STIC KBA IT
SE C R ETS
Story & Photos
BY SCOTT M. PETERSEN
Mike McClelland’s
A
s we head into the spring, bass have
spent much of their winter months in
the deeper waters. Generally, they were
focused on a food source that was above them. Looking at all the baits in your tackle box, how
many of the baits that you have can get the job this
done?
A jig for example will fall past their holding position
without a reaction. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits can
be worked above them like the bait they are feeding
on, but it may not stay in the strike zone long enough
to trigger many strikes. A stickbait, however can be
worked above the bass and kept in the strike zone for
a good period of time.
Stickbaits are not unknown to many bass anglers; but many times they are not the first choice or are quickly put down when not generating bites. Part of this may be how you are fishing the bait, which is the reason for sitting down with the stickbait master himself – Bassmaster Elite Series pro Mike McClelland and getting his tips in how he fishes his signature line of baits the Spro McStick’s. Here is what he had to say are his five most guarded stickbait secrets.
PICKING THE RIGHT BAIT
Getting your bait into the strike zone is a key to getting bites; but in the early days of stickbait fishing it meant you had to modify your bait to get it into the fish zone. How this was done was to take a favorite bait, drill holes into it, add lead into the holes, then reseal and repaint the modified parts of the bait.
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