I've heard of anglers leaving hardbaits out in the Sun to age the finish and remove the "just-out-of-the-package" glossy appearance in order to give it a more natural look and catch more bass.
But did you know there's a tweak you can apply to your new senkos that will both dull the appearance and soften the bait?
According to Yamamoto bass pro Randy Howell by rubbing the surface, some of the weighting additive is brought to the surface, dulling its appearance and giving it a softer texture.
Take a moment and watch the following short video from the folks at Yamamoto where Randy explains his process and the reasons behind it...
As spring transitions into summer, many bass anglers eagerly anticipate the post-spawn period when bass start to recuperate from the rigors of the spawn.
After a short period of recuperation, bass are known to be particularly aggressive and hungry, making it the perfect opportunity for various topwater techniques to trigger explosive topwater bites.
One topwater technique known to really fire up post spawn bass is fishing a hollow belly frog over and around shallow cover.
Choose the Right Gear: First and foremost, you need to make sure you have the right gear for fishing a hollow belly frog. You'll want at least a 7' medium-heavy to heavy action rod with a fast tip and a matching reel with a high gear ratio to quickly retrieve slack line. Braid line with a high weight capacity is recommended to ensure you can set the hook, get the bass away from cover and ultimately land big post spawners.
Select the Right Hollow Belly Frog: When it comes to hollow belly frogs, choosing the right one is crucial. Opt for a frog with a realistic appearance and a soft, hollow body that collapses easily when a bass strikes. Additionally, select a color pattern that closely resembles the local forage species in the area you plan to fish. This attention to detail can significantly increase your chances of fooling bass into biting.
Identifying Ideal Post-Spawn Areas: Understanding the bass's behavior during the post-spawn phase is vital for locating them successfully. After the spawning process, bass tend to move to nearby cover such as submerged vegetation, lily pads, fallen trees, or docks. Look for areas that provide shade, cover, and ambush points, as these are the spots where bass are likely to hide while they recover then feed up to regain their energy.
Timing is Everything: Timing plays a crucial role in hollow belly frog fishing. The best time to target post-spawn bass with a frog is during low-light conditions, such as early morning or late evening. Bass tend to be more active and willing to strike during these periods, increasing your chances of success. However, don't discount the possibility of hooking a bass during other parts of the day. In cloudy or overcast conditions, or when there's a light chop on the water, bass may be more willing to come up and attack a frog.
Here are a few presentation techniques tips can help you entice post-spawn bass into striking:
Targeting Cover: Cast the frog near or over structures and cover like lily pads, submerged vegetation, or fallen trees. Retrieve the frog with a series of short hops, imitating the natural movement of struggling forage. Pausing intermittently and allowing the frog to sit motionless can trigger explosive strikes from lurking bass.
Walk the Frog: With a slow, rhythmic side-to-side motion, "walk" the frog across the water's surface. This technique mimics a bait gliding and creates a commotion that can draw bass from a distance. Make sure to use a rod with a soft tip to enhance the frog's action and increase your hook-setting efficiency.
Popping and Splashing: To imitate forage darting and fleeing on the water's surface, use a combination of short hops, pauses, and gentle pops. This technique creates a commotion that can attract bass from a distance, triggering their predatory instincts and provoking them to strike.
The Pause: Incorporating pauses into your retrieve is essential. After a series of hops or a walking action, let the frog rest for a few seconds. This imitates stationary pause of most struggling forage and entices bass to strike an easy target. Be patient during the pause, as this is often when bass strike with full force.
Take a few moments and watch the following video from the folks at Snagproof where froggin' guru Bobby Barrack demonstrates the why, how and where to fish frogs for post spawn bass...
Looking to upgrade your froggin' gear?
Click the following link to see the great selection available from Omnia Fishing!
Thinking back to the days when I first started to focus my fishing time chasing bass, the spinnerbait was one of the baits I relied on to connect with our finny friends.
Great Spinnerbait Bass!
Back in those days (think the 70s Show), spinnerbaits came in a variety of different styles, colors, sizes and three main types of blades: Colorado (round), Indiana (long tear drop) and willow leaf providing a multitude of options for different conditions just as they do today. Add in the fact they are highly snag resistant and the spinnerbait was and still is a fantastic choice for probing the different types of cover bass hang around.
Since my early spinnerbait fishing days predated this thing called the Internet, my spinnerbait education was limited to magazine articles and watching the few TV fishing shows that aired at that time.
Jimmy Houston was one of the early bass pros that was considered to be a spinnerbait guru. Jimmy frequently shared his spinnebrait knowledge via whatever media outlets he could at the time. He was and still is a great source of spinnerbait, as well as shallow water bass fishing knowledge in general and significantly influenced my approach to shallow water bassin' throughout the years.
He still freely shares that knowledge today via various articles, TV shows and on social media sites like his YouTube channels.
So take a couple minutes and watch Jimmy's video describing the importance of spinnerbait vibration and flash in attracting bass and triggering more strikes. You'll be glad you did!
I am one of those bass anglers that lives by the "use the lightest weight possible" rule any time I am fishing a Texas rig, bass jig or any type of jig head.
Typically it's one of two factors that impact the weight size of the rig I am using: water depth or wind; the deeper the cover/structure being fished or windier it is means I use a heavier than normal weight.
From time to time there's another factor that comes into play (when I am in-tune enough to recognize it at least), the best weight size needed to trigger more strikes from bass!
Take a moment and see how selecting the right weight size helped bass pro Luke Palmer catch several huge sacks of bass and propel him to winning a recent (2023) spring bass tournament he was fishing...
Something I definitely have to remember when I see bass following or short striking weighted baits is to up-size and see if it helps trigger more strikes!
As the water warms up in the post spawn/early summer, bass start to move back to the edges of shallow flats in search of food.
This is a great time to target them with shallow running crankbaits. Crankbaits are a versatile bait that can be used to cover a lot of water and catch bass in a variety of situations.
Here are a few tips for cranking the shallows for early summer bass:
Choose the right crankbait. There are many different types of crankbaits available, so it's important to choose one that is the right size and weight for the water you're fishing. For example, since you're fishing in shallow water, you'll want to use a smaller crankbait that runs from 3 to 7-feet that won't get hung up on the bottom.
Vary your retrieve speed. Bass can be finicky eaters, so it's important to vary your retrieve speed to see what they're biting on. Try fishing the crankbait at a variety of speeds, from slow to fast, to see what produces the most bites.
Focus on key areas. Bass are often found in specific areas in the shallows, such as points, drop-offs on the outer edges of flats, submerged grass beds and weedlines. Pay attention to these areas when you're fishing and make sure to fish them thoroughly.
Here are a few additional tips for fishing crankbaits in the shallows for early summer bass:
Use a medium to medium-heavy action rod and a 10 to 12-pound test line. This will give you the power you need to set the hook on bass and pull them out away from cover.
Use a good quality crankbait that is made of durable material. This will help you avoid losing your baits in the rocks and weeds.
Be prepared to fish in different weather conditions. Bass can be caught in a variety of weather conditions, so it's important to be prepared to fish in the rain, sun, and wind.
Take a few moments and watch the following video from the folks at Lurenet with their tips on cranking the shallows for early summer bass:
Although the folks from Lurenet discuss fishing the Norman Speed N in this video, any similar style shallow or squarebill crankbait should work as well!
