| It is definitely a hard decision choosing the best all | | | | When confronted with cold fronts I worked it |
| around bait of this past season. In my decision I | | | | slowly to get my Bass. I found that fronts or |
| considered key factors such as versatility, | | | | weather changes prompted me to work the 6" |
| weather, longevity and performance to name a | | | | grub by dunking it into any pocket found in good |
| few. I had to choose a bait that brings confidence | | | | thick weed flats of 5 to 8 feet of water. When |
| to the table as well as many other perimeters. | | | | Mother Nature brought her inconsistencies to the |
| After careful consideration and on the water | | | | Bass I found them in flats like this because it |
| experimenting, I think the best bait of the '07 | | | | made a perfect protective blanket for both the |
| season is the 6" grub by Yamamoto. Yes.....a grub! | | | | Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. This is also |
| Hey, don't knock it! It was responsible for the | | | | where the 6" grub shined. Dunking it into pockets, |
| biggest Bass of the season, not to mention the | | | | giving it just enough weight to get through the |
| most fun to work with in any type of structure | | | | weed growth to bottom, was all it took to get |
| you can imagine. | | | | them. The trick here was to work the cover |
| Yamamotos 6" grub is slightly lighter than its 8" | | | | thoroughly, and with perseverance I was |
| cousin. This makes it ideal for skipping it under | | | | rewarded. |
| docks weightless. Rigged Texas with an Owner 30 | | | | The salt impregnated into the Yamamoto grubs is |
| wide gap rigging hook and a 18th screw-in bullet | | | | perfectly measured to give it that excellent |
| weight made it a good lethal weapon for this past | | | | buoyancy for its slow free fall to bottom. It is a |
| year. I was pitching it in weed pockets, along | | | | good porous product which makes it a good |
| weed edges giving it plenty of line to fall | | | | candidate for holding scented liquids in helping the |
| hypnotically to the bottom. Casting it out into | | | | longevity of its effect. |
| boulder infested or weeded shallow flats and | | | | Its tail is its strong point. The tail of the |
| working it slowly by causing a debris cloud sure | | | | Yamamoto grub family is thinner and wider than |
| fooled the Smallmouth. | | | | most and in the water it performs gracefully |
| Off shore shoals proved to be one of the 6" | | | | giving the Bass plenty of notice as to its |
| grubs forte. Especially when weeds were in the | | | | whereabouts! Its body too helps give the Bass |
| mix with depths of 10 to 12 feet of water. In | | | | authenticity in order to hold on longer for the |
| many instances the grub would not even have a | | | | hook set. |
| chance to reach bottom. The Smallmouth would | | | | The year 2008 brings great challenges ahead. |
| gobble them up in a hurry! When it did reach the | | | | There are new baits coming out every year |
| bottom I gave it a few jerks with the rod tip to | | | | making it more and more difficult deciding which |
| give it some life, but not without that all important | | | | ones will be elected for the coming season. But I |
| time to sit before hand. Dead sticking it for that | | | | am up for the challenge of working them to no |
| few crucial seconds before the jerk was all it | | | | end to bring the readers the results of my in the |
| took when the Smallmouth were in the vicinity. | | | | field experimenting! So let this 'tackle test |
| That is why it is also important to cover every | | | | dummy', me, work for you! It is great fun bringing |
| nook and cranny of all structure to get it as close | | | | it to you and hopefully it helps bring memorable |
| to the finicky Bass as possible. | | | | moments to your outings as it does to mine! |