Tips for Selecting the Right Fishing Rod

Confused about all the different types of fishing rods on the market today?

Although there are numerous companies making a wide variety of of fishing rods, understanding the differences in how rods are designed and built is key in making the right choice...

 

Here is a graphic prepared by the folks at Fix.com describing the key design factors you need to know when shopping for your next fishing rod...

Source: Rods @ Fix.com

Want even more info on selecting the right fishing rod?

Click on the link above to access the original article and more in depth information...

Are Swing Head Jigs Just a Fad?

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past year, you have probably heard a new term often whispered by hard-core jig anglers, the swing head jig!

Though swing head jigs are available in a few different head styles, the most common shape is the football head. Football heads seem to be selected in part because of where and how this jig head is fished like banks with scattered rocks or gravel.

Football swing head jigs can be paired with a wide variety of soft plastic baits making them an extremely versatile rig for many different situations. These rigs are often fished using retrieves that keep the bait moving along the bottom often at a fairly fast pace. Some bass pros even compare swing head rigs as an alternative to crankbaits, especially when conditions dictate keeping the bait scurrying along the bottom…

Watch the following video as Floridian Mikey Blazz discusses the different ways he rigs and fished his favorite swing head jig…

Though the jig heads Mikey is talking about fit the bill, they are definitely not cheap!

So back to the original question presented in the title of this post… Are swing head jigs just a fad?

Not in my book…

I just added quite a selection of swing jigs to my box of jig heads and have already made notes on several areas where I’ll put them to use here in the northeast!

Fishing Square-bill Crankbaits Around Docks

In this video, FLW Touring Pro, Terry Bolton does a great job discussing how to fish square-bill crankbaits around docks, especially shallow docks!

Most square-bills are designed to run 2 to 7 feet deep so understanding some of the nuances of fishing them around docks will up your catch rate!

A few things to remember when fishing square-bill crankbaits around docks:

1. Though Terry specifically mentions two crankbaits by name in this video, the same techniques can be used with your favorite bait as well;
2. Waking crankbaits can be great when fish are holding high in the water column; and
3. Square-bills with set line-tie eyes can be tweaked so the bait will run to the right or left to get it under the dock not just along the edge!

Spinnerbaits for the Night Bite

Throughout much of the year, bass, particularly big bass are active and put on the feed bag at night!

Over the years, some of my best times on the water came when the Sun was long gone and moonlight illuminated the water’s surface. In my early years of night fishing, topwater was often the bait at the end of my rod, usually with mixed success since bass won’t always take a surface bait, even at night.

After a few years of mixed results during my night trips, a long-time friend who focused most of his bassin’ trips in the dark keyed my in on using spinnerbaits to catch both largemouth and smallmouth bass at night.

Since that time, one or more spinnerbaits have been ready to use to probe the waters for our favorite nocturnal prey 🙂

Take a moment to watch the following short video on fishing spinnerbaits at night…

Do you have your nighttime spinnerbait arsenal ready to go?

I do :D

Baits for Fishing Grass

In other videos, grass fishing guru Greg Hackney has told us why we want to fish for bass in the grass, what baits work best?

Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, chatterbaits, jigs, worms, creature baits, topwaters, frogs???

With so many different baits available, which bait is best for bassin’ in the grass?

Are there specific conditions one bait betters than others?

In this video, Hackney explains his method for selecting baits when grass fishing for our little green friends…

Time to get those grass baits out and connect with those vegan bass...

😅