Next move was head to the sink, cool down the water and see how the bait acted? Did it sink in the water, how did it sit in the water, nose down, tail down, these were all questions that were asked? Remember these were the early days of stickbait fishing and we are talking about baits that were floating baits that fishermen made into either sinking or suspending baits.
Over the years stickbaits have changed; baits are now made just like other baits types and that is they are designed to reach certain depths. Two of the baits that Mike has worked with Spro to develop are the McRip and the McStick line of stickbaits.
When the cover and the bass are located deeper than 10-feet Mike will tie on and fish a McRip 85, in the case that the cover is located 8-feet or shallower the 95 and 110 McSticks will get the call and for bass located shallower than 5-feet the McStick 115 will get the job. “Learn to match your baits to the conditions that you are faced with fishing and then go to work,” said McClelland
ROD AND REEL
SETUP
“When fishing stickbaits rod and reel setup is something that needs to be paid some attention”
said McClelland. “If
the rod you are
using is too
long, you will be fighting all day with it banging it off of the side of the boat. A 6’6” to 7’ medium to medium- heavy action rods is what you are looking for. If you are going to use a regular retrieve 7’ rod may be best; but if you need to really work the bait, you may be better off using a 6’6” rod.”
A medium-action rod will impart less movement out of your stickbait than a medium-heavy action. The medium action rod will have more tip movement, moving your bait less then it will if you are using a medium-heavy action rod with a stiffer tip action.
“Reel speed is critical when fishing stickbaits at certain times of the season,” added McClelland. “One of the most popular reel speeds to use for stickbaits is 6:3-1 and under. Using a faster speed reel may cause you to fish the stickbait too fast.”
When you are fishing in cold water conditions in spring and fall, if you move the bait to fast you will pull the bait out of the strike zone.
LINE CHOICE
If you look at one category of stickbait fishing that has fishermen disagreeing, it would be line choices. For many years, McClelland was a diehard monofilament fishermen, when it came to his stickbait fishing. It has been just in the last few years that has he started to fish his McSticks on a fluorocarbon line option.
“Looking at the characteristics of the line, monofilament line floats and fluorocarbon line sinks and I did not want that drag on my stickbaits, weighing
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