Category: How To

December 17, 2009

How To add a Swimbait Bottom Weight Modification

This time of year I am usually targeting deep structure while fishing swimbaits. This can pose a few problems, one being the fact that fast-sinking swimbaits have a tendency to get hung a lot more. Also, slow-sinking swimbaits take forever to get down and can only be fished extremely slow to keep them deep. But the advantage to slow-sinking swimbaits is there more natural look as they slowly bounce off of cover. A while ago I figured out a way to get the best of both worlds and increase your bottom contact and feel.

Shown here on a 6" Baitsmith

The picture is pretty self explanatory, but what I use is a Luresaver Breakaway titanium split ring and an egg weight on the bottom hookmount of a slow-sinking bait. This gets your bait down quicker, and gives you the more bouyant look of a slow-sink swimbait. Most importantly, it increases the feel of bottom contact that is so important and is usually lost through the layer of soft plastic covering the bottom weight on most fast-sinking swimbaits. Also with this breakaway system you are more likely to get your bait back if you get hung up.

It does not take much, but it makes a big difference.

December 6, 2009

Proven Baits for Targeting Trophy Bass

By Matt Allen – a new regular contributor to The Wired Angler.

If you're anything like me, there's been a day where you stood in a
weigh-in line and stared at the guys ahead of you with two bags in each
hand. After that you turn around and the guy behind you has got the
same thing! Here you are with a single bag, there might be 13 lbs in
there if you're lucky! You wonder why you even got out of bed that
morning. Was it really worth the gas to come out here and get
humiliated? Did spending the day at home taking care of the house
really sound that bad? And most importantly, how did these other guys
do it?

I want to discuss the difference between fishing for a bite and fishing for a big bite.

Despite
popular belief, there is a difference. Odds are, that guy standing in
front of you with all those bags wasn't dragging the same 4" worm,
throwing the same tube, or fishing the same crankbait. He may not have
even been in the same part of the lake! Its not a case of random luck,
there is a reason all those bug-eyed monsters are in those bags!

Over the last few years I have found what I believe to be the three most
consistent baits to catch giant bass. By implementing jigs, topwater,
swimbaits, and sight fishing you can catch more and bigger fish than
you've ever caught before! I'm going to discuss the first three at
length tonight and will save the fourth for another time.

As
you read through this, keep in mind that the baits mentioned are the
baits that I am personally using to catch oversize bass. I recognize
that you live in different places, fishing for different fish.
Therefore, realize that when I mention a 9" swimbait, you may want to
consider one that is 4"-8". If I mention an 8" lunker punker you may
consider using a 6” lunker punker or a super spook. The particular
baits in question, while important, are not a deal breaker. Focus on
the concepts and I believe this information will help you catch bigger
bass more consistently.

In addition to choosing the right
bait it is also important to consider the right location. This is an
entire topic within itself that will have to wait for another day but
follow these quick examples to increase your odds of encountering an
oversize largemouth. Examples of high-percentage locations are
long-tapering points, wind-blown points, creek channel bends, edges of
flats, ledges, and weedlines. Most importantly, the location you choose
needs to have quick access to deep water (the actual depth will vary
based on the body of water you are fishing).

Another
misconception is that your goal is to catch fish. What I mean by this
is that if you are catching one pounder after one pounder the odds of
suddenly catching a 7 pounder let alone a 10 pounder, are greatly
reduced. Large bass will occasionally school up but it is rarely with
small bass. What this means is that if you are catching a lot of small
fish its time to move. You are looking for locations that are holding a
handful of quality fish, not a school of small fish.

The Jig

The
first consistent big bass producer I want to discuss is the jig. It is
widely accepted nationwide as one of the most consistent fish-catchers
available today. Unlike the other big bass options, bigger is not
always better when referencing the jig. Instead, I feel that attention
to detail is the important focal point. All too often an angler will
choose one or two jig colors for all applications. Remember, the jig is
used to imitate everything from crawfish to bluegill.

It is
important to carefully match your colors to the forage you are
imitating. A few colors that I have extremely high confidence in are
Dirt Nap, camouflage, and Pumpkinseed Bream. These colors can be found
at dirtyjigstackle. They represent varieties of brown, black, watermelon, green pumpkin,
and bluegill. This allows me to duplicate nearly any forage that the
bass may be keyed in on.

There are a multitude of ways to use
a jig but my personal experience has shown that hopping, swimming, and
pitching are the three most consistent ways to catch big fish. When I
hop a jig I use a drag-pump-pump action. This allows the jig to imitate
a craw that is beginning to move, then spooks and pumps up off the
bottom. Typically the bite will come as soon as I let the bait fall on
slack line.

Swimming a jig is another versatile option. A
variety of trailers can be used to further imitate a particular forage.
This technique is incredibly simple! I often just cast and retrieve the
bait as I would a spinnerbait or crankbait. The power of this bait is
in the secondary movement. Not only is the trailer moving but the skirt
pulsates as well. This breaks up the pattern and causes a shimmer
across the whole bait that is extremely lifelike!

The last
way I fish the jig is simply by pitching it into heavy cover. For this
I typically use a 3/4 oz pitchin' jig. Using a heavier jig allows me to
get a reaction from the bass. The bait falls so quickly that the bass
has a split second to react before the bait is gone. Ideally, I will
let the bait fall, shake it, and pull it out, in just a few seconds. By
implementing this technique a great deal of water can be covered in a
short period of time.

Topwater baits

Topwater is
another awesome opportunity for big bass! This genre represents
everything from a 2" popper, to a buzzbait, to a 15" wakebait. There is
something about a slow moving bait across the surface of the water that
draws in big bass. Fast moving topwaters are extremely effective but
rarely catch the giants. If you are looking for a true giant, slower is
typically better.

Some of my favorite topwater baits include the
Black Dog Lunker Punker, the JSJ Bluegill, the Super Spook, and the
Snagproof Frog. Each of these baits excels at catching large bass.
However, the spook and frog are typically geared towards bass well
under the 10 lb mark. Topwater is a prime example of bigger is better!
If you use a spook, consider the super spook instead of the super spook
junior. You'll be amazed how many small bass will still eat it, and you
might just be surprised by a fish that is bigger than any you knew were
in your home lake.

Remember, getting more bites is not the
ultimate goal. You need to find the balance between quantity and
quality. Increase the size of your offering until you are catching a
few less fish, with the occasional bigger bite. Consider that a 3 lb
bass will often eat a 12" bait, whereas a 10 lb bass will often pass up
on a 4" bait. Again, finding that balance point is key!

I have
found through trial and error, that big bass do not want to work hard
for a meal. They will often track a slow moving bait but will not
strike unless the bait does something erratic. When using a wakebait I
use a slow, steady retrieve but will snap the rod tip sharply once or
twice during the cast. The snapping motion causes the bait to turn or
jump in an erratic manner. This brief change is often what the bass is
waiting for and you will be rewarded with what I can only describe as a
watery eruption!

One misconception about topwater is that
bass prefer to eat on top during low light conditions. The vast
majority of my topwater bass over 7 lbs came during the middle of the
day. During these "off peak" times you may go for hours without a bite,
but when it finally happens the bass will be big! I can recall many
days where I've thrown a frog or a wakebait for 8-12 hours and only had
4-7 bites. But those 5 fish limits were almost always in the 25-35 lb
range. Don't let the sunlight limit you. Topwater is a viable option 24
hours a day!

Swimbaits

The final big bass option is
the swimbait. This term once referenced a trout-imitating soft plastic
lure with a swimming tail that was a minimum of 6" long. In recent
years this genre has grown to include everything from a 2" Swimming
Minnow to the 12" Osprey swimbait. Like topwater, size matters when it
comes to swimbaits. If you limit yourself to 2-5 inch swimbaits you are
going to get bites, and plenty of them, but you are probably not
selecting for larger fish. Is a 4" swimbait that much different than a
crankbait or spinnerbait? I really don't believe it is. If you want a
swimbait to work in your big bass arsenal, you need to start at 6
inches and work up from there.

There are a wide variety of
swimbaits in the 6" range that will catch big bass. The 6" Basstrix is
now widely accepted as a big bass producer. This bait really isn't all
that big. It doesn't require a special rod and reel combo but will
often produce larger than average fish. The 6" Baitsmith is another
excellent choice. It is significantly larger than the basstrix but is
small enough to be fished nationwide. This bait has been proven to work
from California to Wisconsin and was conceived in the far Northern
reaches of Idaho.

While the 6" is a terrific option to catch
big bass, going even larger will select for the true giants. The 8"
Huddleston swimbait has caught numerous double digits from coast to
coast. Over the past few years it has proven itself time and time again
in and out of the tournament scene.

Swimbaits are very similar
to topwater baits, in that they are most effective when worked slowly.
With these baits I use a variety of techniques. The most common
technique is to sit shallow and work the bait slowly uphill. In order
to accomplish this I allow the bait to sink to the bottom in deep
water. Once it has reached bottom I begin a slow, steady retrieve along
the bottom. Don't be afraid that the bass won't find such a slow moving
bait. Giant bass rule their domains and they will know when an intruder
has arrived!

While the slow and steady retrieve is the most
common don't be afraid to work these baits quickly to create a
"bulging" effect on the water's surface. Fishing a swimbait in and
around weed edges is another great way to locate big bass that are
looking to ambush an easy meal.

I hope that you are able to take
some of these baits and principles and apply them to your own
waterways. There is no reason that you can't go out to your favorite
body of water and catch bigger bass! Remember, not every lake has 10
pounders. You may simply be trying to catch 4 pounders instead of 2
pounders. These techniques apply to every body of water nationwide. If
you choose to implement them you may soon be the guy standing in the
weigh-in line with 5 bags smiling knowingly at the guy behind you who
only came to weigh in with 4 bags!

November 20, 2009

Lure Keep Tips

I am pretty rough on my fishing rods and reels, and over the years I have ripped many lure keeps off rods. With their extra weight, swimbaits in particular have a tendency to destroy the small wire hook keeps. I have come up with a couple ways of dealing with this problem and thought I would share with you.

The first can be done by simply drilling about an 1/8" hole in your casting rod trigger. This is pretty straight forward and does not require any special tools. This also keeps your rods a bit less top heavy when on the deck of your boat.

The second lure keep will require a little bit more. I simply double up on a large 1/4" size stainless steel hook keep and re wrap the base of the rod. This is obviously a bit more time consuming and requires more special tools. This method is quite strong and will hold up to heavy baits.

October 13, 2009

Pimp Your Punker

After a couple years of fishing the Lunker Punker there are days when I flat out can not put that bait down. Talk about a fish catching machine.

The other thing about the Punker is that I flat out can not leave the things alone. It is one of the the funnest baits to fuck around with and change up in as many ways as you can. I have had conversations with Jeremy Anderson from Black Dog Baits where we are practically rolling on the ground laughing about some of the ways we have modified these baits. I'm not just talking about custom paint jobs here, I like to do off the wall shit.

I fish Delta and Clear Lake a lot and it is amazing what will intrigue a giant largemouth to come up and eat. The way I look at it is the more off the wall a bait is sometimes, the more response you will get from big fish. Anything that lives on, in, or around the water could potentially fall victim, so why not have that victim on the end of your line. Here is a closer look at some pimped out Punkers

The red wing black bird Punker

The furry critter Punker

The Evil Rat Punker

Have you pimped out your Punker lately?

January 4, 2009

Silver Leafing a Triple Trout 101

There has been a lot of buzz about foiled baits lately, and there are several ways of doing it. This is something I learned how to do years ago painting motorcycles.

The technique is thousands of years old and has not really changed all that much.

I will be leafing a Triple Trout that I stripped down added some gill detail, and enlarged the eyes.

Note: you will want to find the ugliest peice of fleece possible for a work suface.

You dont need much to do it - here is a list

Size (a glue that is used to apply the leaf)
an aplication brush (any brush that won't lose hairs)
a SHARP exacto knife
a piece of velvet or fleece
a big plush brush

all of these materials can be fouind at just about any good craft store.

Start by brushing the size on to the area to be leafed. This will need to sit for roughly 10 minutes to tack up so the leaf will stick.

Once the size is tacky, very carefully lay the leaf down, and gently brush it into place, starting at the center and working out to the ends with the big brush.

Let the leaf set for a few minutes then go back and burnish (gently rub) it down with the soft cloth. This sets it in place permanently. Next, hit the edges with the big brush and kick off anything left beyond the size.

I recomend doing jointed baits one section at a time to avoid unwanted contact between setions of the very fragile leaf.

Let the bait sit over night and then you're ready to paint. I did just a basic shad or hitch patern here for Clear Lake.

Make sure and use a good heavy clear coat to protect the fragile leaf. Once it is set up it is amazingly tough.

More Lure Making & How-To posts on The Wired Angler:

How to Make Your Own Big Topwater Plug Bass Lure

Painting a Wooden Plug or Crankbait

Hobbytown for the Bass Fisherman

10 Ways to Rig a Basstrix Style Swimbait

Modifying an Osprey Swimbait to be Weedless

October 20, 2008

Reel Cleaning Tip – Beyond the Tackle Store

Sometimes the answers do not always sit on display in your local tackle shop.

When it comes time to changing out line on my reels I always take this opportunity to clean and maintain them.

I do this in a pretty quick easy way. After I take off the old line, I’ll hose down my reel seats and reels with a silicone spray. These sprays are readily available at most any hardware store. Usually I’ll blow them off with compressed air first but is not totally necessary.

After doing this I just wipe them down with an old t-shirt. Make sure to take out your spool and dry all the areas the spray may have gotten into and collected.

After you are done, you can hit the level wind gears with some light grease or products such as Quantum Hot Suace.

This is just a quick easy way to keep your reels in good shape to get more years out of them.

More Tips & How-To posts on The Wired Angler:

Modifying an Osprey Swimbait to be Weedless

How to Make Your Own Big Topwater Plug Bass Lure

Painting a Wooden Plug or Crankbait

Basic Boat Repair – Part One: Fixing Minor Dings and Chips

Basic Boat Repair – Part two: Fixing Minor Dings and chips

10 Ways to Rig a Basstrix Style Swimbait

September 15, 2008

Huddleston Stinger Hook Tips

Here's how I like to hook up a Huddleston:

When rigging stinger hooks on my swimbaits I like to thread them with braided line. A lot of people just run the line on the outside of the bait, but I feel like this is just one more thing to get caught up on when fishing. Running the line on the outside of the bait really detracts from the look of a bait like a Huddleston as well.

I use a 6” sail threading needle. These needles can be found at hardware stores such as OSH Hardware or boat supply places like West Marine.

The rigging is pretty simple; I use 80 pound braid because it will not interfere with the action on soft plastic swimbaits.

Start by doubling the line through the needle then run the needle through the bait to your tie off point. This can be the top hook or the the main line tie.

Next, to tie off your treble hook pull your line the rest of the way through, leaving a little slack then make your final knot at either the top hook or line tie. I have rigged up a tail hook on this bait with an Owner 2X 1/0 hook. Deciding where to put a stinger hook may change from day to day. When fishing the upper water column I will usually use them on the bottom of the bait towards the head of the bait. The tail hook shown here is for days when fish are following and just swiping at the bait. When fishing the bottom I usually do not even use a stinger hook.

August 17, 2008

8 Things You Can Do to Save Gas While Boating

With the cost of fuel rising all of us are aware of how much a day on the water can add up. Here are a few suggestions to keep cash in your wallet longer - or at least until you walk in the tackle shop anyway.

1) Plan ahead: Choose a launch spot close to where you want to fish.

2) Get a fishing buddy – the same thing that works in the commuter lane on the freeway works on the water. One boat costs half as much as two. Here is an educational video.

3) Keep the weight down - how many friggin' colors of robo worms do you need anyway? A lighter bass boat is a more efficient bass boat. Close your live well before you get in the water. Water weight in the live well can really add up at over 8 lbs. per gallon, so don’t fill it up unless you need it. If you can, keep less gas in the boat tank. If my boat holds 50 gallons, and I only need 25 – that’s over 200 pounds of dead weight.

4) Consider your prop – a prop that’s been damaged and not running in a completely smooth action through the water can take more energy to move.

5) Stay on the trolling motor while you can.

6) Control your speed. According to some sources, you’ll use half as much gas at 45 MPH as at 65 MPH with a 225 HP outboard. Slow down – you're not a Nascar driver, whats the hurry anyway?

7)Don’t idle at the dock or launch ramp. That's just wasting gas.

8) Get a motor tune –up; if you are running an older 2 stroke motor a few small things like changing the plugs and or corroded leads can conserve gas by burning more efficiently.

If none of this helps buy a float tube and stop bitching.

July 7, 2008

Modifying an Osprey Swimbait to be Weedless

Here is a quick easy way to make one of the original large soft plastic swimbaits weed less.
Starting off by showing the Standard hook set up on a 6” Osprey Swimbait .

This modification requires a 10/0 Lake Fork Trophy Lures Swimbait hook, some Mend It soft bait glue and a small piece of a drop shot or similar worm.

Step 1

Gently work the lead through line through sinker out of the bait.

Step 2

Cut about a one inch section off the head of a RoboWorm or similar size worm to the old weight.

Step 3

Squeeze some Mend It and glue into the old weight cavity and insert the small piece of worm into the hole.

At this point you want to glue up the hole in the nose real well so the head of the new Lake Fork Swimbait hook will have good amount of plastic to bite into.

Step 4

The rest is pretty self explanatory, Just push in the head of the hook and pin it through the back of the bait. You can leave the hook a little exposed or bury it into the back of the bait slightly.