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We have turned a corner! Early fall patterns are on! Fish are on the move, as
days are getting measurable shorter and grass is starting to break up and die.
When we get a cold snap it will be awesome!
Three baits on at all times!!!! Mann's Baby 1-Minus, Mann's 3/8-ounce Classic
spinnerbait, and the Lucky Craft LVR D-7. Several rods with different colors/sizes
of these baits. I am covering a lot of water at grass edges at lower tides and
over grass at higher tides, regardless of cloud or sun!
Vary the retrieve and keep the trolling motor on high! 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 pads and over grass. Mann's NEW C-4 ELITE SERIES crankbait in chartreuse
shad on 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. It has a lot of rattles and RED hooks!
At higher tides in grass, I have been having a lot of success with the Mann's
Baby 1-Minus. 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. BTW!!!! The BEST split ring pliers ever!!!!!from Texas Tackle!!!
http://texastackle.com/pliers.htm….none like it anywhere! For cranks, I
like the 7” medium action rod like the 2iG Ultra Strike, 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 _ 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. I have been trying
the new “made in the USA” ARDENT casting reel….so far…AWESOME!
Picked one up on one of my trips! Spooled with 17 and casting spinnerbaits…putting
a lot of miles on it. Stop me to check this machine out! Light and tough! Casts
spinnerbaits well even into the wind!
Next is the hard cover…cover without grass! Texas rig big plastics and
big Stone jigs with Hardnose craw trailers …pitch to hard cover! If very
sunny and you can find isolated clumps of grass…go for it! 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 around 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
The Carolina rig is pretty good now too! In Spoils and Smoots and in areas close
to deep grass!
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
Topwater hasn't been that good for me, but a buzzfrog has been the best topwater!
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! 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!
TOPWATER KEYS: Use poppers at lower tides…ANYTIME OF THE DAY!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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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