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