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Archive - September 2008 Sébile Flatt Shad Lipless Crankbaits for Bass FishingPosted Sep-29-08 15:27:43 PDT Updated Apr-12-09 17:12:13 PDT Sébile Flatt Shad Lipless Crankbaits for Bass FishingSébile lures are fairly new. They've been on the market only two years. Luckily, two Bassmaster Elite tourney wins in early 2008 have attracted big attention to Sebile's Magic Swimmer. The Magic Swimmer is a lipless swimbait with incredible lifelike action and fish attraction. A second great style of lipless bait from Sebile is the lipless vibrating Flatt Shad series. The Flatt Shad 77 SK sinks quickly and weighs 3/4 oz, making it a good size for pike fishing - but it's a little larger than usual for the average bass angler. Not to worry though, since the Flatt Shad 66 SK is the perfect 1/2 oz size that most bass anglers favor in a lipless bass crankbait. Keep in mind though, the beefier 77 SK size has helped win a couple of major bass tournaments in Texas, the state where Sébile lures have gained an early following in the USA. Okay, one more great news item is that the new, huge Flatt Shad 96 SK is coming for 2009, and it is already causing a 'must-have' sensation among the USA's top bass pros who have been the first to try it. It's the ideal size for monster trophy bass in Texas, Florida, Mexico or California, for example - and of course, a great size for pike, muskie and big striped bass.
Look on the bellies of these lipless vibrating baits, and you will see factory inscriptions such as:
A third model in the Flatt Shad line-up is the Flatt Shad 77 SU (suspending). This model has the little larger 77 size body, but weighs less (1/2 oz) and has an almost neutral buoyancy. In the water, the 77 SU will barely sink. If you hold the rod tip low and reel steadily, even burn it fast, it will not get more than 2 feet deep. So it is great for shallow water, for fishing over submerged weedbeds and through the tops of brush. Where it gets really sporting is to hold your rod tip high, and the Flatt Shad 77 SU will rise to the top and wake the surface. A little rod flick at just the right time will get it to slap and splash the water with its tail, and you can get it to flutter on top on its side and other interesting actions. If you focus on your hand/eye coordination and concentrate on the way the nose of the bait is pointing, you can do some pretty neat tricks on the surface with the Flatt Shad 77 SU. Whether it is the Flatt Shad 66 SK, 77 SK or 77 SU, Patrick Sébile's lure designs represent a whole new concept - and a whole lot of fun discovering what's new that you can do with them! Tactics to TryHere are some of my favorite tactics to try: Straight Retrieves: You can simply cast and retrieve the Flatt Shad back to you, covering a lot of water that way. With all the Flatt Shads (SK, SU, XH versions), you can fish them on normal, fairly straight retrieves, and this simply can be productive. Fish it like you might otherwise use a spinnerbait, and the Flatt Shad's vibrating body will evoke a similar kind of reaction. All Flatt Shads will have action even when you go slow. The design concept includes a belly that is wider than the back. This causes big water turbulence on the sides and belly. That turbulence creates instability, which creates action. So you can go slow and can still have action. Whatever model or size of Flatt Shad, you can slow way, way down with the retrieve speed until you barely feel the lure throbbing in the rod handle.
Sinking Action: About the only time that Flatt Shads won't have a lot of built-in action is while they sink. They are designed to sink perfectly horizontal so they won't spin or foul the line while they sink. They can be popped with the rod tip as they fall, or you can shake the line. As soon as you pop or shake them, they'll instantly start wobbling as long as there is even slight line pull to activate them. Burning: Another tactic with all the Flatt Shads (SK, SU, XH versions) is to try burning a Flatt Shad by reeling rapidly, That can cause fish to react and chase after and snap at it instinctively. This burning can be more effective at times than a more placid pace. This seems logical when bass are acting aggressive and chasing, but burning can be the ticket anytime. Even when fish seem lethargic or inactive, sometimes burning a Flatt Shad may be the only way to trigger an instinctive bite. Whipping: Yet another great approach is to whip a Flatt Shad (SK, SU, XH), by sweeping the rod tip quickly up from water level to say 11 o'clock, pausing slightly at the top of the sweep, and then reeling in the slack on the downstroke as you lower the rod to whip again. The whipping tactic gives you the fast lure movement on the upstroke that causes the instinctive reaction - plus a falling hesitation each time you reel down to match the sinking Flatt Shad's fall on the downstroke. With this whipping tactic, be prepared for hits that come right at the top of the stroke, as soon as you start following the lure down with the rod tip. Managing Slack Line: One time-saving tip that can salvage precious casts for you, if you let these fall on a slack line or if one tumbles on a cast, the line can get tangled in the hooks. Ninety percent of the time, you can shake it and it will untangle without reeling it in. The way this works is to shake it when it's sinking. You can shake the tangle off the hooks 9 times out of 10 as you let it sink. If you pull on it as you shake, forget it. So just shake it loose on a semi-slack line as it sinks. You'll be surprised how effective this works once you get the knack. Of course, the best way to avoid tangles is not to let them happen. Often it is the angler (not the lure) who causes a tangle by letting his lure sink on too slack of a line. So always manage the slack and be conscious to keep slack out of the system. Once you start doing this, it becomes natural and easy. You do need to let the baits have a little freedom of action that is enhanced via a semi-loose line, but giving total slack never helps anything, can cause you to miss undetected bites and slack is what makes tangles. So always follow a sinking lure down with your rod tip on a semi-loose line, and you will be far more productive and indeed you'll certainly catch more fish. Following a Falling Bottom: , now that we've talked about managing slack, one more Flatt Shad technique with the SK and XH models is to 'walk' the lure down any sloping bottom, be it the side of a cliff, the sloping tip or sides of a point, a rounded hump, or gradually-falling creek channel - most any sloping shoreline or bottom. Simply cast to where you want to start, meaning the shallowest part you want to fish is where the lure should land, and then simply hold the rod tip up around ten o'clock and follow the lure's sinkage down with the rod tip, so the lure has a semi-loose line to develop falling action. When the rod tip gets close to the water, lift gently again to 10 o'clock and follow the lure's descent back down until the rod tip nears the water again. You can let the lure sink further or 'count it down' at the very beginning of the cast until it gets to the depth you want to start at. Also, any time during the retrieve, just wait longer until it hits bottom or falls deeper. But basically perform this lift-and-fall tactic for the entire retrieve, thereby following the contour of the sloping bottom back to the boat. When you whip it, it moves real quick and then it slows down, stops and starts to sink like it can't continue any longer. Many hits will come on the falling portion as you follow the lure down with the rod tip. Jigging Bottom: Another tactic for when bass are on or close to bottom in deep water, the best tactic is letting it hit bottom and then jigging it a few inches off the bottom. This works with the SK and especially XH models. Just let the Flatt Shad hit bottom and then continually jigging it a few inches off the bottom. Just lifting and letting it fall back to bottom, almost the same as vertical jigging a spoon in deep water. However, very small flicks or draws of the rod tip - only a couple of inches - are all that's needed to get bit this way. So, you don't necessarily need to rip the Flatt Shad a few feet and let it fall (as usual with a spoon). True, that may work with the Flatt Shad, but what also works is just moving the rod tip a scant few inches (3 or 4) and letting the Flatt Shad hit bottom - and pause. Fish will scrape it off the bottom. With thin braided line, I routinely jig the Flatt Shad up to 50 feet deep. Hovering Above Bottom: Another method to fish deep, snaggy or rugged, irregular bottom, is you can let a Flatt Shad SK or XH hang straight down on the end of your line barely above bottom (the closer the better). Again, just pop it once or twice to lift it only a few inches with the rod tip. Then let it free fall those few inches. You just raise it a little as you give it one or two gentle pops or shakes, then lower the rod tip and wait to feel a slight tug as the line comes tight after the lure falls. In this case, the tug is not the lure hitting bottom. The tug is the lure coming tight on the end of the line so it hangs very close to (but not on) the bottom. Just wait after you feel the lure tug the line tight, which is when you will get bit - during the pause. In this way, the Flatt Shad hovers above the bottom debris, avoiding a lot of contact with snags, and it also stays more visible to fish by not falling down below sight. It's kept raised slightly which helps more fish see it better from further distances. Suspending Action: The Flatt Shad 77 SU (suspending) is unique in that it has an almost neutral buoyancy. In the water, the 77 SU will barely sink. If you hold the rod tip low and reel steadily, even burn it fast, it will not get more than 2 feet deep. So it is great for shallow water, for fishing over submerged weedbeds and through the tops of brush where other Flatt Shad models can't easily go. When fish are hiding in thick, shallow cover where they are holed up waiting to ambush bait, you can work the 77 SU right up to a bush, and then just stop it right where you think is best, right in front of the bush where you think a bass is holed up. When you let it suspend there, that truly antagonizes them. It's not like something that's swimming by, that's passing through. It stops and stays right in front of their bush. So it's kind of like sitting there in their space, and they're going to attack it for that reason. That's a reaction strike you can really only evoke with a neutrally suspending bait like the Flatt Shad 77 SU. Yes, the Flatt Shad is a little different than other lipless baits. That's why I gave you so many tips to get started with it, and have fun!
Pat Sebile with smallmouth (above) and largemouth (below) caught on Flatt Shad 66 lipless. Holo Greenie color.
Sebile Flatt Shad 66 SK
Sebile Flatt Shad 77 SK
Sebile Flatt Shad 54 SKModel: Flatt Shad 54 SKType: Sinking, High vibration Length: 2" (54mm) Weight: 3/8 oz (10g) Depth: 2-4' The 54 SK is small enough to 'match the hatch' and makes a good imitation of young-of-year shad, sunfish or crappie. Best of all, the 54 SK will cast like a rocket, incredibly far for it's small size.
In the 54 SK's case, however, you cannot use the same grade of tackel with it as you'd with its bigger brethren. The Flatt Shad 66 SK, 66 XH, 77 SK and 77 SU can all be handled on the same rod and reel if need be. But with the 54 SK, you ideally need to drop down to 6 lb test (or even less) to get the most out of this diminutive lure. Anything higher, 8 lb test or above, you lose action on the 54 SK and it tends to torque over on its side with line too heavy for it. Due to the smallish hooks on it, there's no problem setting the hooks with 6 lb test or less - and you get the best action within that line range.
Sebile Splasher Topwater Lures for Bass FishingPosted Sep-27-08 05:38:30 PDT Updated Apr-12-09 15:54:01 PDT Sebile Splasher Topwater Lures for Bass FishingSebile Splasher 120Model: Splasher 120 The Splasher 120 is a large lure for trophy bass - and the Splasher 120 is also an ideal size for pike, musky and slatwater species like striped bass and bluefish. The Splasher 120 not only pops and sprays water, it also walks from side to side. In fact, it not only walks side to side but can pop left-right-left-right instead of straight ahead. This is the only lure I know that can really do that - pop water toward one side and then pop water to the other side. Even the shorter sizes of Splasher (90 and 72) although they also pop and walk, they pop straight aheasd. They can't really pop side-to-side like the 120 since their bodies are too short The Splasher 120 is through-wired meaning one single piece of heavy stainless wire runs from the front eye to the tail eye, running along the belly forming the belly hook hanger too.
Sebile Splasher 90Model: Splasher 90 The Splasher 90 can be cast a tremendous distance, practically emptying your reel spool. It throws a huge splash - if you want it to do that. Gentler rod actions will result in a more subtle splashing, spitting and walking action. It has a wide range of actions. With gentle rod tip movements, it can imitate a creature that's swimming and leisurely feeding on a hatch of small insects, for example. At the other end of the action spectrum, it can be made to generate quite a struggling, twisting, turning, distressed movement of a vulnerable critter flailing furiously on the surface. Due to the unique compound curves of the body, it's not a smooth, predictable, mechanical action like most other lures have. The body shape emits more of a panicked, struggling action of a creature in serious trouble.
The Splasher 90 weighs 5/8 oz and is a good size for bass. The Splasher 90 is not a light tackle lure. A moderately heavy topwater rod/reel/line can be used with it.
When it sits in the water, the head is raised so only 30% of it's mouth is in water. The other 70% of the flared cup is put there to spit. It has the possibility to make a big splash - if you want to make sure bass know you are there. Most of the time though, you do not need to pop it hard to throw a lot of water.
Sebile Splasher 72Model: Splasher 72 The Splasher 72 is fun, easy to use, suited for light tackle, and you can walk the dog with it so easily that it surprises many people. Also, thanks to the trumpet-like flared face, you can create huge commotions on top for such a little lutre, which can attract fish from both afar and deep. That’s one of the secret tricks to using the Splasher, to create a huge splash at times, to let distant or deep fish know, "Hey, look at me. I am over here! Now come get me." But if you want to create subtler splishes and spits, that’s easy to do too, along with the Splasher's zig-zaggy walk the dog action.
Wacky Jigs for Bass FishingPosted Sep-22-08 06:40:06 PDT Updated May-09-09 13:18:33 PDT Getting Wacky Jiggy With It!Wacky jigs and tactics started a few years back in Japan. Two brands, Zappu and Jackall, both helped pioneer wacky jig fishing in Japan, and they're two of the first companies to offer their wacky jigs on the US market as well.
After Zappu's debut in the USA, I designed my own wacky jig, the first made in the USA.
Shortly thereafter, the Jackall Wacky Jig with the wireguard was introduced onto the USA market.
Of course, I like mine the best! However I sell all three wacky jig brands - mine, Zappu and Jackall - in Bassdozer's Store. Bassdozer's Wacky JigsTwo sizes are available: 1/16 oz with a #1 Gamakatsu hook and 1/8 oz with 1/0 Gamakatsu. Note the flexible wire guard on the wacky jig comes a little longer than you may need. It is left longer so it can be used in the worst weeds, dense brush and the thickest cover if need be. However, in more open water, you can easily clip the wire shorter. Even clip it off completely in open water. Even without the wire guard, the wacky jig is quite snag-free in open water. Please enjoy!
What Worms to UseMany worms will work on a wacky jig, depending on the mood of the fish.
Yamamoto baits that work great with wacky jigs include (as shown from top down: Yamamoto's 9B Senko, 68L Shad Shape Worm, 7-series Kut Tail, 9J Senko, 9S Senko, 7L Kut Tail, 9P Senko, 9M Senko, 7C Kut Tail and 9-series Senko. For adding action (shaking) on the fall, I like Yamamoto's thinner Senkos (9J, 9M, 9P) and smaller Kut Tails (7-series, 7L) because their slender diameters produce more wicked wiggling action when shaken. For not shaking (simply a deadfall), I especially like the fatter 4" 9S Senko, the flagship 5" Senko (9 series) plus the 7C and 7X Kut Tails because the fat bodies offer more water resistance against the downward drag of the wacky jig, hence more squiggling and rocking movement generated from the increased water resistance simply on a dead fall.
A wacky worm like the 4" 9S series Senko (shown above) will sink with an upward bow in the body as shown. The bait will sink like shown, vibrating both tips and rocking the entire body at times. I also like Yamamoto's Shad Shape Worm on the deadfall. When rigged as shown below on a wacky jig, it will take your breath away the first time you drop it in the water. It looks more to me like a live minnow action than any bait I've ever seen.
The photo shows the correct way to rig the Shad Shape Worm (color #935) on a wacky jig. It's hooked directly in the middle of the fat body section (excluding the thin tail length). Go in one side and out the flat top for best vibrating action. It comes to life when rigged like shown here. The 3" 9B Senko is another bait that acts quite minnow-like on a wacky jig too. Both the Shad Shape Worm action and the 9B Senko action can only be described as a "minnow swimming on a treadmill" since the body swims, but does not move forward. Just have to see it to believe it. Other Yamamoto bait on wacky jigs also share this movement, but are just not as 'holy cow' as the two mentioned (Shad Shape Worm and 9B Senko). Angler-Imparted ActionThere is a lot of advice you hear about how to shake wacky jigs - and that's how the tactic is practiced in Japan - with lots of shaking. So look into that aspect of wacky jigging and decide whether shaking is good for you. I personally don't shake a wacky jig. I just let it fall. It still works wonders even when not shaken. When using a deadfall, there is one action, however, that you should apply every ten seconds or so, and that is to "pop" it. When it is jigged or popped once with the rod tip, the jig head is pulled above the bait, rolling the bait 180 degrees so that it flashes it's belly, which is a vulnerable action that tends to trigger a strike reaction right away. To get the most out of the belly flash response, I like to use laminate color wacky worms such as the color #927 (threadfin shad ) I designed for Yamamoto a few years ago. However, the belly flash action will work as a strike trigger even with a monotone (one color) worm with lots of metal sparkles that flashes ambient light when you pop it.
A wacky worm like the world-famous Yamamoto Senko (laminate color #927) will sink with an upward bow in the body as shown above. The bait will sink with an accentuated vibration in both tips and rocking the entire body at times as the ball head pendulums back and forth beneath. Then when the bait is 'popped', this causes the bait to roll or rotate like when you see a log rolling in water. This doesn't disturb the water that much, but what you get is a bright white belly flash. A very vulnerable signal - the belly flash of a baitfish in distress.
Wacky jig and 4-inch 9S Senko in color #326 (gold shiner) that I designed for Yamamoto a few years ago, has a heavy dose of silver and gold metal flake. When the wacky jig is popped, the jig rotates from below the worm to above the worm. It does a 180 when popped, causing the copious sparkles to suddenly flicker and shimmer (a 'belly flash' effect) which signals that this is a very vulnerable baitfish. It triggers instant, instinctive reaction strikes. Wacky Jigs Work Best on Spinning TackleI like to use wacky jigs with 6, 8 and 10 pound test gear. Especially with wacky worms or wacky jigs, spinning gear is best for casting without tearing the wacky worm off the hook in mid-air. With baitcasting, you get a ferocious backlash when a wacky worm flies off the hook during a cast. So spinning is a "must have" for me with wacky jigs. You won't get a backlash with spinning gear when a wacky worm inevitably flies off the hook during a power cast. The three spinning rods I use for 6, 8 and 10 pound test applications are rods made by Gary Yamamoto:
Braid is really the way to go, but for many anglers, there's one looming concern with braid. It's the knot used to attach a trace of leader line at the business end. The critical point to many anglers is at the end of the fight, when a bass is at boatside, and the knot is out in between the reel and the fish. With a longer leader, say 15 feet, the knot's onto the reel spool at that point, so you're fighting on uninterrupted line. With anything shorter, the knot is out in between you and the fish, and you may be at the mercy of your knot-tying skill (or lack thereof) at that point. The key is to make a correct knot in the first place. In addition to tying a good knot, the longer the leader, the less stress there is on the knot. Distance or length of the leader dissipates or absorbs stress on the knot. From 10 to 15 feet is a sufficient distance to dissipate much of the stress that would otherwise be on the knot with a shorter leader. Visibility of braid is a second concern, except in dingy water where it doesn't matter, you may tie direct. Otherwise, where it's possible that bass can see braided line, I really never go less than 5-6 feet with the leader in any case. On a perfectly still day and clear water, I'm probably going to use an 8, 10 or longer leader. On tough days when I can see bottom in 25 feet of water, you better believe I'll be using a 15 foot leader. Keep in mind, we're talking slow-moving wacky jigs here. Leaders for fast-moving reaction baits (topwaters, spinnerbaits and so on) rarely need to be that long.
Okay, to pick just one set-up for wacky jigs, I recommend Yamamoto's 7" medium/light rod with a 2500-series reel that fits your budget, one with a spare spool so you can easily switch spools to match the conditions at hand. You may want to consider one spool filled with braided line and an 8-15 foot Sugoi fluorocarbon leader, plus a second spool with 8 lb Sugoi fluorocarbon (no braid) for clear water where fish have visual acuity and you can lose your nerve with braid. I am a big fan of Shimano spinning reels. For freshwater bass fishing, the Shimano 2500 series handles all of my spinning applications. All Shimano 2500 series spinning reel models work swell. The quality is consistently high across all Shimano 2500 series models. Honestly, as far as I can tell, the main difference between models is price and budget. So you really cannot go wrong with whatever Shimano 2500 spinning reel you can afford, you should be pleased with the performance. How NOT to Set the HookWith the wacky jigs you see here, there is an extremely high hook-up ratio, incredibly close to 100% or as perfect a hook-up ratio as a lure can achieve. The trick is to simply tighten up on a fish until the fish pulls down and sets the hook itself. There's an easy way to 'not set the hook' when you detest a pick-up. As a result, the hook slips behind the upper jaw or corner jaw hinge every time, resulting in an incredibly high hook-up ratio. Learn to NEVER set the hook, just let the fish pull down and set it. Practice makes perfect, and once you get the knack, you will land almost every fish with the hook right behind the upper jaw bone or right behind the corner hinge of the mouth. The hook acts like a "circle hook" in the case of these wacky jigs. Here's a little more advice to describe how I like to (not) set the hook with these things... You really need to get the fish at least clamping down or pursing its mouth down on it first to grip it. This is something you do by putting a little pull on the line, not really pull, almost holding the line and therefore the bait so the fish can't be in full, unfettered control of it. You need to get the fish to grip it tighter - best of all would be ideally moving down or away with it. Then you just pull back against that. It's almost like the fish will hook itself - most often dead center between the nostrils in the upper lip, not the corner of the mouth. Once you get the hang of it, you'll do it every time. Don't Start out Fishing Wacky Jigs. End up Fishing ThemI often start fishing with another rod and lure to find fish first and to be able to cast out an area rapidly. However, I leave a spinning rod (preferably the Yamamoto medium/light model) on the deck at my feet, with the wacky jig ready to cast. This is either if I am in the front or back of the boat, I will have the wacky jig rod ready to pick up and cast. If I miss a hit, have a follow or have chasers, bring up a school or see fish on the graph, I drop the first rod ASAP and cast back with the wacky jig rod. At that point, I then actively fish the wacky jig rod, having found one or more fish on the electronics or on the other rod first. Therefore, one of the big keys to me is to find fish first by other means, then start fishing the wacky jig. It is an incredible follow-up bait to anything else. If you learn to follow-up (practice makes perfect), you will add many more and bigger bass to your day's catch. I say bigger because you can cherry-pick the bigger chasers on the follow-up. It's as important to sense where the fish went when it left your view, and understanding what's on the bottom helps you determine that. Often, straight down under the boat is where they go, using the boat as a substitute for other cover. Often, chasers will not hit until the wacky jig hits bottom. So do not end a follow-up until the lure hits bottom. I'd reckon the bass feels the bait is easier to trap and pin it against the bottom rather than try to hit it in mid-water where it has 360 degrees to avoid the bass strike. Whatever the reason, a very high percentage of follow-up strikes happen when the bait hits bottom, even if it's 30 or more feet deep. So be patient, and once the line finally goes slack (meaning it hit bottom), set the hook! Most anglers are not good at follow-up - and you'll never get good at it unless you deliberately spend time to train yourself how to do it. If you fish team tournaments, train each other. Practice, practice, practice following up every active fish with the wacky jig, and you'll score more. If one side of the livewell is empty, leave it running and one lid open. This way, any fish can be swung right into the livewell, and if you do not need to cull at that point, pick up the follow-up rod and instantly cast back. The window you have to get a follow-up bite may only last a few seconds. So you must be ready. The wacky jig and worm must already be ready. You must know the way you left the rod on the deck, that you don't have to untangle it first. A key point that can't be stressed enough is to have the follow-up rod ready to fire back right away. If you have to fix the bait, fix the line or do anything else before casting, you're missing the moment when the fish is hot. When you lay the follow-up rod on the front or back deck, it has to be prepared to pick up and cast faultlessly without fumbling or adjusting anything. That's a big key. Even when I have found a body of fish and settle into fishing the spot with a wacky jig, I rig a second wacky jig rod to follow-up the first wacky jig. Reason is, you will be pulling up hot chasers and even the entire school will come up with every fish you bring to boatside. You may not want to catch them all (well, maybe that would be nice) but you're certainly going to see some you would want that are bigger than others. So follow-up, follow-up, follow-up everything, even another wacky jig, either fishing by yourself or with a partner - that is the key to maximizing use of the wacky jig. Rebel Wind-cheater Minnow for Saltwater FishingPosted Sep-20-08 11:04:14 PDT Rebel Wind-cheater Minnow for Saltwater FishingModel: #F86 Rebel Wind-cheater minnows are legendary for distance and durability. Their swimming stability makes them ideal for strong tidal currents and easy to to cast into a stiff headwind. Extra stronk hook eyelets, split rings and heavy duty hooks complete the package. Off a boat or off the beach, no matter what inshore saltwater gamefish you go for, a Rebel Wind-cheater can take it.
Good Topwater Wakebait Selections for Bass FishingPosted Sep-15-08 10:11:44 PDT Updated Sep-15-08 10:21:04 PDT Good Topwater Wakebait Selections for Bass Fishing
Some anglers theorize that small swimbaits like those shown above can be considered more subtle 'finesse' forms of topwater lures, meaning they are not as loud or splashy as poppers or walking baits like the Spook, Sammy and so on. Some say the subtler wakebaits are great for calm water. Also, if you're on a morning topwater bite, and it dies by 9 o'clock with more aggressive, splashy lures, you can switch to the subtler wakebaits and they may extend the topwater bite until 10 or 11. Fish will keep coming up and hitting more subtle wakebaits even after they've stopped hitting the other boisterous, water-flailing topwater types. That doesn't mean the only way to use such small topwaters is slowly and subtly. The models shown can be amped up to produce aggressive actions on fast retrieves too, and some days that's just what it takes to trigger pure reaction strikes with fast-moving wakebaits.
There's usually no need to give wakebaits any additional rod tip action. Just reel steadily and all the seductive gyrations are built right into wakebaits. As with topwater poppers, it can be a good idea to pause and let wakebaits rest every so often. Bass will blast them while they sit quietly, bounce around on the surface in a chop, or as soon as you restart the retrieve, you'll get plowed. Hold your rod tip relatively high for best surface waking action. Hold your rod tip down, adjust the retrieve speed and you can usually get most wakebaits to dip barely under the water, leaving a bulging trail on the surface behind them. Crank a little faster with the rod tip down, and you can get many wakebaits to dive about 1/2 foot or a foot deep. Keep in mind, each model is different. So have fun discovering the best actions of each.
The bigger Jackall Mikey is one of the most legendary big wakebaits worldwide for big bass fishing. Part of the Mikey's legacy is it has a very stable action from slow to fast speed. The Mikey Jr is equally as good in its own way. It has a delicate action and can get unbalanced if overpowered by the environment or too heavy tackle. The Mikey Jr's a light tackle lure. meaning 8 to 10 pound test line. Take time to learn how to work with the temperamental Mikey Jr. in order to bring out its best actions, and you will be well rewarded.
Both the deps Buzzjet 96 and 7" A.C. Minnow are big baits that unnerve most anglers. So big that most anglers will balk at using them. The Buzzjet 96 is about as big as a ham hock. First released in 2003 in Japan, the deps Buzzjet 96 found its way into the USA a few years later. It is a big wakebait with a radical design. It's a bait that combines a big, fat crankbait body with a prop tail. Inside, it has a side-to-side rolling weight transfer system that gives it that added roll and body color flash, resulting in a strong surface appeal to bass. The 7" AC's are virtually unknown outside the Western US. What these jointed wood wakebaits have an ability to do, in waters where most other lures tend to attract primarily 1 and 2 pounders, the 7" AC's will wake up 3 and 4 pounders. Not many guys have been clued in to this bait yet, and even seasoned veteran anglers when they first hear about this, they really do not believe it. You'd think it is way too big a bait - that's why most guys will never try it. But it isn't too big. Even two pounders explode on it, ferociously! And the way they attack, you'd think they were four pounders.
A good throwback bait rigged and ready to throw on a separate rod is essential. Shown above are 5-inch and 4-inch Yamamoto Senkos. Being able to instantly throw back an unweighted or lightweight soft bait can be crucial to catching many more bass than just with wakebaits alone. Cotton Cordell's Balsa Reproduction of Fred Young's Original Big O CrankbaitPosted Sep-10-08 11:18:40 PDT Updated Sep-11-08 17:37:31 PDT Cotton Cordell's Balsa Reproduction of Fred Young's Original Big O CrankbaitType: Hand-carved balsa, fat body crankbait, square lip, wide wobbling, high buoyancy Originally, going back over forty years, the Big O represents one of the first milestones in modern day crankbaits. The original Big O they say was whittled by hand out of balsa wood by Fred Young of Oak Ridge, Tennessee in the late 1960's - and they say that is the start of the big, fat crankbait phenomena in the USA. Mr. Young was not the only one whittling balsa crankbaits in his region 40 years ago, but the Big O is the one to achieve some sort of national fame and lasting historical significance. The reason the Big O became so famous and has this lasting legacy is because it was reproduced in hard plastic during the early 1970's by Cotton Cordell and quickly sold by the millions. However, there's some historical inaccuracy in that the plastic Big O's sold by Cordell today are small-sized compared to Young's original balsa Big O. What most anglers don't realize is the Original Big O was a big, beefy bait - like the authentic reproductions you see here. The Original Big O's were the first cranks to feature a big, bulbous fat shape and a big, fat vigourous wobble. Many of the most successful crankbaits today still capitalize on that big, fat bulbous shape and almost violent, wide wobble that started with the Original Big O. Lures such as these attract fish with their fat bodies that displace a lot of water due to their wide wobble and tremendous buoyancy of their bodies. The more buoyancy a crankbait has the harder it wiggles through the water, pushing powerful vibrations out to the fish, even in dingy water. Now the Big O has come full circle. Cotton Cordell has reproduced the Original Big O balsa wood model in a limited edition - made as authentically as possible to the originals whittled by Fred Young These limited edition wood reproductions are made to the exact sizes, colors and actions as Fred Young's hand-carved originals, accordig to Cordell. These lures are hand-carved, hand-tuned and hand-painted, and being natural balsa wood, no two are entirely quite the same.
Bassdozer on Buzzbaits: Part OnePosted Sep-09-08 20:58:15 PDT Bassdozer on Buzzbaits: Part OneWhat's all the Buzz About?
There was a time, several decades ago, when a few cronies and I restricted ourselves to only using buzzbaits. There was no special reason to do this, except we liked the challenge. We had done this sort of thing before by voluntarily restricting our fishing to only certain lure types or designated colors, in order to make fishing more challenging to us. Not for a day, or for a few fishing trips, but for entire seasons. So I tied on a buzzbait at the start of one season, and never took it off. A few friends did the same thing. One friend in particular, Phil Chan and I, we fished mainly buzzbaits for not one but two seasons. There was no reason, except the challenge. Likewise, there was no reason NOT to fish buzzbaits. We scored well most any day or night, under any conditions, with buzzbaits. Oh, there were vexing days we wished to try something else, but we stuck with it. By the end of each fishing trip, we could usually conjure up a decent catch, most any day, on buzzbaits. I wish there was some deep insight I could give you after two years straight, throwing buzzbaits only. There's not. Things that pop to mind are:
First Light can be UnforgettableOkay, so I often get asked, when is the best time of day to put a buzzbait to the test? Especially during the heat of the summer, the first couple of hours starting at the crack of dawn can be better than the rest of the day combined. Dusk can be equally as good, but by then people often have become so wrapped up in the rest of the day’s activities that they can’t break away for evening fishing. Come to think of it, the dark of midnight can be incredible for buzzbaits too. Also high noon when the sweltering sun forces bass deep into thick cover. No wonder I fished two seasons solely with buzzbaits! But if you want to heighten your odds, the opening moments of each day are magical. If you can wake early and position yourself on the water at first light, you may find that it provides the best fishing of the day with buzzabits, especially in summer. Most of the big bass are active during that timeframe. It’s an appointment you don’t want to miss! Make sure to arrive on time, because it lasts only an hour or two. After that, you may as well go home or go to work. If you keep fishing, odds are the action will be spottier and the fish smaller for the rest of the day, until dusk. Why is this so? Early morning tends to be the coolest period of most summer days. It’s a peak daily period of activity for most living creatures — from squiggly microorganisms and wee things like paramecia all the way up the food chain. Even plants take care of essential business at daybreak. At daybreak workers in the “factory of life” show up for a full shift churning out … more life. When the end-of-shift whistle blows a couple of hours later, only a skeleton crew will stay to man the factory floor for the rest of the day. It’s too hot to work up a head of steam in summer, except for that coolest part of the day, from around 4 to 6 a.m. There is simply more activity that goes on during that 2-hour period than during any other period: It’s the reason why bass, and everything else in and on the water will be most active then. Some of the best daybreak fishing happens a day or two after a saturating summer rain. A late-afternoon or evening thunder boomer — or a full day of hazy, drizzly weather — can really set the stage for an exciting morning of fishing to follow. By the next morning, the factory of life will have put on an extra shift of workers, and that pace will carry over into the next daybreak or two. One caveat: Don’t be foolish and expose yourself to potentially dangerous weather or water conditions. That’s not what we are talking about here. Moderate rain sets the stage for some great action the next couple of daybreaks — dangerous or destructive weather does not. On the contrary, it is best to stay off of the water then. But, even without the catalyst of a recent rain, the diffused light of early morning is ideal for anglers to enjoy some topwater (replace topwater with superlative) action. Summer light is best before the sun hits the water. That first light is paramount before the sun glints and you start squinting. There is enough light to see; but, there are no shadows yet. In summer, bass seem to prefer feeding in the indirect, diffused light before the sun rises. Once the sun pops up, when glare and shadows start, the morning bite begins to vanish. And although we focussed on summer, truth is that first light is always a period of heightened bass activity during any season. East-Facing Walls Extend the Morning ActionWhere I fish nowadays on Lake Powell (Arizona/Utah) there are a lot of high cliff walls constituting the shoreline. Early morning topwater fishing tends to be best and also lasts longer on what locals call "east-facing" walls. Actually, these are walls on the eastern shores, so technically the walls face west. Still, everyone understands when someone says they had good topwater action running the east-facing walls in the early morning hours.
The aerial photo above shows five east-facing walls in spots called the Kanes, a couple of creeks above West Canyon and in Friendship Cove. They fall within a ten mile radius, or ten minutes apart. Running these walls quickly (about 15-20 minutes fishing each wall), you can cherry pick a bunch of decent bass off each wall while they are still throwing down some shade. This same "run and buzz" pattern can produce anywhere that east-facing shorelines throw down early morning shade a little longer time than more open shorelines. A key aspect however, is not just any east-facing walls, but the real key is for otherwise good spots to lie underneath the east-facing walls. Simply because there is an east-facing wall, that does not make it a good spot. Each of the spots shown on the aerial photo represents an inflowing creek mouth. The fact they lay under east-facing walls makes them prime for early morning buzzbait or topwater action. Another plus is these spots are clustered less than ten minutes apart from each other. So you can run them all quickly and pull a few decent bass off each wall if you are lucky. In terms of size, I tend to use the 1/4 oz sizes more when it is calm out; the 3/8 most of the time; and the 1/2 oz size when the wind blows or it's choppy. I tend to use a buzzbait more in cover, in the shade, in a chop or in rippled water. I tend to use hard plastic topwaters (such as poppers, Super Spooks, Lucky Craft Sammy, etc.) more in open, sunny or calm waters. So if I was fishing around a point that had a shaded, rippled side, I'd probably pick up the buzzbait rod until I got to the calm, sunny side, and then I'd pick up a rod with a Super Spook or Sammy for example. However, I have used buzzbaits successfully under any and all conditions. The best time to use buzzbaits is simply when bass are willing to belt them, which is often. In fact, I'd rather use a buzzbait than any topwater since a buzzbait fishes faster, covers more water, and I like the upright single hook. It's like fishing a topwater jig to me. Given a choice of line, I like to use fluorocarbon line with buzzbaits and a soft-tipped rod. I often rig two buzzbait rods - one baitcaster with a heavier buzzbait and heavier line, and one spinning rod with a lighter buzzbait and ten pound test. This way I can show fish a couple of different buzzbait styles, colors, blade configurations, actions, change casting arms, and if one rod temporarily goes "down" or out of commission for whatever reason, I can instantly pick up the other rod to keep fishing. A third rod with a throwback soft bait (either weightless or lightly-weighted) is also essential to throw back at any good fish that blow up but miss the buzzbait, follow it to the boat or that you otherwise spot with your eyes or on the sonar. They may or may not swipe at the buzzbait again (or at all) but you can often catch them on the throwback soft bait of your choice. It's tough to beat a 4 or 5 inch Senko as a throwback bait.
A good throwback bait rigged and ready to throw - is essential. Shown above is a 4-inch 9S-Series Yamamoto Senko in "threadfin shad" color #927 with lightweight 1/8 and 5/32 oz wacky jigs. Being able to instantly throw back an unweighted or lightweight soft bait can be crucial to catching many more bass than just with buzzbaits alone. Although this info is specific to how I use buzzbaits on Lake Powell, you may be able to apply some of these principles to your own home waters anywhere. Good luck! About the Buzzbaits in Bassdozer' StoreWhat Makes these Buzzbaits Great? Let us count the ways:
Just the facts. No hype. That's What Makes these Buzzbaits Great! What to Look for in Buzzbait SkirtsWhat you really need on a buzzbait is a skirt that will stay in place. A buzzbait needs to be cast a little different than and more forceful than a spinnerbait or jig. Standard skirts can pull off the lead collar even just from casting a buzzbait with the standard skirt band. A standard style skirt, once you catch a couple fish on it, just does not stay in place on a hard cast or when a fish grabs a buzzbait and misses, a standard skirt often gets pulled down the hook. On the other hand, the wrapped skirts stay in place. EZ Skirts ModelsBuzzbaits in the section below have "EZ" skirts, which are new on the market since 2005. These have a new style of "hubbed" center retainer to hold the strands in place. They are rugged and durable, the strands are locked in place so color patterns can never get messed up. They present beautifully on buzzbaits and have an incredible wriggling action. Reason I use these on a buzzbait is I can carefully glue the center hub to the lead collar of the buzzbait, making it almost impossible the skirt can ever pull down. Keep in mind, it is the center hub that can be glued to the collar - not the individual strands. These EZ Skirts have a good action and a lot of wiggle in the water, making them great for buzzbaits, plus the fact that bass can't easily pull them When moving - swimming, buzzing or reeled steadily, this skirt style has incredible wriggling, pulsing, puffing movements not possible with other skirt types. You will definitely notice (and like) the difference these puffing, pulsing, swimming skirts make on the following three buzzbaits.
Here are a few new colors I added without the spinner blade: Hole-In-One Skirt ModelsThe Hole-In-Ones are another skirt style that stays put on buzzbaits. The Hole-In_ones are center-hubbed, all strands come factory-glued perfectly in place. If you want, the solid center hub (not the individual strands) can be glued to the collar on the buzzbait, making the total buzzbait package nearly indestructible!
Frogs, Toads and BuzzbaitsHollow rubber frogs and soft plastic toads have become a trend for fishing thick grass within recent years. Hollow frogs are often nudged or bounced along with the rod tip in order to impart some semblance of natural movement. Soft plastic toads are often kept moving, reeled or "buzzed" slowly across the surface of a congested grassy area. Many frog and toad lures are colored to resemble the same. Although buzzbaits are not as weedless as rubber frogs and soft plastic toads, buzzbaits also come across the surface in thick cover, but buzzbait colors rarely resemble frogs or toads. So now, Bassdozer introduces two new buzzbait colors for grass (and frog) filled areas: 1) Green Pumpkin Gold and 2) Natural Frog. Please enjoy!
Dragonfly BuzzbaitsI do not know about your region of the country, but here in the Southwest where I am, it has been a banner year for dragonflies, and bass have been fixated on eating dragonflies so far this summer. Now, dragonflies are always a good thing that draws bass around these parts - but especially this year. It's not only the adults in the air, but the nymphs emerging from under water and undergoing metamorphosis into winged adults. Indeed, there are more fish hunkered down and camped on the underwater brush beds trying to get at the aquatic dragonfly nymphs rather than chasing the airborne winged adults. The nymphs as they mature have no choice but to leave the safety of the bottom brush where they are well-hidden and expose themselves as they climb out onto a limb or reed stalk where their new adult bodies swell up inside in order to crack out of their hard larval exoskeletons and unfurl their new wings and flying adult bodies. It's a complete metamorphosis where the nymph transitions from water to land (and air). It's almost a migration or exodus the nymphs must make, from fully-submerged brush beds shoreward to emergent brush and reeds and such hard type growth where they can anchor onto something long enough to pop their old bodies and harden and cure their new bodies for a few hours before being able to fly off. The transition from deeper sunken brush beds to emergent brush is especially compounded in lakes that have annual spring runoff that raises the water level and floods new growth in early summer. Nymphs that had previously been close to the shoreline can end up under many feet of water and, thanks to the rising waters, quite far away from any emergent growth they'll need to climb out onto. So as good as a buzzbait is when bass are chasing flying dragonflies, don't neglect a heavy dark-colored spinnerbait or dark-colored jig and pig, since more and bigger bass are also interested in grabbing nymphs that are ready to undergo metamorphosis. There's a misconception I often hear that only small bass chase dragonflies. But focus on the bigger picture of what's happening, especially the deep flooded brush beds the nymphs need to crawl out of toward emergent shoreline growth, and you'll haul many of the biggest bass of summer that have their heads down doting on these nymphs rather than chasing the hovering adults. Also, adult dragonflies typically hover around calm kind of mucky, almost standing type water, because the winged insects the adults feed on hatch in such areas. However, the egg-laying and nymph nursery areas are often pristine, highly-oxygenated, open, windblown shorelines with lots of windrowed brush banks - quite the opposite of the mucky, almost stagnant areas where the adults hunt food. Indeed the dragonfly nymphs need a lot better water quality to mature than do the gnats and mosquitoes and such that adult dragonflies eat. They'll be emerging - and the mating adults will be dropping eggs - in much less mucky areas than they hunt food.
Bassdozer on Buzzbaits: Part TwoPosted Sep-09-08 20:56:16 PDT Bassdozer on Buzzbaits: Part TwoSpinner BuzzbaitsSpinner Blade. The trailing spinner blade on a ball bearing swivel adds a second churning, bubbling wake behind the primary buzz blade. It jumps and bumps and gurgles and bounces. It adds flash, movement, noise... more of all the things we tend to feel make a buzzbait great. And if you face moments when you don't want all that, you can remove the swivel and spinner blade in a few seconds, and it reattaches just as easily. An important thing which this add-on addresses is that awkward moment when your buzzbait first splashes down and for whatever reason, you don't get it to instantly start churning on the surface. This is an important point with buzzbait fishing as many strikes happen within those first few seconds. There are many claims of buzzbait heads designed to plane and rise to the surface instantly. I experimented with those claims in my test pool the other day. I took one each of all the popular brands of buzzbaits that claim to instantly plane to the surface. I threw each one by one into the pool. They all sank. Not one has planed to the surface yet. This test proves that how quickly a buzzbait planes to the surface upon initial splashdown is mainly a function of the angler using his rod position, line angle and reel to make a buzzbait plane as soon as possible. It's often unavoidable that the buzzbait will initially submerge, if only for a few seconds before the angler's actions raise it to the surface. During those first moments when the buzzbait is submerged under water, I tend to get more hits with the spinner blade. I attribute those bonus strikes to the trailing spinner blade doing it's thing to attract bass. There are some days I get more strikes in the first few seconds when the buzzbait is under the water than I get for the entire rest of the retrieve, and I attribute that to the spinner blade doing its thing underwater somewhat similar to a spinnerbait blade.
Style Q and Style V Buzzbaits
Buzzbait Blade Styles. The smaller style P, Q and V blades, the small clacker and small Colorado spinner match up best with 1/4 oz buzzbaits. The bigger P, V and Q sizes work swell on 3/8 and 1/2 oz models. These no reason for the letters used (P, Q, V) except they're just a short, easy way to identify different styles.
Give Fish a Choice. Let Them Decide. I often alternate casting with two or more different buzzbait rods when I am fishing buzzbaits, and between the various different P, Q and V blade set-ups, fish will hit them all about equally most of the time. The different blade set-ups do behave, look and sound different, but are not so different that fish won't hit most of them sooner or later on most days. Part of the reason is a lot of time, testing and experience have gone into optimizing every different blade set-up, so by the time you see them in Bassdozer's Store, they are all about as good as a buzzbait can get, and all have what is needed to best attract strikes.
Style Q Blades. I call this double blade configuration the "Style Q". There's no meaning for it, except to distinguish the Style Q double blade version from the Style P single blade buzzbait. The Style P (shown on right in photo) is the standard style buzzbait. Style Q (on left in photo) is a configuration I came up with in order to show fish something different. When you throw a buzzbait for two years straight, it can get recognizable to fish. So Style Q is something a bit different, and it's action is a bit different. I have experimented with many different possible double blade configurations. The bane of most every double blade buzzbait is that they do not cast well. Even the industry-standard Style P single blade is not a great casting lure. To the contrary, the Style Q configuration casts like a rocket. It rifles out there. Upon splashdown, the Style Q rises to the surface as quick or quicker than a standard single blade buzzbait. The Style Q can be fished on top as slow or slower than a standard single blade buzzbait, and it squeaks and squeals as much or more. The Style Q performs the typical churning, bubbling retrieve. In addition, there are two different action that can be made with the Style Q:
The blades turn in opposite direction on the Style Q, making it run relatively true. The blades do not torque the hook and skirt over on one side like a standard single blade buzzbait tends to roll up on one side. So if you want to speed up the retrieve, the Style Q is more stable at faster speeds than a standard single blade buzzbait. The Style Q... it's an oldie but a goodie for me, and now available for you to try.
Quad Style V Blades. The next buzzbaits have a two-piece four-wing blade Style V blade. The two blades knock against each other. The sound is remindful of an old time steam-powered locomotive clacking over some rickety railroad tracks, and it has more squeal, splash and splutter than a single two-wing blade. Most important, with four blades, it can be retrieved far slower than a standard buzzbait.
Style V Blades. These are used in pairs. It's actually two identical parts (with two blade cups apiece) that interlock to make a four-bladed buzzbait. The two parts constantly bash each other adding a metallic chugging dimension to the squeaks and squealing sounds emitted by this contraption. With four blades, the Style V slowly churns the surface in a small frenzy of sprayed white water. More Multi-Blade Buzzbaits for Bass FishingThese buzzbaits possess premium components and features:
It's not any one feature but the 'total package' and attention to detail that makes these buzzbaits great.
Triple Counter-Rotating Blades. The smaller front and back blades rotate one way. The bigger center blade turns in the opposite direction. So you have both clockwise and counterclockwise blade action. The combined counter-effect negates torque or tendency for the buzzbait to lean or come in to the side. It comes in perfectly straight as an arrow, and that is especially helpful for an angler who needs to plan how to snake it through thick grass. The straight line path makes it easy to manipulate. It casts like an arrow too - straight, far and true. The triple blades present a lot of motion flailing on the surface every which way. The noise it produces has a shaking, rattling element that you don't get with other buzzbaits. Front and back blades are lacquered amber finish resulting in a gold effect. Center blade is unpainted aluminum
In keeping with its smaller 1/4 oz size, this buzzbait sports a 'thin cut thin strand' skirt that's 4" long (not the standard 5" skirt). Double downsized yet active blades work perfect on the high-vibe .040 Super Wire arm. Front blade is unpainted aluminum. Back blade is painted fluorescent red. Super Heavy Duty Buzzbaits for Big BassThese are the ones you want for the biggest bass in the baddest cover.
Huge 6/0 Long Shank Hook. This Mustad Ultra Point is the biggest, longest, strongest stock spinnerbait hook on the market. It's positively what you need for the biggest bass out there. Style C Head. The Style C head is streamlined to snake right through brush and grass about as weedless as a bullet-shaped Texas rig sinker. It's the same tapered, conical nose shape, and shares the same weedless and snagless advantage as a bullet sinker. The Style C head is very stable and does not roll over or on its side because it has a "belly bulge" of weight that acts as ballast to keep it from rolling over. This is an advantage over other typically wide, flattened, planing type buzzbaits heads. The wide, flattened types tend to roll over, retrieve to the side instead of straight, collect weeds on the wide head and wedge into brush. The Style C holds its course fairly straight and resists rolling up on its side during the retrieve. Due to it's bullet nose, it doesn't collect weeds or wedge into brush as much. The compact frame keeps the buzzbait body up closer to the surface. There is a short distance between the nose arm and the blade arm. So it rides up higher over subsurface weeds and limbs. The long, huge hook is set back so far to make the addition of a trailer hook unnecessary most of the time. This is a plus because having to add a second trailer hook raises the odds you'll get snagged or drag weeds along on the hook, ruining your presentation. How to Hook a High Percentage of Strikes (without a trailer hook). As with all topwater baits, there is a knack to setting the hook. When a fish boils up on any topwater or buzzbait, you have to "sleep on them" meaning not set the hook at all. Just keep reeling steadily as if nothing's going on. Meanwhile, a big bass may be doing cartwheels all over your buzzbait. All gamefish, not only bass, miss topwater presentations a good percentage of the time. If you just keep reeling like nothing's happened, most fish will strike again until they grab the buzzbait (or whatever topwater lure) securely, then they'll go down with it. When you feel the solid weight of the fish moving downward, let the fish pull the line tight. All the whiole, you are reeling steadily. Chances are, the fish is not going to let go of its prize, but don't wait too long. Keep in mind, this all happens in an instant. Then set the hook with a solid sweep. Between you pulling on the rod and the fish gripping down on the bait against the resisitance it feels, you can hook a fish almost every time like this. If you master this technique, you will hook most every fish that strikes a properly-designed buzzbait like the one here. Trust me, it can be done! Practice makes perfect. If you do not master this technique, you will miss many strikes and you may find you often have to use a second trailer hook.
Fantastic Five Blade Buzzbait
Five Blade Buzzbait. This is a huge buzzbait with a total of five blades. Wire arm is .051 diameter. The 6/0 Mustad Ultra Point hook is huge. It's one of (if not "the") biggest stock spinnerbait hooks on the planet. The Style B head shape is very stable and does not roll up on it's side during the retrieve.
The two blades fit together and hammer against each other in addition to the clacker blade that ticks off the other four blades. Overall effect sounds like an old time train clacking down rickety old railroad tracks. Fast or Slow? Let the Bass Decide. This buzzbait blade configuration can be retrieved fast and fish will explode on it that way. It can also be slowed way, way down (with the rod tip held high) and it will almost gurgle or cluck slowly at slower speeds. Its versatility is an asset of this blade set-up. Some days they want the buzzbait slow, the next day fast. It's a trial-and-error method to begin each day to discover what the fish want from you, and once you get results with a certain cadence, refine it, lock yourself into it and stick with it the rest of the day (or for however long as the buzzbait bite lasts). Double Thumper Blade Spinnerbaits for Bass FishingPosted Sep-06-08 19:25:49 PDT Updated Sep-07-08 07:55:23 PDT Double Thumper Blades: Both blades are rounder, flatter and a bit thicker than ordinary. The result is the hardest thumping Colorado blades for their size on the planet. Featuring heavy duty, long shank:
This next bait has double Deep Cup Colorados. The deep cup helps take a lot of the torque and water resistance out of the blades on this otherwise massive spinnerbait.
deps Silent Killer Jr. ~ Swimbait for Big Bass FishingPosted Sep-02-08 09:31:01 PDT deps Silent Killer Jr. Swimbait for Big Bass FishingWeight: 1-1/2 oz. Silent Killer Jr. This hot jointed swimbait is made in Japan by Deps. It is a jointed bait for big bass. Built like Arnold Schwarzenegger's cyborg character in the Terminator movie, the Silent Killer is a hard body lure encased in a realistic-looking soft skin. As the name implies, the soft skin casing helps silence the artificial sounds made by the lure. There are other big hard swimbaits on the market in the USA, especially in California where big baits are a current craze - but none of them are made like the Silent Killer. A key difference (besides the soft shell) is the physical action these lures produce. The big baits used in the USA that feature a lip tend to produce a body rolling and kicking action that leaves more of a wake or turbulence and displaces much more water. On the other hand, the Silent Killer will slide through the water in a swooshing type motion. There is less vibration from the Silent Killer and that's why it is called a "silent" type bait. Overall, it is a less aggressive action bait than those commonly made in the USA. It is referred to more as a soft "waving" action in Japan rather than a hard "rolling" action we tend to build into baits in the USA. This is a new "silent waving" style of big swimbait, and the difference in action has not been seen by bass in the USA before. A Lesson in Relative Downsizing. As mentioned, really big baits (all called swimbaits) have become a craze, escalating in recent years in California. A small industry sector, what's called a boutique niche or market, has grown around it, with new manufacturers and models. However, it has been very difficult for these companies to expand the scope of big swimbaits beyond California, the main exception being Texas where California style swimbaits have currently caught on like wildfire. After trying to market the really big baits nationwide, failing and realizing that big swimbaits for California aren't going to sell across the rest of the country, what we are seeing in the industry now is a trend to "downsize" the class of big swimbaits into a "junior class" of big baits from approximately 6 to 8 inches long. These are still very big baits, still bigger than what an average angler is accustomed to throw, but more acceptable in size to both angler and fish alike. In 2007, expect to see this trend toward "junior class" swimbaits gel across the country. Keep in mind that even the "juniors" are still bigger than most anything you are used to throwing - but they appeal to bass that are bigger than most anything you are used to catching!
To keep your Silent Killer in the best possible shape, Deps recommends you store it (after letting it dry) in its original foam-padded box, away from other lures. Watch the Film. Click the screen below to see the Silent Killer catch fish live on video:
Available colors include:
Olive Garden of Spinnerbait/Jig Skirt Colors for Bass FishingPosted Sep-02-08 09:16:03 PDT Olive Garden of Spinnerbait/Jig Skirt Colors for Bass FishingBassdozer has put together these custom color pattern to provide you with a truly great lure skirt. These are all at least one half olive pumpkin, blended with other matching colors. These are great natural color skirts custom-made only for Bassdozer. You will not find these skirts anywhere else. Only at Bassdozer.
With the two tone skirts, there's no strict rule or requirement to have one or the other half as the back or belly color. True, it seems more natural to present a dark top, light belly. Yet I have seen many days when twisting the skirt around 180 degrees caused fish to hit harder. Who knows why, but if you are getting weak hits or half-hearted bumps on a multi-colored spinnerbait or jig skirt, try to turn the skirt colors upside down and see if it doesn't make a difference. It may not look "right" to you, but there are days I've seen that simple trick convince fish to strike more solidly. Rattles Sold Separately. These skirts have two "ear" sockets on the band that will accept two optional rattle pods. Rattle pods NOT included. Rattles are sold separately in Bassdozer's store. It is worth buying the rattles since they can be a great strike enhancement in dark water, in dense vegetation or at night. There are times in crystal clear water it may seem rattles can make a difference too. Rattles can quickly and easily be plugged into or removed from the two ear sockets. I also like to use rattle straps whenever possible. These rattle straps are sold separately in Bassdozer's Store and resemble a miniature pair of martial arts nunchukus. Reason I favor the nunchukus is because they are flexible and move out of the way easily so there is little or no chance the nunchukus could encumber a fish getting the jig into its mouth. Bone White Poppers for Bass FishingPosted Sep-02-08 09:02:09 PDT Bone White Poppers for Bass FishingWeight: 5/16 oz Bone White Color. The latest super-realistic crankbait paint jobs do count for something, especially on a store shelf. But there is a bona fide reason why an "old standby" color like bone white has indeed become an old standby... because it simply keeps on catching bass after bass, year after year, decade after decade, for millions and millions of anglers and countless fish that still will fall for it. No sir, not even with all the latest technological advancements and wizardry in painting super-realistic good looks on crankbaits, it's hard to beat bone white as a topwater color.
Note: These lure bodies come WITHOUT hooks or split rings. Most anglers tend to have plenty of spare treble hooks and split rings, or they may prefer a certain brand of hooks, so they replace whatever hooks come stock on a lure anyway. That's why I offer you these lure without hooks or split rings. You'll need to provide your own treble hooks (two) and split rings (three) for this lure. CONSTRUCTION These lures are made in America, and they are sold under several different brand labels. The hollow internal chambers have ball bearings that rattle noisily on the retrieve and the sound resonates loudly. The rattles roll around each time the rod is jerked to create topwater action. The sound isn't a tinkle, chatter or knock. Few other poppers have this kind of rolling resonant noise that sounds so good, like a baby's rattle. HOW TO USE There are several surface fishing presentations that work best with this popper. These tactics, done properly, are certain to generate explosive topwater strikes. It's best to master each tactic separately. Once you do, you'll also be able to combine the three actions in different ways:
HOW TO RIG Most anglers prefer #6 trebles on this size popper, and a feather dressed tail treble. You can also use #4 trebles on this popper: You can use either one #4 on the belly or tail (along with one #6) Or use two #4's. Experiment and see what works best for you. Don't Forget a Feather Tail. Adding a feather teaser tail can be an important part of the allure. A popper with a feather tail will stimulate more strikes. With a feather teaser as a tail, you add a second completely separate lure - a baitfish-imitating streamer fly - to the popper. Sometimes I get the feeling that bass only want to grab the feather, not the entire lure. It's as if the spitting, walking commotion gets their attention - and then when you pause the retrieve momentarily, they grab the fluttering feather teaser tail. deps Killer Compass Bass Fishing LurePosted Sep-02-08 08:49:27 PDT deps Killer Compass Bass Fishing LureWeight: 1.2 oz. Killer Compass. This side-swimming topwater wakebait is made in Japan by Deps. The compass referred to in its name is not the navigational type used to find north, south, east and west. The name refers to the compass that holds a pencil used to draw arcs and circles. Reason is the Killer Compass swims sideways in a circular arc. It can swim in a sideways arc to your right or left depending whether you tie your line to the right or left side of the bait.
There is a line tie eye on both the left and right side of the body. The body is hinged behiun the line tie and entirely encased in a soft skin covering from nose to tail. As the angler retrieves line, it causes the elastic skin-encased hinge to flap and then flex back, which helps propel the Killer Compass to either the right or left (depending which side you tied your line to). As you continue retrieving, the Killer Compass does not swim toward the angler, but swims to the side, making a circular orbit around the angler in the center of the circle.
The Killer Compass is a surface swimming wake bait. The dressed trebles imitate baitfish fins.
Watch the Film. Click the screen below to see the Killer Compass catch fish live on video:
To keep your Killer Compass in the best possible shape, Deps recommends you store it (after letting it dry) in its original foam-padded box, away from other lures. Five colors available:
A Few Good Wakebaits for Bass FishingPosted Sep-02-08 08:41:48 PDT A Few Good Wakebaits for Bass Fishing
The "AC" stands for "Allen Cole." Cole's often credited with being the first to make a swimbait - the AC Plug - which also operates as a surface-roiling wakebait when cast and retrieved slowly. Allan Cole is said to have discovered in the late 1980s that giant stripers and trophy largemouth targeted hatchery-raised, stocked trout as a food source. Armed with that knowledge, Cole set about to match the hues and coloration and deadly snake-like swimming movements of small trout with his huge wooden prototype AC Plugs. For four years, Cole secretly perfected his idea on the monster striped bass in California and Nevada. By the early 1990s, Cole was ready to unleash his AC Plugs on California's trophy largemouth bass, catching a 15 pound largemouth on his first trip. It sounds incredible, but most Californians at that time believed that big bass (over 10 pounds) could only be caught with live bait. On that history-making trip, Cole single-handedly began the big swimbait craze in California, and although it wasn't until years later that the term wakebait was coined - that's what AC plugs are - wakebaits. The AC plugs you see here are manufactured in Japan for Optimum Baits (the California distributor) with Allen Cole's agreement.  7" AC Mag Shad. This Fire Tiger color is a hot seller in Europe. There are two 7" sizes of AC wakebaits being manufactured for Optimum Baits in Japan nowadays. You see both listed above - the 7" AC Minnow and the 7" AC Mag Shad. These 7" AC's are currently one of the best kept secrets in Western bass fishing. What these wakebaits have an ability to do, in waters where most other lures tend to attract primarily 1 and 2 pounders... the 7" AC's are used to wake up 3 and 4 pounders. It's considered an "in water cull bait," and it does exactly that. Not many guys have been clued in to this yet, and even seasoned veteran anglers when they first hear about this, they really do not believe it. You'd think it is way too big a bait - that's why most guys will never try it. But it is not too big. Even two pounders explode on it, ferociously! And the way they attack, you'd think they were four pounders. Most anglers are unnerved by the size of the 7" AC wakebaits. The 5" size here is more acceptable - although still bigger than most other lures that most anglers throw.  5" AC Minnow ~ Largemouth. This 5" AC Minnow is a rare find nowadays. It is no longer being produced for/by Optimum Baits. For an angler who feels the 7" AC's are too much wakebait, this is the absolutely perfect size wakebait especially for trophy smallmouth and spotted bass, which do not get as large (or greedy) as their largemouth cousins. Also, the deps Buzzjet and Buzzjet Jr wakebaits are growing in popularity:
Spinnerbaits for Bass FishingPosted Sep-01-08 09:48:09 PDT Updated Sep-01-08 10:02:40 PDT Spinnerbaits for Bass Fishing
Style N Spinnerbait. As can be seen, Style N is a compact, compressed spinnerbait offering. It has everything a standard spinnerbait has - except most of its dimensions are smaller or shorter than usual, resulting in a tamped-down powder keg of a spinnerbait that bursts with concentrated action.
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Oxbow Wire. Drop down bend in lower wire arm allows skirt to ride lower in the water for more solid strikes and hooksets. Oxbow bend also has stabilizing rudder effect, helping buzzbait run truer and straighter.
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