–N-Walker, this bait can be popped or actually walked like a dog. Utilizing this bait in a slow methodical popping or walking manner can be effective in these conditions. If you like to pitch and flip like I do, use 17 to 20 pound 100% Trilene Fluorocarbon. I use Fluorocarbon line when I am tossing weightless worms or Berkley’s Crazy Legs Chigger Craw as fluorocarbon line sinks. This helps the weightless worm stay down and when tossing the Berkley Crazy Legs Chigger Craw, I can go to a lighter Texas style weight. Fluorocarbon has more sensitivity and abrasion resistance when fishing tight up against the rocks. For all these baits, stay with the crawdad colors in the plastics and try crawdad and baitfish colors in the hard baits.
When it is windy, go to your crank baits in crawdad and blue gill patterns, top water baits that make noise such as ima’s Big Stik, Persuader’s Buzz Baits and Ace In The Hole. Stay with your shad and blue gill colors as the bass are keying into that food source.
One of the major keys to observe is morning temperature verses afternoon temperature. As the day progresses, depending on your weather, it could get colder or hotter. This could change the water
temperature to warm up or cool down. If it warms up, work your baits a little faster as the bass will get more aggressive. If it cools down, slow the baits down!
One of the games I like to play when I go out is move to different parts of water you are fishing. Don’t keep going back to the same spot or area. It is cool because if you go to the east instead of north, the bite will be different. This will make you adjust and change your puzzle pieces. Some areas might be clearer and some areas – muddy. You might have the right bait on but the wrong color. That is why listening to “dock- talk” can just confuse you about what you should throw. When you hear anglers talking about the how the ‘top water bite is on’, they neither tell you what area they are in nor what time, and it can be a confined stretch of bank where they had a great day that one day. It is all about putting together your day with all the pieces that surround you.
This time of year, trash fishing can be a great way to learn new ways to fish as well as fine tuning techniques to raise your skill level. It’s a fun time of year. It lets you literally throw everything and the kitchen sink.
This is Randy Pringle - The Fishing Instructor
ISSUE 2 June 2011
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