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Still hearing a lot of tough stories on current fishing conditions. It is
tough! But, you can still catch them. One of my most reliable techniques
for numbers of fish is to lighten up! I use the same tactics I use during
the coldest winter months! Finesse fishing is custom made for this time
of the year. I will be giving a detailed seminar ONE DAY ONLY September 22,
2007 – for the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World-Baltimore Fall Fishing Weekend.
In addition, there will be Casting Kids Qualifier and State Championships.
And that’s not all! Join both freshwater and saltwater experts
at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World-Baltimore for Fall Fishing Days, Saturday and
Sunday, September 22 and 23. Also, Lake Anna guide Glenn Briggs, Bass
Pro Shops and Nitro Field Staff Pro will demonstrate how to catch more and
bigger bass using Bass Pro Shops tackle and XPS lures.
So, that brings us back to how and where to fish. Fishing the finesse light
line techniques can be done anywhere, but your chances of landing a decent
bass in the thick grass is tough! But, still doable! Stick with
the deeper outside edges and you’ll be fine. Or you can go to hard
cover without any grass nearby. Play with any plastic rig…drop shot,
shakey head or split shot….just keep it slow! Find cuts in pads or drains
when the tide is falling. Tubes are great ways to fish docks where there is
no grass underneath and bridge pilings. 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. Smoots and
Spoils are great for this. For grassy areas, I like to use an 18inch leader
on my drop shot. For wood I keep it around 8 inches. In either case, I have
found the PERFECT drop shot tool! The FISHING Butler will secure your
drop shot weight to your rod when you want to put it away! No VELCRO
or rubber bands! This device is adjustable and can also be used to secure
rods to each other. Fishingbutler.com
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
Before I give up on other techniques, I try spinnerbaits and Baby 1-Minus
baits. Especially when there is cloud cover or chop on the water.
Go with the NEW C-4 Elite Series wide body bait. This bigger bait can be crawled
through the pads. Pitch in as far as you can….at the highest tides.
In the creeks, I like Mann’s NEW C-4 ELITE SERIES crankbait in chartreuse
shad on 20-pound test. Crank through the pads when pitching about 15 feet….walk
through and hold on! This is a great higher tide strategy for pads in
creeks! I use 20-pound test and a 6’6” medium heavy 2iG Ultra Strike
rod. I pitch most of the time to be a bit more accurate. At higher tides
in grass, I have been having a lot of success with the Mann’s Baby 1-Minus
and the new Elite C-4. My ‘new’ Baby 1-Minus 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 20-pound test Berkley XT. 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.
For spinnerbaits, I like the ¼ ounce spinnerbait with Colorado Indiana
gold blades and a white skirt at low tides and a 3/8-ounce double when the
tide is higher. Try a firetiger skirt in clear water with the willow
blades. This doesn’t work as well at high tide when the water is stained.
You need to switch to the Classic Indiana/Colorado with a white skirt. For
my rods, the Ultra Strike, 2iG rods are perfect. The med/hvy 6’6” rod
is my spinnerbait rod.
Topwater hasn’t been that good for me! I still try it if I like
the conditions! Lower water and low light! I like slowing down
with a slow buzzbait with a clacker or a walking bait like the GUNFISH from
Lucky Craft! This bait disturbs the water and has a loud rattle!! 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 BLACK
buzzbaits have also been working at lower tides over grass around docks and
over wood! When the tide is low, try frogs like the Mann’s Super Frog!
If the fish are a bit more active, go to a buzzfrog! If you’ve
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 OTHER
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 65
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!
For mat fishing, the bright sun and hot hazy days, give you a good shot! Punch
through and you’ll have a great time! Look for the nastiest mats you
can find. Casting GEAR!!!! The ONE-PIECE 2iG Ultra Strike Flippin’ Stick
is perfect! Spool with 65 pound braid, a 1-ounce Tru-Tungsten 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 through 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.
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 ICAST and the new baits coming
out! Also some other cool gear I have found...
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.
They are 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. 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!
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
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.
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.
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
"Take me fishing!"
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