December, 2012 | Wired2Fish Bass Fishing Blog - How to Fish Articles and Videos

Selecting the Proper Spinnerbait Blade

Posted by Walker Smith on Wed, Dec 26, 2012 @ 08:00 AM

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The choice between one, two or three blades is an important one, according to Marty Stone

By Walker Smith

Spinnerbait blade selection is something that has baffled many bass anglers for years. If you walk down the aisles of your favorite tackle store, you’re sure to see enough blade combinations to make your head spin. While different blade combinations will certainly work in various conditions, there is a method to the madness according to Vicious Fishing pro Marty Stone.

Stone has developed very specific preferences when it comes to blade selection and has caught countless big bass using this system. Regardless of water clarity and weather, there is never a doubt in his mind when it comes to selecting the proper spinnerbait blade combination.

Single blade

Stone reaches for his single blade spinnerbaits in two situations—when night fishing or targeting prespawn bass. Although he’ll change the blade size and spinnerbait weight to accommodate specific conditions, he believes that a single blade is the way to go in these conditions.

When he finds himself on the water after dark, Stone instinctively turns to a 1/2-ounce black spinnerbait with a gold No. 6 Colorado blade. As the bass’ nighttime vision is significantly inhibited, a big Colorado blade allows them to sense the intense vibrations with their lateral lines.

“A big no. 6 Colorado blade is the only blade you need to throw when you’re night fishing,” Stone said. “It causes all kinds of vibration underwater and the bass really seem to hone in on the massive water displacement caused by a big, single Colorado blade.”

To coax these nighttime bass into eating, he likes to slowly fish it close to the bottom of the water column. Stone’s not afraid to slow his presentation down to a crawl, either, as he catches many of his biggest bass while slowly dragging the big spinnerbait around isolated cover.

An equally effective application for single-bladed spinnerbaits is during cloudy prespawn days. In this situation, Stone tempts the bass with a 3/4-ounce spinnerbait paired with a no. 7 Colorado blade. Although effective, a few specific variables have to be in place in order to maximize his effectiveness.

“There has to be hydrilla and flooded cover, such as willows and buck brush, present,” Stone said. “I wish I could say why, but I truthfully don’t know. After all the fishing I’ve done, I’ve pieced things together and it’s just lights-out under these conditions.”

Whenever conditions call for a single-bladed spinnerbait, Stone likes to beef up his tackle a bit in order to counteract the heavier spinnerbait. For added strength, he prefers 20-pound monofilament line with a 7-foot, medium-heavy action rod. When a big bass bites, the stout gear gives him the confidence to get the fish into the boat.

Double blades

As with any technique, a number of conditions dictate when and where Stone utilizes double-bladed spinnerbaits. Although several variables come into play, water temperature is his main focus when selecting a spinnerbait with double blades.

In stained water below 55-degrees, stone prefers a 1/2-ounce spinnerbait with no. 3 and no. 4 1/2 Colorado blades. Again, in low-visibility conditions, bass need something, such as a big vibration, to help them hone in on the bait. Stone believes the no. 4 1/2 Colorado blades to be absolutely essential in these situations.

“The biggest mistake I see people make when spinnerbait fishing in cold water is winding the bait too fast, causing the bait to rise too high in the water column” Stone said. “In cold water, you want both Colorado blades to be entirely out of sight. When you’ve got that, you know you have the right retrieve speed.”

As the water warms to between 55- and 60-degrees, the large majority of Stone’s spinnerbait success comes on a Colorado and willow leaf combination. As the shad become more active in this temperature range, the willow leaf blade lets Stone significantly increase his retrieve speed while also effectively emulating a small shad.

While he does, in fact, fish a spinnerbait faster in these conditions, Stone still keeps a watchful eye on the bait. In order to increase his number of bites, he doesn’t want to see the blades. Because some bass may remain a bit hesitant in this temperature range, Stone aims to keep his spinnerbait in the strike zone for as long as possible.

Whenever the early morning water temperature rises to 65-degrees, Stone has one thing on his mind—shad. To target bass gorging on plentiful populations of shad, he uses twin willow leaf blades. With the decreased water displacement of willow blades, Stone is able to burn his spinnerbait to imitate fleeing shad. As the two previous double blade combinations are meant to target both a bass’ sense of feel and sight, Stone believes a double willow leaf combination to be solely a “sight” presentation for bass.

“I primarily throw a twin willow leaf spinnerbait throughout both the shad spawn and post spawn,” Stone said. “Points and rip rap are major hotspots in these conditions, and water clarity doesn’t seem to matter as much. If you get around a lot of shad in this water temperature range, the bass will try to take your rod from you.”

Triple blades

Every angler has superior confidence in a couple of specific baits, and Marty Stone is no different. When the money is on the line, you won’t be hard-pressed to find a triple hatchet blade spinnerbait on his front deck. A totally different look for most highly pressured bass, hatchet blades create a unique thumping vibration in the water while also maintaining the subtlety of willow leaf blades.

Stone throws a spinnerbait with triple hatchet blades in two conditions—the first thing in the morning on a sunny day or all day in nasty, rainy conditions. Come to think of it, that’s pretty much most of the time, right?

“I am absolutely convinced that triple hatchet blades catch more spinnerbait fish than any other blade you could possible use,” Stone said. “I’m not sure if it’s because the bass don’t see them as often or because I have so much confidence in them, but I’m telling you—they work.”

Selecting the proper spinnerbait blade combinations can be pretty tough and requires a lot of trial and error. Patience is key, however, and if you keep an open mind and make it a point to experiment with different combinations in various conditions, you’ll soon have a concrete, failsafe system just like the pros.

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Tags: Fishing, Fishing Tackle, bass fishing, bass, accessories, anglers, tips, how-to, fishing pro

Ronell Smith's 2012 Fishing Wishlist

Posted by Jason Sealock on Fri, Dec 21, 2012 @ 08:00 AM

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ronell bass fishing gifts for the angler

By Ronell Smith

“Dad, what’s something you really want for Christmas?” asked my oldest daughter. “It needs to be something we can get for you.”

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Tags: Fishing, Industry, new products, Fishing Tackle, bass fishing, bass, anglers, tackle review

Managing Your Fishing Rod and Reel Combos

Posted by Jason Sealock on Thu, Dec 20, 2012 @ 08:00 AM

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Learn how to cure the headache of knowing what rod has what line on it with multiple combos

By Jason Sealock

You climb into your boat and start pulling your rods out of the rod locker for a full day of fishing. Before you know it you've got 10 rods on your deck and several that don't have the baits you want to throw today. You start cutting the baits off and digging new baits out of the box. Wait. What pound line is on this combo. Where's my 20-pound line and rod for flipping? Shoot. Which one did I put that 10-pound monofilament line on just for jerkbait fishing? Before we know it, you've slept a time or two and have forgotten what line is on which combination.

You start making wild guesses about which rod has the right line, or how old that line is or if that's actually fluoro or monofilament. It can be frustrating to break off a fish and then realize you're not throwing the bait on the combo you thought it was.

I've been at the avid (aka obsessive-compulsive) bass-fishing lifestyle for about 20 years now. In that time, as you might imagine, I've amassed a lot of tackle, including rods and reels. Keeping up with how much the line deteoriates on 25 combos and what pound test and type of line surpassed the limits of my brain capacity years ago. About two trips to the water and I've developed full-on amnesia in regards to my line and rod and reel combos. That's not a good deal for several reasons.

First, if you do have problems with a certain line type, brand or pound test, you might want to know all the rods that have that line on it and get it off there immediately. Fishing line goes bad. It's a fact. So keeping up with it is really imperative.

Second, because fishing line goes bad, anglers need to know how long line has been on a reel. Chances are if you're not a touring professional angler, you might leave your fishing line on your reel for more than a day, sometimes more than a month. So keeping up with how old the line is becomes more important.

Finally, with varying diameters from differing brands of line, it's hard to just grab fishing line and know if it's 12 pound Trilene XT monofilament or 16 pound Sunline Sniper FC fluorocarbon. So keeping up with the line on each reel helps alleviate mishaps and gives you confidence your bait is being tied to the right line for the job.

There are lots of ways to keep up with fishing line once it's spooled on a reel. Anglers can choose manufactured tags you can add to Rod Gloves that tell you the technique for that rod, and that can clue anglers as to the pound test and type line probably on the reel. There are tags you can stick on the rods or the reels to tell you pound test and technique at a glance in a full rod locker. There are new rod bands from Sunline that can tell you what pound test is on that rod.

These are all helpful, but you still will have to keep up with when you put line on your reel.

The best solution I've found is to just make a spreadsheet. I've been using one and throwing a copy in my boat's rod locker in case I get confused about what is on which rod.

Basically, log everything from which reel to put on which rod, the gear ratio of the reels, the length and action of the rods, the size, type, brand and date spooled for each line and at times even the techniques intend for each rod, although that can change throughout the year as seasons and tendencies change.

It takes a bit to make the first time but once you have it made you can fill it in and keep up with it. I just print off a sheet without the lines filled in and then take it out in the shop and fill in the blanks as I get my combos ready for fishing.

I will sometimes go back in and type all the information in and keep it in my rod locker so at quick glance, I know exactly what rod has what line on it and can go from there as I start changing baits on a trip or span of trips.

Here is a file for you to download to get you started if you have Microsoft Excel:

Rod-Reel-Line Chart

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Tags: Fishing, reel, Fishing Tackle, rod, bass fishing, bass, line, customizing, anglers, tips, how-to

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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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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Tags: Fishing, plastics, Fishing Tackle, bass fishing, bass, tips, how-to

Terry's 2012 Bass Fishing Wishlist

Posted by Terry Brown on Mon, Dec 17, 2012 @ 08:00 AM

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By Terry Brown

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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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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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Tags: Fishing, jerkbait, plastics, Fishing Tackle, bass fishing, bass, accessories, jig, anglers, tips, how-to, swimbaits

Walker's 2012 Bass Fishing Wishlist

Posted by Walker Smith on Mon, Dec 10, 2012 @ 08:00 AM

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This is it, fellow bass anglers. Christmas time finally gives us an opportunity to irritate our family and friends with not-so-subtle hints regarding the latest and greatest fishing gear. Whether you’re desperately searching for gift ideas for a loved one or an angler looking for new ways to catch more fish, we hope you find our personal wish lists both helpful and convenient.

I can easily remember my college days when I didn’t have any money to spend, but still wanted to provide my “fishy” family members with some great gear. As a result, I constructed this list with a mixture of both my favorite budget and higher-end items of the year.

Lew’s BB-1 Speel Spool Casting Reel, $159.99

If you’re a crankbait fisherman, this bad boy is a “must have” this year. I know you hear that a lot, but hear me out on this one. The BB-1’s worm gear is a much greater distance from the spool compared to most baitcasters on the market today. The result? This reel will cast larger crankbaits a country mile while offering anglers the ability to easily tune it for smaller crankbaits as well. No more finicky reels that take an entire fishing day to dial in—give it about three casts and you’ll be good to go. The Lew’s BB-1 also has no anti reverse, and although some may raise an eyebrow at the concept, you’re going to fall in love with it. When a big bass eats your crankbait, the reel gives it just a small amount of line to ensure a good, solid hookset every time. The BB-1 is a world-class cranking reel at a fair price.

Missile Baits D Bomb, $3.99

After testing out the new Missile Baits D Bomb, it quickly became one of my favorite flipping baits. You always see new flipping baits emerging, but there’s one small problem—they’re no different than the rest. The bass haven’t seen anything like a D Bomb, and that will work to your advantage. With a thick head to ensure the bait stays on the hook and a thin body to aid in successful hooksets, these baits are truly one of a kind. The oily coating of the D Bomb allows it to fall through cover well and slide up the shank of the hook without any ripping or tearing whatsoever.

Abu Garcia Revo SX30, $159.99

We have been catching a ton of good fish this year on an Abu Garcia Revo SX30 spinning reel. All too often, anglers feel like they lose control over big fish with spinning reels, but that is not the case with the SX30. Reliable, smooth and lightweight, this reel has stayed on the front deck of my boat in all conditions. Until I got my hands on an SX30, the thought of fluorocarbon on a spinning reel made me shudder—you may as well fish with a slinky. This reel handles fluoro with no problem at all, keeping it tightly packed onto the spool in even the windiest conditions. The Revo SX30 makes short order of big bass and casts like a dream, and that’s saying a lot for spinning gear.

Sunline Super FC Sniper Fluorocarbon, $26.99

When your jig is hung in a brush pile and you have to max-out your trolling motor to break the line, you know it’s good stuff. The most important aspect of shallow water flipping equipment is an angler’s line. While a quality rod and reel are also important, the only thing separating you and that huge bass is a single strand of line. I’ve been flipping a jig on 16-pound Sunline Super FC Sniper Fluorocarbon, and I have been extremely impressed. There’s nothing worse than coming off the floor with a big hookset and having your line pop, and this line will not let you down. Flipping with this super strong line has allowed me to use a smaller test, resulting in more bites and an increase in confidence.

Zeko Shoes, $74.99

Talk about comfortable—the entire Wired2Fish crew loves these shoes. I don’t like wearing shoes while I’m in my boat, but had a major change of heart after wearing my Zekos. With vented soles and a fast-drying, breathable microfiber upper, it’s as close as you can come to being barefoot. The most attractive characteristic of these shoes is their weight, or lack thereof. Weighing in at a mere 5 1/2-ounces, you’ll be light on your feet and, most importantly, feel better after a long day of rough water fishing.

Eco Pro Tungsten Flick Head, from $3.29

If you get your hands on a Flick Head, you will be a believer. I’ve fished with lead finesse jigs a couple of times since testing Eco Pro Tungsten’s Flick Head, and it’s a noticeable difference. Tungsten is much harder and denser than traditional lead, which translates to unparalleled sensitivity in every condition. Not to mention, you will feel a lot more bites with this jig. I’ve caught some bona fide tanks on the Flick Head and they continue to hold up to the abuse from big bass.

Stanford Lures Old School SSR, from $17.99

The Old School SSR is one heck of a crankbait. Made from 100-percent natural cedar from the northwestern United States, it possesses a violent shimmy and hunting action that is very difficult to find in today’s crankbaits. In both windy and calm conditions, this crankbait casts like a rocket, giving anglers access to hard-to-reach areas. Even better, the Old School SSR comes through cover very well, drastically reducing the number of frustrating hang-ups. Every shallow fisherman needs one of these in their tackle box.

Frabill Rainsuit Jacket, $119.99

All bass anglers need a good set of rain gear. While most rain gear is hot and severely limits your range of motion, the Frabill Rainsuit series eliminates these problems. Seemingly tailor-made to fit every size and shape of fisherman, this jacket won’t ride up on the angler while fishing. Frabill’s innovative mesh lining maximizes airflow to keep you cool as its DuPont Teflon treatment ensures durability and longevity. Perfect for cutting a crisp breeze and keeping you bone dry, the new Frabill Rainsuit series is the most comfortable rain gear I’ve owned, making it a perfect gift for every serious fisherman.

Berkley Havoc Scott Suggs’ 4-inch Rocket Craw, $2.99

It’s no secret that crawfish baits catch big bass, but the Rocket Craw separates itself from the competition. This bait is one of the best crawfish soft plastics I’ve used, as it has outstanding action in the water while also proving to be quite durable. When the bait is at rest, the pinchers float, perfectly emulating the defensive posture of a threatened crawfish. With several great colors to choose from, the Rocket Craw is great for both deep and shallow water presentations. At such a reasonable price, you’ll be able to stock up for the upcoming season without emptying your bank account.

Duckett White Ice Cranking Casting Rod, from $199.99

Light, powerful and supremely balanced—what else could you possibly ask for in a cranking rod? Designed by some of the most notable crankbait-loving professionals in the industry, the Duckett White Ice Cranking Casting Rod will change your standards for cranking rods. With a parabolic bend and American Tackle Micro Guides, this rod offers outstanding sensitivity and ensures a solid hookset on treble-hooked bass. The entire Wired2Fish crew has been very impressed by this rod, making it a great addition to any angler’s rod arsenal.

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Jason's 2012 Bass Fishing Wishlist

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

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

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

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

Minn Kota Talon, $1,449

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

Lowrance HDS Touch, from $1,299

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

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

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

Denali Terry Bolton Offshore Worm and Jig Rod, $209

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

13 Fishing Omen Baitcasting Rod, $99

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

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

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

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

Browning MPACT Zeiss Fishing Collection Sunglasses, $179

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

TH Marine G-Force Handle, $30

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

Strike King KVD Jerkbait, $9

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

Rapala DT Custom Ink Crankbaits, $7

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

Zoom WEC E2, $20

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

Heddon Chug'n Spook, $7

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

Lazer Trokar EWG Treble TK310, $7

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

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

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Tags: Fishing, jerkbait, crankbait, hooks, new products, Fishing Tackle, bass fishing, bass, topwater, electronics, anglers, tackle review

Short-Shank vs. Long-Shank Treble Hooks for Bass Fishing

Posted by Walker Smith on Wed, Dec 05, 2012 @ 07:00 AM

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There are specific situations to use each type of treble, according to Kevin Short

By Walker Smith

Anglers dedicate a lot of time towards finding the “perfect” hard bait. While individual preference is a big factor when choosing these baits, most fisherman look for characteristics such as castability, action, color and durability. As we scour the market for hard baits, we often overlook one of the most critical aspects of all—quality hooks.

In recent years, the fishing industry has seen a lot of breakthroughs in hook technology. Such developments have ignited several debates regarding the use of short-shank and long-shank hooks on hard baits. When it comes to treble hooks, Vicious Fishing pro Kevin Short knows his stuff, and according to him, both styles of hooks have a definite place in bass fishing.

Short-shank trebles

The introduction of short-shank treble hooks has changed the way many fisherman fish hard baits. While not ideal for sluggish bass, they can wreak havoc on big, aggressive bass. When K-Pink is targeting these bellicose bass around wood cover, he never hesitates to switch to short-shank trebles.

“Like every angler, I want to avoid hang-ups as much as possible,” Short said. “When the bass are really eating a crankbait, such as a Zoom W.E.C. around wood cover, I switch to Mustad KVD Elite 1X Short Shank Triple Grip Treble Hooks.”

Over the years, Short noticed the majority of his snags being caused by the front hook getting lodged into wood cover. In an attempt to fix the issue, he began experimenting with short-shank trebles. Because these hooks don’t hang as far off of the bait, they allow for a more compact approach while drastically decreasing the number of his hang-ups.

Even if bass aren’t blistering his bait, Short still opts for a short-shank hook on the front of his baits when fishing around heavy cover. In order to increase his chances of hooking finicky fish, he leaves a long-shank treble hook on the back of his bait.

“Long-shank hooks give the bass a little bit more hook to grab, so I just like to replace the front hook with a short-shank when the bass aren’t biting well,” Short said. “In essence, you’ve got all of your bases covered by having a snag-resistant hard bait that will still hook timid bass.”

Conversely, when Short gets on a hot bite, it’s short-shank all the way for him. Changing both hooks to short-shanks allows him to cast into some of the nastiest stuff on the lake while giving him the confidence that the bass will get hooked every single time.

Long-shank trebles

When faced with suspicious bass or thick vegetation, anglers will notice an increase in hookups when using long-shank treble hooks on hard baits. Short utilizes these hooks most frequently when fishing in the early spring.

When the water reaches the upper-40s or the low-50s, grass-related bass have the tendency to drive anglers crazy, as they are notorious for slapping at crankbaits without ever getting hooked. The way Short sees it, the more hook you’ve got hanging behind the bait, the better your chances of catching slapping bass.

“If they made an extra, extra long-shank hook, I would use it when I’m throwing lipless cranks or squarebills around grass,” Short said. “I want as much hook hanging out there as possible.”

While many anglers will change bait colors after noticing a few bass barely hanging on by the back hook, Short believes that long-shank treble hooks will most often fix the problem. If you’re still noticing some borderline hookups while using long-shank hooks, upsizing is usually the next-best option.

“The best way to eliminate back-hooked bass is by upsizing your back treble hook,” Short said. “If the back hook is a no. 4, don’t be afraid to slap a no. 2 on the back. When fish are hooked on the very back hook, a bigger long-shank treble will give you a much better chance at getting that fish in the boat.”

Even with the best hard baits in the market, knowing why and when to use long-shank hooks and short-shank hooks is an outstanding way to increase your success. If you follow Short’s guidelines and keep an open mind, not only will you get more bites, but you’ll land more fish as well.

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Tags: Fishing, crankbait, hooks, Fishing Tackle, bass fishing, bass, customizing, anglers, tips, fishing pro

Shallow Water Cranking for Cold Water Bass

Posted by Walker Smith on Mon, Dec 03, 2012 @ 08:00 AM

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Big Winter Bass on warm sunny days shallow cranking

Staying shallow in cold water can lead to some huge bass, according to John Crews

By Walker Smith

You’ve been trying your best to get excited for Saturday’s local jackpot tournament. Under most circumstances, you would rush home from work only to spend countless hours in the garage prepping tackle for the impending slugfest on your home waters. This time is much different, however. It’s going to be cold this weekend. Not “cold” as in wearing a hoodie throughout the morning only to shed multiple layers as the sun warms the atmosphere. We’re talking a constant runny nose, numb fingertips and constant chills down your spine kind of cold.

Visions of shaky heads, drop shots and other light line finesse techniques inundate your mind and haunt your dreams because, after all, cold water means slow fishing, right? Not exactly, according to Vicious Fishing pro John Crews. In some of the toughest cold water fishing conditions imaginable, Crews has had many of his best days going against the grain—staying shallow with a crankbait in-hand while other anglers flock to deeper water. With the right conditions, areas and proper crankbait selection this winter, you, too can create the “perfect storm” for some tremendous shallow water cranking action.

Conditions to look for

It’s no secret that crankbait fishing is a very condition-specific technique. Under normal circumstances, cranking is widely considered to be most effective in cloudy, low-light conditions. As the absence of prominent sunlight allows the fish to venture further from cover, they become more prone to chase a crankbait. In cold water cranking, however, Crews actually looks to the sun for assistance.

“In cold water, bass will inhabit the warmest water possible,” Crews said. “The warmer water helps them regulate their body temperatures, which makes the presence of sun a big factor when I’m trying to pick ‘em off with a crankbait.”

As the sun warms the water throughout the winter, bass tend to move upwards in the water column in order to get the maximum amount of warmth. Much like an alligator suns itself on the banks of a river, bass frequently revisit the shallows to take advantage of the warmer water. As these fish move into shallower water, they also feed more aggressively, making it a prime scenario for throwing a crankbait.

Shallow cold water cranking can be equally effective in both stained and clear water conditions, but in clear water situations, however, bass are more likely to spot any irregularities or unnatural characteristics in your bait and/or presentation. As cold water bass are generally more wary than warm water bass, stained water gives anglers more room for error. As a result, Crews makes it a point to find water with a light-to-moderate stain.

“Even if the bass move shallow in cold water, they’re still not going to be as active as they would be in other times of the year,” Crews said. “For this reason, I feel like stained water aids my attempt to fool suspicious bass.”

Key areas

You can throw a shallow crankbait all day long in cold water, but it simply won’t work well without identifying key areas that hold bass. While it’s absolutely true that cold water bass would prefer to be in deeper water, being in the right place when a small temperature rise occurs can make all the difference in the world.

“It’s pretty hard to go wrong when you’re targeting channel-swing banks,” Crews said. “They are perfect transition areas for bass, as the fish can stay deep while being able to quickly move to shallow cover to take advantage of small increases in temperature.”

Channel-swing banks are areas where the deeper water of the river or creek channel comes very close to the shallow water surrounding the bank. This gives cold water bass the best of both worlds: When it’s cloudy and nasty outside, they can hang out in the deeper water to retain heat. Conversely, when the sun is high, they are able to easily move shallow in order to soak up the heat of the sunlight.

In addition to these channel-swing banks, Crews also utilizes rocks when searching for a cold water shallow cranking bite. Rocks hold heat for much longer than other cover, so whenever he finds a rocky bank that has been baking in the sun, Crews knows what to do.

“I like to parallel rocky banks in cold water,” Crews said. “Bass will get as close as possible to the rocks in order to regulate their body temperatures in cold water, so I want to make long casts and slam a squarebill into every piece of rock that I can.”

Proper presentation and crankbait selection

In order to maximize your success while crankbait fishing in cold, shallow water, using the right presentation with specific crankbaits is of the utmost importance. Remember, these bass require a bit more coaxing than normal, but don’t let that scare you away. When fooling obstinate, cold water bass with a squarebill, Crews downsizes his line.

“Small line size is essential,” Crews said. “It allows the bait to go a little deeper while giving it more action. In the colder water, everything is going to be a little muted and not moving quite as fast, but having that light line gives the bait a wilder action, especially when it hits a piece of cover which can definitely trigger some huge bites.”

While line size is, in fact, paramount to success, it isn’t everything. To cater to the sluggish mood of the bass, Crews steals a few pages from the jerkbait’s playbook when chunking a squarebill in cold water. He begins each retrieve at a quick pace, but as soon as the crankbait hits a piece of cover, Crews hits the brakes with a short pause. Following the pause, a small twitch of the rod tip is often all that’s necessary to fool a big bass.

“I’m still going for a reaction bite, but I don’t want to overwhelm the fish with a crankbait screaming by its head,” Crews said. “Fishing the crankbait quickly is great, but only until you hit a piece of cover—that’s when you have to slow things down.”

In order for this presentation to be effective, Crews is extremely careful while choosing his crankbaits. As with many other techniques, shallow, cold water cranking success is very dependent upon keeping your bait in the strike zone for as long as possible. To achieve this, Crews opts for his signature line of Spro crankbaits.

“The Spro Little John is my number one go-to crankbait whenever I’m targeting shallow fish in cold water,” Crews said. “It has an extremely slow floating action, which allows me to pause it while keeping it in the strike zone. If they won’t eat the Little John, the Spro Fat John is my follow-up. With a bulkier profile, it still has the same slow-rising action that drives bass crazy.”

If you’re dreading the deep water finesse tactics this winter, don’t be afraid to go shallow with a crankbait. While other anglers fight over deep water spots, you’ll have the water all to yourself while also having the chance to land some of your biggest bass of the year. While it won’t necessarily result in big numbers of bass, it’s a perfect time to catch some giants off-guard.

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Tags: Fishing, crankbait, bass fishing, bass, anglers, tips, fishing pro

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