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Fishing Stick Worms for Bass in the Spring

Posted by Walker Smith on Mon, May 13, 2013 @ 07:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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dinger bass jumping fight




By Walker Smith


Stick worms for bass are widely regarded as one of the most simple, yet effective ways to catch more fish. In a time where many soft plastic baits look more like spaceships than bass cuisine, sometimes keeping your bait selection simple can pay big dividends.

Throughout the spring, it’s not uncommon to see Yum pro Matt Reed and Keystone Light pro Brent Ehrler ditch the appendages and opt for the simple, subtle profile of a stick worm. It’s almost impossible to fish a stick worm incorrectly, but Reed and Ehrler have keyed in on a few simple, yet very useful tips.

Throw it early and often

   Photo courtesy of FishPAA.com
 
When the water temperature is in the 55-degree range, Reed instinctively reaches for his favorite stick worm, the Yum F2 Dinger. Although many anglers utilize stick worms solely on light or weightless Texas rigs, he takes a different approach in the early spring.

“Carolina rigging an F2 Dinger on deep points is one of the best ways to catch those sluggish, prespawn bass,” Reed said. “When the water temperature is cold, you always want a very subtle bait without a lot of action. I’ve had some awesome days doing this.”

Ehrler prefers to disregard the water temperature and throw his go-to stick worm, a Gary Yamamoto 5-inch Senko, based only on environmental cues. He’s noticed one important clue that serves as a dead-giveaway for a hot stick worm bite.

“It doesn’t matter what the water temperature is because every lake is different,” Ehrler said. “However, whenever I see fish cruising the shallows, they will, without question, eat a Senko. If the water is wet and bass live in it, you’ll catch them on a Senko.”
 
A versatile tool for spawning bass

As prespawn bass make their way into spawning coves, Reed uses a small Texas rig to catch roaming bass. He jokingly blames his lack of patience as the primary need for a bullet weight.

“I just don’t like to fish very slow, so I tend to use a 1/16 or 1/8-ounce bullet weight when I’m bed fishing or just covering flats looking for spawners,” Reed said. “You’d think it would hurt your number of bites, but I catch plenty of good fish on it and I can also fish it quicker.”

Both Ehrler and Reed are big believers in “long lining” for spawning bass—a technique in which they locate a bass bed, return at a later time and make very long casts to it with a weightless stick worm. They have fooled countless big bass using this technique.


“If you can make that long cast past the bed before the fish sees you, they will almost always bite on the very first cast,” Ehrler said. “You can land your cast a couple feet to the side of the bed and they’ll actually leave the bed and eat it. It’s crazy how they’ll eat that thing.”

Cover water for cruising post-spawners

It’s a common occurrence to see big, post-spawn bass cruising the shallows. Whether they’re hunting bluegill beds or capitalizing on a recent mayfly hatch, these fish are some of the toughest to catch. To intercept these gypsy bass, Ehrler uses a weightless, Texas-rigged 5-inch Senko as a search bait.

“Again, the biggest key to this technique is making an ultra-long cast,” Ehrler said. “After a long cast, I simply let it free-fall to the bottom, pop it twice and do it all over again. I’m more worried about the initial fall, because that’s how you’ll get 90 percent of your bites.”

Although Reed prefers to target cast a stick worm for post-spawn bass, he echoes Ehrler’s sentiments regarding the importance of the initial fall. He doesn’t leave it in one place too long.

   Photo courtesy of FishPAA.com

“I get almost all of my bites on the initial fall when I’m flipping an F2 Dinger to cover,” Reed said. “The only time I try to cover water with a stick worm is when I’m fishing long grass lines. Even then, I’ll twitch it a couple times and keep making casts.”

Wacky rig it for a totally different look


Docks and pontoon boats mean one thing for Ehrler—a wacky rigged stick worm. While he uses a weightless Texas rig to cover water, he puts his wacky rig and spinning gear to work when he’s making quick casts to precise cover.

“You’ll get a lot more action rigging the Senko wacky style,” Ehrler said. “It will fall slower which may require more patience for the angler, but the slow fall will make bass swim from further away to bite it. Any time you need to skip a stick worm into a small area, a wacky rig is the way to go.”

Reed also wacky rigs his F2 Dingers in the post-spawn, but primarily around grass.

“I still don’t work my Dinger too far when it’s wacky rigged, but I’ve found it to be an outstanding choice around grass,” Reed said. “It doesn’t hang up very much and it gives those grass fish a totally different presentation that many people don’t use in those areas.”

Get creative with your presentation

There are endless ways to fish a stick worm, making experimentation essential. For instance, Reed makes good use of nail weights with his F2 Dingers.

“When I really want it to shimmy on the way down, I’ll Texas rig it an insert nail weights sideways,” Reed said. “I’ll actually use 2 or 3 nail weights to match the width of the worm, and I put them in sideways so the Dinger is still pliable.”


Ehrler has had a lot of success fishing a 5-inch Senko on a 1/8-ounce Picasso Shakedown shaky head. While many anglers prefer to Texas rig stick worms, Ehrler finds his approach more erratic on the fall.

“The stick worm will definitely ‘play’ more on a Shakedown,” Ehrler said. “As it falls, the bait and weight are essentially one piece, causing it to spiral. With traditional bullet weights, the bait just follows the weight straight down.”

Equipment suggestions

When fishing a stick worm, Reed uses a 7-foot, medium-heavy Johnny Morris Carbon Lite Casting Rod and 12 to 14-pound Bass Pro XPS Fluorocarbon. In clear water situations, he doesn’t hesitate to downsize to 8-pound test.

If Ehrler is wacky rigging a stick worm, he always opts for spinning gear due to the increased castability. He exclusively uses a 7-foot, heavy action Lucky Craft Reaction 2 Spinning Rod and an Abu Garcia Revo Premier 40 spooled with 12-pound Sunline SX1 Braided Line for the mainline with a 6-foot leader of 8-pound Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon. For the business end, he opts for a 1/0 Gamakatsu Weedless Drop/Split Shot Hook.

When throwing a weightless Texas-rigged stick worm, Ehrler uses a 7-foot, medium-heavy  Lucky Craft Pitching Rod with a 7.3:1 Abu Garcia Revo STX spooled with 16-pound Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon. He keeps his hook selection simple with a 4/0 Gamakatsu Offset EWG Hook.

When you hit the water this spring, experiment with these stick worm techniques and develop your own customizations, too. Whether it’s the prespawn, spawn or post-spawn, throwing a stick worm is always a safe bet.










































































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Spring Bass Fishing with the Micro Bass Grub

Posted by Walker Smith on Mon, May 06, 2013 @ 08:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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spotted-bass-grub



Jared Lintner shows off one of his favorite ways to catch spring bass

By Walker Smith

Spring bass have a reputation for being especially gullible throughout the spawn—it’s a welcomed occurrence for anglers after enduring a long, brutal winter. As the spawn begins to die down, however, and the last waves of spawners move onto sandy, shallow areas, they can actually become a bit difficult to catch. After being relentlessly pursued for weeks on-end, these wary bass become wise to our tricks.

Tackle Warehouse pro Jared Lintner has found a way to overcome suspicious late spring bass. For the past 2 years, he has been using an ultra-finesse technique that has fooled countless giant bass—he calls it the “micro bass grub”. With a basic understanding of when, where and how to use it, you can make the most out of tricky late spring bass fishing.

What is it?

At one point or another, most of us have caught bass on soft plastic grubs—many of us have probably caught our first bass on it. If you thought that was a finesse technique, Lintner’s technique will make it seem like power fishing.

When rigging his micro grub, Lintner uses a 3/32-ounce Keitech Super Round Tungsten Jig Head for calmer conditions and a heavier 1/8-ounce model for easier casting in breezy conditions. If he’s around particularly large bass or thick cover, he prefers a Jackall Weedless Wacky Jig Head due to its thicker hook and small weed guard. Lintner maintains his ultra-finesse mindset when selecting an appropriate soft plastic bait.

“Don’t be afraid to throw a really small bait with this technique,” Lintner said. “I like to use a 1-inch or 1 1/2-inch Yamamoto Single Tail Grub. They’re loaded with salt and have an excellent swimming action. In reality, you can use other tiny grub models, too, but I have the most confidence with the Yamamotos.”

Where to start


When the fishing gets tough, Lintner turns to his micro bass grub in areas likely to hold both bass and bream beds—shallow, sandy flats. As he approaches these areas with his trolling motor, he keeps an eye out for any white spots on the bottom. These spots are indicative of bass and bream beds, which make them prime candidates for the often-overlooked micro grub.

On popular, heavily pressured fisheries, the majority of anglers power fish with big, bright-colored baits and heavy line. Lintner is a staunch believer that late spring bass get accustomed to these techniques, which lets him take a totally different approach with the micro grub.

“When I’m faced with bass that have been bothered by big, bulky tackle for the entire spring, the micro grub allows me to show them something they’ve probably never seen,” Lintner said. “Basically, if I see a late spring bass on bed or a big bass hovering around a bream bed, it won’t take more than 2 casts to catch them with this technique.”

How to fish it

The biggest key to effectively utilizing the micro grub is making the longest casts you can possibly make. Because Lintner most often uses this technique in clear water, heavy pressure situations, the bass will easily spook if you get too close.

“I like to keep my trolling motor on a fairly low setting and stay far away from the fish,” Lintner said. “Once I get my boat into position, I always want to cast past my target. Whether I’m casting to a visible bed or simply blind casting to shallow cover, I don’t want the grub to plop down on top of the bass.”

Following a long cast, Lintner lets the Single Tail Grub do most of the work. Reeling just fast enough to keep a small bow in his line, he’ll incorporate an occasional twitch or pause as the micro grub rig nears pieces of key cover. He uses extremely light tackle for this technique, so a strike isn’t difficult to detect.


“Whenever you get a bite, you’ll know it,” Lintner said. “Most of the times you’ll feel it in your line, but I’ve noticed a similarity with a lot of the bigger fish I’ve caught on it—a lot of times you’ll just see your line slowly swimming to the side. You don’t want to go crazy on your hookset with such light tackle, so just reel and smoothly sweep on the hookset.”

Conditions to look for

Because the micro grub technique calls for such a lightweight jig head, wind is not necessarily your friend in this case. A slight breeze, however, is a very different story.

“I like sunny conditions with a small ripple on the water,” Lintner said. “Too much wind will not only mess up your casting, but it will also hinder your ability to feel the bait, which is a big deal when fishing the micro grub.”

If you’re faced with cloudy conditions, don’t give up on the micro grub altogether. Although the location of bass may not be as easy to predict with the decreased visibility, it also doubles as an effective search bait, too.

“This rig isn’t as easy to use in cloudy conditions, but it will still definitely catch fish,” Lintner said. “I’ll just get on sandy, shallow flats and fan cast it to probable bedding areas—they’ll still bite it.”

Equipment and color selection

According to Lintner, there are two key factors to your equipment selection for throwing the micro grub—a high-quality rod and excellent line. Due to its fast taper and powerful butt-section, Lintner exclusively uses a 6-foot, 8-inch medium-light action G. Loomis GLX Spinning Rod.

When it comes to his reel and line selection, he trusts 6-pound Sunline FC Sniper and a Shimano Sustain Spinning Reel.

“I’ll definitely take my chances with the light tackle,” Lintner said. “I’ve caught fish up to 12 pounds on the micro grub around heavy cover. If you just hold steady and avoid getting in a big hurry and horsing them in, they usually swim away from cover. They’ll initially want to go in there, but if you just hold pressure on them, they’ll come right out and you’ll get ‘em.”

Regardless of the conditions, Lintner keeps his grub color selection very simple. Because of the abundance of small baitfish and bluegill that inhabit the shallows during the spring, he chooses natural colors.

“99 percent of the time, I’m throwing very subtle, non-aggressive colors,” Lintner said. “My favorites are green pumpkin, watermelon and watermelon red flake.”

If you’re dealing with spooky, stubborn fish this spring, break out the lightest tackle you have and try the micro grub. Although it may seem dainty, your opinion may be changed when you see the fish it will catch.





























































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How to Fish a Floating Bass Worm in the Spring

Posted by Walker Smith on Wed, Apr 10, 2013 @ 08:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Trick Worm Catches Bass

Floating worms are an overlooked spring technique, according to Mike McClelland

By Walker Smith

A floating bass worm is responsible for many of our oldest fishing memories. It proves equally effective in ponds, rivers, lakes and reservoirs alike. Despite its proven effectiveness, this method of fishing is quickly becoming a lost art, according to SPRO pro Mike McClelland. While the worms don't in fact float, they fall so slow that they appear to be neutrally bouyant like much of the prey bass eat.

McClelland finds spring to be the perfect time to break out his personal favorite floating worm, the Zoom Trick Worm, to catch big bass. Understanding when, where, why and how to fish them will drastically increase your success this spring.

Primary targets

While many of us have had great success throwing Trick Worms toward blowdowns and other eye catching cover, McClelland knows exactly where to go when the water temperature passes the 50 degree mark.

“When I first start throwing the Trick Worm, I’m targeting the same areas I fish with a jerkbait in late winter—secondaries, channel swings and steeper banks—except just moving to the bank,” McClelland said. “As those deep, wintertime fish start to migrate and get ready for the spawn, it’s prime Trick Worm time.”

As spring progresses into the spawning period, he makes sure to avoid over complicating his approach. He targets generic spawning areas, but he doesn’t necessarily use the technique to sight fish.

“Anywhere you find typical spawning areas, such as sand and gravel flats, you can’t forget about the Trick Worm,” McClelland said. “Even if they’re not locked onto beds, they’ll swarm to these areas and roam around. A weightless Trick Worm is an outstanding way to catch those bass.”

Even after the spawn, in the post-spawn period, you’ll find him throwing Trick Worms to catch bass guarding newly hatched fry. The slow fall and subtle shimmy triggers big females’ protective instincts.

“Something about this bait really ticks off bass when they’re guarding their young,” McClelland said. “Some of my most aggressive strikes of the year come when I’m twitching a Trick Worm over fry in post-spawn areas.”

Ideal conditions

McClelland always considers throwing a Trick Worm throughout the entire spring but there are a few specific conditions that make it his go-to technique.

“One thing that makes me want to throw it more than anything is a cloudy, rainy and misty day,” McClelland said. “Something about that combination is just phenomenal. That’s not to say they won’t bite it on a sunny day, but that’s absolutely an ideal scenario.”

Another phenomenon that has produced some great results for him is warm runoff. A lot of anglers get frustrated by spring’s seemingly never ending rain storms, but McClelland embraces them.

“If the bass are just starting to get shallow but aren’t all the way there yet, warm runoff from recent rains make them move up in a hurry,” McClelland said.

Water clarity has little or no influence on his decision to throw a floating worm. After catching several giant bass in water with as little as 5 inches of visibility, he doesn’t let nasty water deter him. He will, however, break out some “loud” colors such as Merthiolate, pink, white and yellow. Conversely, he’ll reach for more natural colors in clear water situations such as green pumpkin or watermelon red.

Presentation

As with many bass fishing techniques, there’s no concrete set of rules when it comes to effectively fishing a floating worm. McClelland is a strong believer in letting the bass tell you how they want it.

“You want to fish it slow in two specific situations—when the bass first move up to get ready for the spawn and when you’re fishing around possible bedding bass,” McClelland said. “I like to start out with a retrieve cadence similar to fishing a SPRO McStick jerkbait, just twitching it along and then letting it settle.”

When the water warms up into the high 60-degree range and post-spawn females begin guarding their fry, he speeds his retrieve considerably. Keeping the Trick Worm close to surface, he uses a presentation similar to a popular topwater technique.

“If I’m fishing a Trick Worm at a rapid pace close to the surface, I fish it just like I would fish a Heddon Spook,” McClelland said. “I use the same cadence in both my wrist and rod. You want it to just barely break the surface because that’s when you’ll get the majority of your strikes.”

When the time comes to set the hook, McClelland has two different strategies. If he’s fishing it close to the surface and sees the bass boil or flash on the bait, he never sets the hook immediately. Instead, he waits a few short seconds until he feels the fish in order to ensure a solid hookup. When fishing it slow, he waits for a “spongy” feeling and any added pressure on his line.

“If you swing hard on your hookset, you’re going to miss a lot of fish,” McClelland said. “Instead of jerking, simply lean into the fish and reel faster. That small adjustment will help you land a lot more big fish.”


Mike McClelland fishes floating worms shallow around available cover (photo courtesy of B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito)

Two ways to rig it

When McClelland suspects that the bass may be locked on to their beds, he primarily rigs his Trick Worms wacky style on a Gamakatsu Wicked Wacky Hook. Although it’s a fairly simple rig, he modifies it to achieve a better action.

“Nail weights are essential to catching more wacky rig fish,” McClelland said. “I’ll almost always put half of a lead nail weight into the head of the Trick Worm to help me cast it more accurately to bedding areas around bushes and laydowns. The nail weight helps it fall straight and only gets crazy when you start twitching it.”

If he’s covering water and looking for reaction strikes, McClelland uses a weightless Texas rig on a Gamakatsu Offset Round Bend Worm Hook. Keeping things simple, he primarily uses a 3/0 or 4/0 hook size, but when faced with pressured bass, he’ll downsize to a 2/0.

“When you rig the worm, it’s important to just skin hook the point of the hook into the backside of the worm,” McClelland said. “You don’t want to make yourself pull the hook through the entire worm—you just need to pop the hook point free on the hookset. To make sure it swims correctly, just be certain that the worm lies flat on the hook.”


Spinning or casting gear?

When throwing a wacky rigged Trick Worm, McClelland uses spinning gear in order to make more accurate presentations. To achieve maximum castability and line strength, he’s a big believer in 10-pound Sunline SX1 Braided Line for his main line with a 8 or 10-pound fluorocarbon leader. For precise casts, he prefers a shorter, 6-foot, 9-inch medium-action Falcon Cara T7 Spinning Rod with a 2500 Series Quantum Smoke PT Spinning Reel.

If conditions call for a weightless Texas rig, he tends to beef up his tackle a bit. Because he likes to throw this rig in heavier cover, he opts for 16-pound Sunline FC Reaction Fluorocarbon and a 6-foot, 7-inch medium-heavy Falcon LowRider XG Split-Grip Weightless Worm Rod.

“The Falcon Weightless Worm Rod is honestly the best Trick Worm rod you could ever possibly use,” McClelland said. “It’s helped me catch a ton of big fish.”

Now is a perfect time in much of the country to start throwing a Zoom Trick Worm. It’s by no means a new or fancy bass fishing technique, but if you follow McClelland’s suggestions, there’s a good chance you’ll stick some big bass with it this spring.













































































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Finesse Fishing for Spawning Bass

Posted by Walker Smith on Mon, Apr 08, 2013 @ 08:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Shaw Grigsby Unhooking Bass

Break out the spinning gear for hot bed fishing action, according to Shaw Grigsby

By Walker Smith

Spawning bass give anglers the opportunity to catch some of the year’s biggest fish. As big females make their way to the shallows to deposit their eggs, their protective instincts make them especially vulnerable to big, bulky soft plastic baits. What happens, however, when you can’t get that monster bass to bite?

FIRST pro Shaw Grigsby doesn’t let stubborn bedding bass get the best of him. Instead, he simply downsizes his tackle to coax them into biting.

When to go finesse

Catching spawning bass on stout tackle and 60-pound braided line is certainly fun, but Grigsby allows each individual fish to tell him whether or not to downsize his offering.

“Fish are very individualistic creatures,” Grigsby said. “Some are very protective and will eat anything while others are more passive. When you encounter those very timid, skittish fish on bed, you’ll probably have to catch them with finesse gear.”

To determine whether or not a spawning bass is skittish, Grigsby pays close attention to their movements and demeanor. Although it’s not always as simple as it sounds, he has developed a general rule-of-thumb to determine his approach.

“You can never really tell ahead of time whether or not you’re going to have to finesse them,” Grigsby said. “But if that fish just stays in once place watching your bait, you can probably catch them with heavier equipment. When the big female blisters out of there when I make my first cast, I back off a bit and break out my finesse gear.”

The most important thing to decipher when determining how to approach a spawning bass is the cycle of the spawn. Grigsby has noticed a direct correlation between bass behavior and the period in which they lay their eggs.

“Late spawners are notorious for being more finicky than early spawners,” Grigsby said. “If you’re targeting these spawning bass within 3 or 4 days of them laying eggs, they’re generally very aggressive and fairly easy to catch. The later it gets, however, the less protective the females are. When they’re not as protective, finesse fishing is the way to go.”

The secret weapon

Grigsby’s favorite finesse bed fishing rig is a Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Caffeine Shad. Although many anglers don’t pay much attention to swimbaits for bed fishing, this bait has made him a big believer.

“The Caffeine Shad is one of my primary bed fishing baits—it even caught a 10-pounder for me during the Harris Chain event that I won,” Grigsby said. “I threw everything I had at her and she wouldn’t react to it, but she inhaled the Caffeine Shad.”

Since it’s a swimbait, it would make sense to swim it through the bed, right? He’s caught plenty of bedding bass swimming the Caffeine Shad, but has noticed the biggest bass are more apt to attack a bait that poses more of a threat.

“When you put a light bullet weight on the Caffeine Shad, it looks just like a bream sitting nose-down in a bass bed feeding on eggs, which drives a big female absolutely nuts,” Grigsby said. “A big bedding bass doesn’t take kindly to bream, especially when they’re feeding on its eggs, which makes this bait a phenomenal choice.”

Drop shot

When spawning bass are especially stubborn, Grigsby won’t hesitate to throw a drop shot in a bed. It’s lively presentation seems to coax bass into biting when bulkier baits fail.

“The drop shot is a big player in my bed fishing arsenal,” Grigsby said. “The way it’s rigged gives the bait a really live action because it just suspends over the bed and slowly flutters down with slack line.”

In ultra-clear fisheries, Grigsby throws his drop shot rig on 6 or 8-pound Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon. Although it may seem a bit lite for targeting big fish, it’s all about how you fight the fish once it’s taken the bait.

“You absolutely cannot horse a drop shot fish—especially one that’s bedding in shallow water,” Grigsby said. “It’s important to remember in this situation that the bass has you—you don’t have the bass. Set the drag fairly loose and just let her do what she wants to do.”

Light Texas rig or shaky head


Grigsby has also had a lot of bed fishing success on light Texas rigs and shaky heads. Downsizing to 8 or 10-pound test and using a smaller weight, such as a 1/8-ounce or 1/16-ounce, is often all that’s needed to convince otherwise suspicious bass to bite.

When selecting a soft plastic bait to use on this rig, Grigsby wants something small and soft for a very specific reason.

“I love using a Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Finesse Worm in these situations,” Grigsby said. “Sure, it’s small and dainty, but that doesn’t mean it won’t catch a huge bass. I like using a small finesse worm because when they pick it up to move it off of the bed, they’re more likely to grab the hook.”

For the business end of the rig, he primarily uses a 3/0 or 4/0 Lazer Trokar TK 110 hook. It’s important to have a thin, light wire hook that penetrates both the bait and the fish easily to avoid break-offs with the light line.

“You don’t want to wail away with a giant hookset on such a small, finesse rig,” Grigsby said. “That’s why a really sharp hook is an absolute necessity in this situation.”

Modified split shot rig

Traditional split shot rigs are fairly self-explanatory with a simple split shot weight clamped about a foot above the hook. This old school bed fishing method has its benefits, but Grigsby modifies it with a more new school approach.

“Those split shot weights just don’t come through cover well enough for me,” Grigsby said. “As a result, I like to take a light bullet weight and peg it about 10 or 12 inches above the hook. It’s kind of like a miniature Carolina rig, except without the swivels.”

The split shot rig has some of the same appeal that the drop shot does. As the weight rests on the bottom, the bait hovers above the bed, emulating an impending threat to the bass’ bed. When a bass strikes the rig, it’s important to set the hook after retrieving your slack line and feeling the weight—just like a Carolina rig.

As you’re on the lookout for spawning bass this spring, make sure to bring your finesse gear with you. It goes against the mindset of many anglers, but finesse bed fishing is hugely helpful in getting those stubborn bass to bite.




































































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Hooks for Bass | Choosing the Right Style

Posted by Walker Smith on Wed, Feb 13, 2013 @ 08:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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five hooks for rigging plastics for bass fishing



Five basic types of bass fishing hooks for any application

By Walker Smith and Jason Sealock

Walking down the hook aisle of any tackle store can be pretty intimidating—the different numbers, bends, shapes and advertising slogans are enough to make even a seasoned angler’s head spin. As much as we love testing new hooks and delving into the technical aspects of things, we’ve put together a simple list of tried and true types of hooks for bass fishing.

Whether you’re an angler on a budget or trying to limit the size of your tackle collection, these 5 versatile types of hooks will help you simplify your selection process while reducing any confusion.

•    Octopus
•    Wacky
•    Straight shank
•    Round bend offset
•    Extra Wide Gap (EWG)

Octopus hooks

They’ve got a weird name, but a very specific purpose. We use octopus hooks exclusively for drop shotting due to their compact profile. These days, most drop shotting is done by nose-hooking soft plastics. Anytime you rig your bait this way, you want your line tie and hook point to be as close as possible to each other to avoid hook failure. In addition, the compact profile is less likely to spook suspicious bass.

Recommended baits: Strike King KVD Dream Shot, Zoom Finesse Worm, Missile Baits Fuse 4.4

Wacky hooks

Think of a wacky hook as an octopus hook with a wider gap. Because wacky rigging involves hooking a relatively thick stick worm in the middle, wacky hooks have a larger “bite” than octopus hooks to increase hookups. Similar to their octopus hook counterparts, the line ties and hook points of wacky hooks are located close to the bait for maximum hook penetration.

Recommended baits: Yum F2 Dinger, Zoom Trick Worm, Berkley Heavy Weight Fat Sinkworm

Straight shank hooks

These hooks are ideal for flipping and pitching soft plastic baits into heavy cover. As the name implies, these hooks have a perfectly straight shank, allowing you to achieve a direct line pull on the hook itself. This proves essential when quickly pulling big bass from ultra-thick cover.

We also occasionally use straight shank hooks for casting in grassy areas, as they’re fairly resistant to thick, submerged vegetation.

Recommended baits: Berkley Havoc Rocket Craw, Yum F2 Big Show Craw, Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Rodent

Round bend offset hooks

This particular hook style is simply a straight shank hook with an elbow beneath the line tie. This notch comes in handy if you’re seeking a streamlined profile with “straight” plastics without much bulk. Without the elbow, smaller soft plastics tend to become crimped at their midsections, which adversely affects both the profile and presentation.

We like to use these hooks for a variety of presentations, most notably for weightless techniques such as soft jerkbaits, finesse worms and stick baits.

Recommended baits: Zoom Fluke, Trigger X Drop Dead Minnow, Zoom Ultravibe Speed Worm

Extra wide gap (EWG) hooks

EWG hooks have a wider, more aggressive bend than your standard round bend offset hooks, making them an ideal choice for bulkier soft plastic baits. The extra space between the shank and hook point allow bigger baits to collapse easier, which increases the hook penetration. If you’re getting a lot of bites with other hooks but having trouble hooking up with thicker plastics, this style of hook will more than likely remedy the problem.

Effective for both flipping and casting, we use these hooks for big, “meaty” soft plastic creature baits.

Recommended baits: Strike King KVD Pro-Model Tube, Zoom Brush Hog, Berkley Power Bait Power Hawg






















































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Dyeing Soft Plastic Bass Lures in the Spring

Posted by Walker Smith on Mon, Feb 11, 2013 @ 08:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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dyeing plastics with dip and markers

Russ Lane adds color to his plastics for all phases of the spawn

By Walker Smith

Spring is known for excellent bass fishing, but there’s an underutilized technique that can easily turn good fishing days into outstanding ones. As anglers target the shallows in hopes of intercepting big, transitioning bass, Big Bite Baits pro Russ Lane does the same—with one minor difference. During all phases of the spawn, he’s a huge believer in dyeing soft plastic bass lures.

While many of us only reach for our bottles of dye when faced with short-striking bass, Lane has developed a solid soft plastic dyeing system that produces more bites and bigger fish.   

Prespawn

Throughout most of the country, prespawn water clarity is often limited. With abundant winter precipitation muddying many fisheries, Lane looks to a specific dye color to combat the cold, murky water.

“If I’m fishing dirty water in the 50-degree range, I put orange dye on all of my plastics,” Lane said. “More times than not, I catch prespawn fish that spit up orange and red crawfish pinchers, which tells me they’re primarily feeding on crawfish.”

Not only does Lane look for crawfish in the mouths of these bass, but he also inspects the color of their mouths. When he notices their crushers and teeth stained red or yellow, he knows it’s time to break out the orange dye.

“Whether I’m flipping and pitching a Big Bite Baits Russ Lane YoDaddy or using a Big Bite Baits Chunk, I just dip the pinchers in the dye,” Lane said. “It’s a perfect imitation of a crawfish and it gets me a ton of extra bites.”

Spawn

When the water temperature hits the 60-degree mark and the bass start to get locked onto their beds, Lane still dyes his plastics, but he opts for a different color. Although it’s a subtle change, it makes a big difference in his success.

“I use chartreuse dye on all of my plastics when I’m bed fishing,” Lane said. “Just a little bit of chartreuse on the tail helps trigger a lot of aggression from bass protecting their beds from bluegill and bream.”

While the chartreuse dye generates more aggressive strikes from bedding fish, it also aids in his ability to see the bait. Dark-colored soft plastics can be tough to see when bed fishing, but the added color helps Lane detect bites faster, resulting in more fish catches.

Post spawn

As the bass finish spawning, sunfish, such as bream and shell crackers, move into the shallows to do the very same thing. During this time period, Lane continues using chartreuse dye, but for a very different reason.

“When sunfish get on bed, their colors get really bright and their yellow tails are highly visible,” Lane said. “Female post spawn bass will often stay in the shallows to feed on them, so a Big Bite Baits WarMouth or Big Bite Baits Russ Lane Coontail Worm with a chartreuse-dyed tail fished around bluegill beds is a great way to catch some big post spawn bass.”

As spring winds down, Lane still utilizes chartreuse dye, but becomes more selective. When the bass first move to their summer dwellings, such as humps and river ledges, a Big Bites Kreit Tail Worm dipped in chartreuse works wonders for him.

“If the water clarity is less than 2 feet, I always use chartreuse dye to give the bass a better look at the bait,” Lane said. “In clear water, however, I prefer more natural colors unless there’s a lot of cloud cover.”

As you knock the dust off of your fishing gear this spring and head out to enjoy warmer temperatures and spawning bass, make sure to remember your soft plastic dye—sometimes the smallest modifications yield the biggest results.











































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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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Choosing the Right Swimbait for Bass Umbrella Rigs

Posted by Walker Smith on Mon, Jan 21, 2013 @ 08:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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AlabamaRigFishing


Two key factors dictate Jimmy Mason’s selection of Alabama rig components

By Walker Smith

Although the excitement surrounding the Alabama Rig and subsequent rigs has largely died down in the past year, castable bass umbrella rigs remain effective fish catching tools under the right conditions. Alabama fishing guide Jimmy Mason has zeroed-in his approach to the rig over the past two years. He narrowed down bait selection to two important environmental cues:

•    Water clarity
•    Water temperature

Clear water

The most important factor to Mason’s bait selection is water clarity. In clear water, the eyesight of a bass is largely enhanced, making a proper presentation a huge factor of success. In these high visibility situations, he doesn’t get too creative when chunking an umbrella rig.

“The clearer the water is, the more I want my baits to match,” Mason said. “It’s much more natural for the bass to see a ‘school’ of matching baits, so I want to throw 5 identical baits.”

While clear water does dictate a set of matching baits, the color of these baits is equally important. Just as he would opt for more natural-colored hard baits in clear water, Mason keeps this philosophy intact when he’s on a hot rig bite.

“I’m a big believer in translucent baits in clear water,” Mason said. “One of my most productive baits in these conditions is the 3 1/2-inch Emerald Pearl-colored Yum Mud Minnow, especially on sunny days. When the sun reflects off of the green flake, it’s a dynamite combination.”


Stained water

As long as the water has at least 1 foot of visibility, Mason doesn’t hesitate to throw a bass umbrella rig. When faced with these low-visibility water conditions, he tends to get a bit more technical with his bait selection. Larger baits and brighter colors have produced some unforgettable fishing days for him in the past year.

“In dirty water, I’m going to play with my baits a lot more,” Mason said. “I love using 5-inch Yum Money Minnows in the middle of the rig because they give it a much bigger profile that displaces a lot more water. This extra visibility and water disturbance draws attention to my Yumbrella Rig a lot better than smaller baits would.”

The Tennessee River system received an insane amount of rain last year, but that didn’t stop Mason from putting his clients on monster bass. With the river continuously moving at nearly 100,000 cubic feet per second, the muddy water forced him to improvise his A-rig approach.

“The only way we could get consistent bites was by using 5-inch chartreuse grubs on the outsides,” Mason said. “I was running a full size, 5-inch Money Minnow in the middle and the 5-inch grubs on the outside of the rig in order to help the bass see the bait better. It ended up reducing our short strikes and dramatically increasing our hookup ratio.”

Water temperature

As with any bass fishing technique, water temperature is an essential element in Mason’s Alabama rig bait selection process. In water temperatures above 50-degrees, big bass won’t hesitate to attack an A-rig with 5-inch swimbaits, but when the water drops to below 45- to 50-degrees this time of year, downsizing baits can make a lot of difference.

“Whenever the water temperature gets below 50-degrees, bass become lethargic,” Mason said. “A big, bulky presentation isn’t appealing to these wary bass, and can actually spook them. This is a time where I like to use 5-inch grubs on the outside of my rig—it’s less imposing and matches small forage better.”

Umbrella rigs never ended up being the “magic baits” that some anglers thought they would be, but that doesn’t mean they won’t catch fish. Keeping a close eye on the surrounding water clarity and water temperature not only leads to smarter bait selection, but also more fish in the boat. 


To fish with Jimmy Mason, visit jimmymasonbasspro.com.













































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Four Ways to Fish a Zoom Ultravibe Speed Worm

Posted by Walker Smith on Wed, Dec 19, 2012 @ 08:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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ZoomUltraVibeSpeedWorm
This versatile bait can catch fish in almost any situation

By Walker Smith

You’ve been on a dynamite soft plastic bite on your local fishery for the past few weeks. You have it dialed in and you know exactly what the fish want and how they want it presented. You’ve been thinking about Saturday all week, because the recent stable weather is indicative of another productive weekend of fishing. As you set your boat down in your first honey hole and frantically deploy the trolling motor, you make your first cast. Almost immediately after your bait hits the water, you feel the trademark “thump” of a solid keeper bass. After coming off of the front deck with a monster hookset, you realize that you may have jumped the gun and set the hook a little too early. All that remains on your hook is a 2-inch portion of your favorite soft plastic. No problem, you’ll just grab another one.

Here’s where the problem starts. You search endlessly for another pack of your secret color, but the bag is lost in the hundreds of soft plastic pouches in your boat. Before you know it, you’ve got every bag of soft plastics scattered on your front deck with your special bait nowhere in sight. It’s a problem that almost every angler has, and it wastes a lot of time on the water.

Simplifying soft plastic selection is something that can drastically reduce your amount of stress throughout a day of fishing. While plenty of soft plastics do, in fact, catch fish, there’s one bait out there that can be used in a plethora of different situations and catch some really big bass—the Zoom Ultravibe Speed Worm. Whether you like to flip and pitch, throw shaky heads, fish shallow or fish deep, this soft plastic will catch more fish than almost any bait in your boat.


Texas rig

Let’s face it—the Texas rig is the “old faithful” of bass fishing. On any lake throughout in nearly every condition, it’s always a safe bet to toss a Texas rig around. If you add an Ultravibe Speed Worm to this time-tested rig, however, you’re dealing with a deadly weapon. The ribbed body and Ultra Vibe Tail of this bait make it an ideal selection for nearly all Texas rig applications. As the bait is dragged along the bottom, it emits a tantalizing “thumping” sound that triggers the predatory instincts of big bass.

When using this bait with a 3/16-ounce weight, we like to target shallow cover such as laydowns, grass lines and docks in less than 6-feet of water. With a subtle entry into the water comparable to that of an Olympic diver, the Ultravibe Speed Worm can be casted in close proximity to the bass without spooking them. As you drag the bait, you can feel the tail thumping along the bottom and often times when you feel the tail stop thumping, it’s time to set the hook.


Carolina rig

Yes, we know. A lot of bass fishermen abhor even the slightest thought of throwing a Carolina rig to catch bass. While it may not be the most entertaining fishing technique out there, it is notorious for catching some gigantic bass. The Ultravibe Speed Worm is a perfect complement to the C-rig, as its smaller, non-threatening profile tempts even the most suspicious bass.

As the water continues to cool, use a long, 5-foot leader with the UV Speed Worm rigged on a 3/0 Gamakatsu Offset EWG Worm Hook. Because the Speed Worm makes its way through cover with ease, don’t be afraid to throw it in some of the thickest stuff you can find. While many other soft plastic baits pick up crud on the bottom while Carolina rigging, this bait’s small profile makes it ideal for areas with thick, snag-inducing cover.


Shaky head

The shaky head is a great way to catch numbers of bass, but many anglers fail to recognize its ability to catch big bass. This misconception is often due to the angler’s choice of soft plastic. While a lot of folks prefer to use small, finesse worms on a shaky head, the UV Speed Worm presents the bass with a different, bigger profile than they’re used to seeing. In many times of the year, a larger bait can definitely catch bigger fish.

When an Ultravibe Speed Worm rigged on a shaky head is at rest on the bottom, the cut tail floats, causing it to sway back and forth with the motion of the water. Although it may seem as if it’s not doing much, every time water passes by the tail, it emits that special thumping sound that bass love. Upon closer inspection of the UV Speed Worm, you will also notice the tail’s resemblance to the pincher of a crawfish. As the tail floats, we believe that bass often mistake it for a threatened crawfish, triggering their predatory instinct to strike. For this reason, we like to throw the UV Speed Worm on a shaky head anywhere around deep rocks in order to key in on specific crawfish habitat.

If you ever find the bass feeding heavily on crawfish, you need to have an Ultravibe Speed Worm on your front deck.


Weightless

Perhaps the most popular application for the Ultravibe Speed Worm is for shallow, weightless fishing. With its uniquely shaped tail buzzing across the water’s surface, it is well known for producing huge bass throughout the early summer months as the bass inhabit the shallows.

Rigged weightless on a 3/0 Offset EWG Worm Hook, anglers are allowed to fish this bait both quickly and slowly atop the water with ease. Because the UV Speed Worm sinks slowly, it is ideal for all shallow water applications. We have enjoyed a lot of success swimming, or “buzzing”, the worm across thick lily pads and matted grass. As the bait nears an opening in the matted vegetation, simply slow your retrieve in order to draw some acrobatic, monstrous strikes. Remember to use a sweeping hookset in order to ensure a solid hookup with the fish.

With a small 1/16-ounce weight, the UV Speed Worm also gives angler the opportunity to wake the bait just below the surface. We have experimented with this technique in grass-heavy lakes such as Lake Seminole and Guntersville with outstanding results.

There are endless ways to fish with the Zoom Ultravibe Speed Worm, making it the perfect all-around soft plastic to keep on-hand at all times. Regardless of the time of year or water depth we’re fishing, we always have a bag of UV Speed Worms close by.

If you’d like to grab a few packs for your next trip to the lake, head over to TackleWarehouse.com. At just $3.59 per 15-pack, you’ll be able to stock up on all of your favorite colors.
















































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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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