Fish with topwaters! Especially the Lucky Craft Gunfish! I can walk
this bait very slowly, and the rattles call them up! The key has been
to keep it moving once you get a strike! If you stop it, they don’t
seem to come back! Add a tail feather like the Mustad hand tied Ultra
Point trebles in RED! Sometimes a twitch will get the feathers moving
and the fish to return after a hit and miss! Small 1/8-ounce buzzbaits
have also been working at lower tides over grass around docks and over wood! I
like the black skirts on cloudy days! Topwaters are working best when the tide
is low, the water is clear, or you have cloudy skies. But when the water is
low, it’s worth a try with the Gunfish, buzzbaits and other topwaters
like the Basirisky!
The best all around topwater now is the buzzfrog! If you have never
seen the Mann’s HARDNOSE Swim Toad, GET SOME! These are perfect
over grass! The hard nose keeps the hook in place better than ANY OHTETEER
on the market! I like white and green pumpkin! If you see me on
the water, ask me for a free sample! Rig this on a 5/0 Mustad Ultra Point
Tube hook with BRAID! I am trying a bunch of braids…so far; STREN
Super Braid and Spiderwire are the best. On casting gear, I like to spool 50
on spinning gear, I like 25. The no stretch is great for getting the fish out
of grass and for setting the hook. I like the heavier line on casting gear…easier
to cast! TOPWATER KEYS: Use poppers at lower tides…ANYTIME OF
THE DAY! Use buzzbaits and walkers in clear calm water…. higher
tides under cloudy skies.
If I have a high tide under cloudy skies I have been tossing the 3/8-willow
tandem with a firetiger skirt. Chop on the water is better. This doesn’t
work as well at high tide when the water is stained. You need to switch to
the Classic Indian/Colorado with a white skirt.
I’m also punching mats! Look for the nastiest mats you can find
on a hot calm very sunny day and you will be able to mat fish. Casting GEAR!!!!
The ONE-PIECE 2iG Ultra Strike Flippin’ Stick is perfect! Spool
with 65 pound braid, a 1-ounce Tru-Tungsten brown weight with a Mann’s
HardNose Flippin’ Craw…black blue, green pumpkin on a 5/0 Mustad
Ultra Point Tube hook! Pitch to a mat, shake until it drops though and
wait until the fish swims off with it. Shake a bit, pull up to the underside
of the mat…shake, and then drop again before removing to make another
cast. REMEMBER; allow the fish to PULL before you set the hook! A spray
of Jack’s Juice Garlic adds flavor and allows the bait to slide through
the grass better. Also, I peg my weight or use Pro’s Soft Bait Glue to
glue to the head of the bait.
Look for the JULY Washington Post Magazine article about fishing for snakeheads
by Dave Farenthold.
At higher tides, I have been having a lot of success with the Mann’s
Baby 1-Minus. My ‘new’ favorite is the new Elite Series. I like
the baby bass color now. Old standbys, fire tiger, splatterback and desert
sunset are also working. Vary your retrieves. I have caught some burning the
bait, crawling it and long pauses. Check your hooks on all cranks now! I
recommend replacing with Mustad Ultra Point trebles. Try adding a feather Mustad
treble to the tail of a Baby 1-Minus. For my line, I am using 17-pound test
Berkley XT. For my rods, the Ultra Strike, 2iG rods are perfect. The
med/hvy 6’6” rod is my spinnerbait rod. For cranks, I like the
7” medium action rod. A medium heavy 7-foot graphite rod like the 2iG
Ultra Strike is perfect to snap from grass and to set the hook! It is
not too limber or too stiff to keep you from landing fish. I just ordered the
new 7’6” med action rod for cranking! Longer casts I’m
sure!
Drop shot, shaky head, and tubes are great ways to fish docks and pitch to
grass edges and holes. For drop shotting and shaky head fishing I like the
green pumpkin Mann’s HardNose finesse worm. The head on this bait is
very tough, while the body is very soft! The bait stays on the hook and
the pencil point tail does a whole lot of shaking! I use the plain lead Gerkin
jig heads for shaky head fishing…I heat the head and coat with BROWN
vinyl powdered coat available through lurecraft.com.
For tubes, I use a ¼ ounce Gerkin weedless insert tube head. I can
easily skip this under docks and overhanging cover. For the 4” Mizmo
tubes, I like the green pumpkin colors and the blue/craw. I also soak all of
my soft plastics in Jack's Juice garlic….lots of it! All of these are
cast on 12-pound test Berkley Sensation line. Spinning tackle with a 6'6” 2iG
Ultra Strike rod. Cast and DRAG! Fish very slowly! The area around
the Wilson Bridge, Spoils and Smoots are hot spots right now! Hit every dock
on the river! If there is grass around, fish the docks at HIGH tide. For grass,
use a 3/0 Mustad Ultra Point Tube Hook Texas rigged with a 3/16 ounce Bullshot.
This is a good time to pour some great finesse worms and other soft plastics.
I like the molds from lurecraft.com. They have all of the supplies you would
ever need. They even have various plastic mixes for floating and for softness.
Go on –line to find out more! Lure Craft molds are precise and
easy to use. (www.lurecraft.com 1-800-925-9088 for a free catalog). Make straight
tail finesse worms for shakey head fishing, drop shots, and split shots! They
have a mold for anything and all of the supplies to pour your own custom poured
baits…they can even make a mold for your design! Ask me to take
a look at some of the baits I have made or check them out on: www.nationalbass.com
(articles/lure-craft.htm) check out the NEW Lure Craft website…call
now to put your orders in! 1-800-925-9088
I keep a few Frogg Toggs on board for sudden showers…whenever they
come. 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) are always on board. They block the wind and
are breathable! I carry extras for my passengers!
Each time you search the internet, you can support FishAmerica’s efforts
to keep our fish and waters healthy. Just visit www.goodsearch.com, enter
FishAmerica as your charity of choice, and start searching! Just 500
searches, four times a day will raise about $7,300 in a year without anyone
spending a dime! Download the GoodSearch toolbar to your web browser
such as Internet Explorer. Just visit http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/
and click Download Now!
My Sportsman's Magazine article will focus on PROP BAITS! Hear what
pros Joe Thomas and Frank Scalish say about how to fish these noisy baits.
I use specific products and mention them in my reports. These are products
I have used extensively and have confidence in. By mentioning product
names, it is easier for you to match up with what I am using. I also detail
the features of many of the products I use to demonstrate their benefits.
There is a new style TEVA I just LOVE! Karnali Wraptor (http://teva.com/ProductDetails.aspx?g=m&productID=6960&model=Karnali+Wraptor)
have a toe guard! They are perfect for water sports…. they have
drains and are great for standing all day! Check out the new TEVA sandals
are actually sport shoes…especially water sports like bass fishing! If
you do not wear the sport sandals from TEVA, you should! Just cover your
feet with sunscreen and you'll feel better! I have tried other footwear, including
expensive basketball shoes. TEVA's are very comfortable and have boat safe
surfaces along with anti-microbial protection. These sandals are comfortable
and keep me on my feet...no butt seat either! Check out www.teva.com.
Senior BASSMASTER writer, Robert Montgomery has taken his 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. You can get your copy of RONTICO's KILLER BASS
FISHING SECRETS here: www.killer-bass-fishing-secrets.com. It's only $19.95…that's
about a nickel a tip! Well worth it! The site has some FREE tips!
FYI!!! I receive press releases from many companies. Here’s one I found
interesting. I have friends who have damaged their skegs and either leave them
damaged, affecting performance, or have an expensive lower unit replaced. The
Blackfin™ Skeg is new product made of high impact composite and is easy-to-install,
with no drilling or changes to your original boat or motor. In the event of
an impact; the force is equally distributed in all directions and absorbed
by the flexible nature of the Blackfin™ Skeg. In the event of damage
to your original stock skeg the Blackfin™ Skeg can be used to easily
and inexpensively repair the damage as long as one third or more of the original
skeg is still intact. The added protection and enhanced performance of
the Blackfin™Skeg make this new product a must have for any boating enthusiast. They
are available at Cabela’s, and larger marine stores or conveniently online
at www.blackfinskeg.com. The suggested retail price is $69.95. For additional
information on Blackfin™ Skeg contact Re: The Outdoors at 334-612-0859.
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 and I'll take
care of it for you! Contact Jann's Netcraft for your free catalog! They
have a great assortment of do-it-yourself supplies, and they have 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. Sometimes the guides take a constant beating
too! What do you do? Toss out the rod that is really still in great shape?
No way! I have learned how to replace guides on some of my favorite rods
and they are 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 of the tools and parts! I also noticed they 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 luremaking, flytying,
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!
A note on one of my tools. I like to use PRO's Soft Bait Glue. While
a lot of anglers are really impressed by how much money they save gluing Senkos
back together, I really like the time I save! When I skip stickworms
under docks, eventually, baits tear. Rather than stopping and retying
and re-rigging, I just put a drop of glue on the tear and away I go. One
bait will stay rigged nearly all day! I also have started using with
my shakey heads. While the Mann's Hardnose bait is the only bait on the market
with a super hard nose to stay on the hook better, I still put a drop to keep
it from going anywhere on the head!
As most who see me at the ramp know, I drive a 1995 Nissan 4WD truck. This
old truck really tows my Skeeter with ease! I bought this truck from
PASSPORT Nissan and I have been buying my vehicles from the owner since 1978! If
you have any questions about the NISSAN trucks, please forward to me! Right
now is a great time to consider one, as Nissan is running low interest rates
or cash back on Titan, Frontier and Xterra. Bob Gasbarri knows NISSANS and
he knows trucks! Give him a call at 703-461-5279 with any towing questions! I
will demo many of their trucks throughout the year. Let me know if you
would like to set up a test drive! IF YOU CONTACT ME, I WILL GET YOU A BELOW
INVOICE NO HASTLE PRICE!
I have also found a new product that is awesome! Actually, I interviewed
the makers of Hawg Pockets after they won the ICAST award for the new product
showcase. I had the gadgets in my basement for a while. I took
a fishing trip to West Virginia. My wife started to freak out when I started
to load my rods with crankbaits into her new Passport Nissan Murano. She
didn't want me to hook her leather interior. I remembered the Hawg Pockets
and read the instructions and snapped them into place. They did their
job. I also found out they didn't tangle when I moved them and I could
see my bait thru them! Check out the website. I am using them on
my boat now and it keeps my rods from tangling and I can see the baits on the
rods. This is the best fishing lure guard I have ever seen! Check them
out! www.hawgpockets.com
Also look for my Tournament Talk column in Woods & Waters. This month
the pros talk about attention to execution! I cover B.A.S.S. and FLW
tournament winners! Also check out www.woodsandwatersmagazine.com. There
is a limited supply of these FREE publications at Belle Haven Marina and at
Bowes and Arrows.
MIZMO tubes, Punisher Jigs, and most of the Lucky Craft and Mann's baits are
now in Bass Pro Shops latest catalog….look for them!
If you want the best polarized sunglasses for fishing, I suggest Maui Jim
HCL (high contrast lens) polarized sunglasses. These are the best for
picking up cover in the water and seeing the fish. Check around, most
of the serious anglers on the Potomac are wearing them. Eye protection
is important!!! Get a quality pair of polarized sunglasses. I recommend
the Maui Jims (www.mauijim.com). Sunglass Huts carry these. If you see
me on the water, I will let you check mine out. I am also trying the
polycarbonate lens Maui Sports…. they are light as a feather and the
optics are great.
For 2007 Tides information for the Potomac look under “REPORTS AND TIDES”. Print
a copy for your use.
If you like to weigh your fish or if you are a tournament angler, you NEED
the XTOOLS Digital fish scale and gripper. It is waterproof, floats,
and it grips the fish so I can weigh all of my clients' fish without having
to punch a hole in their mouth. They are a sponsor of the FLW trail and
just about all of the pros are using them. I love mine. I recently
met the great people associated with the company and they demonstrated some
of XTOOLS other products. Get one of the scales…they also have
one for tournament anglers with a culling system that can't be beat! www.xtools.us
If you are new to the river, get a map from GMCO. It is a pro-quality map
for fishing the Potomac and for other Virginia waters. Check out their site:
www.gmcomaps.com. They list some of the popular locations and some of the hidden
dangers of navigating the Potomac.
Check out the biggest bass ever caught on the Potomac. (www.nationalbass.com,
then REPORTS, then BIG FISH) Gary Kincheloe's record is likely to stand longer
that the previous record of nearly 30 years.
Are your boat batteries sluggish? If you have questions about battery care,
check out www.nationalbass.com, go to ARTICLES and then Boat Batteries. There
is also a discount offer on INTERSTATE Marine batteries.
Have fun, and I would enjoy hearing from you. If you have questions, comments
or would like to book a trip, e-mail: info@nationalbass.com. I have a
lot of articles on various strategies and techniques on my site. If you
have a suggestion for an article, let me know. Check out my website:
www.nationalbass.com. I can't fish the entire river all of the time, so if
you have some information to share, let me know.
Captain Steve Chaconas/National Bass Guide Service/SEOPA
