 |
|
|
|
|
Support your local tackle stores! Please shop at Warbird Outdoors! They carry most of the baits I use! They can get anything you want! Just call them! 703-878-3111
For a great day of fun for the entire family join the Family Fishing Day & FLW Casting Skills Contest Saturday, June 13, 2009 at the well stocked fishing pond in Franklin Park, Loudoun County, VA. Food, fun, memories and fishing! Learn and improve your skills: Registration 08:00-09:00. For further info, please call Michael Hall at 571-236-1918.
Wow! I have been having so much fun watching my clients catch fish after fish! And more importantly, LEARNING how to do it! It is really cool to see them either learn to cast or polish their skills in the first hour, then they are able to develop a feel for the grass and then it's game on!
We have been tossing a steady dose of lipless cranks! I still like the Lucky Craft LVR D-7.and for deeper applications due to higher tides…the LV 500! It is a bit heavier and gets to the grass easier! I use 14-pound test and I am in the process of making two tackle adjustments. First, I go to my faster reels…at least 6:1! I am also going to a stiffer medium action rod! This is due to the warmer water and increased metabolism of the fish! I need to catch up to them. The 14-pound test makes it easier to pull the fish out of the grass…but if you can get away with 12…it's easier to keep the baits down!
Also, a note here. I like to use mono but that said, I use 20-pound test Fireline on my client spinning rods! This makes it easier to snap the baits out of the grass and to set the hook, especially on long casts! It is also thinner making it easier to keep the baits down! One of my clients, Dan Lewis uses braid on his casting gear…Spiderwire here, 50-pound test. He didn't' miss or lose any fish on our last outing…I lost many fish with the stretch in my mono! I anticipate an adjustment in my reels and rods will allow me to stay with mono. I just like it better! Dan has been on me for years to make the change…stay tuned!
I am also relying on other lures. One is the Mann's Baby 1-Minus! When the tide is lower I can keep this bait over the grass and it is really whacking them! I like the Splatterback Sunfish and firetiger! The Lemon Shad is good too! A sleeper color is the Elite RED! As for hooks on all of these baits, I like a Mustad Ultra Point RED hook on the belly…and I replace factory hooks with Mustad Triple grips on the lipless baits and a standard short shank Ultra Point on my Baby 1-Minus lures! Mustad has these new short shank trebles that are the exact same size as the #6 and #4 hooks form the factory!
Another technique that is working very well is drop shotting in the grass! I use a 3-foot leader and slowly drag the lure…I rig this on Fireline with a 12-pound test leader! A _ ounce Water Gremlin BULLSHOT anchors this and a stop and wait technique will get nice ones!
Swimming the Mann's Stone jig with a HardNose Craw over the grass, just like the lipless cranks! You can also use a Rock N Runner…a chatterbait of sorts…Road Runner style! I am also swimming 5.5 inch Mizmo tubes with the R&R (Gerkin) insert tube heads. Here I like white and some craw patterns! For the jig, I like the Black/Blue and some craw patterns…be patient with these! They will produce bigger fish!
Bottom line, any lure you want to use now will work! Just slow down and stay in the grass! There is grass everywhere! Find your patch and say out of the crowds! I have seen boater moving in to a spot with their big motor, making it difficult for others to fish…trolling motor into and out of spots will keep these fish biting.
I found a GREAT NEW product! TRANSDUCERSHIELDANDSAVER.com! If you have a broken “ear” on your transducer or if you want to protect a good one…this is a great cost saver!
I really love tossing suspending jerkbaits. 12-pound test line is good or even 10 if you can. I like the smaller Pointer 78 in clown or the gold/black and orange combos. The key is to let the bait sit for a lonnnnng time! 5 to 15 seconds if you can! Light taps then let it sit! Usually this produces bigger fish. Fish are really grouped up more now than they will be for a while. As grass spreads, so will the fish!
In areas without grass, Punisher hair jigs are putting fish in the boat! 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!
But, one more tactic that produces big fish now is the Carolina rig. I like using Tru Tungsten 1 ounce weights with an 18-inch fluorocarbon leader. The tungsten gives me a better “feel” of what's on the bottom and the fluorocarbon leader not only sinks, but also doesn't absorb water like mono…retaining strength and sensitivity. For main line, I have been going to braid! 65 pound test Spiderwire stealth.
"Take me fishing!" .·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸> >
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
