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Spring Spinnerbaits
by Rob Brewer, courtesy of www.BassJons.com

In the lull between the close of deer season and the area lakes warming up, you'll find me pouring Spinnerbaits. Spinnerbaits are great! They require no special skill, cover lots of water, are relatively weedless, and catch lots of bass, big bass. The following is how I approach spinnerbaiting in the tidewater area from “ice-out” on into April.

I like to use a 5 ½' casting rod spooled up with 14-17lb mono. I've used many brands of spinnerbaits. I like my own the best, but Terminators, Strike King and Stanley will work just as well. I prefer to use a ½ oz to 3/8 oz lure with single #5 or 5.5 gold willow leaf blade. I find dark colors (black, blue, purple, root beer) work best in the spring. I always use a twin tail trailer too. I find the undulating action of the tails really bring the bait to life. I don't use trailer hooks but I do make certain that my hooks are razor sharp.

Ideal conditions are just after a warm spring rain. The runoff has washed in bait, raised the water level and made the water murky. These are all positive factors to make fish move shallow. Key areas of the lake to hit are points, flats and underwater humps. The key to identifying good areas are shallow (1-3') water with deep (8-12') adjacent to it. If it has cover on it, so much the better. Just be sure to keep the boat “out of the fish”. By that I mean remain out in the deep water, casting up onto the flat. If you can cast your bait up onto the edge of the shore and slowly pull it into the water. Sometimes bass will be sunning themselves in water less than a foot. It's quite exciting when a bass turns into a torpedo and almost beaches itself trying to inhale your bait. Be certain to work the deep water adjacent to the flat as well. Stealth is paramount. Any noise you make in the boat or sloppy casting will send “ol' mossback” scurrying into the depths quickly.

The retrieve should be very slow (AKA Slow rolling). You should never see your lure during the retrieve. You should be able to feel the blade turning though. Learn to concentrate on that and be a line watcher. Often, you can feel a slight variation in the bait's vibration just milliseconds prior to a bite. Whenever there's a funny feeling, your line moves, or the blade stops, set the hook! I use a sweeping motion so as not to introduce any slack to the fish.

These methods have brought me several 4-6 pounders. You'll catch the “dinks” too, along with pickerel and bowfins. Give it a shot. Believe it or not, there was a time (1990) when I had absolutely no confidence in these lures. Now, I always have one tied on. Remember that fishing is life!

Clear Water Tactics
by Rob Brewer, courtesy of www.BassJons.com

EDITORS NOTE: This article was written for Virginia waters but can be applied to any clear water situation.

If you're looking for a different challenge in your fishing style, why give a few of the area's "clear water" lakes a stab. Clear water is a relative term, but there are several lakes in the area that I consider as clear water. Some examples are Diascund, Beaver Dam, Lone Star, Little Creek (Toano), Newport News/Lee Hall and Waller Mills to name a few.

Clear water offers a different set of challenges than stained or murky/ muddy water. For one the fish are far more apt to see you or detect your presence, requiring longer casts and smaller diameter line. Your presentation must be natural and lifelike, as the fish can see better in the water than you can. Clear water often means deeper fish too. A tactic many of us need some work on.

My favorite area clear water lake is Little Creek in Toano. It is a tough body of water to fish. While there are some nice hawgs in the lake, there is no shame in leaving this place skunked, especially in summer. Personally, I also think a bass from clear water is a prettier fish. Their coloration seems just seems to be more vivid.

Another reason I like Little Creek is it has very little cover, forcing the fish to relate to bottom contour and other structure like points and bars. While there is some wood from beaver huts and isolated stumps its not enough to form a pattern off of.

Before I go into some tactics that work for me, let me talk a tad about the tackle used. Because the lake is so deep and void of cover, I only use spinning tackle here. Distance in casting is far more important than casting accuracy. Having said that, I usually arm myself with half a dozen spinning rods spooled up with clear or green 8-10 LB mono. It is a blessing in disguise that the lake has no cover. This fact allows you to let a good fish run on the light line with no fear or worries of him wrapping you up in something and breaking free.

You'll only need a handful of lures. The banks in this place, except for a few bars and shelves, plummet into depths of 40 to 100 feet in no time at all. It seems that most of the banks are greater than a 45-degree angle. So you really can't do the jig or worm thing to well. All I carry with me are the following baits: a smoke colored tube on a ¼ or 3/8 oz head, a Hopkins Shorty or No equal spoon, a zara spoon (I don't know if it's the pooch or the puppy, but it's the mid size one, not the 5 ¼" one), a Bomber Model A (deep diver) and a Johnson' silver minnow spoon.

You can bring more stuff if you want, but I assure you using the previously mentioned baits will get you the fish. Here's my system for working the lake. I rig the Johnson's silver minnow on a Carolina rig and troll around the banks and points with it. I'm searching for bass with the bait and also looking for shad activity on the surface. When I hook a fish, I toss a marker buoy over the side, marking the spot. Once the fish is in the boat, I'll work the Hopkins, tube and spook at the same spot, often picking up a few more fish. The key is finding the shad. The bass are always working them and balling them up on the surface.

While trolling along, you will often see schools boiling on the surface. For the far off schools, the Hopkins will cast damn near a mile. Just let it flutter down into the school and work in back in a jerk/drop cadence. For closer ones that erupt near you, nothing beats the spook for fun. As you motor around you will see some clay bars and points. Work the Bomber on these trying to grind off the bill in the clay. Often times, you'll get to see the bass appear out of the depths and swipe the bait right off the bar and it deflects along the bottom. When nothing hits the crank, cast the tube out and let it sink on a slack line, watch your line for a jump and set the hook. You'll get far more bite letting it fall on an open bail than tight lining it.

The spook is great at pulling up suspended fish. I have not found anything better at bringing them from the depths to bite. If the bass are feeding they'll bite anything you throw, but when they are just suspending and not feeding, the spook is your best bet.

Keep in mind this is strictly a Little Creek prescription. If you try other clear water lakes, you might not want to use the skinny line I mentioned. Some of the other places are full of cover and grass. That light line will only break your heart there.

So if you're after a change of pace, or just want to work on some of your deep water fishing weaknesses (if you have any) give one of the clear water puddles a shot. I should mention that all the lakes I mentioned are electric motor only, so be certain your batteries are up to par. Go catch a big one.

A primer on steelhead fishing for the novice angler
by Randy Schumacher, courtesy of Wisconsin DNR

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - Fishing for steelhead can be one of the most exciting of Wisconsin's many angling opportunities -- and some the best time for steelhead fishing is coming soon to Lake Michigan tributary streams.

Steelhead, also known as rainbow trout, spend most of their life far out in Lake Michigan but come within range of the fly or spinning rod for short time each spring when they swim up the lake tributaries to spawn.

“How many chances do we have to catch a 10- to 15- pound trout in a small stream?” asks Randy Schumacher, Department of Natural Resources fisheries supervisor for southeastern Wisconsin and an avid fan of fishing “the run.”

Wisconsin stocks three different strains of steelhead and they each run at different times of the year. Two strains, the Ganaraska and Chambers Creek River, have later winter/early spring runs that typically occur between late February and mid-April. This year, the run might be later with the colder Wisconsin winter, Schumacher says. “As soon as we get the first warm up, they'll be there.”

Anglers who like a challenge will love steelhead fishing. “It's a mix of hunting and fishing all tied together,” he says.

The fish are very wary so getting them to bite is a challenge. They spend their lives in huge waters, and their run up small tributaries has them uncomfortable and easily spooked.

“You have to be very quiet and careful and stalk them,” he says. “They usually only bite if they are fairly sure no predator is going to pounce on them. So it's quite an accomplishment to get one to bite.”

Reeling the fish in is also a fight. On his last steelhead trip last spring, Schumacher had four fish break 10 pound lines before he caught a fifth fish. “If you hook a big one, a15- to 18-pounder, you gotta be ready to run,” he says.

Wisconsin has many Lake Michigan tributary streams that support fine steelhead runs. The most popular streams for steelhead fishing along Lake Michigan include the Kewaunee, Root, Oconto, Manitowoc, Menominee, Milwaukee, East Twin, Peshtigo, Ahnapee, and West Twin rivers. Smaller steelhead streams include the Pigeon, Little, Pike, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic rivers; Stony, Oak, Heins, Sauk, Whitefish Bay, Fischer, Silver, and Reibolts creeks.

“To me, it's amazing that we have the opportunity to catch a 15-pound trout in the shadow of a downtown Milwaukee skyscraper or Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers,” Schumacher says.

Although there is no substitute for experience and getting to know each stream you fish, these pointers should get any novice steelhead angler going at the sport:

• When to go: Although spring rains bring steelhead into our streams, they are hard to catch until water levels recede and clarity increases to the point where you can see the fish, they can see your bait, and they have enough water depth to feel comfortable in a “small” tributary stream. When water levels are “just right,” make sure you're out fishing. Start early, best fishing is at just daybreak.
• What to bring: You're going to need waders and a landing net of at least two feet in diameter. A fishing vest with lots of pockets is great to have. Use a magnet-style, landing net holder that keeps your net on your back and out of the way while you're fishing but within easy reach when you need it.
• What to use when you can't see the fish: A long spinning rod spooled with at least a 10-pound test is best for fishing runs and pools where the fish congregate. Try drifting a spawn-sac or small tube jig suspended by a bobber so that your bait floats just off the stream bottom. Add sinkers sufficient to get your bait just rolling along the stream bottom. Your goal should be to drift your bait right into the face of that unseen steelhead lying along the bottom. Set the hook at the slightest unusual movement of your bobber. Many anglers tip their jig with a wax worm or two.
• What to use when you can see the fish: A long and stiff fly rod with at least a 2X (10-pound) leader works best. Watch for fish in early mornings and evenings as they build their “redds” or gravel spawning nests at the head of riffles. Keep your profile low, use polarizing sunglasses and wear dark clothes. Steelhead can see color and are easily spooked. Quietly and slowly get into position below and off to the side of the fish you see. Tease the fish with a fly or spawn sac by repeatedly tossing your fly upstream and letting the fly drift as close to the fish as possible. Commonly-used flies are the egg-sucking leach as well as any brightly-colored spawn sac imitation. Use sinkers on your leader if necessary to get the fly at the exact level occupied by the trout. Local bait shops will easily help you select the “hot” flies to use. Be courteous and don't intrude into another angler's territory or spook any fish he or she may hunting.
• Keep your expectations realistic. Like all fish, sometimes steelhead bite and sometimes they don't. Sometimes their strike is quite reserved; other times they literally jerk the rod out of your hand. Don't get discouraged. Even the best steelhead anglers are constantly trying new methods to meet the conditions they face. Watch successful anglers and imitate their methods. Should you finally hook one, be prepared for a downstream run across an uneven and rocky stream bottom.

Fishing Deep Water in Winter
by Jay Yelas, courtesy of Berkley Fishing

Fishing in deep water is still probably the most misunderstood type of fishing that bass anglers have to deal with on a regular basis. Deep water can be productive almost any time of year that the bass aren't on the beds, but during the winter is when it can be especially effective.

One of the reasons that many anglers struggle with fishing deep water is because we're all so accustomed to fishing around and casting to visible cover. This makes fishing around non-visual targets difficult for the average angler. “Deep,” of course, can be in the eye of the beholder. But to me, anything deeper than 10 feet can be considered deep. Most times (and only in certain fisheries during specific times of the year) will I explore anything more than 50 or 60 feet, though bass can be caught at greater depths in some places. When searching for places to focus your fishing efforts in deep water, remember the difference between cover and structure. Cover is some physical object separate from the actual bottom contour. Structure is the actual bottom contour (breaks, drops, humps). These structure elements serve as a kind of thoroughfare for the bass to travel from one place or another in search of food and optimum water conditions. The presence of cover on some form of structure is what you should be looking for.

Most of the short cuts to finding deep-water structure occur long before you get to body of water. Start with a contoured lake map and identify all of the depth changes and bottom features, marking them with different colored pens or markers. Once these areas are identified, you can begin finding bass by understanding that their entire life cycle revolves around two core areas: their spawning areas (flats) and their wintering areas (deep water vertical break areas). The structure breaks that connect these two areas are their migration highways. For the most part, the bass winter in the deepest water/vertical break areas available, usually in the main lake.

When I arrive to the lake and get into the areas that I want to fish, I will fast idle the area in a zigzag pattern, keeping a constant eye on my electronics. I will look for any irregularity of signs of activity such as cover on the bottom (brush piles, weeds) or pods of bait that appear as black clouds. I keep zigzagging up and down the potential area until I find something that I like. When I do, I will throw a marker buoy on the area and continue to circle it to establish my boundaries. If I see something else or find a definite end to something I will drop a second buoy.

Using a search-type of bait (a Berkley Frenzy crankbait, a PowerBait Power Lizard on a Carolina rig or a big Berkley Classic jig) I begin to fan cast the entire area. I am trying to establish contact with the bottom or with cover or near bait. It's important that as you catch fish, you keep mental or written notes of the area you are in. Take note of the water depth at which you are fishing, water temperature, water clarity, wind – anything that might help you in the future. Also look around and take visual note of landmarks so that you can more easily find your newly discovered honey hole the next time you hit the water.

There are also some general guidelines for fishing deep-water structure. During periods of active feeding, such as low light, rain, or wind, the fish generally move shallower and hold looser to cover. During periods of high pressure or under adverse conditions the bass tend to be a little deeper and tighter to cover. Structure with hard type cover on it is better in the spring and late fall (shell/rock); structure with soft type cover and areas where debris has been deposited by the current are better in the summer. Structure areas with more vertical breaks are better during the winter periods. Generally, the same sweet spots on structure tend to produce over and over each year.

One of the best ways to get and keep a bait in front of fish relating closely to structure in winter is with a drop shot. This finesse presentation is especially suited to clear water and heavily pressured areas. Using 6- or 8-pound Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon line, a spinning reel and 7-foot-6-inch medium action rod, I will rig a small, wide-gap hook using a traditional drop shot set up. With a tungsten weight anywhere from 6 inches to 2 feet below the hook, I will either nose hook (in open water) or bury the hook, Texas rig style (in and around heavier cover), a Berkley Gulp! bait. These baits disperse scent so powerfully in the water, it helps me catch bass even when I don't put the bait right in front of the fish. By shaking the rod tip, I am able to give the bait a lifelike appearance without moving it out of the strike zone.

Winter can be a great time to catch fish. With cold temperatures, most anglers and boaters are content to stay off the water, leaving most of the best spots with little fishing pressure. With a little homework and the right gear, you can be catching the big ones while everyone else is sitting at home.

Berkley Pro Jay Yelas, who currently fishes the FLW Tour, is a former Bassmaster Classic winner from Corvalis, Ore.

Picking the Right Hook
by Tom Redington, Lake Fork Bass Guide Service

Selecting the correct hook when fishing soft plastic baits is a rather simple choice, but one that can dramatically impact your lure’s action and your hooking percentage. Based on the size of the fish, the hook set style used, and how heavy or lightweight your rods and line are, there is a hook that will maximize your landing percentage for each bait. For Texas rigs, weightless Texas rigs, and Carolina rigs, there are a few basic guidelines that I follow. While you may find a different system works better for you, hopefully this will help you more critically evaluate your hook choice in the future.

First, you need to decide what style of hook to use. For traditionally rigging soft plastics, hooks come in 3 main styles—straight shank, offset shank, and extra wide gap. Straight shank hooks have a “J” shape, while offset shank hooks have a similar design, only with a small double 90 degree bend (offset) near the eye of the hook to help keep lures from sliding down the shank. Extra wide gap hooks are more in the shape of a “G”, with a rounded shank similar to Kahle style hooks and an offset near the eye. Straight shank hooks were the dominant worm hook for years until the introduction of the Sluggo in the 80s, creating widespread use of offset hooks. As flipping tubes became popular in the 90s, the use of extra wide gap hooks became widespread, and I now see more bass fishermen using extra wide gap hooks with soft plastic lures than any other hook type.

Like a growing number of anglers, I used a lot of extra wide gap hooks in the past but I’ve now switched back to using straight shank hooks whenever possible. Currently, I use straight shank hooks about 80% of the time, offset hooks 15%, and wide gap hooks only about 5%. My reasoning is based on simple geometry. Wide gap hooks have the hook point directly in-line with the eye of the hook, or slightly above the line eye on “wide gap plus” hooks. When you set the hook, the sinker and the front of the lure clear a path for the hook point to escape a bass’ mouth without imbedding. Meanwhile, on straight shank hooks the point rides substantially above the eye of the hook and aims for the roof of the bass’ mouth, resulting in a more hook-ups. The extra wide gap hooks do an excellent job of holding fish if you manage to get the hook through the bass’ mouth on the hook set, so well that I often need pliers to remove a hook once the bass is landed; however, there are plenty of times when a bass completely takes a bait and even on a short pitch with braided line to a bedding fish, the hook flies cleanly out of the bass’ mouth on the hook set. Missing an extra fish every once in a while doesn’t sound like a big deal, but if that fish is the one you need to get a check in a tournament or the lunker of a lifetime, losing it is a huge deal.

Based on my preference for straight shank hooks, here’s a breakdown of the types of hooks I use. For rigging worms, creature baits, craw worms, French frys, or similar baits like Ring Frys, Fork Worms, Twitch Worms, Fork Craws and Fork Worms by Lake Fork Tackle, I use straight shank hooks. For weightless soft plastic jerkbaits like Magic Shads, Zig Zags, or Senkos, an offset worm hook works better. These baits have thick bodies that seem to deliver the best action and hook-ups when rigged Texposed with offset hooks. Offset hooks have the hook above the eye, similar to straight shank hooks, and produce much higher hook up percentages for me than extra wide gap hooks, while still delivering good action. For baits that are extremely bulky, baits that you swim, and tubes, I’ll use extra wide gap hooks. For Fork Frogs and Live Magic Shads, the extra wide gap hooks act as a keel to keep the lures running true, while having enough gap to get through the thick bodies. And for Texas rigging hollow bodied tubes like Lake Fork Tackle Craw Tubes, extra wide gap hooks are the only ones that will rig them properly.

The biggest drawback to straight shank hooks is the head of the bait sliding down the shank instead of staying on the eye of the hook. This is even a problem with offset and extra wide gap hooks when fishing soft plastics around heavy brush or grass. While there are a number of novel ideas and new hook designs to combat this problem, the simplest solution is to use the end of a toothpick. Simply break off the end of a round toothpick and push it through the head of your lure, continuing through the eye of the hook, and out the other side of the head of the lure. Trim the toothpick so it is flush with the both sides of your bait and it’ll be locked in place at the eye on any style of hook.

Once you’ve determined the hook style, you need to figure out what size is best. Selecting the size of the hook is another subject upon which my thinking has changed over the years. In the past, I would use the largest hook possible, figuring that larger hooks were stronger and would land more fish. Nowadays, I prefer using the smallest hook I can get away with. While it is true that larger hooks often have heavier wire that is stronger than light wire hooks, when two hooks of similar sized wire are compared, the larger hook will straighten out easier. Just like a long wrench will loosen a tight bolt easier than a shorter wrench, the larger the hook and especially the wider the gap, the more leverage for big fish to bend out your hook. For that reason, I’ve switched to mostly 2/0 and 3/0 hooks for most of my Texas rigs and Carolina rigs instead of the 4/0 and 5/0 hooks I predominately used in the past. Furthermore, smaller hooks normally have smaller points, making them easier to penetrate the bass’ mouth, especially on long casts. The rule of thumb for selecting hooks size is based on the bulk of a soft plastic lure, not the length. For example, I use a 3/0 or 4/0 hook when Texas rigging a bulky 4” Ring Fry, while I’ll only use a 1/0 or 2/0 hook for rigging a skinny 6” Twitch Worm. The bulkier the lure, the bigger the hook gap need, so you’ll need to use a larger sized hook. Concerning the thickness of the hooks wire, in general I’ll use light wire hooks when I’m using line than is about 10 lbs or less and go to the extra strong 3X or “Superline” hooks when I’m using line that is 20 lb test or larger and fishing in a lake with big fish.

Keep your hooks sharp and give my tips a try, I think they’ll help you land a few extra fish or two this season. Here’s hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams.

Tom Redington is a full time bass guide on Lake Fork and is sponsored by Ranger Boats, Diamond Sports Marine, Lake Fork Trophy Tackle, and P-Line Fishing Lines. www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com. Phone: 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings)

3 Structures to Target This Winter
by Scott Suggs, courtesy of The Fishing Wire

If we're going to be honest about it, fishing in the winter isn't always the most pleasant activity. It can be cold, windy and sometimes getting the fish to cooperate can be frustrating. But just because the calendar has been flipped to December doesn't mean that you should park the boat and resign yourself to hanging lights and watching football.

Catching fish in the winter requires some knowledge about the body of water that you are fishing and a decided amount of patience. Slowing down your presentations will go a long way towards ensuring you get more than a runny nose for your time on the lake. So before you head out for your next day of fishing, try focusing on these three types of structure.
Bluffs
A lot of tournaments are won year round on rock bluffs. Big smallmouth and largemouth both like to hang on these bluff ledges during this time of year. But enticing strikes from finicky bass in winter can be a challenge. Fish each spot slowly and don't limit yourself to just one lure or technique. In clear water, natural colored worms can be very effective for a smallmouth bite. A Berkley PowerBait Hand Pour Finesse Worm fished on a dropshot rig that is worked slowly on the ledges works extremely well.

But don't forget that crayfish also inhabit these rock bluffs and a big jig tipped with a PowerBait Chigger Craw will also work. Just keep the retrieve slow. Lipless crankbaits like a Frenzy Rattl'r fished parallel to the bluffs is also can entice strikes, but be careful that your retrieve isn't too fast. Also remember that shad and other baitfish swim these bluffs during winter so a Berkley Gulp! Jerk Shad Texas rigged with a wide-gap hook and swimmed through the desired depth can result in a lot of hook ups.

Main-lake points
Main-lake points hold bass pretty much year round. But during winter, when the lake is low, they really start to bunch up on these structures. Find a point that is just out of the swift, main lake current and there is likely to be a bunch of bass feeding on baitfish and crayfish. If there is deep water nearby, that deeper water is likely to hold bass, too.

These out-of-the current spots can hold huge schools of bass, bunched up, usually in one very small spot. This means either dragging bottom-bumping lures, or fan casting, Carolina-rigged lures like a PowerBait Power Lizard or a Gulp! Turtleback Worm and looking for that instinct strike. Wood cover along these spots always harbor the bigger largemouth's in the area. Try laydowns, washed in debris, stumps and brush piles and go after them with a jig and trailer.

Humps
Smallmouth bass and a surprisingly good number of largemouths, can both be found around islands, submerged humps, sand bars and ridges, located throughout lakes. Because of low water levels in winter, many are now visible; others can be found by paying attention to your electronics. Smallmouth relate to the edge of the swift current, waiting for an easy meal. Largemouth tend to hug the bottom and hang out in the cover (stumps, ledges).

Fishing these areas can be tough when the weather is extremely cold, but slowly down and finesse are of the utmost importance whenever fishing these areas. Dropshotting small, straight-tailed finesse worms like the PowerBait Hand Pour Finesse Worm or Carolina rigging small, finesse lures, such as worms, lizards, grubs, jerkbaits and crayfish imitations, will entice more strikes in very cold water than baits with a larger profile. Lighter line also works better in these situations, so make sure your spinning reel is in good working order.

Don't let a little cold keep you off the lake this winter. There's a lot less boat traffic this time of year and still a lot of fish to be caught. Just make sure to slow down your presentation and downsize your line and focus your attention on these three wintertime hotspots and pretty soon everyone will want to go with you.

Berkley Pro Scott Suggs is the 2007 FLW Champion and the first angler in professional bass fishing to win $1 million in a single tournament.

The In's and Out's of Flipping
by Jay Yelas

Late fall can be a rough period of fishing because the bass are in transition in most areas and sometimes difficult to find. But in many places, the bass are targeting schools of spawning shad in backs of coves. And while the bass might not be actively gorging on the schools all day long, they will never pass up an opportunity for an easy meal. Many times they will hunker down in nearby cover and wait for prey to come within easy striking distance.

For times like these (or in summer when the sun is hot or when targeting bedding bass in spring) you've got to know how to fish flooded brush, blowdowns, thick weed mats or some other shady cover. When bass are holding tight to these areas, they might not be feeding aggressively, a bass still might strike in reaction to something invading its space. But sometimes, you have to almost hit a bass on the head to get it to strike. A subtle approach like flipping works best for bass in these conditions - especially those in shallow water. A lot of bass will stay in relatively shallow water nearly all year long and a bass in shallow water in usually more interested in a meal than a bass in deeper water.

Flipping is a technique that allows me to have a finesse look while I'm still using big, baits like a Berkley PowerBait Chigger Craw. It's a matter of looking at available cover, imagining where a bass might be and putting a lure on his head very softly. Even in the cooler times of the year, I wear polarized sunglasses which protect my eyes from the sun and allow me to spot open areas in the cover and sometimes - if the conditions are right - the fish. Almost like using a cane pole, flipping allows a person to get up close and personal with bass at short range. Using long rods (7 to 7-and-a-half feet though some pros use an 8-foot rod) and heavy line (like 30-pound braided or anything that can stand up to rough treatment), anglers can slip lures into tight pockets more accurately than casting when bass prefer a more subtle presentation. Anglers can flip a lure into specific pockets in grass beds, near a twig on a blowdown, or between two lily pads to reach those fish that few other anglers can reach with a bait. By placing the bait close to the bass without causing much splash, you are less likely to spook the fish.

To reach these hideouts, nose the boat almost against the cover. Strip a few yards of line out and hold the excess in one hand. I flip with a lot of Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon because of its manageability and low stretch. But if I am flipping near heavy cover, I will use a braid like SpiderWire. Swing the rod toward the casting area with the other hand and then release the excess line as the bait pulls the line through the rod guides. When you're doing it right, the bait will land on the target without much splash. Whenever fishing shallow water, make the lure entry as light as possible. The less you spook an area, the more likely you are to catch a big fish. After the Chigger Craw-tipped jig or PowerBait Power Worm enters the water, let it sink to the bottom. Frequently, bass strike on the fall. If a lure hits bottom without a strike, hop it up and down a few times before swinging to the next target. The action of PowerBait really captures the attention of even lethargic bass and can trigger a lot of reaction strikes.

In most cases, color, size and lure shape often aren't as important as accurate placement. Bass might strike anything that lands inches away but won't budge to attack baits more than a foot away. When the fish start acting like this, you have to know how to flip in there and drag them out.

Berkley Pro Jay Yelas is the reigning FLW Tour Angler of the Year and a former Bassmaster Classic champion from Corvalis, Ore.

Fall Fishing Patterns
by Mike Iaconelli, courtesy of National Hunting & Fishing Day website

A big part of locating bass on any body of water is identifying which seasonal pattern the fish are in and having an idea about how fish behave during this pattern. These patterns can vary from place and depend a lot on latitude. Just because it's technically fall on the calendar, it can still be 80-90 degrees in parts of the south. Just the same, it can still be officially summer in Minnesota and still get pretty chilly. Fish weather and fisherman weather aren't always the same, so just monitor the water temperature if you're uncertain about which pattern the fish will be in.


But since it's now officially fall, I want to talk about fishing for fall bass. I break this pattern into two: early fall and fall transition. Fishing in this part of the year can prove challenging but it's not impossible.

In early fall, bass get a sense that winter is coming because the water temperature is beginning to cool from what is has been throughout the summer. Since they instinctively sense that winter is on its way, they begin to feed pretty heavily on the baitfish that are moving into shallow water. Most people think that if the fish are really chowing down then the fishing will be easy. Wrong. They aren't just eating anything, they are keying on a certain kind of bait.

Because they are keying on certain bait (shad, crawfish, etc.), it is extremely important that you match the hatch. It's a big thing especially for fly fisherman, but bass fisherman should apply it, too. Whether it's baby bluegill, crawfish, dragonflies or anything else, I need to know so I carefully examine every fish that I catch by looking down their gullets or carefully feeling their belly to try to determine what they've been munching on. If the belly is squishy, they've probably been eating soft bait fish like minnows or shad; if it feels crunchy then there's probably a crawfish shell in there that hasn't been digested. An object turning end over end is most likely the spine of a bluegill.

During this early fall time, I like to hit creeks and pockets with drains or any place that has an influx of freshwater water because it will draw in more of the baitfish that the bass are eating. I might throw a Berkley Power Tube or Power Craw in these areas, Texas rigging them and keeping them close to the bottom. But as good as these areas can be, don't overlook the backsides of windswept points. During this time of the year, bass love to get behind these points and face into the wind and ambush and kind of baitfish that get pushed towards the banks by the current. A Berkley Frenzy Diver in whatever color or pattern that coincides with what their eating can very effective. The point is that fishing the early fall requires moving around a lot and trying to find these areas where the fish are feeding.

Later fall will find the bass heading back towards wintering areas so focusing on isolated points or cover near vertical breaks is a great place to start looking for these fish. These later-season fish will also be a little easier to catch, so don't let the cooling weather keep you off the water.

But it's the early fall where you might need a light jacket in the morning and an air conditioner in the afternoon that provides some challenging fishing with the possibility for some hefty fish. All it takes is a little detective work to match the hatch and the ability to determine the seasonal pattern and you will be well on your way.
Berkley Pro Staffer Mike Iaconelli is the 2006 BASS Angler of the Year and the 2003 Bassmaster Classic champion.

Fishing Unfamiliar Water
by Ken Cook, courtesy of National Hunting & Fishing Day website

Bass tournament season will shift into high gear once again next month when the Bassmaster Classic kicks off at Lake Tohopekaliga in Florida. Toho, as it's known to many of us, is a great fishery that most pros have quite a bit of experience fishing. Rare is it in this day that pros get a chance to wet a line in a body of water that they have never fished before, though that could change with the tournament stop at Lake Amistad on the Texas-Mexico border. Many of the pros have never ventured into this deep, steep-banked impoundment that is known to have some very big fish and are now in the same position many of you find yourselves in on a regular basis: on the verge of fishing a lake that they know nothing about.

Hiring a guide is not an option come tournament time, and the same bodes true for a lot of people whose budget just doesn't allow for the added expense. Left to fend for yourself, there's a few tried-and-true tricks that can make your first trip to a lake more successful and efficient.

First of all, get a good map of the lake. There are even lake maps on CD that you can use on your computer. Even an old map from the local marina can be a good start. Lake maps can help you locate some general fishing areas, as well as advising you of potentially dangerous rock bars and stump fields. Also, scour the Internet: there's sure to be a message board for the area you are going to fish where locals and out-of-towners alike will be posting where and what they're biting. And don't be afraid to ask other people at the marina and boat ramp.

If you are like me and bass is the species you are after, the first place that I always look is the classic spots. Deep, rocky points, humps and bars will probably have a resident population of ready-to-eat fish. If you can find some trees that have fallen into water that's deeper than five feet, there's a good chance that the area is holding fish - especially if the area offers quick and easy access for the fish to reach deep water.

Once you've found your area, set some limits for yourself. Even if you think the fishing might be better 30 miles away, limit yourself to the reasonably sized area that offers the characteristics you are looking for. It is much easier to manage your fishing in a pond-sized area than if you are trying to cover 50,000 acres of lake.

If your chosen spot has some weed beds that grow below the surface, start with a spinnerbait or buzzbait on some medium heavy tackle. By doing this, you are trying to entice those fish that hang out on the edges of the vegetation to feed. If the weed beds are deeper, try a shallow-running crankbait like a Berkley Frenzy. These baits, in addition to enticing strikes, allow you to cover a lot of area quickly to determine the presence and behavior of the fish. If you find an area with more trees and stumps than vegetation and the bass aren't responding to the quickly retrieved buzz, spinner and crankbaits, slow down your presentation with a jig and trailer or a Texas-rigged soft plastic like Berkley PowerBait. And don't give up on a bait too quickly, otherwise you will set yourself into a pattern of switching rigs every other cast. Just like running to different spots on the lake every 15 minutes, that makes for a frustrating day on the water.

Being able to size up a body of water in a short amount of time under varied conditions is what makes or breaks a professional angler. It takes practice and patience, so don't expect to fill your livewell with a bushel basket full of 8- and 10-pounders the first time out. But if you pay attention and take the time to record some simple notes for yourself, your next trips are bound to be even better.
- Ken Cook is the 1991 Bassmaster Classic winner and a 14-time Classic qualifier. A former fisheries biologist, Cook lives on his ranch in Meers, OK

Smallmouth Bass Fishing: A Feisty Bite
by Adam Pearson, courtesy of newsreview.info

When the bite is slow in the Umpqua River for salmon and steelhead and the dog days of summer have settled in, smallmouth bass awaken like little rabid beasts.

Meaning, well, they'll attack just about anything that moves — or smells.

“They like to ambush stuff,” said Gary Lewis, a Roseburg-based fishing guide, who takes clients angling for smallmouth bass during the months of July and August. “And they bite all day.”

When the mainstem Umpqua River warms to about 60 degrees — it's above 70 degrees now — Lewis said the smallmouth bass come alive. And they stay that way until the river cools in September and the action returns to chinook salmon and steelhead.

Success in landing those prized fish, however, takes hours of patience and seasons of knowledge. But fishing for smallmouth bass requires, at the very least, a basic understanding of how to set the hook and crank a reel. Which makes it an easy introduction to angling on the Umpqua River for youngsters and newcomers in the region.

People catch a lot of fish and have a lot of fun,” Lewis said.

Smallmouth bass bite everything from nightcrawlers to Rapala lures, but Lewis' favorite setup — for novice fishermen — is a plastic worm on a lead-head jig with a squirt of Smelly Jelly for extra attraction.

Once you're set, the technique is not too complicated. Just make sure you're fishing over a gravel bottom, and not sand, because smallmouth bass prefer structure. Then drop the worm to the bottom — as if a cork is tied up top — and wait for a bite. It shouldn't take long.

“It's a pretty competitive world down there,” Lewis said.

Once a fish is hooked, from a boat, other smallmouth bass can be seen trying to steal the plastic worm out of its mouth. But fishing for the little green-sided monsters doesn't require a watercraft.

“This whole river is full of bass,” said Rod Antilla, who ups the ante when fishing for smallmouth bass by using a fly rod. “I don't think there's a place where you won't catch them.”

Last week, Antilla was fishing the Umpqua River with a friend near Cleveland Rapids, a couple of miles downstream from River Forks Park. He was joined by Linda Walker, who is learning how to fly fish this summer. The two anglers had their personal pontoon boats docked on the bank while they casted flies from a ledge.

“It's neat to see the fish go after the fly you tied,” Walker said, about an hour after her morning start and already with a couple of fish to her credit. “It's all a good time.”

Though fishermen can keep up to 10 smallmouth bass of any size, Lewis, Antilla and Walker are strict practitioners of catch-and-release. Even when he's guiding, Lewis urges clients to release fish.

“If they catch a real big one, I don't like them to keep them because they're the nice, big broodstock, the ones that's going to re-supply the river,” he said.

A picture in that case, he said, will suffice.

Smallmouth bass, Lewis said, can get up to four pounds. However, there's a lot of small, smallmouth bass to be caught while angling for the big one, even if you're using artificial lures.

“Usually, if you're going to keep them to eat, we like them about 10 to 11 inches long,” Lewis said. “That way there's enough there to eat.”

A retired maintenance watchman for the Douglas County Fairgrounds, Lewis has been guiding for salmon, steelhead and smallmouth bass since 1980 on the Umpqua River. He guides clients on about 200 trips a year.

His business, Gary's Guide Service, has been featured in several magazines and in the past few years on TV programs such as American Outdoorsman and Fly Fishing America on ESPN.

His clients come from all over the country and the world.

“I get people from Alaska, that come down here and fish for smallmouth bass,” he said, explaining they like the experience of catching something other than salmon — and not having to deal with mosquitoes and inclement weather.

For a full day on the river with Lewis — at $175 per person — it would be hard not to catch at least 50 smallmouth bass, or beyond 70.

Lewis said it took years to build a dependable clientele for his business. But each day on the river makes it all worth it.

“It's always better than working,” he said.
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Hot Weather Bass Fishing
by Ed Harp, courtesy of The Fishing Wire by Berkley

Pro Angler Kevin Wirth

Flippin' and pitchin' heavy vegetation is an often overlooked tactic for hot weather largemouths. The heat of summer can bring some of the toughest bass fishing of the year. But, according to many experts, much of that toughness is caused by anglers themselves. That's because far too many believe that all the bass are deep. They aren't. Many fish, in some cases the biggest ones, head for the heavy weeds and vegetative growth of July, August and September. Such places offer high dissolved oxygen levels, shade and protection from the sun. At the same time they are darn near perfect for ambushing prey. That's all a bass needs to be happy. Fishing vegetation can be tough, however. To do it effectively we need a plan. A day on the water observing professional angler Kevin Wirth fish lily pad fields helps us develop such a plan. "That's the thing most anglers miss, the pattern within the pattern," says Wirth as he lips his fish and heads towards the livewell. It's a respectable 4-pound largemouth that fell for a plastic bait tossed precisely to the base of one lily pad among a field of thousands. When asked to explain the pattern within the pattern he quickly points out that all the pads don't hold fish. And even if they did

he couldn't fish them all effectively. The Southern impoundment he's fishing this day is full of pads, tens of thousands of them. "You notice I'm fishing only the pads on the end of the points (made by the pads) and further refining my pattern by only fishing those with big, thick stems. That's where the big ones are holding." Wirth goes on to explain that big, mean bass are much like rich humans. They claim the best neighborhoods. In this case, the best neighborhood was under the huge, thick root of the lily pad with the biggest stem growing on the end of the point. In Midwestern impoundments look for a spot where brown meets green, mostly that'll be wood, drift, laydowns, stumps, near weeds. Old wood and thick, mossy weeds are usually best. Keep moving until you find a bass or two. And remember Wirth's advice; don't try to fish all the good looking spots.

3 Bass Rigs You Really Ought to Learn
by "The Bass Coach" Roger Lee Brown

Many of today’s anglers all to often seem to have the enthusiasm to get themselves all psyched’d up for that big day of fishing the following day only to find themselves coming in at the end of the day with only one or two bass caught. They will spend the day, usually casting, re-rigging, running, loosing lures, etc., but most of all getting frustrated because the fish aren’t cooperating. "Sound Familiar?" I, surly know this feeling and I’m sure that any angler reading this article has had the same feeling at some point and time. Now, don’t feel bad if this does happen to you because you are definitely not alone, there are probably millions of other anglers out there that this same problem happens to! But, there are a few "Tricks of the Trade" that you can use to help remedy this problem..... at least it works for me and many of my former bass angling students and charter clients that I have taught in the past.

I found that on certain days when the bass don’t seem to cooperate, I usually will put my action baits away and pull out the "Last Resort Rigs" which are the:

1. TEXAS RIG

2. CAROLINA RIG

3. FLOATING RIG

These three rigs are probably the most successful patterns for catching bass (Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass) that a angler can use just about "Anywhere and at Anytime." Now, some anglers may ask; "Why would I use all three of these rigs?" and the answer is really quite simple. It’s like using tools of the trade! A carpenter wouldn’t use a hammer to back out a screw, nor would he or she use a screw driver to pound nails (Well, at least most of them wouldn’t!....smile!....). The same goes with bass fishing, an angler should have the right Tools-of-the-Trade to do a specific job!

First, let’s talk about the TEXAS RIG. This rig was the first "Plastic Bait" rig that was used by most of the anglers when the sport of bass fishing really got started over 25 years ago! It is a simple rig to set up, and has produced more bass catches than any other artificial baits ever used, even today!

To rig a Texas Rig you will need line, a hook and a sinker.......That’s It! First, you put your sinker (usually a "bullet shaped slip sinker") onto the line with the smaller point of the weight going on first or "facing up." Then tie your hook (usually a off-set worm hook) to the end of the line after you put on the weight. Now you are ready for your plastic baits (I always refer to artificial baits because I haven’t used live bait in many years) to be put on the hook.

This type of rig (Texas Rig) can be fished (or presented) just about anywhere you will find bass, it has certain advantages and disadvantages over the other two rigs that we will talk about, and I will give a few examples after we rig up the Carolina Rig and the Floating Rig.

So next, let’s rig the CAROLINA RIG.... With this rig you’ll need line (main reel line), a barrel swivel, about 6’ of leader line, a weight, glass or brass bead or rattle chamber, and a hook. I know this seems like a lot of stuff, but the results are incredible!

First, take your "Leader Line" (usually the same line that is on your reel already, but I would suggest at least a 2 lb. test lesser than your main line in case of a break-off..... Most of the time by using a lighter leader line, when it breaks it will break off at the leader line thus saving the other hardware on the rig) and tie one end of it to one end of the barrel swivel and then put it aside for a moment. Then, take your main line from your reel and first put on the weight (usually anywhere from a 1/2 oz. up to a 1 oz. bullet or egg sinker). Next, after the weight is on your main line, follow it with a rattle (rattle chamber, glass or brass bead) and then tie the end of the main line to the other end of the barrel swivel that you just put aside. After you tie to the swivel, tie your hook at the other end of the leader line giving you a 2’ to a 4’ leader. Now, we’re ready for the bait!

Next, let’s rig the FLOATING RIG! This "Floating Rig" can and will produce bass sometimes when all else fails...... It’s quite simple to rig and the results can be devastating! You will need a SMALL Barrel Swivel and a Hook for this rig. First, take about 3’ off of your main line for a leader line. Tie one end of your leader line to one end of the barrel swivel, then tie the other end of the barrel swivel to the main reel line. With this rig you leave off the weight!.... NO WEIGHT!!!!!..... Then finally, you tie the hook (preferably a "Light Wire" worm hook) with only allowing about a 1’ leader for the leader line. The reason for no weight and a light wire hook is to allow as much buoyancy as possible. This rig is designed mostly for Floating Worms and buoyant plastic artificial baits.

Now, let’s say that you were to fish around "Rip-Rap" (Rock Areas) around dams levees etc. You probable wouldn’t use a Texas Rig unless you put the lightest weight possible on it to keep it from getting it wedged in the rocks. Nor would you use a Carolina Rig because the heavier weight (1/2 oz. to 1.oz.) would most likely get hung up. So, the rig that makes the most sense would be the "Floating Rig." This rig will allow a slow presentation over the rock areas and the bass that may be around the rocks will come up after it. Also, this kind of rig is used better around branches, Lilly pads, thick surface vegetation etc.

Now, let’s say that we are working a "Downward" slope from about 3’ depth to a 20’ depth. The most sensible rig to use would be to use the Carolina Rig because it will stay in contact with the bottom contour and the deeper you work it, giving it line from your reel you can get a better "Bottom Presentation." A Texas Rig can be used for this also but the deeper you go with it the more it will lift off of the bottom.

Let’s say that you were going to work some pockets around a Bull Rush field. To accurately cast into the pockets a Texas Rig would be the most preferred because with the weight of it you can make accurate casts. A Floating Rig would also be recommended for this type of area as well.

Thick sloppy grass and vegetation areas, all three would work, but the Carolina Rig has produced some quality bass in areas like this over the other two rigs. Don’t worry about getting weeds on the Carolina Rig! Just give it a try and clean the weeds off of the rig and keep casting into these thick areas and "Hold On!"

These rigs can be used anywhere and just about under any circumstances. Remember this; most Bass Tournaments ever fished have paid out more money fishing these rigs than any other types of artificial baits ever used! So if you’re not using all three of these rigs, I promise, the results can be devastating! Just give them a try!

Fishing Walleyes
by Mepps Lures

The walleye, once only a Northwoods delicacy, is now abundant in many of the reservoirs of our southern and western states. It has become one of our most sought after game fish.

A “keeper” walleye will weigh 1-3 pounds, depending on where it’s caught. A 6-8 pounder is “braggin”’ size, and anything bigger can be called a trophy. Walleyes spawn just after “ice out” when water temperatures reach 45-50 degrees. Following spawning, males feed heavily. Females, however, rest for about two weeks, then go on a feeding binge. This is the best time to land a wall hanger.

Walleye, by nature, are night feeders but don’t be lulled into thinking this is the only time to fish them. Water color has a definite effect on the feeding habits of the walleye. Many lakes are dark water lakes. High noon is a good time to fish for walleyes in these waters.

Keep in mind, too, that walleye are gentle feeders. They hit light. Use a s-l-o-w retrieve.

The #3 copper Mepps Aglia can be deadly when fishing lake inlets and gravel bars. Underwater, copper takes on the color of a nightcrawler; especially following a heavy rain. Gold is an excellent choice on overcast days.

On especially bright days a genuine silver plated blade is a must. Don’t use nickel or chrome. Genuine silver plating reflects “white,” while chrome or nickel reflect “black.”

Lake inlets have already been mentioned as excellent walleye structure. Walleyes will lie in wait for the river current to bring them food. Many times these currents will deposit sand, gravel or debris on one or both sides of the channel. When fishing from a boat, these provide excellent places to anchor while casting to the deep channel. Following a heavy rain, the current in these channels speeds up. When this happens, switch to a Mepps Aglia Long, or a 1/4 ounce Timber Doodle tipped with a Mister Twister Split Double Tail.

Walleyes are basically bottom feeders, but don’t ignore those fish that suspend over drop-offs, in deep lakes. Some of the best summer walleye fishing is provided by suspended fish.

The best way to go after these fish is with a 1/2 ounce #1 Timber Doodle or a 5/8 ounce single hook Syclops. Try silver or “hot” colors on sunny days and gold or black when it’s overcast. Tip the hook of the Syclops with a gob of nightcrawlers a minnow or a leech. Lip hook a small minnow to the Timber Doodle before attaching the Split Double Tail to the Keeper hook. Drift through the area while casting. Count the spinner down, varying your depth and retrieve until you start catching fish.

River fishing requires a different approach. Seek out deep holes that contain large rocks or sunken logs. It’s from these holes that big walleye are consistently taken. The Aglia Long , in sizes 2 and 3, is ideally suited for river bank fishing. Look for a likely holding area, and position yourself slightly behind it. Tip the spinner with a nightcrawler and cast upstream as far as possible, letting the spinner fall back into the holding area following the natural flow of the current. Twitch the spinner lightly as you begin a slow retrieve. This is also an excellent tactic for smallmouth.

Walleyes may love big rocks, and gravel bars. But this late evening predator also likes to prowl the weeds. Don’t ignore weed-beds near lake inlets at any time of the year, but especially on a cool summer evening, these weeds can provide lots of action.

Mepps Combos, including the weedless Timber Doodle are extremely effective under these conditions. In the hour preceding and just after sunset, fish a 1/4 ounce black Timber Doodle or a #4 Black Fury Combo rigged with a chartreuse Mister Twister Split Double Tail. You may also want to try a #2, 5/8 ounce hot fire tiger Syclops tipped with a small minnow.

Fishing Tips - Bass Fishing in Cold Weather
by Steve Chaconas

Defined by water temperature rather than calendar, winter fishing is generally the period where water temperatures are 38-48 degrees. Water is at its coldest point of the year after fall migration and before pre spawn. The good news is largemouth bass can still be caught!

Location and when to fish are keys to winter fishing. Fish during the warmest part of the day and near hard, sun-warmed surfaces. A few degrees can make the difference. 2006 BASSMASTER Angler of the Year and 2003 BASSMASTER Classic Champion Michael Iaconelli says, “In colder winter months bass seek the deepest most vertical break areas in any given part of the lake. I look for the sharper break on main lake points and deeper channel bends. On tidal waters, I’m looking for an area out of the main fast current.” Sharp drops allow fish to change depths without having to travel very far!

Ike doesn’t overlook shallow bass and won’t slow down! “I approach winter patterns like I approach spring, summer, and fall. I always try to generate that reaction strike.” Starting shallow before heading deep, he throws tight wiggle crankbaits like Berkley’s Flicker Shad, Frenzy lipless rattle baits with a yo yo retrieve, and metal baits like spoons and Silver Buddies. These imitate winter’s dying shad. Most fishermen overwork blade baits like the Silver Buddy. Less is more…you don’t have to rip them to get bites. A short “burp” of 6 inches off the bottom and semi-tight line back down will entice sluggish winter bass to bite. Most bites occur on the drop. These baits are great at any depth.

Eliminating the shallow bite, Iaconelli goes smaller, deeper and lighter. He parallels break lines, dragging until baits hit bottom cover. “I like to pop with a light snap of the wrist and that sometimes triggers the bite.” Bait presentations allowing you to fish in one spot for a while are best. Bass still eat, but aren’t willing to chase prey. In addition the food chain is moving very slowly. When forced to downsize, Iaconelli uses dark 3-inch grubs, bottom-dwelling craw imitators like heavy Stone Jigs (with pork chunks), as well as The Bomb, a new, smaller finesse football jig. Keep baits on the bottom, where winter bass spend their time. You probably won’t feel a tap…if you feel mushy weight, don’t try to figure out what it is…set the hook!

For even more finesse, Ike rigs a 5” Power Bait Shaky Head worm. Ike likes this worm’s buoyancy for shaky head action in one place, sometimes biting it down to 4 or even 3 inches. Furthermore, he says drop shot rigs also stay put, and are the perfect wintertime finesse presentation. Find baitfish on your depthfinder, then drop shot at that depth using 3 or 4-inch soft plastic baits. With a 4-8 inch leader above the weight, Ike leaves Gulp worms in one spot once he contacts bottom cover, allowing the bait to quiver and release its attractant. According to Iaconelli, “When you find them, there are a ton of them down there!”

Fishing in the winter can be rewarding, but safety and comfort are essential. A PFD is a must. Heavier clothing and fishing in deeper water can prove to be a disastrous combination if you fall overboard. Loose layers trap body heat and let moisture escape. Taking a buddy, letting an onshore contact know where you are and when you plan to return, and being prepared for emergencies make winter fishing good sense.

Tweaking a Pop-r
by Rob Brewer

Now that the water has warmed and the area bass are in a spawn/post spawn pattern, a top water bait is a sound choice for lure selection. Quite often I’ll use a Pop-R by the Rebel division of PRADCO. The bait by itself will catch fish "as-is" from the factory, but there are a few really simple steps you can do to increase the number of bites you get and increase your hook up ratio.

Start with a new Pop-R in one of the G-finish colors. I choose these ones because they have smooth sides instead of that molded-in, raised fish scale texture on some models. This saves you all that sanding and other time wasting tasks that Zell Rowland does. I like to buy Pop-R’s in colors that mimic shad. I think the factory name of the color is "Red eye perch". This bait is light gray with a darker gray scale pattern sprayed on it. It has a white underside and red overspray underneath the eyes.

The first thing to do is remove the factory hooks and give them to fellows you fish against. Now take some sort of tool like an ice pick and pop all the paint off of the lure’s eye where you tie your line. I have a tool I got at Wal-Mart that is great for this job. It looks like some sort of dentist pick on a screwdriver handle. It costs about $2.00 for a set of four different type picks. Keep the "eye popper" on in your tackle box. It works great for cleaning out jig eyes too.

Once you’ve cleaned all the paint from the eye, you’re ready to install some "real" hooks. Replace the front hook with a size 6 VMC #7650 treble. If you can’t find those; look for Owner ST36 or Daiichi Deathtraps. They all run about $5.00 for ten hooks. The Daiichi’s are available in that bleeding red color if that’s what you like.

For the rear hook, attach an Owner tournament trailer. These hooks run about $5.00 for two. They are strong, sharp and dressed with feathers instead of the mylar/synthetic combo you removed and gave to your buddy. These feathers breathe in the water and impart a very subtle action that entices extra bites.The $3.00 worth of hooks you put on the bait is sharp enough to ensure you hook those extra bites.

The new hooks are a little heavier that those you gave away and they make the bait sit a little lower in the water which I believe also aides in hook ups. One last tip. When you tie your line to the bait, pull the knot down the lure’s eye so that the knot points towards the bottom of the lake. This may sound weird but it actually changes the action of the bait when you work it. I shouldn’t have told you about that. Now I’ve given up all my secrets for this bait. Remember to adjust your knot after every fish. Soon you’ll recognize when the knot is not right because it will be obvious to you that the bait is not working right.

Go ahead and make these modifications and I promise you’ll catch more fish. If not, send me the Pop-R and I’ll use it.

Catch and Release Tips

The advent of catch-and-release has been great for the sport of fishing. It has literally re-cycled fish/opportunity for other anglers. However, there is a proper method to returning fish to the water after you catch them, that assures the fish's chances of survival.

Here are some basic tips:

• Don't play or fight a fish any longer than necessary. This way when you do catch and release the fish, it's not fatigued or stressed.

• Do not touch or handle the fish any more than necessary. Doing so removes a protective slime coat that helps protect the fish from disease. It might be a good idea to wet your hands before handling the fish.
    For the same reason the use of dip nets is not encouraged with fish you plan to release. And if you do use nets, those with rubber webbing seem to be less harmful in this regard than those made of twine.

• If a hook is swallowed, cut it off as closely to the eye of the hook as possible and release the fish, rather than trying to remove the hook. Studies have shown fish have a better chance of survival if you do this.

• There is nothing wrong with taking photos of a catch, but consider that the fish cannot breathe out of water. Take the photo and return the fish to water as soon as possible.

• Fishing with barbless hooks aid in the survival rate of caught and released fish. The same is true of anglers using circle hooks. These hooks are designed to turn when taken by the fish and hook it in the corner of the mouth rather than be swallowed.

Fluorescent Line Applications

By Mark Hicks, courtesy of BassClubDigest
In the early days of bass clubs there were few monofilament lines to choose from. Most anglers opted for one brand and used it in varying sizes for every fishing application. The major dilemma was whether to buy a clear or fluorescent monofilament.

Things are more complicated today because line makers have continually developed new monofilaments to upstage their competitors. We now have monofilaments in a myriad of colors, and those that are tougher, stronger, more sensitive, more limp and cartable, and that have all these attributes to some degree.

When the super braids and their likes blitzed bass fishermen, there was a hectic period of adjustment. Some pundits believed that the thinner, more sensitive super lines would replace monofilament. Bass anglers eagerly experimented with the new lines. Some fishermen have since forsaken super lines altogether, and few anglers use them exclusively. Most bassers use super lines for flippin’ dense cover, such as matted vegetation, and for Carolina rigging, where the line’s low stretch helps strike detection and hook setting.

Just when fishermen were settling into a comfort zone with their monofilament and super line choices, along came fluorocarbon. This “invisible line” has a refractive index nearly the same as water. When a fluorocarbon line is immersed in water, it blends in so well that it virtually disappears. Here, finally, is a line that will not spook fish, even in crystal clear water. As with the super lines, bass fishermen are now sorting out where fluorocarbon line fits into their fishing

The first fluorocarbon lines were leader material for fly-fishing. A fly-fishing leader needs to be stiff so that it rolls over smoothly as it transfers the inertia from the fly line to the fly. But, a stiff line is detested for most bass fishing applications. It tends to backlash baitcasting reels, and it springs off spinning reels in stiff coils that reduce casting distance

Newer fluorocarbon lines designed for bass fishing are more limp. But, Berkley states that fluorocarbon line is still inherently stiffer then monofilament. That’s because fluorocarbon line does not absorb water, as does monofilament, and become more flexible. Even so, some anglers now use fluorocarbon line extensively, including Mike Fillmer of Lithonia, a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia.

Fillmer, an ex police officer and a retired IBM salesman, now manages a warehouse at SPRO/Gamakatsu. He has been a member (and the secretary) of the Dekalb Bass Club since 1986. The club fishes lakes throughout Georgia and the surrounding states.

As did many fishermen, Fillmer first used fluorocarbon line as a leader when he Carolina rigged with braided line. He soon found that, besides being invisible, fluorocarbon line is low in stretch and more sensitive than monofilament. It helped him feel bites, set the hook, and it proved tougher than monofilament.

Fluorocarbon, unlike monofilament, is also unaffected by the sun’s UV rays. Since it does not absorb water, fluorocarbon maintains superior wet strength to monofilament. It also sinks faster, because it is more dense. This is beneficial with sinking lures, such as jig and worms, but it can hamper the action of topwater baits

“I’ve tried just about every fluorocarbon line out there,” Fillmer says. “I’ve had good luck with many of them, but my favorite is Seagar. It’s very limp.”

Fillmer first tried 8- and 10-pound fluorocarbon as a leader for a Carolina rig on 14-pound braided line. He was so pleased with fluorocarbon’s sensitivity that he eventually switched from a super braid to fluorocarbon as the main line. Another item that improves his sensitivity is a tungsten sinker from Tru-Tungsten instead of a lead sinker.

“With that tungsten weight and that fluorocarbon line, I can feel mud, I can feel brush, I can feel limbs, and I can feel grass,” Fillmer says. “And when a bass picks it up. I know it.”

Encouraged by his success with fluorocarbon when Carolina rigging, Fillmer tried the line with other lures. He soon found that it improved his catch when fishing jigs and Texas-rigged worms. When he spooled 6-pound fluorocarbon on his spinning rod for dropshotting, he knew he had found the perfect combination."

Besides being more sensitive, fluorocarbon sinks faster,” Fillmer says. “It gets down there quicker and I can get by with a lighter weight.” When Fillmer tried 10-pound fluorocarbon line on his crankbait rod, he found that he could cast 15 to 20 percent farther than with monofilament. He admits that other anglers question this, but he claims there is no doubt that he casts farther. Since he usually fishes from the back seat of his club member’s boats, longer casts help him keep pace with the angler fishing from the bow. He also claims that the increased casting distance, combined with the sinking line, allows his crankbaits to run deeper. The increased sensitivity of fluorocarbon tells him when the crankbait contacts cover or the bottom, and when a bass nabs his bait.

Fillmer also switched to fluorocarbon for fishing jerkbaits and topwater baits, including Lucky Craft’s Sammy, his favorite dog-walking stickbait. By working the Sammy at a faster cadence, Fillmer overcomes negative effect of the sinking fluorocarbon line.“

I now use fluorocarbon for 90 percent of my fishing.” Fillmer says. “I just love this stuff. I’m not about to switch to anything else.”

The only bait that Fillmer doesn’t fish on fluorocarbon line is a snagless frog, specifically the Rojas Frog. He retrieves this bait over matted grass and other nasty cover, and opts for 65-pound braided line so he can horse the bass out.

One drawback Fillmer has found with fluorocarbon line is that it is hard to see above the water, especially through his bifocals. He sometimes struggles to see the line when he watches for strikes with jigs and worms. However, Fillmer claims that fluorocarbon has so many advantages it more than compensates for this handicap.

Another negative is the high cost of fluorocarbon. You’ll pay as much for 200 yards of fluorocarbon as for 750 to 1,000 yards of monofilament.

“It is expensive,” Fillmer says. “But I tell you what, it handles well, it casts well, it holds up well, and I can feel everything down there with it. It’s worth it.”

The Solunar Theory

courtesy of Solunar.com

In 1926 John Alden Knight* postulated some folk lore he picked up in Florida and proceeded to attempt a refinement, giving it the name Solunar (Sol for sun and Lunar for moon). Knight compiled a list of 33 factors which influence or control day-to-day behavior of fresh and salt-water fish. Everything was taken into account that could possibly have any bearing on the matter.

One by one the factors were examined and rejected. Three of them, however, merited further examination. They were sun, moon and tides. Surely the sun could have no effect since its cycle was the same day after day, whereas the observed activity periods of fish were apt to be present at most any time of the day or night.

The moon had already been weighed and found wanting. Tides? Surely there could be no tidal movement in a trout stream.  But the fact remained, however, that the tides had always guided salt-water fishermen to good fishing. Could it be that the prompting stimulus lay in the influence of the sun and moon which cause the ocean tides, rather than the actual tidal stages or flow?

When