Winter 2018
Craw as a trailer. He ties it on a 7’, medium-heavy Lew’s Magnum Bass Rod and 7.5:1 retrieve speed Team Lew’s Pro Magnesium reel filled with 14-pound-test fluorocarbon line.
While this may seem like a big, powerful and fast setup to throw a power lure on, Upshaw cautions anglers to move slowly with this technique.
“I actually think of this as an ultra-deep Pitching application,” he said. “I fish nearly vertical, and try to keep my Bass Cat Positioned just off the structure, so I can maintain constant contact with the bottom and not move the jig too far. It’s a technique I learned from my friend Ben Matsubu, who fished in the West before moving to Texas; it is really effective.”
His final presentation involves the same setup he uses to throw the jig, but switches to a 7/16-ounce Gene Larew Lures Biffle Bug and Hardhead. However, instead of the quick paced retrieve he uses with the Bug and Hardhead, he slows down this time of the year.
“I really crawl the lure this time of the year, because I want to make sure to keep the lure on the bottom,” he reported. “This is my cleanup type of presentation, as I want to give every bass a chance to respond before leaving a school I’ve found.” •
FINAL POINTERS
Upshaw pointed out that anglers really need to be methodical this time of the year.
“I know that it would be really tempting to try and fish fast, but that’s the wrong thing to do in these warming spells,” he said. “Try to remember that the water temperature will still be cold, and while the additional sun and warming conditions will move the fish, it may not change their activity level; they still may not respond in a super-aggressive way.
“I try to slow way down and cover as much of the bottom as I can on each cast and be prepared for just a few bites,” he said. “I may only catch a few bass, but I have a really good shot of catching some true giants and that’s what we’re all after anyway.”
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