Tweaking Zman Soft Plastics for Better Performance

Zman Fishing's soft plastic baits are known for their unique material and design, which set them apart from traditional soft plastic baits offered by other companies.

Zman baits are made from a proprietary material called ElaZtech. This material is extremely durable, buoyant, and flexible, providing a lifelike action in the water. ElaZtech is more durable than traditional soft plastics, which means that Zman baits can withstand more bites and catches before needing replacement.

ElaZtech is buoyant, allowing the baits to float naturally in the water. This feature is especially beneficial when using techniques like the Ned Rig, where the bait stands upright on the bottom, imitating a feeding or injured prey.

Although ElaZtech is a buoyant plastic, Zman does add salt into the formulation helping to add weight and adjust sink rates. The salt content also decreases the buoyancy sometimes causing bait to lay flat on the bottom especially if any current is present in the waters you're fishing.

Nick from the Bass Hookup YouTube channel created a pretty cool underwater video showing how a simple tweak to Zman's finesse soft plastics can greatly enhance a bait's buoyancy and performance.

Take a few minutes to watch and see what I mean...

When to Use Flat-Sided vs. Squarebill Crankbaits

When it comes to shallow diving crankbaits, two popular choices rise to the top: the flat-sided crankbait and the squarebill. While they share some similarities, their subtle differences can make a big impact on your fishing success. 

Let's dive in (pun intended) and explore what sets these crankbaits apart.

Body Shape:

Flat-Sided: As the name suggests, these crankbaits have, well, flat sides. This gives them a wider profile and a more subtle wobble compared to their squarebill counterparts.

Squarebill: These crankbaits have a wider body and prominent, square-shaped lip that deflects off cover and digs deeper. This creates a wider wobble and a more aggressive action.

Action and Vibration:

Flat-Sided: The flat sides creates a tighter wobble with a higher-pitched vibration. This can trigger more reaction strikes, especially in colder water, in finesse situations or when fish are pressured.

Squarebill: The square lip creates produce a wider, rolling action with a low-frequency vibration. This can be deadly when aggressive bass are hanging around shallow cover waiting to ambush unsuspecting forage.

Diving Depth and Use:

Flat-Sided: Can dig a little deeper, allowing you to crank around thicker cover or target sluggish, suspended fish.

Squarebill: Choose for situations when bass are staging on shallow cover and bumping the cover helps trigger reaction strikes.

Bass pro Bill Lowen loves cranking the shallows for bass throughout the year. Take a few minutes and watch as he explains his process for chosing between squarebills and flat-sided baits as well as the line he uses to maximize success with each...

Using Castable Sonar to Catch More Bass

New castable sonar devices like the Garmin Striker Cast GPS are giving bass anglers an exciting new tool to use when fishing from shore or a boat. This type of sonar removes the need to permanently mount a transducer on your watercraft and allows you to cast a floating sonar sensor from shore. 

Most castable sonars are designed with the angler in mind. They connect to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, and the included app displays the sonar data in an easy-to-understand format.

While this new technology shows a lot of promise, there are some key pros and cons to consider before investing in a castable sonar setup for your next bass fishing adventure.

Advantages:

- Portability - Castable sonar gives you the flexibility to quickly scout new fishing spots without installing permanent mounts or transducers. You can use it from the shore, a kayak, canoe, or small boat without modifications.

- Cost - Castable sonar units are very affordable compared to permanently mounted fish finders and transducers. The Garmin Striker Cast retails for under $200.

- Ease of Use - The castable sonar lets you read the underwater terrain and find promising spots like drop-offs, submerged vegetation, or structure where bass may be hiding. This allows for better shore and boat fishing.

- Personalized Contour Maps - Many GPS-enabled, castable sonar units can scan to depths over 100 feet, giving you the ability to not only find fish in fairly deep water but also create more detailed contour maps of the spots you fish. This allows the savvy angler to idenitfy the nuances in subsurface cover (rock piles, stumps, weed edges) and structure (breaklines/drop offs) and help understand the ways fish relate to them. 

- Predator Identification - The Garmin Striker Cast offers Garmin's ClearVu technology which provides higher resolution target separation allowing you to distinguish bass from other gamefish species or cover objects.

Disadvantages:

- Limited Sensor Range - While castable sonar can scan to depths over 100 feet, its wireless sonar signal is limited to about 200 feet from the handheld device. So you have to stay relatively close to where you cast it.

- Battery Life -Castable sonar devices have limited battery life span ranging from 4 to 10 hours depending on the model and settings used. You'll need to recharge after each trip.

- Slower Scanning - Scan rates are typically slower than permanently mounted transducers, meaning your scans update less frequently.

- Can Spook Fish - The splashing of the castable sensor floating on the surface may spook more wary fish in very clear and shallow water.

Overall, castable sonar opens up a lot of new opportunities for bass anglers to quickly locate fishable structure, vegetation, baitfish, and bass without extensive equipment installations. However, the limitations in range, battery life, and scan speed need to be considered. With realistic expectations, this new technology can take your shoreline or small watercraft bass fishing to the next level.

A Quick Guide to Ultralight Rod Actions

Ultralight fishing is a unique and exciting way to target bass. It's not about brute force; it's about finesse, feel, and the thrill of the fight. But to truly master this fishing style, you need to understand the different actions of ultralight rods and when to use each one.

U/L Rod Actions Explained

The action of a fishing rod describes how it bends when pressure is applied. In ultralight bass fishing, there are three main actions to consider:

Fast Action: These rods bend only in the top quarter to one third of the blank, making them incredibly sensitive and ideal for feeling light bites and working small lures with precision. Finesse rigs like small worms, jigs, and drop shots are best suited for fast action rods.

Moderate Action: More forgiving than fast action rods, these bend throughout the middle third. They offer a good balance of sensitivity and power, making them suitable for a wider range of lures, from small crankbaits, topwaters to spinners.

Slow Action: Bend throughout the entire blank, providing maximum forgiveness and shock absorption. They're perfect for soaking baits, live bait, fighting big fish on light line, and absorbing headshakes from aggressive bass.

Matching the Action to Fishing Situations

Now, let's break down when to use each action:

Fast Action:

Ideal for:

• Pinpoint accuracy when casting to tight cover
• Feeling subtle bites from finicky bass
• Working finesse worms, jigs, and drop shots

Moderate Action:

Ideal for:

• A wider range of lures and techniques, especially moving baits
• All-around versatility for different fishing situations
• Ned rigs, small crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and topwaters
• Balancing sensitivity with fighting power

Slow Action:

Ideal for:

• Soaking baits like live minnows or nightcrawlers
• Fighting large bass on light line
• Absorbing headshakes and preventing pulled hooks
• Deeper crankbaits, minnow baits and swimbaits

Although I have often included ultralight rod combos in my bassin' tool kit, I honestly did not give much thought to the rod actions and how they might optimize success with different presentations. 

I mean a buggy whip i a buggy whip, right? 

Well that's what I thought until I came across Ethan Huyvetter's Fish Anything YouTube channel when my insight on the details and nuances of ultralight grew exponentially...

Take a few moments and watch Ethan's 2022 U/L rod breakdown where he not only discusses the different actions and uses but also provides some great insight into great combos at several different price points!

Understanding the nuances of ultralight rod actions allows anglers to tailor their gear selection to different techniques and conditions. Whether you're aiming for precision, versatility, or flexibility, there's an ultralight power rod action that best fills your need.

Want to learn more regarding ultralight fishing?

Ethan's YouTube channel, Fish Anything, is definitely a great place to explore the world of U//L fishing.

5 Best Bass Hooks for Plastic Baits

Choosing the right hook for your plastic bait can be the difference between catching bass and a pretty empty livewell at the end of the trip. With so many options on the market, it's easy to get overwhelmed. 

To help weed through the options, this guide will break down the 5 best bass hooks for different types of plastic baits and show you when to use each one to maximize your hook-up rate.

The Extra Wide Gap (EWG) Hook:

The EWG is the undisputed king of bass fishing hooks. Its wide gap and offset bend provide a huge target for bass to slam, while the strong shank stands up to even the biggest bruisers. Use an EWG for paddletail swimbaits, creature baits, bulky craws and Texas rigged thick-bodied stickbaits and worms.

The Wacky Rig Hook:

The wacky rig is a deadly finesse technique, and the right hook makes all the difference. Look for a straight shank hook with a weed guard and a keeper barb to hold your worm in place. Use a wacky rig hook for worms/stickbaits, weedless drop shot rigs, and neko rigged worms.

The Straight Shank Flipping Hook:

Don't underestimate the classic straight shank hook! Its simple design and strong construction make it a workhorse for specific situations. Use a straight shank hook for flipping, pitching and punching into heavy cover.

The Offset Straight Shank Worm Hook:

The offset straight shank worm hook is a Texas rig specialist. Its bend keeps the plastic bait weedless and provides a good hook angle for solid penetration. Use an offset shank hook for relatively thin worms, lizards, and creature baits all benefit from the weedless presentation whether rigged with a weight or weightless.

The Drop Shot Hook:

The drop shot is a delicate dance, and the right hook makes all the difference. Look for a small, lightweight hook with a long shank and a wide gap. Use a drop shot hook for finesse worms and baits. The light wire hooks help small worms and creature baits come to life and work with the drop shot's subtle action.

It just so happens that bass pro Brandon Cobb concurs with the list of hooks provided above as he describes in the following short video:

Bonus Tip: Remember, hook size matters! Match your hook size to the size of your bait, the cover you're fishing and the size of the bass targeted. A big hook on a small bait will hinder action, while a small hook on a big fish might bend or break, especially if fighting the fish through heavy cover.