Fishing has been awesome this week! Fish are 4-6 feet deep as water has warmed to 45+. Spinnerbaits, grubs and Silver Buddy lures are all you need! Toss jerkbaits and you can get them all day!
For the spinnerbait, I like the Mann's Classic, white/chart skirt with gold blades...Indiana/Colorado. Slow roll this offering when the water has some chop or when the cloud cover comes in.
After that, the Mann's Stingray Grub is one of my old stand-bys! My 80-year-old dad introduced Stingrays to me in the mid 1960's when I was a kid growing up in Mann's Country, Alabama! It was him again who brought them on my Potomac River boat decades ago, reminding me of the many bass this lure fooled in the ponds and at Guntersville and Lake Martin. Many others have since heard about these baits in my fishing reports, and in a wonderful article by BASSMASTER writer Darl Black in Jan 2005. It continues to be a deadly bait, especially in cold water. So no matter which Tom, Dick or Wally told YOU about this bait, try that little 3-inch avocado grub on a _ ounce R&R Custom baits round jig head. I suggest keeping them in your pocket to keep them warm to avoid splitting the firm plastic. I also soak them in Jack's Juice. Cast them on 6-pound test Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon on a spinning rod and lift about an inch or two and allow them to glide toward you, stopping when hitting an obstruction. Gently repeat and leave in one spot for a while. Cast and work slowly down the drops with a lift and glide presentation. The bites are light! Set the hook!
Then it's the Silver Buddy. The original designer and maker of the world's best blade bait is at it again. He is cranking a few out in his garage, so go to his site…www.silverbuddy.com and order now …get a good supply! Buddy Banks will get your order out as soon as he leaves his garage! Silver Buddys find fish, covering all depths. Very short burps off the bottom and semi tight line to the bottom, working down drops. I like the _ ounce size and I'll use a pipe cleaner to paint stripes on them. Alternating bright orange and black stripes. Get the paint and supplies at JannsNetcraft.com. That's all I do to modify them. I like gold in stained water or on cloudy days…otherwise I use the Silver! The _ ounce size is best. 12-pound test and a medium heavy rod with a very fast tip is perfect for these baits. You can still set the hook but these have enough “give” to keep the fish on when hooked. DO not overwork this bait!
For jerkbaits I like the Lucky Craft Pointer 78 and 100…if the water is a bit choppy. This is a clear water presentation! 12-pound test and the same rod I like for the Silver Buddy lures. If fish this over and around drops and cover. The clown color is good, but I also like the Baby Bass and the aurora black.
The Punisher hair jig is in its glory now too! I like the 1/4 or heavier…the Punisher Chunks with Punisher rattles create the bulky little fish bait package. This bait will get some big ones to bite! It also will soak up a lot of Jack's Juice into the hand tied craft hair!
By the way if you don't service your own reels or if you are looking for a great tech, an old friend of mine is ready to get your gear in ship shape! Cleaning and repair done locally and fast! He was trained by the best and I recommend him highly! Click here to reach Jim.
Servicing Shimano, ABU Garcia, Daiwa, Quantum, Penn and virtually all makes including Baitcasting, Spinning and Saltwater reels.
IF you aren't sure about why you need to go slow…next fish you catch, check the belly…see any silt just below their gills? They didn't get that swimming around!
Check out my latest article on tidal fishing! It is a two part series with FLW angler Dave Lefebre filling in the advanced info!
Article on how to dress in the winter in this month's Sportsman's Magazine! Look for my Tournament Talk column in Woods & Waters. A limited FREE supply at Belle Haven Marina and at Bowes and Arrows.
I've switched batteries to the DEKA AGM deep cycle…I've already noticed they don't take long to recharge! Full article on this new battery technology under ARTICLES on my site! They show no signs of wearing down either and I really use my trolling motor!
Pro's Soft Bait Glue is new and improved…how could they? They improved the bottle! No more clogs! Much easier to apply on the water!
On all moving baits, I recommend replacing hooks with Mustad Ultra Point trebles. BTW! The BEST split ring pliers ever, from Texas Tackle! none like it anywhere!
Want to learn how to teach someone to fish? Or looking for a few tips…? Check out my free videos.
It's no secret Maui Jims are the best polarized sunglasses…but they just made a huge improvement for anglers over 40…Maui Readers are equipped with a small magnifier on the bottom of the lens so you can see to tie knots!!! The added magnifier doesn't interfere with regular vision! I love them! See what you've been missing! Mauijims.com. I suggest Maui Jim HCL (high contrast lens) polarized sunglasses for picking up cover in the water and seeing fish. Check around, most serious anglers are wearing them. Eye protection is important!!! Get a quality pair of polarized sunglasses. Sunglass Huts carry these. If you see me on the water, I'll let you check mine out. Polycarbonate Maui Sports are light as a feather and the optics are great.
Confused over license requirements to guide on the Tidal Potomac River? I worked closely with the PRFC to come up with a grid of requirements to comply with DC, MD, VA and the PRFC on the Tidal Potomac. For a copy, http://nationalbass.com/reports/prfclicense.htm. And ALL guides will have to carry a TWIC card too! I support efforts to see to it these rules are enforced!
I keep Frogg Toggs on board for sudden showers and COLD weather! The new Elite Series has become my year-round windbreaker and rain suit. These new Toggs are amazing and they are loaded with pockets and features…and come with a very reasonable price tag! Stop me and check it out! Frogg Toggs (www.froggtoggs.com)
Pour your own swimbaits? Senkos? Lure Craft has a DVD that explains and demonstrates the entire process! They offer durable and exact aluminum molds that enable you to make “round” baits! You can customize swimbaits for a huge savings. Pour some great finesse worms and other soft plastics with precise and easy to use molds from lurecraft.com. They have all of the supplies and plastic mixes for floating and for softness. Go on-line to find out more! (www.lurecraft.com 1-800-925-9088 for a free catalog). Make straight tail finesse worms for shaky head fishing, drop shots, and split shots! They can even make a mold for your design! Take a look at some of the baits I have made on: www.nationalbass.com (articles/lure-craft.htm)…call now to put your orders in! 1-800-925-9088
Senior BASSMASTER writer, Robert Montgomery has taken decades of writing and fishing experience with the best in the fishing business and compiled it into one huge E-Book. Ratio's KILLER BASS FISHING SECRETS contains nearly 300 VERY specific tips from pros to help you catch more fish! I found a TON of great tips to help me. Get RONTICO's KILLER BASS FISHING SECRETS here: www.killer-bass-fishing-secrets.com. It's only $19.95…about a nickel a tip! Well worth it! The site has some FREE tips!
There are some great tackle specials this month at Jann's Netcraft! If you want to be on the email list for these specials, contact me! Contact Jann's Netcraft for your free catalog! They have a great assortment of do-it-yourself supplies, and a great line of soft plastics too! By this time of the year, my rod tips are just about worn out on my cranking rods. The guides take a constant beating too! Toss out the rod that is really still in great shape? No way! I've learned how to replace guides on my favorite rods and they're ready to go! Check out their rod building and repair supplies. Get a tip kit, with many sizes for a variety of rods. If you want to learn how to make repairs or even build your own custom rods, they have a great rod-building instructional book and all tools and parts! They also have everything you need to make crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits. You can start from scratch or assemble the parts to build the baits you like to your exact specs…and save money too! Jann's Netcraft lure making, fly-tying, rod building, and soft baits! They've been around for a long time and have a great selection of lure making materials too! Check them out at www.jannsnetcraft.com or call 1-800-NETCRAFT!
Captain Steve Chaconas/National Bass Guide Service/SEOPA
"Take me fishing!" .·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸> >
