Summer 2020
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Rod uses the same seven-foot Ultra MBX Phenix dropshot rod for both techniques. He fishes both lures on 12-pound Sunline braided via top shot with either a five or seven-pound leader. The underspin is used to catch the active fish, while he employs a dropshot to catch the inactive fish.
LAIN’S TRIO OF OPTIONS
Angler’s Marine pro Tony Lain uses both spinning and bait casting gear to target bass in shallow water trees.
Lain’s bait selections include a soft stick bait, such as a brown/purple Laminate five-inch Neko Fat Worm, a bright colored floating worm, and a shad pattern - ounce Revenge spinnerbait. Lain has a three-prong approach.
First, he uses a low gear ratio Daiwa Tatula SV TW reel to slow roll a heavy spinnerbait in and around trees. This usually catches the active fish. Lain ties his spinnerbait on 15-pound Daiwa J-Fluoro Fluorocarbon on a medium-heavy Tatula Elite Series rod.
The key to slow rolling a spinnerbait is to bump the branches and allow the bait to fall between the base and roots of the tree. Lain makes repeated casts to the same tree from different angles.
“The spinnerbait blades look like a fleeing baitfish trying to escape being eaten,” he said.
Lain uses either a soft stick bait or floating worm to catch fish that don’t respond to a reaction bait. He makes long casts with spinning gear, so as to not spook fish. The key is to let the soft stick bait fall on slack line. He watches his hi-vis yellow braided line to detect a subtle strike.
“The floating worm is worked more like a soft jerkbait over the top of the trees,” he said. “The floating worm is more of a topwater bite that lures bass out of trees in a
similar way that the spinnerbait is targeting more
active fish.”
Lain fishes the Neko Fat Worm and the floating
worm on the same spinning gear.
He rigs the floating worm on
12-pound Daiwa J-Braid
connected via a uni-to-uni
knot tied to either 10-pound
Daiwa J-Fluoro Fluorocarbon.
He uses 30-pound braid tied
to 20-pound fluorocarbon for
the Neko Worm.
Lain rigs the Neko
worm on a 3/0 Gamakatsu
SuperLine Offset EWG hook.
He rigs the floating worm
on a 3/0 Gamakatsu Offset
Round Bend Worm Hook.
His selection of rod and
reel are the same for both baits. He uses a 7’1’’ medium action Daiwa Tatula Elite Series Brent Ehrler Dropshot rod paired with a high gear ration Daiwa Certate LT spinning reel. The spinning real allows for longer casts.
Finding bass in shallow trees may be a difficult challenge for some anglers. Rod and Lain offered some great tips for how to catch bass that reside around trees during the summer. Shallow trees attract bass when our local lakes begin to rise and flood years of overgrowth.
Rod and Lain agree that the shape and size of the tree plays an important role in bait selection and how a bass positions in key ambush zones. Whether it’s brush or small trees, hard cover in the water offer bass an ideal place to attack forage.
Water fluctuations on our Western lakes frequently change. Recent high water has resulted in more opportunities for anglers to exploit the shallow-water bass that reside in these areas throughout the summer. Give these tips a try and they are sure to help you put more fish in the boat. •
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