this technique,” says Norisada. “You can fish it super aggressive or just barely lift the blade bait off the bottom as long as the bait falls on a tight line.” This is important because most strikes occur on the fall,” he added.
LOCATION
Location plays a very significant role in the blade bait’s effectiveness. Winter locations, such as deep ledges near a channel or main lake points are terrific starting areas. Deep water doesn’t exist with blade
baits as catching smallmouth in ex-
ergy to follow the blade bait in winter, they will strike if given an opportunity where the lure meets the eye.
RIGGING
To maximize the blade bait’s vibration, Norisada recommends using Duolock snaps on the middle hole. For beginners, this often minimizes snags and hang- ups. Should the blade bait hook into a rock or timber, popping your rod a few times should help release the treble hook. Be prepared to lose some however, just like any other technique that involves structure fishing and treble hooks, you may have to retie during
your trip.
cess of 40, 50 or 60-feet of water is common. This is why ½-ounce to 5/8-ounce models are easily found online and at your nearest tackle store.
Many anglers rely on their electronics in combina- tion with favorable locations to isolate feeding fish, but this is not a technique where you only stop to fish when you see arcs on your sonar. Being efficient and productive is understanding the action of the blade bait and fishing it efficiently to maximize the tech- nique. If you see schooling baitfish on your electron- ics, or know favorable wintering locations of the bass, blind casting or video gaming can both be essential tactics.
To quickly gain confidence, begin your explora- tion on 45-degree banks with boulders or chunk rock. Offshore humps can be great holding spots too. This is where topo maps and studying charts prior to the fishing trip can help eliminate dead water. While smallmouth will avoid exerting a large amount of en-
WINTER 2015
WORKING THE BLADE
Casting the blade bait is easy no matter the condi- tion. It flies like a bullet and sinks relatively quickly. Let the lure fall on a semi-slack line. Ideally, you may have a slight bow in your line on the fall, but never let your line go completely slack. As soon as the blade baits touches the floor, pop your rod tip up to 10 o’clock. The blade bait will rip up from the bottom moving a foot or two. As the lure falls back down, keep an eye on your line and reel up the slack. This yo-yo effect without a doubt catches the majority of fish, but an- glers will want to experiment with how hard and how aggressive the bait is being ripped upwards.
Depending on the fish’s mood, they may want the aggressive, non-stop ripping motion. Conversely, an angler may experience productive results with short, in-frequent hops with no real rhythm attached –
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