Westernbass Magazine - June 2012, Page 30

Westernbass Magazine - June 2012, Page 30

deeP stRUctURE

“Summer fish move horizontally and in winter they move up and down,” stated Hughes. “This is important to keep in mind when you are fishing. if you mark baitfish and feeding bass at 30-feet in open water then that is the depth you want to hit on the points.” He mentioned that you can determine how well the fish will bite by how close they are to the baitfish. “i always have a rod ready for a vertical presentation when i come across them on the meter,” he revealed. “i will immediately drop down on them and most of the time i will get one to bite; but you’ve got to move quick when you do this. especially when you’re fishing spots. They are more like trout - a lot more migratory. it’s hard to pinpoint them. They move in large schools of 20 or 30 fish and cover a lot of territory. When you find ‘em - enjoy it, they won’t be there tomorrow.” typically, Hughes will start with a dart head as his first choice. “i like a 1/4 and 1/8-oz head with the smallest hook i can get away with,” stated Hughes. “The smaller the hook, the better the action. Some people don’t know; but the hook size changes and limits the action of the worm. a longer hook acts like a keel and a smaller hook will allow more action and present with more wiggle and a roll on a fall. a hook acts to the bait like a fin on a fish; so i always try to use the smallest hook i can. i like the Gamakatsu #1 or #2 hook on my dart heads.” His setup for this on the lakes is 6-lb Berkley trilene 100% Fluorocarbon and a 6-inch Berkley Bottom Hopper in green pumpkin or shady watermelon. He notes he prefers painted dart head; but they are not an absolute necessity. another deep water fave for Hughes is the dropshot. He rigs a 6-inch Berkley Finesse Hand Pour in the color warmouth or a prism shad roboworm on 6-lb Berkley trilene 100% Fluorocarbon with an exposed Gamakatsu drop/Split Shot Hook. He advised working this by dropping down and shaking vigorously for maximum jiggle. other baits that Hughes reported as all-around good choices were a 4-inch Berkley Power Hawg or a reaction innovations Smallie Beaver. “Shaking a worm can always work well,” he continued. “a green pumpkin or baby bass Senko wacky rigged with a nail

weight is always a good choice. i fish a 5-inch Senko on a #2 Gamakatsu drop/Split Shot Hook on 8-lb line. Basically, i stick to green and white when i choose colors. occasionally i will use red.” Commenting that even suspended fish can be enticed to bite in the summer, Hughes said, “one of my favorite ways to get them deep is a 3/4-oz Shorty Hopkins Spoon. i’ve killed ‘em at Shasta when it was 100-degrees outside on the Shorty Hopkins.” When fishing the Hopkins Spoon, the setup Hughes puts to use starts with 12-lb Berkley trilene 100% Fluorocarbon. adding a ball bearing swivel with a 2-ft leader is a trick that he has learned to lessen line twist. an aggressive yo-yo action and a big, 4-ftvertical pull and drop down is what Hughes uses to attract the attention of his intended catch. “one more great summer pattern is a heavy jig,” he added. “i’m using a 3/4- to 1-oz brown rodstrainer jig with a Yamamoto 5-inch Hula Grub. Fish this perpendicular to the bank, like a crankbait. Bump and hit and with every hit - jerk it up, never letting it settle anywhere. it is a really good reaction bait, especially when the water is drawn down or when you’re dragging a specific depth, when there is not much structure and you want to cover water.” He increases his line to 12-lb for his jig.

EQUIPmEnt

“i’m always going to pick a Fenwick Medium action rod for the lighter stuff and for the heavier stuff like when i’m spoonin’, i will go to a Fenwick Medium Heavy,” shared Hughes. “i use an abu Garcia revo Stx for my baitcaster and a Pflueger Patriarch 9540 spinning. i like this because of the light-weight, magnesium body and the large spool. a large spool reduces line twist. This reel is super smooth which is so important when feeling for the bottom. You don’t want to feel anything that comes from your hand, you only want to feel what’s on the bottom.”

Howard Hughes is a B.A.S.S. champion and has multiple top-10 finishes to his credit on ClearLake and Shasta in Bassmaster and FLW events. His most recent top-10 came last year at the Clear Lake FLW EverStart event, where using a technique he discussed here, Hughes reeled in Big Bass honors with a Clear Lake double-digit from 15-feet of water on 8-lb test. Hughes is sponsored by Ranger Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley Fishing, Abu Garcia, Fenwick, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Phil’s Propellers, Rodstrainer Tacke and Redding Yamaha Seadoo.

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