Fall 2026
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action and will not get tangled with your bait, giving you the best of both worlds.
SNAPS INSTEAD OF DIRECT TIE
Instead of tying directly to the bait, I like to use a snap for a few different reasons. For one, it makes bait changes faster. Secondly and more importantly, I feel a snap gives my topwater baits better action.
When fishing in prime conditions – active bait windows – I use a snap at the end of my line. The simple reason I do that is because it gives my bait more freedom to move and create more action that results in more bites during my day on the water.
When faced with fishing in high-pressure conditions – when the bass tend to be off and will not chase moving baits – I may take the snap off of the end of my line and tie my line direct to the bait. This will subdue some of the bait’s action and this toned-down version can trigger more bites for this condition. Use this trick to your advantage.
RATTLE WHEN THEY’RE ACTIVE
Another tip during active bite windows is to pick a topwater bait that has a rattle. Not only will the action of the bait attract bites, but the sound will also make it easier for the bass to be able to find the bait.
When fishing the day after a cold front, take off the snap and pick a topwater bait that does not have a rattle. This muted sound and action will trigger more bites from
negative mood bass than a bait that is fished with a snap and has rattles.
SHARP HOOKS
Every now and then take a few seconds to check your hooks. A hook point that is bent over can lead to bass that get off on the way back to the boat. All it takes is one bass that gets off to turn off a school of biting fish. Also check if all the hook points are sharp. Make it as easy as possible for that hook to penetrate the bass month and create a sold hookup.
ADD A FEATHER TAIL HOOK
Another tweak that you can make on tough-bite days is add a feather or tinsel tail hook to your topwater bait. During your retrieve, this material on the tail hook will be moving but it is the movement that happens on the pause that will create strikes for you.
On tough bite days, change out your back treble to a tail feather hook. Even when the bait is sitting still in the water on the pause in-between twitches, these feather tails will still be moving.
There are many days when the difference in getting bit or not was that my bait had a tail feather on the back hook. The light movement that the tail feathers had on a pause what the difference in bass over the side of the boat. Do not let this minor tweak, be a barrier to bass in your box. •
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