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How to Swim a Jig for Bass around Other Cover

Posted by Jason Sealock on Wed, May 01, 2013 @ 07:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Swim jigs are not just for emergent grass

By Jason Sealock

Some bass fishing techniques still excite us year after year when that "certain bite is on" as fishermen say. Swimming a jig for me is one of those techniques. I'm fond of sight fishing and love to flip bushes. But there is just something about the kind of hits you get on a swim jig that really gets me amped about fishing shallow. So I picked the brains of four Elite Series pros who have reputations as great "jig swimmers" to see what we could learn about how to swim a jig around shallow cover and not just grass.

James Niggemeyer not only  fishes professionally but also guides full-time down on Lake Fork. Over the years his eyes have been opened to the effectiveness of a swim jig by other pros like Bill Lowen. Lowen is often referred to in swim jig discussions because he's proven how efficient it is for pressured bass. Jamie Horton has won more than 100 tournaments in his career and a large percentage has come "swimming." Randy Howell won the first E-50 tournament on Lake Dardanelle "power swimming" a jig and uses it often in competition.

In talking with four successful swim jig anglers, there are essentially 6 things you need to know to be good with a swim jig in bass fishing:
  • Swim it high
  • Power swim to slow the bait
  • Contact the cover
  • Take a step towards the bass
  • No cover necessary
  • Tackle matters

Photo courtesy of B.A.S.S./Bill Lowen fights a bass to the boat on a swim jig

Keep it up

All four anglers agree that it's a high in the water column retrieve that often produces better. They want the fish to see it and come get it rather than dangling it right in front of them. So they will keep the swim jig usually within sight the whole cast. And for that reason, all agree it's more effective in stained to more clear water.

"I reel it slow and high in the water column and it doesn't seem to matter whether it's sunny, cloudy, raining or windy," Lowen said. "I haven't found one magic condition where they bite it better. It comes through all sorts of cover but I like to keep a visual on the jig when I swim it."


Pump the rod for longer strike zones

Howell and Horton advocate swimming a jig with a series of rod pumps. The will hold their rod at about 10 o'clock and pump the rod tip succesively to cause the jig to pulse through the water.

This action makes the skirt and trailer pulse as it ticks through cover, but more importantly, it slows the bait's forward progression. It seems to cause the bait to stall half the time and what you end up with is a very active jig that stays in the strike zone longer.




















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Fishing Brush Piles

Posted by Jason Sealock on Mon, Mar 18, 2013 @ 07:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Cliff Pace unhooking bass from fishing wood

Find big bass ambush points fishing wood cover sunk by anglers

By Jason Sealock

Every angler values some sort of cover when it comes to bass fishing. Some of the easiest cover anglers can make themselves includes brush piles. But sometimes finding already sunk brush can be the key to big catches throughout the year. Understanding the nuances of fishing brush and fishing wood as opposed to rock and grass once you've found it often equals big success when bass fishing.

We talked recently with Bassmaster Classic champion Cliff Pace on how he finds good brush and then how he goes about making brush work for him in his bass fishing situations. He shared some great insight that all bass anglers should take to heart when targeting brush on any lake.

The right area makes the brush right

Bass get in brush piles to hide from their prey and sometimes around them because of their prey. But the bass won't be there if the area isn't conducive for them.

"For any brush pile to be a good one it's got to be in the right area," Pace said. I look for brush piles within my pattern. If I'm fishing main lake points, I will look for brush around those points. Usually I like the brush piles on a good clean hard bottom because that's what the bass likes."

Pace looks for three things for a brush pile to be right:

  • At the right depth
  • Within a pattern
  • A good hard bottom
Not all brush is good brush

Bass won't occupy every brush pile on a lake. In fact, they inhabit a very small percentage of the brush piles on a lake.

"About 25 percent of the brush I find actually holds bass," Pace said. "So be prepared to find a whole bunch of likely fishing wood that doesn't hold any bass."

That's what he likes about brush pile fishing though. They aren't just everywhere and the bass aren’t in all of them. So that means when you find a handful of good ones, they will generally always be good ones. And the harder you work to find the right ones, the better your fishing will be when they are in that pattern that the brush is in.


Some lakes produce better brush bass

"Typically I like a lake that doesn't have a lot of natural cover for fishing brush piles," Pace said. "If there is grass, and rocks and a lot of manmade structures, brush piles might not be as good as they are on a lake void of a lot of that cover. As they come out of their spawning areas."

But he will look for brush in his area on all the lakes he fishes. It's worthwhile to spend the time for what could potentially be a key bite or two if the fishing gets tough.

Keep in mind that brush can be big hardwood trees piled up or single bushy trees or other pieces of wood that forms an object in the water that baitfish relate to and bass use to ambush.

Technology eliminates guess work

Structure Scan has really made finding brush so much easier for anglers.

"It's really almost not fair anymore," Pace said. "Instead of guess what the pile looked like and if it had fish near it, you can see how many limbs it has and how many bass are on it with these new Lowrance electronics."

Pace will spend a lot of time idling an area looking for brush in out-of-the-way places. Instead of simply focusing right on the tip of a point, he idled the bank leading up to it, the curve out of the point, down the side of the point, then up the other side and around into the cove. He'll make big egg shaped passes around the area looking for brush on the outskirts of the fish holding areas. He often finds the brush that is off to the side of a key spot is the better brush because most folks overlook it.

Once he finds brush he hops up on the deck and makes a few casts until he hits the cover. Then he will immediately get a line up with something on the nearest bank so he can eliminate the guess work when he returns to fish a productive pile.

Fish thoroughly and repetitively

It takes a different array of lures to fish brush versus rock and grass to an extent. The baits that work best often depend on the mood of the bass or season. Pace shared four of his favorites for targeting brush:

 When the fish are in the brush, he will work a jig or a worm up and over every branch slowly, trying to make as much contact with the cover as he can on one cast. Many bites will occur just as the lure comes up and over a branch and starts falling again. So it's important to be a line watcher and feel for the bites as it the lure falls through the cover.

If the fish are aggressive, especially in warmer summer months, he will go for a reaction bite by crashing a crankbait into limbs and the top of trees he's fishing. It takes some practice but you can actually get good at worming a crankbait through the brush with your rod and triggering some big fish to bite.

And before he leaves any brush pile he always makes a few casts to it with a spinnerbait. He feels like it's one of the best ways to trigger an aggressive bass to bite around brush. It's been a go to big fish producer for years for him in the warmer months.

It's worth your time to explore your lake and rule out the unproductive brush piles and find those handful of fish producers to always have in your back pocket on a tough day or when you don't have time to run around and find bass, knowing a handful of good brush piles can be a fishing day saver. Fishing brush takes patience but the rewards can be huge in bass fishing.


























































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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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How to Fish Grass for Bass

Posted by Jason Sealock on Mon, Feb 18, 2013 @ 07:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Grass fish with jig

By Jason Sealock

Anglers either love it or hate it. Fishing grass can be some of the best experiences or some of the most frustrating and that's generally determined by an angler's attitude and strategy. Just because there is grass doesn't mean you ignore all the other variables in fishing. How you fish grass is important, but knowing where in a field of grass to fish is probably more important.

We picked Greg Hackney's brain about how he likes to fish grass and ran a video series, but folks have asked us to organized his thoughts into an article. We broke it down to essentially four easy parts:
  •    Seasonal approach
  •    Lure choices
  •    Line choices
  •    Identifying grass

Four seasons of grass fishing

"I find more times than not that grass fishing has more to do with the bottom than it does the grass," Hackney said. "It's more about the hard bottoms, sandy bottoms, spawning areas around the grass depending on the season and the fishery."

In the early spring the fish will get on inside edges of grass. As the summer sets in, they may get in and under the grass more as it mats up and makes cooler, cleaner and darker areas for them to ambush. In the fall we often target bass on those outside edges. If the grass stays in some capacity, bass can relate to those grass edges on river breaks and such all through the winter. Even grass that goes dormant and gets real short in the cooler months will hold populations of bass.

Grass can keep fish from making big migrations from the main lake to the backs of the bays. Hackney has found on many fisheries that the presence of grass keeps bass in one general area through prespawn, spawn, post spawn, summer, fall and winter. As the lakes fluctuate, the bass just reposition in proximity to the grass and forage relating to the grassy areas.

Pressure can also reposition bass on grass areas. Hackney still looks for those structural changes like creek channel bends, points and humps and then targets the grass on those changes. But often the best places can get too much angling pressure and you have to adapt how you fish grass or move down slightly to find where those bass have repositioned in the grass away from the key areas.


Choose the best baits not your favorite baits

Folks probably think all Hackney does if flip and pitch grass with jigs. If he had his choice that would be right, but fishing grass is like anything else. You choose the tool that fits the situation, not your favorite technique.

In the early spring period when the grass is often shorter and more submerged than later in the year, Hackney focuses on lures that cover water and draw reaction strikes like a Strike King Red Eye Shad or his Strike King Hack Attack Heavy Cover Spinnerbait fished over and around the grass edges. Bass will get shallower in colder water around grass than they will on lakes without grass. They will get up there even in water as cool as 40 degrees. He likes to fish over the grass and just tick the tops of it and ripping it out when it snags for a reaction bite.

As it warms up he starts targeting the bass spawning around the inside edges of the grass with a Strike King KVD 1.5. He thinks those bass cruising and looking to spawn react better to that smaller profile worked on the inside edge of grass and ripped off the top of submerged grass.

Flipping and pitching also starts to be effective with soft plastics like beavers or soft stickbaits around the spawn.

After the spawn he really likes a topwater bait like the new Strike King Sexy Dawg or the KVD Sexy Frog. He also likes a spinnerbait with a big blade during this period when he's targeting grass fish around the shad spawn.

As the grass gets matted and thickens in the warmer months. He'll go with his Strike King Hack Attack Jig or a Strike King Rodent.  He goes with the heaviest weight he can get away with because he can be more efficient punching through quickly. But if he's not getting bites, he will go down in weight for a slower more enticing fall.

He'll stick with the jig and rodent one-two punch all the way to winter.

Your line can make grass fishing easy or difficult

When you talk fishing grass, anglers automatically think power fishing with big heavy line. And that's true to an extent. But Hackney chooses his line based on the fish behavior and time of the year.

When he's fishing lipless baits early in the year, he'll use braid because he wants to clear his bait of grass easily and quickly. Since the fish are cold, they won't jump and throw the trebles as easily either on the no-stretch line.

When he's flipping or pitching, he always goes with braid because the bass can't differentiate the braid from the grass. He will go with fluorocarbon if he's pitching a stick bait to the inside or outside edges of the grass because the fish are looking at it more in open water.

With his spinnerbaits, topwaters and crankbaits he's usually going with fluorocarbon and monofilament especially as the water warms up and the fish have softer mouths and he wants to keep them hooked better with the give of monofilament. Still he uses heavy line—20-pound line with the mono and fluoro and 65-pound with the braid—around grass to give him more control and power to move fish over and out of the grass.

Identifying your grass improves your approach

Folks often get hung up on types of grass and scientific names for them. Most good grass anglers identify two types of grass -- "under grass" and "next-to grass."  Hydrilla, Milfoil, Lily Pads, Hyacinths and some other grasses grow with thin stalks but lay over or form large canopies over the top of bass. These are the types of grasses that form the famous mats that anglers love to punch. While grasses like Coontail, Tules, Pencil Reeds, Arrow Heads and other types of grass that are thick and grow close together, form "edges" that the bass will get on top of or next to.

The type of grass isn't as important as recognizing whether the bass will setup under or next to the grass. That will also help decide which lures offer the best presentations. Grasses like hydrilla tend to be the most popular because they can form edges and canopies and it gives the bass and anglers a lot more good options.

Most of the grasses will be shorter in colder water allowing you to fish baits over them. As they grow and the water warms they will create canopies or edges to fish more.  Sometimes fishing can be as easy as knowing the bass are on the inside grass lines or outside grass lines.

Learning to find grass near other structural changes, with the right bottom composition and then reading the grass in those areas to make educated choices on line and lure selection will take most of the frustration out of grass fish.

To learn more on how Hackney targets grass fish, check out this series of videos:

Fishing Grass | Seasons
Fishing Grass | Line Choices
Fishing Grass | Bait Selection



































































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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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42-pound Limit Caught in Oklahoma | The Full Story

Posted by Walker Smith on Thu, Jan 24, 2013 @ 10:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Jeff Reynolds Catches 42lb
Jeff Reynolds and his partner never saw it coming

By Walker Smith

Bluebird skies, high pressure and 40-degree water temperatures aren’t exactly a bass angler’s ideal conditions. Those were the conditions that faced Valera, Oklahoma resident Jeff Reynolds and his partner as they entered into the first Backyard Bassin tournament of the year—a free entry fee promotional tournament on Oklahoma’s Lake of the Arbuckles.

An awful practice

Reynolds fished the Lake of the Arbuckles earlier in the week for the very first time. After a terrible practice with only 2 fish over the 13-16-inch slot limit, both caught in 50-feet of water on a jigging spoon, he was left with a sour taste in his mouth.  To the best of his knowledge, all he could figure out was that both the bass and bait were deep. Despite his subpar practice, the entry fee-free tournament was enough to convince him to try his luck. Little did the angling duo know, they would soon experience a day they’d never forget.

“It had been pretty cold here for a while and people were complaining about the tough fishing,” said Reynolds. “We had a small warming trend in the forecast, so my partner and I decided to fish the tournament and see what would happen.”

Tournament morning

As the team arrived to their first spot, they noticed the baitfish glued to the bottom. Although he didn’t use it during his practice, Reynolds turned his HydroWave on in an attempt to stir things up. Within minutes, he noticed bait flickering on the surface—something he never saw in practice. Picking up his Livingston Lures Stick Master jerkbait, Reynolds fired a cast into to the action. After catching a small keeper, Reynolds boated a monster bass that proved to be the beginning of the epic slugfest.

“I’ve always been pretty old school, believing in a few trusted lures to catch my fish,” Reynolds said. “The Livingston Stick Master, however, has a sound chamber that emits a croaking noise. I really believe it was a key to my success.”

Not long after boating the first big bass, the team laid into a second 7-plus pounder, again with the Livingston Stick Master. Thinking they had something figured out, they remained persistent with the jerkbait but were unable to draw another strike.

The turning point

After fishing numerous spots in the 2,350-acre reservoir, Reynolds put down his jerkbait and opted for a homemade bass umbrella rig. Although the bait and bass were again glued to the bottom, Reynolds, who isn't affiliated with Hydrowave, noticed a huge increase in activity after activating his unit.

“We never saw active baitfish in practice, but my Hydrowave made all the difference in the world,” Reynolds said. “As soon as I’d turn it on, the activity would increase tenfold and the bass would move up in the water column and suddenly become catchable.”

With the baitfish schooling and the bass not far behind, the team was able to land two more giant bass with their homemade umbrella rigs. They figured they had a “decent” limit, but had no idea they were on the verge of a 40-pound limit.

Just like the jerkbait bait bite, the umbrella rig bite died rather quickly. Throughout the day, Reynolds and his partner never caught more than one fish in a single spot. With such a small amount of space to work with in the crowded fishery, they simply put the trolling motor down and covered as much water as possible.

The realization

The partners were able to catch two more tanks on a 3/4-ounce Strike King Tour Grade Football Jig. The gravity of the situation didn’t quite hit them until they were trying to cull.

“It started to hit me when I had a 7-pounder and an 8-pounder hanging on both ends of my balance beam,” Reynolds said. “I never really analyzed the fish throughout the day. I just put them in the livewell and kept fishing. When I started trying to cull and saw my Ranger’s livewell absolutely stacked with bass, I realized that we had a pretty good sack.”

Even upon realizing their success, both Reynolds and his partner only believed their weight to be about 32-pounds. With a competitive streak of a seasoned tournament angler, Reynolds thought they needed more.

“I told my partner that if we hung into a 10-pounder, we’d close the deal and win the tournament,” Reynolds said. “He just looked at me like I was crazy.”

The double-digit bass never bit that day, but they didn’t need it. With a five bass limit of 42-pounds, Reynolds and his partner ran away with the victory, eclipsing second place by 14-pounds and third place by an astonishing 26-pounds.

“We just went out there to compete, because that’s what we love to do,” Reynolds said. “We were very fortunate that day, but everyone thinks we caught a bunch of fish. We caught five big ones, another 7-pounder that didn’t keep, a 3-pounder and a 16-inch smallmouth. It was still a grind, as crazy as that sounds.”

The winning combination

Livingston Lures Stick Master
Rod: 7-foot, 3-inch medium-action Duckett Micro Magic Series
Line: 12-pound Vicious Pro Elite Fluorocarbon

Homemade Umbrella Rig
Rod: 7-foot, 6-inch heavy-action Duckett Micro Magic Series
Line: 65-pound Vicious Braid
Baits: 5-inch Berkley Powerbait Hollow Belly Swimbaits
 
3/4-ounce Strike King Tour Grade Football Jig
Rod: 7-foot, 3-inch medium heavy-action Duckett Micro Magic Series
Line: 17-pound Vicious Pro Elite Fluorocarbon





























































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Small Waters | Find Your Ice Fishing Spots Early

Posted by Jason Sealock on Tue, Jan 15, 2013 @ 08:35 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Glorvigen with big ice pike

By Mike Pehanich

I love open water, and I will fish it until my baits bounce off the skim ice.
But once it gets cold enough to walk on water … it's time to find where to ice fish on my favorite lakes.

Search for early ice spots

Ice is thick in the Northwoods, but this is still “tweener” time in much of the Midwest—the days-to-weeks transition period between open water and solid freeze.

But, if you are determined to make this off-season more productive, you are using this "change" period for preparation and mapping local lakes and doing so with a patience you couldn’t contrive during the run-and-gun days of summer.

The famous fishing twins, Scott and Marty Glorvigen, have fished countless small lakes near their homes in Grand Rapids, Minn.

 "Some of the best and most underfished bodies of water are the small lakes you drive past on your way to the big-name waters," said Scott Glorvigen, co-host of Wired2Fish TV on NBC Sports and a long-time star on the Professional Walleye Trail and FLW Walleye Tour. “The tendency in life is to think bigger is better, but so many small lakes offer easy entry in winter and are fun to fish.”

Small waters are usually the first to freeze in any area. Prepare for the ice fishing season by scouting them for prime areas before the freeze, if possible. Open water homework during late autumn can multiply your catch rate come ice time. If your lakes are already frozen, you can reduce your learning curve to a fraction of the norm by concentrating on a smaller, more manageable lake.

“On a lot of small bodies of water, scouting lakes is as simple as finding the deepest portions that will be the gathering areas for panfish like crappie and bluegill,” Glorvigen said.


Find the hole in one

Falling water temperatures find fish metabolism slowing down and so should you.

Winter is prime time to really learn lakes beyond identifying typical structural elements. Dig for details! Take time to find out precisely what features make those areas attractive to fish.

Key areas – for panfish in particular – are the "soft spots," areas where hard bottom shifts to soft sediment.

"Those hole areas are surrounded by shallow areas," Scott explains. "Those areas collect sediment almost like dust collects in the corners of our house or garage."

The depth of such holes will vary. On northern lakes, they are often at 14- to 18-foot depths or even 25 feet deep. But they can be much shallower and more subtle depressions on many waters.

Winter fishing underscores the value of areas we tend to dismiss as "mud holes" or "mud flats."

"That’s where the zooplankton and insects gather," said Glrovigen. "They anchor the food chain. Consequently, that’s where the bluegills and other species congregate."



Next: Scott Glorvigen discusses “How to find first ice hot spots”

Mike Pehanich is publisher of Mike Pehanich’s Small Waters Fishing website  (smallwatersfishing.com) featuring videos and features with top pros of the bass world and multi-species angling tips.













































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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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Why You Should Go Fishing for Other Fish

Posted by Jason Sealock on Mon, Nov 26, 2012 @ 08:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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How to fish for crappie with curl tail grubs

How to fish for other fish to recharge your fishing batteries

By Jason Sealock

Relationships were overly dramatic and serious during the high school years. Or at least it seemed to me with most of the young ladies I dated while growing up. They seemed to think the whole companionship thing took a lot more effort and forced focus than I did. If you weren’t talking with them on the phone 24/7 or displaying your affection for them every moment you were near them, it was a monumental meltdown with the changing of the wind. I never grasped the passion they had for dating in high school until much later in life.

Fishing, however, had an entirely reversed grip on me, one that I’ve often found now to parallel what I saw as a somewhat “clingy” and overbearing relationship growing up. In other words, my passion for fishing carries me to the brink of insanity or at least the point of complete disconnect where I no longer want to be in a relationship with it. If you fish long enough, you will reach that point where you come back from several tough trips in a row and decide it’s time to put all the gear on eBay and take up golf or something else less demanding.

After all, fishing isn’t luck, or so we seem to convince ourselves when we reach a certain level of tackle accumulation. How is it possible to own a $40,000 boat, $3,000 of electronics, $10,000 of rods, reels and tackle and still not be able to catch a bass? I’ve been studying the sport and the anglers in it for the better part of two decades and one thing I’m certain of now, we don’t know as much about fish as we think we do. And that typically becomes apparent in the fall transition periods.

There is a time when the fish are transitioning from summer to fall feeding zones and then again from fall to winter feeding zones. And the weather can grey the areas even more, making finding and then catching fish a monumental task. If you’re an angler like me that prides himself on being able to not only find bass but also figure them out, when you don’t for a trip or two, those little demons on the shoulder pop up to raise some doubt about your manhood and your ability as a hunter/gatherer.

Some guys need a break. Others need a distraction. For me I need a distraction to give me a break from being the fish snob that I am. The fact is, that to some degree, we’re all fish snobs. The bass guys chunk crankbaits and pitch plastics for bass, the crappie guys spend their time spider rigging and shooting docks for crappie, the catfish guys set limb lines, trot lines and cast big dead parts for big bad cats, while the trout guys go light line, light fly and sight fish their way to more trout.

We get locked on our quarry of choice, and we become singularly focused on the bass, crappie or trout at hand. We are driven to catch more, bigger and better fish every time we go – haunted by memories of trips of past. Our ability to find and catch the fish of choice somehow defines us as an angler, as a person. Or so we let ourselves believe. When in actuality we lost sight of the thing that drew us to the fish in the first place. It’s the unknown.

The unknown drew us in. The more we do it, however, the more it can drive us away. The unknown might simply be not knowing how big a fish we will catch, how many fish we will catch or where we will catch them. There is unknown from lake to lake, spot to spot, and cast to cast. That unknown fuels our fire and extinguishes it if we let it. Because the unknown can empower you or haunt you depending on how you let it affect your fishing.

The fix

So I recently had a few bad outings bass fishing. Catching a 4-pounder and nothing else in 5 hours of fishing. Catching a few dinks and no keepers. And one outing, for 4 hours, never having a single bite. That doesn’t seem like a big deal. But when you live on a premier fishery and you have had many experiences on said fishery the same time of year that suggest you should be catching them, you start to feel that doubt.

So what did I do? Switched gears. I pulled the bass rods out of the boat and stood them up in the corner of the garage and reached for two wispy but wiry spinning rods with tiny reels then respooled them with bright white and yellow lines and small jigheads with curly tails on them. I pulled crankbaits and jerkbaits in exchange for curl tail grubs and hair jigs. A filet knife, some Ziploc bags and a net and I was out the door to meet a buddy for a day on the lake.

“I’m mad at the bass right now,”  I said on the phone call to Terry Bolton, “You want to go fishing for crappie next week?”

“I’ve been catching quite a few lately and the bass fishing isn’t really swell right now so let’s go,” he said.

So we got up early and hit the lake recently for a day of “relaxed” fishing. No agendas. No unnecessary stress placed on our own psyches to be all we can be with an Alabama Rig or a jerkbait and catch huge limits of bass. Just a few little spinning rods, a handful of small jigs and an open livewell lid.


“Splash.”

The first crappie hit the livewell and it was a beautiful sound. A big smile washed over my face and I was back. My passion fulfilled, my energy for fishing renewed.

“I used to be a pretty good crappie man,” Bolton said of his days guiding on Kentucky Lake. “About this time of year, I couldn’t tell you what the bass were doing because I wasn’t chasing them. There were no tournaments, and I was so addicted to catching crappie with a jig, I couldn’t make myself pick up a bass rod. Somewhere along the way that changed, but I’m having fun and not even thinking about bass fishing right now.”


We launched the boat a bit after sunrise; no hurry in our step and for a moment we stopped and just appreciated the fine calm morning we were experiencing. I had forgotten that I get so driven in bass fishing that I can’t just enjoy a beautiful morning because my mind is spinning with locations and presentations.

We hopped from pile to pile of scattered brush on isolated areas away from the bank along Kentucky Lake’s many bays, points and humps picking up a scattering of crappie here and there. Nothing fancy at all about the approach. Reels spooled with 6-pound monofilament or 8-pound braid tied to 3/32 or 1/8-ounce jigheads that we tipped with either white or chartreuse curl tails. The technique wasn’t anything special. Idle around until we found a nice piece of brush on the Lowrance HDS, drop a buoy, spin the boat and cast.


When the jig hit the water, we’d let it go down until we were on bottom or near the cover. A couple of casts was all it usually took to catch a fish or find the brush that was holding the fish and then we’d work around it with ultra slow presentations.

“I’ve said for years that a good crappie won’t let a jig get hung in the brush,” Bolton joked. If you cast a jig and let it sink down near a piece of brush, some sort of fish should grab it if he’s around.

Well, crappie master, I am not and found my fair share of stakes and limbs that refused to let go of a jig or seven. But I also found my fair share of crappie that never let the jig get close to the cover.


It was fun. It was pretty simple. It was rewarding and fulfilling and ultimately it will be filling for me and my family who love to eat fried crappie with sides of coleslaw and hush puppies. Those fish will feed our family for a few meals, but they fed my soul for the whole season. My fishing coffers were overflowing again, and I couldn’t wait to be on the water again as I pulled the boat out for the day.

I had a feeling of being in high school and what some of those girls maybe felt about my lack of attention and unwavering passion for them as a nerdy 17-year-old.

“So Mr. Bass, I’ve decided not to break up with you just yet, although I do think you could pay more attention to me and my offerings and give us the time of day when we’re near. I mean after all, that’s part of a healthy fishing relationship. Because if not, don’t think for a second I won’t start seeing more of one of your cousins from the panfish family.”

Maybe that’s a little overbearing, but I guess a break from your significant other is what a fish snob needs every now and again to renew the passion. It’s okay to fish for other fish.





































































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Four Tips on How to Fish a Shaky Head

Posted by Walker Smith on Mon, Nov 12, 2012 @ 08:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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big bass in tough conditions bite shaky heads



These 4 presentations will help you get the most out of your shaky head fishing

By Walker Smith

The shaky head is a rare beast—most anglers either absolutely love it or despise it. While its existence in bass fishing has been obscured by its perceived inability to catch big fish, anglers around the world have been consistently winning tournaments with it for years. For those days when the bass prefer a small appetizer instead of a full-course meal, knowing how-to fish a shaky head well can improve that day's fishing.

Over the years, we've experimented with several different shaky head presentations. Although it’s difficult to fish a shaky head wrong, a few intricacies will improve your ability to catch more fish during those tough days on the water.

Drag it

The name “shaky head” fools many anglers. Although the name implies that you should shake your arm out of socket, don’t fall into the "one-retrieve" trap. Dragging a shaky head along the bottom often yields better results.

It’s no secret that bass fishing in the fall can lead to some of the most memorable moments in an angler’s life. As bass, both spotted and largemouth, group up on primary and secondary points in search of big balls of bait, it can be difficult to find an area where you can’t catch fish. This time of year can be a double-edged sword, however, as autumn produces some nasty cold fronts, often making fishing extremely difficult.

During these post-frontal days, dragging a shaky head often proves best. Once bass move up on secondary points, they usually won’t stray far, if at all, when then front hits. Although they won’t always eat crankbaits and big jigs, they are rarely timid when it comes to crushing a shaky head.  Dragging a shaky head allows anglers to cover more water while also feeling for specific bottom compositions. Instead of dead-sticking a worm in these areas, briskly drag a shaky head to quickly and efficiently locate fish.

If you don’t get a bite in the first ten casts, simply leave and continue the search elsewhere. When implementing the dragging technique, you can hit dozens of areas while making mental notes and waypoints on your GPS device, allowing you the opportunity to hone-in on the most productive areas. This also makes dragging a shaky head an outstanding technique to use when practicing for that big weekend tournament.

A Zoom Trick Worm on a 1/8 or 3/16 ounce head is hard to beat most of the time

Hop it    

Although it sounds as if we’re splitting hairs with this, there is a huge difference in shaking a shaky head and hopping a shaky head. Differentiating your presentation from what the bass see every day usually leads to more bites and catching those bigger, more educated and conditioned fish.

Whenever a full moon is present, fishing during the day can be tougher. As the fish feed for longer throughout the night, they become less apt to feed aggressively during the day. When the bass are a bit sluggish during these times, hopping a small finesse worm on a shaky head can trigger reaction bites that bulkier, more imposing baits cannot.

In addition to the lethargic bass activity during the day of a full moon, crawfish activity increases. As crawfish emerge from their dark dwellings, they will hop around rocks in search of food. As they dash and dart, they emit a very distinctive “clicking” sound that is unmistakable to a big bass. Hopping a shaky head around hard cover emulates this sound, giving anglers an opportunity to fool otherwise wary bass.

When implementing this presentation, it isn’t necessary to rip the shaky head. Beginning with your rod tip at a 3 o’clock angle, twitch upward to a 1 o’clock position to trigger reaction strikes. Crawfish aren’t Olympic high jumpers, so hopping the bait too aggressively can appear unnatural to surrounding bass.

Anglers must watch their line with this presentation, as there isn’t a quicker way to lose a fish than twitching your rod tip upwards when a bass already has your shaky head in its mouth.  To combat this, be sure to let your bait fall on a semi-slack line while watching for any jump in the line. If you notice any movement whatsoever on a slack line, it is important to set the hook immediately.


Shake it

We know it sounds fairly obvious, but shaking a shaky head along the bottom of your favorite fishery is an outstanding way to catch a lot of fish. Knowing when and where to do so will yield the best results. Let’s draw a quick parallel to human behavior for a better understanding of this presentation:

Growing up, we all had those kids in our classes that would do anything to bother their fellow classmates. The absolute worst is when that classmate would put their index finger right in front of your face while doing the “I’m not touching you” routine. Eventually, most of us would get frustrated and swat their hand away. Shaking a shaky head triggers the same hand-swatting impulse in a bass. If you shake and wiggle your bait right in front of a bass’ face long enough, it’s going to get mad and eat it.

For this reason, we’ve found that shaking a shaky head is most effective when you know bass are in the immediate vicinity. Whether you’ve found them on your Lowrance or you’re getting a bunch of short strikes with other baits, shaking that shaky head right in front of their nose is going to make them mad enough to eat it—even if they’re not hungry.

When bass are in large concentrations on ledges, in ditches or off the end of a main lake point, this presentation will catch them. When you feel bass are roaming up and down a stretch, shaking a worm in place will give the bass time to wander in and find your offering before you move it out of their feeding zone. If you’re having trouble getting bites, don’t be afraid to switch your color or weight size—sometimes the small things make a huge difference. Just remember to use small, subtle twitches of your rod tip while letting the bait do the rest of the work, as over-doing it can spook larger fish.


Swim it

This is a presentation in which I've had recent success. Just as you would reel a Biffle Bug across chunk rock and other hard bottom compositions, swimming a shaky head can be a deadly approach around active fish—especially spotted bass.

On cloudy, overcast days, bass do not position very tightly to structure. Instead of shading themselves from the sun, they will venture from surrounding cover in order to search for prey. As the bass begin to move more, it allows anglers to cover water with a plethora of moving baits. While bass see hundreds of crankbaits, jerkbaits and other moving baits throughout the week, how many times do you think they’ve seen a swimming shaky head? Again, it’s all about being different.

In order for the bass to get a good bead on your shaky head with this technique, a soft plastic with superior water displacement, like a Zoom Ultravibe Speed Worm, works well for me. For years, anglers have been using these kinds of soft plastic baits to fool big bass in shallow water, but they also work wonders in deep water as well.

Maintain bottom contact when swimming a shaky head. If you are unable to feel the bottom, simply changing to a heavier shaky head or a slower retrieve should help. Keeping your rod tip down and to the side will aid in the detection of bites, while also keeping you in position for a strong, sweeping hookset. While it will take a little practice to get a good feel for the bite with this presentation, it is important to stay vigilant and observant. During the hookset, make sure to reel until you feel the fish and sweep your rod to the side, just like a crankbait hookset. If possible, avoid any slack in your line.

Shaky head fishing can be one of the most versatile techniques in an angler’s arsenal. Thinking outside the box and trying different things can lead to some really fun fishing throughout the entire year. Whether you’re dragging, hopping, shaking or swimming a shaky head, it is an extremely effective technique for anglers of all skill levels.

To learn more about how to fish a shaky head, check out these popular links:

Improving Your Shaky Head Fishing

Shaky Head Fishing on Transition Banks

Eco Pro Tungsten Money Maker Review

Profile Your Fishing Lures

Why Braid Will Make You a Better Finesse Angler







































































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