Westernbass Magazine February 2012, Page 46

Westernbass Magazine February 2012, Page 46

JARED LINTNER

Photo credit to Jared Lintner.

will actually spook fish

that are in shallow water.” Talking about warming water he said, “Anytime during the post-spawn or summer months, fish seem to want a faster fall; it becomes almost a reaction bite”.

IDEAS FROM IDAHO

Brandon Palaniuk of Idaho completed his rookie season on the Bassmaster Elite Series with a second straight Bassmaster Classic qualification. He has quickly risen to be one of the sport’s top stars. He is a big fan of fishing shallow water cover and offered some tips on his decision process when choosing the right size weight. Brandon stated,“Start with a light weight like a 3/8-ounce. That size is really my base weight for all of my flippin’ and pitchin’. From there I will keep moving up a size until I find the right size”.

He echoed Lintner’s comments that you should always go with the lightest weight that you can get away with it. During the colder months, he said that there are times when he will drop down all the way to ¼-ounce in order to get that slower fall. He said that the slower fall makes all the difference sometimes, especially when fish are in a negative mood

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or dealing with colder water temperatures. He also said “On the other hand, there are times when you need that big 2-ounce, monster weight just to get through the cover. I like to use tungsten weights made

by Eco Pro Tungsten, so I have

the option to add more colors

and match the soft plastic I am

using.”

GEORGIA’S GAMEPLAN

Georgia’s J. Todd Tucker

knows a thing or two about

fishing heavy cover and has honed his skills in the Southeastern United States. He also follows the same rule of thumb as Lintner and Palaniuk by using the lightest weight possible when fishing heavy cover.

For fishing matted grass he said “The smaller the

better, I start with a ½-ounce and

move

BRANDON PALANIUK