| Most bass fisherman, because of their use of jigs and | | | | This lure also works great for smallmouth in some of |
| worms, have forgotten some of the most important | | | | the Pennsylvania reservoirs, and in the Midwest. I |
| baits that can, under the right circumstances, catch | | | | usually cruise back and forth in creek arms until I find |
| numbers of hard to catch bass, and many times mean | | | | the baitfish. |
| the difference in winning a tournament. These baits | | | | You must really learn how to use your electronics |
| don't have the appeal or tournament winning reputation | | | | properly to accomplish this. |
| of such baits as topwaters, soft plastics, and | | | | When I see a lot of baitfish holding on a deep change, |
| spinnerbaits. Anglers that are just starting out in bass | | | | sometimes they will be bass also, so I follow them until |
| fishing are many times unaware of how and when to | | | | I find some structure. Sometimes in the deeper lakes it |
| use these lures. Even some really good bass | | | | is 30 feet or more. When you are fishing for deeper |
| fisherman don't understand the role of these hard | | | | bass like this you have to pay attention to your line, |
| metal baits. Some of the better baits we use for these | | | | then I snap the lure up, and then follow it back down |
| techniques are the jigging spoon called a Silver Buddy, | | | | on a semi-tight line. I learned to do this at Table Rock |
| and the Strike King Thruster Tail spinner. These baits | | | | and Bull Shoals in Missouri after many frustrating trips. |
| can really help you out at times. We never actually | | | | The spoon should flutter down, and be sure to watch |
| won a tournament just using these baits only, but they | | | | the line, it is a real subtle bite. Set the hook when the |
| can really add some decent bass to the bag when | | | | line does anything unusual. |
| other baits fail. | | | | TAIL SPINNERS |
| Most anglers use these baits in deep water with a | | | | These baits are great because they cast so far. |
| vertical presentation, but we use them in some other | | | | Whenever we see schooling fish pretty far away we |
| ways that really work well in the Northeast. When we | | | | can reach them with these baits before the action |
| fish some of the deeper waters of New York, and | | | | slows down. |
| some in the Midwest, we use them in deep water | | | | You have to be careful with a lot of tailspinner baits as |
| situations such as you encounter at Table Rock Lake | | | | they cause a lot of line twist. The Strike King Thruster |
| in Missouri. These work well there especially in the late | | | | tail doesn't do this nearly as much, and we started |
| fall and early winter, but in some of the clearer waters | | | | using it this year. The ball bearing swivel on this bait |
| in the Northern Lakes we use them by casting them, | | | | eliminates a lot of line twist. Because of the design of |
| since the water isn't really that deep, and we can't get | | | | this bait, the bass have more trouble throwing the lure, |
| on top of them. | | | | and it results in more landed bass. Sometimes when |
| During real cold periods we position the boat on a | | | | we are using a crankbait, and the fish seem to turn off |
| drop-off or on a deep edge of a flat. Then we cast | | | | to this bait, we bring out the tail spinner. You can fish it |
| the spoon towards the edges of the weed growth | | | | all through the water column, and a lot of times catch |
| with thin vegetation. We usually fish them in about 6 | | | | more bass in the same area. It imitates a dying shad |
| feet of water to as deep as 20 feet, and then we | | | | real well. Sometimes we even throw this bait on a flat |
| work the spoon back to the boat in a yo-yo type | | | | where other anglers might be tempted to throw a |
| motion. We just let the lure fall to the bottom, jerk it up | | | | spinnerbait or a Rat-L-Trap. Sometimes we throw a |
| when it hits, and then work it back to the boat the | | | | Thruster Tail and work it over scattered grass or a |
| same way. We found a lure called the Crippled Herring | | | | weedbed that is several feet below the surface. We |
| works well this way. If we want the lure to fall slower, | | | | had luck with this technique in New jersey and in the |
| we just use a heavier line. This technique works real | | | | Midwest and Florida. The vibration and flash |
| well for us here in the Northeast just before the ice | | | | sometimes draws some huge strikes. I just use 20-25 |
| starts to form. You can cover a lot more water with | | | | pound test to control the depth over the weeds or |
| this lure, rather than the jig or grub, which would take all | | | | flats, and use 10 pound test if I want it to go deeper. |
| day to search for the fish. The bass's strike zone is | | | | We have also used this bait successfully over and |
| very small in the colder water. | | | | around standing timber in some midwest reservoirs |
| EARLY SPRING TACTICS | | | | also. The design of the lure helps kick it away from |
| In the spring we like to use a bait called a Silver Buddy. | | | | some of the standing timber, tree trunks, and even |
| We use the 1/2 ounce size. This bait produces much | | | | limbs. You can even use it effectively by swimming |
| better in the early spring. We have had a lot of luck | | | | the bait by the bridge pilings in the Potomac and the |
| with this bait soon after the ice has gone out. We fish | | | | Sassafras rivers. |
| this bait in short hops in the same locations as in the | | | | LINE, REEL, AND ROD COMBO'S I use a 6 1/2 to 7 |
| fall. This bait makes a better vibration and I think that is | | | | foot, medium action casting rod with a high speed |
| why we do well in the early spring when the water is | | | | retrieve in 6:3:1 or similar,and a rod such as a G.Loomis, |
| cold. We have caught as many as 20 bass from a | | | | or a St. Croix. It is just the right combination for these |
| small area on this bait in Table Rock Lake, and other | | | | baits and retrieves. I like to use "Spiderline |
| Northern reservoirs. We generally have our best luck | | | | Monofilament or P-Line for this, and depending on the |
| with this bait when we fish it in areas that have a | | | | particular technique, it will be 12-25 pound test. Don't |
| chunk rock bank. The best areas are where the creek | | | | ever get caught without some of these blade baits in |
| channel is, and when it sort of swings away from the | | | | your boat, it can save the day or win a tournament. |
| bluffs, like on the Sassafras, onto sand and gravel flats. | | | | |