P s ’ l i said. “But during the summertime, you want Johnston Ph
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BaSS technIques S R E L EL
to hit the tree, let the bait almost float back up to the surface and then go back to winding it. even with a spinnerbait, wind it and crash the bait into a log and just let it fall all the way to the bottom. let it lie on the bottom a few seconds and then start winding it.” With the latter, sometimes just a little motion is the right motion. russ lane, Bassmaster elite pro from ala. knows that slow rolling a spinnerbait gives heat-weary bass a good look at the bait and presents an easy opportunity. For optimal results, lane takes a ¾-ounce spinnerbait body with a lone no. 6 willow blade and attaches a ¼-ounce rubber core sinker to the hook shank. adding the sinker leaves him with a total weight of an ounce, but a smaller profile than a standard spinnerbait of that weight. The big willow allows him to fish very slowly, but the blade still has a lot of drag to allow him to maintain bottom contact.
SPEED INDICATORS
Side-viewing sonar has proven invaluable for many aspects of the bass fishing game, but Johnston said it’s particularly strategic during the hot months
because it helps you locate the bait schools. Find the food and you’ll find the bass. That part’s easy, but Johnston points out that the presence of bait schools also indicates favorable conditions. “The bait is your number one key,” he said. “not all of the bass will follow the bait, but there’s always a big group of fish that will follow the bait. drive around, find out what depth the shad are in. That will tell you where the best oxygen level is. You might not be able to catch those fish there, but those fish aren’t going to be far from that bait. Sometimes, they might be right on the end of a laydown, or they might be 10 feet in front of a laydown. That’s where the (lowrance) Side-imaging and the down-imaging plays such a huge factor. Yes, you want to look for the cover, but you also want to find out what depth that bait is in.” Ultimately, anglers fare best when they let the fish tell them what they want. in some cases, the most inopportune moments can teach us the day’s best lesson. as Johnston summarizes: “if you throw out there and get a backlash and you get a bite (while you’re clearing it), that tells you that you need to slow down even more.”
It’s All about Inventory and We have It !!
Whenever you are going to Shasta, be sure to stop by Phil’s for all your fishing needs.
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800-462-3917
www.philsprop.com
3037 Twin View Blvd. Shasta Lake, Ca.96019
530-275-4939
info@philsprop.com
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