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Summer 2023
page 22
bass around current, shallow water, rip rap, chunk rock, and mud lines.
Not only do the smallmouth in VanDam’s home state of Michigan experience significant fishing pressure, but so do most bodies of water that VanDam fishes on the Major League Fishing tour. His answer is a 1/2-ounce Strike King Tour Grade Tungsten Thunder Cricket. “I think it’s more finesse; the tungsten model has a smaller blade, creating a tighter action. It’s a unique bait. The vibration is what they home in on,” he said.
VanDam also believes that the bait runs deeper than the regular Thunder Cricket. So, when he needs to achieve added depth, like when fishing deeper grass in the North country, he’ll add a Strike King Blade Minnow Trailer that he will trim to size depending on what the conditions call for. He will also opt for 14-pound test to achieve the same means, but most often sticks with 20-pound test. “I try to get as heavy a line as I can get away with just to get a good hook in them,” he said.
When covering water to find smallmouth, VanDam opts for a 7’4” heavy action composite action LEWS rod citing a better strike- to-land ratio due to the vicious strikes that smallmouth produce. However, as smallmouth are keen to follow baits a long way, VanDam has a trick to get them unhinged and strike his bladed jig. “I like to intermittently, through a cast, give it a quick burst of speed, turning the handle with a short pause because it makes the bait jump and dart,” he said.
BUBBA BLADE
The newest member of the Z-Man family, the Big Blade Chatterbait was designed under the direction of 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour Champion Bryan
Thrift. A jig is a perfect option when fishing in stained and dirty water due to the increased wobble and vibration the bait produces. Though this bait can fill out a limit, it’s best used when targeting larger-than- average bass, and the 6/0 Mustad hook speaks to that. Additionally, common logic tells bass anglers that when bass are heavily pressured or see many of the same baits, upsizing or downsizing their lure size can trigger bites; this design speaks to that.
COLOR CHOICES
Both Gustafson and VanDam are in concert with their color selections. When chasing smallmouth that live in gin-clear water, VanDam often chooses a blue craw-colored skirt or white, the latter a common choice for Gustafson. Lake St. Clair calls for white and blue glimmer color combinations and even a white Z-Too.
When bass feed on alewives, shad, or baitfish, he will opt for the green gizzard pattern Thunder Cricket that sports a metal flake and white painted blade. Bluegill or crawfish-eating bass make any shade of green pumpkin with matching trailers a logical choice.
If Gustafson could only have one color, it would be a golden.
GET IN THE ZONE
Gustafson has spent much
time with a bladed jig in his hands
to understand precisely where it
is running in the water column.
For those without live sonar, he
suggests anglers should cast out
and stop reeling at some point
to see just how long it takes the
bait to hit bottom and adjust their
countdown, retrieve, or bait choice accordingly. Now that he’s accustomed
to using Humminbird Mega Live, as does VanDam, he’ll intently watch his screen to see exactly where his bait is running and make the necessary adjustments to
keep his
bait in the
strike zone
longer. •