I was sitting at my work bench making a few soft plastic lures, thinking about why certain lures catch fish. Is it color, size, action, texture (softness, fine appendages or grain), scent, natural appearence, vibration or a combination of all or any of them? If so, WHY?
Then it occurred to me that of the hundreds of plastics I've bought or made that have worked at one time or other have something that fish notice, become curious about and eventually decide to eat. You can see what I'm talking about on YouTube from the many underwater videos using AquaView.
First of all, artificial baits rarely have to be a detailed copy of the real thing to catch fish. For example Mad Man Craws never out produce a skirted jig and trailer , and they are exact copies of crawfish!
Scent is 50/50 as a factor. I know that after one fish hits a live worm, others soon come around. Is it the bait or something about the turned-on fish that infects other nearby fish to higher aggression levels, regardless of species? A YouTube video demonstrated one perch going after a salted minnow and soon half a dozen others joined in. Some may insist the salt is a factor, but I've disproven that time after time using salted and unsalted plastics.
That leaves the other things - size, action, appearence (color), texture and vibration.
When a company markets a new lure, the hype is usually about how natural the bait is or what it represents to a fish. If fish could speak English, I doubt we could understand it or come away satisfied with why fish hit artificials. Nature is somewhat random and generalities are all we have to go by, therefore, I chose to go with CONTRAST as the most applicable generalization of why all fish bite lures.
Fish feel a lures presence with it's lateral line and can locate prey with it in the dark or in muddy water.A proven FACT! The lateral line indicates size, speed, direction and action of whatever swims within range, similar to SONAR, but more advanced. Sight does not produce 3D images, but one eye and the lateral line do so combined. The closer in proximity a fish is to a lure, the more both work together to feel it and evaluate it as a food source.
Active fish aren't chossy (most of the time), so why would a food-bloated or semi active fish eat a lure? .... LURE CONTRAST and the fish's nature combined.
BY: Gordon Holman
Monday, March 21, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
A TOUGH TRAVIS—HOOAH!
th 2011 found ArmyBassAnglers
Pros Randy Sitz and Ron Seevers on Lake
Travis fishing the 1
st Central Bass Champs tournament of the year. Randy and Ron
had a decent practice two weeks before
and were excited that the weather
forecast for the tournament was nearly
the same during practice. The team had
a 30 min run down to the main lake,
where they had success during practice,
in their
Returning Heroes Home wrapped
excited not see any other competitors in
the area. As they eased into their fishing
area they noticed a lot of bait fish surface activity, even a few blow ups now and
then. They were both throwing a
Skeeter ZX250. Both wereVictory Tackle (Thumper) vibrating jig with a technique was loading the boat 2 weeks earlier. The 733 is an awesome all
around rod for spinner baits and vibrating jigs; sensitive with a fast tip but meaty
backbone. They would only catch one two pounder in two hours in this area.
They decided to switch to spinner baits (Travis special) and picked up another 2
pounder. Both fish came out of 4 to 6 feet of water with deeper water very nearby.
After another couple of hours, they went to a deep rocky point and Randy
caught a nice two and half pounder on a drop shot rig with a
has,” stated Randy. The team spent the rest of their time trying to put two more
bass in the boat but ran out of time. They would end up with a little over six and
½ lbs on a very tough Lake Travis. “The fish didn’t respond today like they did 2
weeks ago. The sun never really came out today and I think that really hurt our
as a trailer on a 733 Dobyns Rods. ThisLake Fork Tackle. “You can’t beat the action that the hyper finesse worms bite,” stated Ron. The team had great time fishing and spreading the
Support.Defend.Fish mission statement for ArmyBassAnglers.
185 Teams would compete with $48,100.00 paid out. Total number of fish
brought to the scales was 486 with an avg weight of 2.18 lbs. 55 Team would
bring in a limit with 54 teams competing for the conservation bonus. For
individual standings visit
HOOAH! Jan 29
Monday, March 7, 2011
Punching Mats
Over the last few years punch skirts have come into the bass fishing world with a vengeance. The punch skirt is designed so you can cast into the heavy cover bass like to hide in during the summer months. The punch skirt has swept across America from California where they are used to punch through the heavy mats on the California Delta.
The Anatomy of a punch rig
The punch skirt is really part of a punch rig. The rig starts with a bobber stopper or weight peg. Then comes a large bullet weight, the weight is usually 1 once or more, followed by your punch skirt, then a flipping hook. Beaver style bait is usually Texas rigged. I use an Atomic Tackle Company punch bomb which comes with your bullet weight and skirt. I use a Trokar flipping hook. The hook has a keeper barb at the top which helps keep the plastic in place and saves you plastics. The surgically sharpened hook gives me better hook ups with less force. I top it off with a Biffle Bug.
Gear
When using a punch skirt rig you want a strong rod. One problem anglers find is that there flipping rod does not work effectively for punching heavy mats. The Bub's Punch Rod by iRod is made for punching mats. The rod has a fast tip but the straight of a flipping stick. I use a Quantum Code Baitcaster with a 7:1 gear ratio. I like the 7:1 it helps me get the fish out of the heavy cover quickly. Some guys like a lower gear ratio, but I stick with the 7:1 for the quick line retrieve. I use 65 pound Vicious braid. Braid has no stretch so when you set the hook you have no worries of damaging the line plus braided line will help cut thru those thick mats.
How it works
Punch skirts are designed to make any soft plastic a jig. The punch skirt gives a Texas rigged soft plastic more bulk. The punch skirt being separate from the hook makes the action different from a jig in the fact that the hook, weight and skirt are separate. When the bait falls you get more action from your soft plastic because it can move side to side unlike a jig. Also because you can Texas rig your soft plastic it makes the rig weed less so you can put the rig in any kind of grass mats.
How to fish it
When fishing the Atomic Tackle Company punch bomb I flip or better yet toss the bait into the air. The idea behind the rig is that you toss it up and when it comes down it punches thru the matted grass you are fishing. So I flip the bait into the grass mats. You want to let the punch bomb fall on a controlled slack line. This way you can feel if a bass picks it up on the fall. If this happens you want to reel down and set the hook. If you do not get a bite on the fall let the bait hit the bottom. Hope the bait once or twice. Because the rig is weed less you can work it back thru the grass, hopping it as you come or you can work it like you a pitching your bait. If you work the bait as if you are pitching it pull the bait from the grass and make another cast.
Where to fish
When look for a place to start on a lake with a large amount of matted grass one came feel over whelmed. I start by first looking for points or inside turns (which is opposite of a point) in the grass. You want to look for irregular features within the grass beds. Another productive spot to look for is where to different types of grass meet. Some of the best grass beds are close to deep water. Matted grass produces bass more during the middle of the day. Wear as the weed edge produces bass better early and late in the day.
Other Options
The punch rig also makes a great follow up bait when fishing a hollow belly frog over matted grass of lily pads. If you get a short strike on a frog, quickly reel in the frog and pitch the punch rig to the spot of the blow up and let the punch rig sink. A lot of times a bass will try and stun or kill a frog and circle back to eat its prey as it sinks to the bottom. The Punch rig gives you a big profile like your hollow belly frog. If you get to the bottom with no strike, hope the punch rig once or twice. If there is still no bite reel in the punch rig and continue throwing the frog.
So the next time you are out fishing think about fishing that matted grass. With the right tackle and gear you might just be able to pull a hog from that stuff. Remember the tips I have shared with you and you should have a hog in no time.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Follow up to "Was the Classic Unsafe" and Dave Wolak's Take
I had a post yesterday called “Was the Classic unsafe?” I talked about the anglers using the new Lowrance Radar, and perhaps relying on it far too much. My friend Tyler weighed in on the subject as well with his post “A Foggy Situation”.
I had the chance today to talk with an angler who was in the Classic and made those long runs to Venice on day one and two. Dave Wolak was one of the anglers without the radar. He runs Humminbird electronics and did not have the option, like those running Lowrance products.
Dave told me he trusted his eye over the radar, even if he had the radar he would not have blown thru the fog. When he got to fog he either idled thru it or went at plowing speed (10 to 12 mph). When he came to a clearing he would take off until he reached a spot covered in fog again.
Dave told me: “long runs are always a calculated risk. That being said, I knew I may encounter fog and have to go slow. It’s the subjectivity of the call in the morning. If I am released and encounter fog that is unsafe to travel in anyway, then what is the difference....the difference is that I could have idles half way to Venice in that time. Also, that the area the winner was in would not have been beaten by Venice in that particular window of time no matter what time I or other competitors had down in Venice.... and how the stars alligned for the winning location and strategy was just unbeatable.....it’s just a different caliber and strain of fish there and when they are biting it's hard to beat from the river northern strain of Venice fish. But, total 8 hours of time in a tournament with the magnitude of the Classic I feel is essential. You have people qualifying from all over the world with complex strategies and all the competitors want is fairness across the board and objective rules that are not subject to "a call".
The biggest problem Dave pointed out with the fog delay was loss of time on the water. On day two he had 40 minutes to fish and got five fish in that time. Dave said as soon as number five hit the live well he was headed back. He told me about day two more in-depth. When he hit Venice the fog was so thick he didn’t think he could make it back for the weigh-in. He told his marshal that if the fog did not lift he was going to make a call for his truck and pick him up there in Venice and call it a day. He and the marshal with him could just fish for fun until his ride got there. Soon things changed and fog began to lift, he got five keepers and though he could make it back. The rest is history, he made it back didn’t make the cut and never got to fish day three.
Dave had some suggestions about what could have been done. Everyone knew that fog is inevitable in the delta this time of year. B.A.S.S. could have made take off time at 9:00 am when most of the fog burns off, moved the weigh-in time back which would have leveled the playing field for those making the long run.
The time issue was a big deal this year. I think Dave makes a great point. What would have happened if the take off time had been moved back? I want to leave you with this. Radar is not the answer for anglers to run fast down any body of water in fog. Dave told me even if he had ten radars on his boat he would not have done that. He would have used common sense and ran at a safe speed through the fog. All anglers need to use are heads.
Anthony Smith lost his boat over the weekend on a body of water he knows very well when a log floating down stream struck his boat. Radar would not have picked that up. If fog had been added to the equation thing may have been worse. Anthony may have lost his life not just a boat.
No matter how good the technology gets we need to make sure we use common sense and not always rely on the machines……I would hate to have to fight terminators someday!
Monday, February 21, 2011
DROP SHOT RIG
Drop shot is an awesome technique for inshore, nearshore and the bays!
Probably the most popular freshwater technique in bass fishing today this is taking our local bays and nearshore areas by storm. It's a question we see a lot more of now than ever. Drop shotting is easy, fast and a great way to pick up multiple fish from a single area, it's also a way to find fish on tricky days when lockjaw seems to have infected the water around you.
The dropshot action drives bass wild and they are helpless to avoid attacking your baits. We recommend either a stick bait like the Senko or SaltShaker worm or something more fishy such as a fluke or minnow bait. Anything between 3" and 10" is fair game for the rig - just make sure to match your hook size and style to the bait. For small 3" baits an octopus wire hook will do the job, size 4 or so, but for larger or longer baits we shift to an extra wide gap Gamakatsu or similar in any size between 2/0 to 6/0. Generally fished on lighter tackle this is an excellent opportunity to dig out the spinning reels and use 6 lb or 8 lb test. In extreme situations you can up it to 10 lb but only if you really need to. Also, the bottom weight can be anywhere between 3/8oz to 5 or 6 oz depending on your depth, current and tides. Experiment! Practice!
The object of the game is to keep your weight on the bottom and your line tight while you provide jiggly jiggly action to the bait. You accomplish this by twitching your rod tip up and down, putting the slightest amount of slack into the line and snapping it back very quickly. If your weight isn't staying on the bottom easily or if it the current is pushing it around size up your weights. Local celebrity angler Scott "Fishtricks" Johnson will also advise you to stand up, put one hand on your hip, lean back and jiggle away while pretending to focus on something else. Eventually you'll reach down to grab a soda or move your gaff to another location and that's when you'll get bit. Works every time.
Kayaks provide a great opportunity to deadstick a dropshot bait as well. Because of our smaller hulls and lighter weight we move around a good deal more on the surface of the water than traditional boats. Tighten up a line and drop it in a rod holder and let the action of the swell and drift do the work. Saltwater bass aren't as picky or wily as their freshwater cousins and will pounce on this presentation quite readily. Just be ready to snatch up the rod and drive the hook home when it goes bendo!
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 5 minutes
Here's How:
1.Decide on yoru hook size, bait and lead size
2.Tie your hook onto your line with a Palomar knot but leave a long tag end - 36" is safe
3.After you draw your Palomar knot tight your hook should point out and up as in the picture. If it does not (or even if it does) take the tag end and run it through the eye of the hook one more time from the front, pull down and this will put your hook into proper alignment.
4.Tie your weight onto the tag end at the desired length. It's better to start long and short the distance between the hook and the weight as you'll find yourself in trouble trying to go the other way. :)
5.Thread your bait on the hook with whichever method is appropriate (depending on hook style).
6.Catch fish.
Probably the most popular freshwater technique in bass fishing today this is taking our local bays and nearshore areas by storm. It's a question we see a lot more of now than ever. Drop shotting is easy, fast and a great way to pick up multiple fish from a single area, it's also a way to find fish on tricky days when lockjaw seems to have infected the water around you.
The dropshot action drives bass wild and they are helpless to avoid attacking your baits. We recommend either a stick bait like the Senko or SaltShaker worm or something more fishy such as a fluke or minnow bait. Anything between 3" and 10" is fair game for the rig - just make sure to match your hook size and style to the bait. For small 3" baits an octopus wire hook will do the job, size 4 or so, but for larger or longer baits we shift to an extra wide gap Gamakatsu or similar in any size between 2/0 to 6/0. Generally fished on lighter tackle this is an excellent opportunity to dig out the spinning reels and use 6 lb or 8 lb test. In extreme situations you can up it to 10 lb but only if you really need to. Also, the bottom weight can be anywhere between 3/8oz to 5 or 6 oz depending on your depth, current and tides. Experiment! Practice!
The object of the game is to keep your weight on the bottom and your line tight while you provide jiggly jiggly action to the bait. You accomplish this by twitching your rod tip up and down, putting the slightest amount of slack into the line and snapping it back very quickly. If your weight isn't staying on the bottom easily or if it the current is pushing it around size up your weights. Local celebrity angler Scott "Fishtricks" Johnson will also advise you to stand up, put one hand on your hip, lean back and jiggle away while pretending to focus on something else. Eventually you'll reach down to grab a soda or move your gaff to another location and that's when you'll get bit. Works every time.
Kayaks provide a great opportunity to deadstick a dropshot bait as well. Because of our smaller hulls and lighter weight we move around a good deal more on the surface of the water than traditional boats. Tighten up a line and drop it in a rod holder and let the action of the swell and drift do the work. Saltwater bass aren't as picky or wily as their freshwater cousins and will pounce on this presentation quite readily. Just be ready to snatch up the rod and drive the hook home when it goes bendo!
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 5 minutes
Here's How:
1.Decide on yoru hook size, bait and lead size
2.Tie your hook onto your line with a Palomar knot but leave a long tag end - 36" is safe
3.After you draw your Palomar knot tight your hook should point out and up as in the picture. If it does not (or even if it does) take the tag end and run it through the eye of the hook one more time from the front, pull down and this will put your hook into proper alignment.
4.Tie your weight onto the tag end at the desired length. It's better to start long and short the distance between the hook and the weight as you'll find yourself in trouble trying to go the other way. :)
5.Thread your bait on the hook with whichever method is appropriate (depending on hook style).
6.Catch fish.
BY: Anthony Smith
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