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