Head color, skirt color, blade shape, blade size and blade color are all spinnerbait component variations most anglers know and understand.
Did you know the spinnerbait head design along with wire frame design and wire thickness are also components that impact the way spinnerbaits fish in different situations?
Watch and listen to bass pro Patrick Walters as he provides his insight into how to choose the right spinnerbait for the different on the water conditions...
What happens to bass living in dense cypress tree flats after a front passes and mucks up the water?
The bass get funky and hold tight to cover (tight to the trunk or down in the root ball); a situation that often calls for a finesse presentation to trigger a strike!
Is there a way to present a finesse technique like the shaky head and still get the bass up and away from the potential disaster awaiting down in the roots?
According to pro Stephen Browning he has just the solution as he describes in this W2F video...
Boat docks...
One of the most prolific types of cover on most bass waters. When the bass are active and using the edge of the docks, casting parallel to the sides and front of the dock with a variety of baits can be very productive.
Most of the time however the bass are neutral to inactive and staged back underneath the dock unwilling to chase baits worked along the edges.
Skipping jigs back under the docks can be a highly effective presentation to entice those sub-dock bass into striking!
Watch and listen as bass pro Gerald "G-Man" Swindle provides several tips on how to hone your skipping skills with a baitcaster to get your jig to where the bass live under docks...
You've done the research and chosen a fishing kayak to buy but what other equipment will you need?
Two things should be obvious, a paddle and life preserver (PFD) so what else?
Take a little time and listen to kayak angler Gene Jensen discuss this thoughts on basic kayak gear to get you started...
Not a bad list to get you going, get a few rod/reel combos and some basic tackle and you're ready to hit the water 😎
The floating free rig?
Heck what is the free rig?
The "free rig" is a soft bait presentation reportedly developed/used extensively on pressured waters in Japan or Korea and assembled using four components: hook, line, sinker and soft plastic bait:
Big baits, big bass, right?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no...
There are times when the smaller version of one of the best big bass baits around, the hollow body frog, is a better choice than it's larger cousins as bass pro Seth Feider discusses in the following W2F video...
Educated bass? Really??
Seems there are mixed opinions on the ability of bass to "learn" and most formal studies indicate they can not learn as we do but...
It does appear bass (and likely other fish) do recognize feeding areas, travel routes even things that signify danger like certain lures they're constantly exposed to.
Take a moment and watch the following video from the folks at "Hook n Look" as they study bass from an underwater perspective on "educated bass"...
Interesting!
What do you think?
Kayak fishing is one of the fastest growing sectors in the fishing world that has resulted in a wide variety of kayak designs available to the aspiring kayak angler.
Beyond the numerous kayak options, actually paddling and fishing from a kayak takes a different set of skills then most other fishing watercraft.
Take a moment and listen as kayak entrepreneur Eric Jackson provides some basic insight into selecting, paddling and fishing from a kayak in the following on the water video...
One thing to keep in mind, the kayak fishing world and associated products is constantly changing. For instance, EJ is no longer with Jackson Kayak nor does Jackson still make one of the kayaks he mentions for big folk (the Big Rig).
There are plenty of options out there; check with the local dealers in your area for options that will work for you.
Take the time to read several articles or books on spring bass fishing and one thing is certain; they will all mention you should use spinnerbaits for spring bass success!
Educating yourself on spinnerbait basics, one of the primary spring bass fishing baits, will increase the number and size of bass you catch.
Here’s a great video presentation on some of the key points to remember about spinnerbaits and how to fish them throughout the bass catching season …
Jimmy Houston does an excellent job and goes beyond just naming the spinnerbait as a great spring bass lure but also describes the how’s, why’s and when’ of using them …
Kudos to Jimmy and have fun with spinnerbaits the next time you hit the water!
Check out the great selection of spinnerbait gear available from the folks at Omnia Fishing by clicking on the following link:
Do you ever find yourself wanting more hook-ups and less misses when fishing buzzbaits and spinnerbaits?
Here's a quick trailer hook hack from Classic champ Jason Christie that just might help...
Given the plethora of crankbait styles and color patterns, knowing the reasons for selecting the correct bait to use in varying conditions helps bass anglers catch more bass.
In this video, bass pro Jeff Gustafson describes his system for selecting the best crankbait for any situation.
Take a few minutes and hear what "Gussy" has to say about crankbait selection criteria...
Suspending jerkbaits are already great baits for finicky bass since the hang in the water column when pausing the retrieve.
But did you know there is a tweak you can easily make on your bait to entice even more strikes?
Take a couple minutes to watch the following video and see what I mean!
The spinnerbait is likely one of the first baits budding bass anglers throw when honing their catching skills.
We are all familiar with the single and double willow, Colorado and Indiana blade variations of this popular bass catching bait but did you know there are versions with even more blades or blade types?
Take a moment and watch as SK pro Greg Hackney explains his thoughts on spinnerbait fishing with special emphasis on some of the less popular blade variations in the following video...
Back in the days when I lived in the western US fishing reservoirs with good populations of shad, my buddies and I developed a finesse spinnerbait with presto type blades to throw when bass were chasing schooled 2 and 3 inch fry.
They worked great during the late summer and early fall!
You now what they say...
Necessity is the mother of invention and sometimes unique bait tweaks produce when the standard offerings won't!
The Tokyo rig has been one of the hottest soft plastic rigging system over the last few years.
Anglers have been constantly adapting the rig to a widening array of fishing situations after learning of its effectiveness.
That said, many bass anglers have commented on the expense of the commercially available Tokyo rigs so the folks at Big Bite Baits prepped the following video showing a straightforward DIY approach to building your own.
Enjoy!
Need additional components to modify baits or make your own fishing lures and rigs?
Check out the wide variety of bait making and gear modifying items available at Lure Parts Online by clicking on the following image!
Mention spring and sight fishing in the same sentence and most anglers vision targeting spawning smallmouth and largemouth bass around their beds…
Though sight fishing for spawners is a common spring approach, there’s another tactic that can be just as productive throughout the spring season…
Sight fishing visible structure for migrating smallies as they cruise the shallows during their spring rituals as explained by Doug Stange of InFisherman TV in the following video…
Did you also notice his lure selection when targeting these active smallies?
Two rods rigged with bottom baits and two others tied with different sized jerkbaits for a mid-depth presentation…
One other rod I would have ready to go…
A 6’6″ medium action casting rod rigged with a 1/4 oz. to 3/8 oz. buzzbait…
Definitely an exciting way to take the numerous crusing smallies traversing shallow, cover-laden flats…
One of the issues all bass anglers face as you build your tackle arsenal goes beyond selecting the lure but also determining the colors to stock too.
Fortunately there is one lure type that can make the color selection part relatively easy, jigs!
Don't get me wrong, there are dozens of color options for most jig types but you can simplify the process by selecting a few basic colors then adding different colored trailers to increase the possible color options.
Watch and listen as bass pro John Crews explains in the following video tutorial!
It's hard to think of a drop shot rig and not think of Aaron Martens.
Though Aaron left us far to soon (11/4/2021), we're fortunate his fishing wisdom lives on to help all of us learn from one of the best.
In this video, Aaron discusses the three drop shot rigging methods (nose hook, wacky rig & gilly rig) he relied upon during his time on the various tournament trails!
Take a few moments to review and enjoy...
Thank you for all you've taught us Aaron...
R.I.P.
Bass anglers usually start their day on the water with some sort of game plan in mind.
Sometimes that plan leads to a great day of catching rather than just a day of on the water casting practice.
On the other hand, how we react on those days the plan doesn't work will determine whether the day is a success or ...
Adaptability to changing conditions is key as you'll see in this W2F video...
In other words ... Listen to the bass 😉
Here's an interesting question...
When you select a hard jerkbait over a soft version?
As with any opinion in fishing, there maybe different views but here is Kevin Van Dam's expert thoughts on the matter!
Where some bass anglers relish the thought of fishing in muddy water, others quake when it's even mentioned. No matter what your stance, there will be times when you head out on the lake and have to fish water that is muddy.
Take a few minutes as the folks from W2F provide some insight on how to approach fishing when faced with muddy water conditions:
Funny, you would think bass might be free roaming when the water is muddy but perhaps not?
What happens after the ice leaves our northern waters, a spring warming trend hits and the buds start popping on the trees?
Smallmouth bass head up from the depths and cruise the rocky flats searching for a meal to prepare for their time on the spawning beds...
As these hungry smallies roam the flats in search of their next meal in these ultra clear water environs, using a subtle moving presentation like a small paddletail swimbait rigged on a jighead can often reap big rewards.
Take a moment as the folks from W2F give a short on the water tutorial on how to locate and catch prespawn smallmouth bass with paddletail swimbaits...
If you are new to the world of baitcasting reels and have been attempting to use the reel, you've likely spent as much time unraveling backlashes as you have actually casting the reel.
Though backlashes can never be completely avoided, proper setup of your baitcasting reel will help minimize the frequency and severity of backlashes/bird's nest/professional over-runs when they do occur.
In the following video, pro angler Ott Defoe explains the steps he takes to setup a baitcasting reel to cast properly with a minimum of backlashes:
As Ott states in the video, the price point of the reel often determines the types and number of casting controls on a given reel (the BPS Platinum he demos is a $230 reel). Most of the baitcasting reels I own are in the $80 - $120 price range and only have two of the three spool tension controls he mentions. Many old school "round-type" reels only have the main spool tension knob between the reel body and handle (1st tension adjustment know he uses in video). Just adjust the controls you have to dial the reel in as best you can.
Also keep in mind, when changing baits (heavier to lighter baits or compact, wind resistant baits like crankbaits to larger wind catchers like spinnerbaits and buzzbaits), adjustments will be required to prevent more backlashes.
The more you use the reel and get used to it's quirks and adjustments, the versatility baitcasting combos offer is well worth the time to learn to use it.
If you enjoy fishing chatterbaits (vibrating swim jigs) and have checked out the options Z-Man fishing now produces, you might end up with "a deer in the headlights" feeling.
Over time the number of chatterbait (CB) options have increased dramatically to meet the needs for differing situations.
Fortunately Z-Man pro bass angler Stephen Browning has take a couple minutes to explain his main CB selections, the situations when hes uses each and the different trailers he matches for those conditions in the following video...
Take a stubby little soft stickbait; rig it on a "mushroom-style", lightwire jighead; work it around bank structures and cover and what do you get?
One of the most intriguing, fish catching bait rigs around, the Ned rig!
During my time using the Ned rig, I've primarily used it rigged on a fairly light (1/15 to 1/10 oz) Ned head in water depths less than 10 feet where where bottom cover (vegetation and brush) is sparse to patchy.
It is highly effective especially when fishing conditions are tough.
I never gave the Ned rig much thought when probing deeper depths (>15-20 ft) for smallmouths.
After seeing this video from B-Lat and the folks at Z-Man Fishing that will change this coming season!
Take a moment and watch as B-Lat overviews the system he developed for chasing deep water smallies and spots with a Ned rig!
Cold fronts occur during the prespawn just as they do throughout the rest of the year and cause baitfish and bass to seek refuge after moving onto the flats to feed up for the spawn.
Being familiar with how bait and bass both react can be the key to salvaging an otherwise painfully slow day on the water.
Take a few minutes and listen as former Bass Classic champ Davy Hite explains his approach to connecting with prespawn bass after a front comes through...
Most bass anglers started their fishing adventures with the basics: a rod, reel, line, terminal tackle and some sort of live bait. Yes. even in the our early fishing days lures played a role but more often than not night crawlers and minnows helped us build our fishing skills and passion for it.
Since shiners are found in lakes, ponds, river and streams across the land, they are one of the most common baitfish used by bass anglers no matter where they are located. Though any size shiner will catch bass even big bass, targeting big bass with big shiners can really help land the personal best for any year or even a lifetime PB!
Many folks consider Florida to be the big bass capitol of the US and it's no surprise that shiner fishing is one of the primary presentations used by successful FL guides.
Take a moment and watch as Steve Quinn from In-Fisherman goes on a trip with bass guide Capt. Steve Jackson as the discuss fishing giant shiners for some Florida big bass...
I've often heard anglers comment that they think it's funny seeing boat anglers often cast at the bank while bank fishermen cast out away from it towards the middle.
Though there are times when the bank angler should be casting out from the bank (see below), more often than not casting parallel to the bank will produce not only greater numbers of fish but larger ones as well...
Take a moment and watch as Bassmaster emcee Dave Mercer demonstrates why it's often better to fish parallel to the bank...
As long as the surrounding trees and bushes allow, I usually fan cast at each spot I visit while bank fishing since many of my local fishing spots have a number of submerged weed patches within easy casting distance from the bank.
Even so many of the bass caught strike after making parallel or near parallel casts during my fan casting process!
After bass move up from the deeper water wintering homes and start to move from points and flats into their preferred spawning pockets, presenting a lifelike moving bait can increase success with catching these transitional fish.
A paddletail swimbait can be a highly effective tool since it closely mimics many common baitfish in shape, coloration and movement.
Knowing how to fish subtle paddletail baits as a search tool can be key to catching prespawners as SK bass pro KVD explains in this short video!
Although KVD discusses Strike King's bait in this video, any similar paddletail will work!
Looking to try a different finesse, shallow water presentation to present soft plastics in a way bass on your favorite waters haven't seen?
Give the "Petey Rig" a try!
You probably already have the gear you need in your terminal tackle box 😉
I actually have used a down-sized Carolina rig (1/16 to 3/16 oz sinker & smaller swivel/beads) throughout the season in the past but the Petey rig would definitely be quicker to assemble!
As warming trends build through the prespawn, the water in the backs of creek arms heats up quicker than other areas of a lake. Warming water brings all types of microbes and water bugs to life which draws bait and ultimately game fish like bass to those areas to feed.
Though a number of different baits can work, shallow running and lipless crankbaits are highly effective tools for finding and catching these hungry bass.
Take a moment and hear how bass pro Ott Defoe approaches finding the productive cover and catching gorging bass from the creek flats...
What do you get when you Texas rig a plastic worm on a jighead?
One of the growing number of finesse bait systems: the shaky head rig!
But are all shaky head rigs created equal?
According the Z-Man fishing bass pro Brian Latimer (B-Lat), nope.
So for the past few years, B-Lat has been working with the folks at Z-Man to create a better "fish trap" so to speak 😉
Introducing the Z-Man/B-Lat SMH worm and jighead!
Take a moment and listen to B-Lat describe what drove him to help Z-Man develop and bring this rig to market...
After seeing that worm in action the thought of split-shot rigs, Neko rigs, finesse Tokyo rigs, hot shot rigs, Petey rigs, and more sprang into my mind, oh my!
Here's a cool graphic from the folks at Zman highlighting the SMH system...
Want to check out the ZMan SMH components?
Click on the following links:
The prespawn
The period when bass make the transition from their deeper water wintering areas towards the shallow spawning bays. Although the bass are roaming and feeding as the move shallow, many of those bass are the hungry big gals we all hope to tie into each time on the water!
Since the bass are on the move, they use a variety of structure and cover types during their trip to the spawning bays. A lot of the time fishing during the prespawn is done using search baits to effectively cover water to find them.
One of the more efficient baits when searching in the prespawn, a lipless crankbait.
Take a few moments and watch as bass pro Mike "Ike" Iaconelli describes his approach to using a lipless crank to find and catch big, prespawn bass...
One of the secrets to achieving the maximum diving depths with deep crankbaits is making longer casts using your casting or spinning rod combo.
Take a moment and listen to bass pro KVD as he explains his approach to getting the longest cast possible when necessary...
Fishing from a kayak can be a lot of fun or at least it is until the wind blows!
Since most days on the water is accompanied by wind and the wind can often help trigger bites, learning to use the wind effectively is key to many great days on the water.
Here's a short video from the folks at Jackson Kayak discussing the best ways to use the wind to assist and not hamper your next kayak fishing adventure...
