Every winter I tell myself that I am going to try a new technique or two (or three or four) once bass season starts. So I read all the magazines, online forums, watch fishing shows and attend seminars. The end result is I usually end up overloaded on all the new things out there to try..... I mean really, this year the Alabama Rig is the new hot trend. B.A.S.S has banned it's use and FLW hasn't, so it is going to be interesting to see if it has any staying power. So aside from maybe experimenting with it a bit, I do have a few new tricks up my sleeve for this year, some of these are brand new others have been around for a few years, but they are all new to me.
One of the new techniques I plan on using this year is called a Scrounger Head. It is essentially a polycarbonate lip (that's plastic before you ask, I had to ask my wife, she really does know it all!) attached to a jig head of varying weights and a hook with varying sizes. The general idea is it allows you to fish a grub or a swim bait through cover without hanging up and it gives it a real wobble like a crank bait. Some guys are even dragging them and ripping them up off the bottom to elicit strikes as well, so it seems like it covers a number of different option that play into my style of fishing. With the new swim baits coming out from Bass Magnet this season, this is one bait I am really stoked about rigging on a Scrounger Head.
An all new bait I plan on using a lot, I mean like most of the time when I am out fishing for largemouth, is the new Bass Magnet Lures Bomb creature bait. It comes in two sizes, the 4.2 inch model that will be a killer around docks, trees, lay downs and even rigged on a football head and fished for smallmouth. The other model (my personal favourite, because I love big creature baits) is the 5 inch model. This beast excels at flipping deep or shallow, with a heavy tungsten weight or a lighter one too. Any where you would fish a flipping jig is the kind of place to throw one of these, it is going to kill on the Bay of Quinte, trust me!! It is loaded with salt, is super soft and comes in a variety of colours. Rigged with 65 pound Power Pro and fished on the new Shimano Crucial Flip, Pitch, Punch 7'5 rod with a new Chronarch, it is going to be a mainstay in my boat.
Lastly is the Lucky Craft Pointer 100 DD. This bait is one that I tried briefly last season and it was a smallie killer. There were days where I fished deeper shoals and open areas adjacent to humps that the smallmouth were suspended near. While the regular Pointer 100 accounts for the majority of my jerk bait fishing the DD model was effective at getting big bites when the fish moved off the obvious spots. Fished very fast through open water the strikes were vicious and I found myself wishing I had bought more colours to experiment with. Now that Pro Advantage Paintball and Hobbies in Belleville is stocking high end jerk baits we can get these baits locally. I can't wait to try it out on the new Shimano Crucial Jerkbait technique specific series rods with the new Stradic FJ, this set up is going to be a game changer for sure.
One more thing, this winter I hope to be attending a Bass Talk Seminar again and strongly suggest everyone try and attend one as well. I have attended them for the last 5 years and they are honestly one of the best chances to really learn what works and what doesn't. My fishing success has improved immensely the last 4 years due in most part to attending these informative seminars and learning from some of the best bass anglers in Ontario. Even if you think you know it all (I used to think that until I got married) I guarantee you will walk away from one of these seminars with a new appreciation of what it takes to compete professionally and pick up ideas on a new way to catch bass this season.
So, with all these new baits and rods and reels to look forward to trying I better get back to work, only 3 more months until open water in New York and it will be time to start trying these new baits!!
Lastly is the Lucky Craft Pointer 100 DD. This bait is one that I tried briefly last season and it was a smallie killer. There were days where I fished deeper shoals and open areas adjacent to humps that the smallmouth were suspended near. While the regular Pointer 100 accounts for the majority of my jerk bait fishing the DD model was effective at getting big bites when the fish moved off the obvious spots. Fished very fast through open water the strikes were vicious and I found myself wishing I had bought more colours to experiment with. Now that Pro Advantage Paintball and Hobbies in Belleville is stocking high end jerk baits we can get these baits locally. I can't wait to try it out on the new Shimano Crucial Jerkbait technique specific series rods with the new Stradic FJ, this set up is going to be a game changer for sure.
One more thing, this winter I hope to be attending a Bass Talk Seminar again and strongly suggest everyone try and attend one as well. I have attended them for the last 5 years and they are honestly one of the best chances to really learn what works and what doesn't. My fishing success has improved immensely the last 4 years due in most part to attending these informative seminars and learning from some of the best bass anglers in Ontario. Even if you think you know it all (I used to think that until I got married) I guarantee you will walk away from one of these seminars with a new appreciation of what it takes to compete professionally and pick up ideas on a new way to catch bass this season.
So, with all these new baits and rods and reels to look forward to trying I better get back to work, only 3 more months until open water in New York and it will be time to start trying these new baits!!
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