClelland and the Spro designers, it came out with a bang. Again, the colors look good and the bait is effective right out of the package. Perfectly balanced, the McStick suspends very well even in cold water. I have put larger round-bend, short-shank hooks on them at times to get them to slow sink like a dying shad. They display a side-to-side action on the fall too.

4.    Lucky Craft Pointer - One of the first premier jerkbait providers that changed how other companies built their products, the Pointer 78 and 100 are mainstays to jerkbait tackle boxes, and their color selection is unmatched. I really like the paint jobs on these baits especially Aurora Black, Bloody Chartreuse Shad, and Ghost Pearl Ayu. A very unique balancing system has made this a great bait for long pause retrieves. They have a very low center of gravity due to a brass weight system, and the bait wobbles and vibrates slightly when stopped. The Pointer shines in cold water situations, and it affords anglers long casts, even in high winds.

5.    Reaction Strike XRM - A hidden jewel, out of Indiana, the XRM 80 and 100 are high motion offerings that suspend very well. The heavy lip design combined with a beefy body style allows them to be thrown long distances, and a specially designed J-Trough inside the bait positions a bearing to travel to the rear of the bait when it is cast. A small tail mounted bearing gives it a subtle rattle and three ball bearings in the belly allows them to suspend horizontally even in cold water. Ghost Minnow is my favorite color.

6.    Lucky Craft Flash Minnow - the Flash Minnow 95 and 110 are shallow running cousins of the Pointer, and I like to fish them off the edges of shallow gravel flats and around docks. The lip is positioned near the nose of the bait and can be fished in 2-5 feet of water effectively. It too has the brass balancing system, and due to its bulk, it can be accurately cast long distances.


7.    Rapala X-Rap - the X-Rap is jerkbait with a ton of versatility. It can be cast or trolled equally well thanks to its precision center weighting. The X-Rap has an action unlike many of the previous mentioned due to its nose forward bill. When jerked it dives quickly, nose down and slashes from side to side very well. Active fish love this action, and the color schemes of this line up makes it a great bait that provides a ton of flash. I like Albino Shad, Glass Ghost and Purple Ghost the best.


8.    Rapala Husky Jerk - This classic jerkbait is precisely balanced and runs true right out of the box. I like to fish it in shallow water applications, 4-6 feet in a jerk-and-go style. Many hits occur after the bait is paused and then starts moving again. It is neutrally buoyant bait, so it suspends very well. Due to the weight of the larger models, it too can be cast very well. Favorite two colors are Silver and Helsinki Shad in this bait.

9.    Jackall Squad Minnow - I have some of the early models of this bait, and it too fits in a category by itself, in my opinion. It’s more of a glide bait and has a tighter wiggle that allows it to be jerked fast. I like to use this bait on points and channel swings and like to use it when water temps are near 55 degrees. The Squad Minnow’s weight system is the reason a stop, dart and go action works well with this bait.

Early spring is the best time to use these types of minnow imitators, but I have caught fish year round on them. When the bite is tough, even in summer months, it may be a good idea to remember the jerkbait. Remember, clear water is best suited for this genre of baits and using fluorocarbon has added a great way to feel and catch more fish for me.



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