| When the weather is nasty, be it in the early spring | | | | to see it, as you are not moving the bait, and it |
| or late fall, many anglers miss out on some of the | | | | doesn't make much noise. My best days deadsticking |
| best bass fishing of the year. When their boats are in | | | | have been on lakes with a good degree of |
| the garage, and their gear is stored away, other | | | | visibility."Dead-Sticking Soft Plastics"Most bass |
| anglers in the know, cash in on some of the best | | | | fisherman use Zoom Flukes, Bass Assassins, and |
| fishing of the year using some special techniques. | | | | other soft plastics, with a twitch, twitch, reel twitch |
| One of the most effective ways to catch big bass in | | | | action, like in the warmer months, but using these |
| colder water, is a technique known as | | | | baits with a dead-sticking technique in the colder |
| "Dead-Sticking." The anglers who can brave the | | | | water, works wonders. Bass won't come up and hit |
| elements and employ these techniques, catch some | | | | these baits on or near the surface when it's cold, but |
| of the largest bass of the year."Dead-Sticking | | | | they do hit it when it falls slowly to the bottom. It |
| Technique"The name of the technique tells it all. The | | | | takes so much patience to work these baits right in |
| technique actually involves more patience than action. | | | | cold water that most anglers don't have the patience |
| Some of the best ways to present a bait using a | | | | it takes to work them properly. I use the bait on a |
| Dead-Sticking technique are Drop-Shotting, using a | | | | unweighted 4/0 or 5/0 WG hook, and let it fall slowly |
| suspending jerkbait, and fluttering soft plastics to the | | | | to the bottom. The bait only sinks about one foot |
| bottom. These are great ways to tempt early | | | | every three to four seconds, and this is perfect to |
| season and late season bass. You won't catch a ton | | | | imitate a dying shad. I have had the best luck with |
| of bass in really cold water, but you can have a | | | | this in the winter, but in the very early spring, it can |
| memorable day, and catch some of the larger bass | | | | be effective also. I just cast it out next to the |
| of the year. When the water temperature is in the | | | | structure, whether it's a dock, or brushpile, or just |
| low to mid forties, shad and herring either die off in | | | | over some type of structure that the bass are |
| the winter, or they are so lethargic, that they are a | | | | suspending on. I might twitch it a couple of times as |
| good target for feeding bass. A lure that suspends at | | | | it falls, but not too much, just enough to convince a |
| the level of the bass, or just falls slowly to the | | | | bass that it is crippled or dying. It is a great bait for |
| bottom, or in the case of the drop-shot, just sits still | | | | areas that have a lot of dying shad in the winter.One |
| in the middle of the water column, offers a tempting | | | | of the baits that I have had the most success with |
| imitation of a dying shad."Jerkbaits"There are many | | | | last year using these dead-sticking methods, is the |
| good Jerkbaits on the market today, but for | | | | Yamamoto "Senko." This bait is perfect to use |
| dead-sticking techniques I like certain baits more than | | | | dead-sticking. Although it is nothing more than a thin, |
| others. Smithwick Rogues, Lucky Craft Pointers, and | | | | straight piece of plastic when it is out of the water, |
| Rapala Husky Jerks, and Strike Pro USA are among | | | | it literally comes alive with just the right action to |
| my favorites.They are excellant baits for | | | | entice bass in colder water. The new "Netbaits" have |
| dead-sticking because they suspend. You can throw | | | | also worked very well this year, as have the |
| them out, reel them down, and play the waiting | | | | "Bearpaws" "Lazy Sticks". It is perfect for letting sink |
| game. I have done this, and many times, while | | | | slowly to the bottom, or for drop-shotting. Because |
| getting a drink, or grabbing something to eat, the | | | | of the salt content in these baits, it sinks a little |
| bass have hit the bait. Sometimes it takes as long as | | | | faster than an unsalted lure. These baits are perfect |
| a minute, or even two, before a bass will move up | | | | for a lot of different situations, as long as you have |
| to a suspending bait and decide to hit it. I throw the | | | | to patience to let them sink. You really don't have to |
| baits way past the target, and jerk it down to | | | | do anything to these lures, except let them sink |
| where I think the bass are. In some bigger lakes and | | | | slowly on a slack line. I rig them on a 2/0 or 3/0 |
| reservoirs I like to fish any standing timber they have | | | | Daiichi or X-Point hooks, on fourteen pound test |
| available. I jerk the bait down, and then stop it right | | | | Spiderline Super Mono, or P-Line.The trick is to pay |
| by a tree. I then let it sit as long as a minute before | | | | very close attention to the line, sometimes you might |
| moving it again.Many times the bass will hit while it is | | | | feel a bite, but generally you will not. I just move the |
| sitting still, or when I first start to move it again. This | | | | rod tip a little bit to see if I can feel the weight of |
| happened to me quite a few times in Greenwood | | | | the bass. If I can't, I just let it fall slowly to the |
| Lake and in Union Lake, in New Jersey. It is an | | | | bottom again. The action really comes when the bait |
| excellent way to catch cold water bass in these and | | | | is falling, so you have to lift the rod slowly, and let it |
| other lakes. I had great success with this method on | | | | fall back again as you work it across the bottom. |
| Table Rock Lake, and Bull Shoals in Missouri, working | | | | There is even a new larger Senko for this year that I |
| the standing timber.It doesn't really matter if it's a | | | | am looking forward to using. Even the new Cut-Tail |
| tree, or rocks, or next to a dock. The trick is to let | | | | worm may work well in these cold water situations, |
| the bait sit there for as long as it takes, without | | | | and I am looking forward to trying them out this |
| moving it all. A lot of anglers are tempted to impart | | | | year."Drop-Shotting"The best technique to come |
| some action to the bait, but this is a mistake. This is | | | | along for cold water or suspending bass is the |
| the time to wait as long as you can stand it. Nerves | | | | Drop-Shot technique. Drop-Shotting can tempt bass |
| of steel are required for this type of fishing.Another | | | | into striking in the cold water at all times of the year. |
| good location to use this technique is over old | | | | In the late winter, or very early spring, I just cast it |
| roadbeds, like in Spruce Run reservoir in New Jersey. | | | | out, let it hit the bottom, and tighten my line up. I |
| I also like to use them along bluff walls, and across | | | | use very little action at all. I don't really shake my rod |
| long tapering points. When the water starts to warm | | | | tip or anything, I just let it sit.The less action the |
| in the spring, or after a warm spell in the winter, bass | | | | better! I do fish them around some structure also, |
| will move up from the deeper water and suspend | | | | and generally when I do this I work the bait with a |
| over or near these areas. These are ideal baits to | | | | little more action up to the cover, and then just let it |
| use to entice them into striking. I like to find a long | | | | sit when I get next to it. It is a very effective |
| flat point, near a creek channel, where the deep | | | | method in the winter or spring. I generally use a |
| water isn't far from the shallow water. This is where | | | | three to four inch bait on drop-shot rigs, but other |
| the bass will be, due to the fact that don't have to | | | | baits have worked at different times. The hardest |
| move very far, which is important this time of year, | | | | part of fishing in the winter or very early spring isn't |
| but especially true in the winter.When bass are | | | | the fishing itself, but motivating yourself to get out |
| suspending, if you throw a carolina-rigged bait, you | | | | there and go when the weather is less than |
| are actually fishing under the bass, if you use a | | | | desirable.This is where the patience comes in, as it is |
| crankbait, you're usually fishing too fast. This is why | | | | very hard to sit still for long periods of time, and |
| suspending jerkbaits are ideal, because they get right | | | | work the bait as slowly as is necessary to produce |
| down into the suspended bass and stay in one place. | | | | the strikes. Dead-Sticking really works if you |
| This is even more important in the winter, than the | | | | remember exactly what it means. I like to use a high |
| early spring. I make sure I fan cast the entire | | | | modulus graphite rod for the Dead-Sticking |
| structure from many different angles. Many times the | | | | techniques, in a 6 1/2 to 7 foot length, with twelve |
| bass don't hit the bait until it is presented at just the | | | | to fourteen pound test line. I use spinning gear on |
| right angle, and you won't know what that is until | | | | little finesse baits, or a light line baitcaster. I use a |
| you make enough casts to start catching fish.The | | | | baitcast rod, and up to fourteen to seventeen pound |
| most strikes occur in about eight to ten feet of | | | | test line, in the deeper water, and for larger baits. |
| water, and suspending baits that go down to about | | | | Try these techniques this year, and your recreational |
| eight feet are the best. You need at least two feet | | | | and tournament fishing will improve greatly.Hall Of |
| of visibility for dead-sticking baits, and more is | | | | Fame Angler, Radio host, and full time professional |
| preferable. It is very important for them to be able | | | | guide and tournament anglers. |