In It or On It | Mat Goals

In and On Top of the Thick Stuff by Glenn Walker

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Summer 2020

Credit Tyler Mohr

Credit Tyler Mohr

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Oracle Pitchin’ Stick (7’6”), paired up with a Wright & McGill Victory II baitcast reel.

Using a high-speed gear ratio reel is important to quickly bring your bait back in after the initial fall.

Using a braided line is the only option in my opinion. This is important because there is no stretch, so when you set the hook, you are getting a solid hook set.

Also, as you set the hook, braided line will actually cut through the vegetation and keep that bass from tangling up in the thick cover. I like to use the 50- or 65-pound Seaguar SmackDown Braid in Stealth Gray, so it has a low profile in the water is minimal.

When flippin’ a Texas-rig, you’ll want to use a dedicated flippin’ hook. These hooks have the penetrating power, as well as a plastic barb to keep the plastic in place. I like to use the Lazer TroKar TK133 Pro V Flipping Hook.

Keeping your rig as low profile as possible will help it slide through the cover and not hang up. Using a tungsten weight provides a way to use a large weight needed to get through the cover; but keeps a small profile. Typically, I’ll use a weight that ranges between 1/2- and 1 1/2-ounce, depending on how thick the cover is.

When it comes to bait selection, keeping it low profile again is key. So, using craws or creature baits with the fewest number of appendages will keep it from getting hung up on the way through the cover and let it get down to the bottom quickly.

Plastic bait options such as a Zoom Z-Craw or Super Hog are a good choice. When it comes to selecting the colors of

soft plastics, I keep things simple and rely on a plastic that is some combination of black/blue or green pumpkin.

ON TOP OF THE THICK STUFF

Targeting bass that are buried underneath matted vegetation with a topwater frog could possibly be one of the most exciting and adrenaline filled ways to target and catch bass.

With the quiet serenity of a frog moving across the top of the green carpet and then, kaploosh! A big ol’ bass erupts from the water below, devours your frog and then the battle