Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
- Details
Seaguar Report
Zona Tells How He Uses Hi-Vis Braid in Detecting Subtle Finesse Bites
A decade ago, anglers were especially wary of hi-vis braids, preferring camouflage lines to everything else. That's changed significantly with the success of finesse presentations like the ubiquitous wacky rig, Neko rig, drop shotting, the Ned rig, and countless other fish-catching finesse approaches. For many, hi-vis braid has become an indispensable part of the finesse rig, a way to monitor bites by sight and feel that simply increases hooked and boated bass.
One angler who's made the conversion to hi-vis braid is Mark Zona, bass expert and TV fishing program host.
"Here's what's funny to me. 10 to 15 years ago a lot of us laughed at hi-vis braid and said, 'What on Earth do I need this for? I need camouflage!' Well, that thinking has gone by the wayside with spinning reel finesse fishing applications. It's critical to have a hi-vis braided line. There's no stretch in braid, so number one, you have much better sensitivity for bites. Then you add the visual aspect with the lack of stretch and that high level of sensitivity and you're just putting more odds in your corner to land more fish. From a novice all the way to a professional angler, we look for every edge we can get in bite detection. That's what this whole game is. If you're using a braid that's hard to see or camouflaged with the water with a fluorocarbon leader and you're struggling to see bites, what you're doing is absolutely pointless. I now probably apply hi-vis braid and a fluorocarbon leader to 80% of my finesse applications, whether it's a drop shot, shakey head, etc.," says Zona.
Especially in deeper water, bite detection when fishing finesse presentations becomes critical. Zona knows this well, spending much of his time in what he calls "crazy deep water" 20, 30, 40, 50, all the way down to 60 feet of water, working the bottom with finesse baits.
- Details
By Al McGuckin
Elite Pro and Phoenix Boats Owner Gary Clouse Living His Dream
The jacked up Tundra sporting a massive Phoenix Boats logo is impossible to miss as it rolls on to the Palatka City Boat Ramp early Tuesday morning for the final day of practice at the St. Johns River Bassmaster Elite. But only the most observant eye might spy a tiny St. Louis Cardinals sticker on the dew soaked windshield of the boat.
Out of the truck steps tall lanky former high school basketball player, Gary Clouse - known best by most bass anglers as the owner and founder of Phoenix Boats. However, make no mistake, Clouse is a Bassmaster Elite Series angler because of his proven ability to catch bass, not because he owns a popular boat company.
At age 59, Clouse is chasing a dream he’s had since age 14, back in the days when he’d listen to Jack Buck and Mike Shannon bring to life the stellar plays of Lou Brock and Joe Torre, not on television or a live web stream – but through the simplicity of a radio.
- Details
By Al McGuckin
Cast Your Cold Water Crankbaits with Spinning Tackle
Bass fishing’s funniest man, Gerald Swindle, said it best on the Classic weigh-in stage a couple years ago. “I’m headed for a hot shower. I’ve been standing in a cold wind all day casting a Rapala Shad Rap, which is about like trying to cast a potato chip in a hurricane.”
If you know Swindle, you know that a Shad Rap might very well be his favorite cold water lure. But if you’ve ever tried to throw the legendary balsa bait, or a suspending jerkbait, on baitcasting equipment, especially when the wind is more than a whisper, you may find yourself cussing under your breath, or heck, possibly even out loud.
I’ve been there and done that more than I’d like to admit, and amid a recent bout of maddening backlash based frustration I flashed-back to 25 years ago, when I first learned to throw suspending jerkbaits for cold water bass – on spinning tackle.
Yes, believe it or not, the best anglers in the Ozark Mountain region who helped make these wintertime baits famous, used spinning tackle in nearly equal proportion to baitcasting equipment. And then, for whatever reason, spinning sticks and ‘egg beater’ reels seem to fall out of winter fashion.
And that’s unfortunate; because spinning tackle truly offers a multitude of performance-based reasons to be paired with your favorite cold-water treble hook laden lures.
Basic physics favor spinning tackle for lighter lures
With lighter lures like a Shad Rap, it’s tough to generate enough momentum on a baitcasting reel’s spool to spin sufficiently. So in turn, the friction slows the lure’s launch through the air. And by the time the spool finally does get up to speed, the momentum in the lure is too low, and the result is often a backlash.
Longer casts, and fewer backlashes
The positive result of pairing lighter balsa baits and jerkbaits with spinning tackle is simple, you’ll get far fewer backlashes, plus, much longer casts. And longer casts help increase your catching success, not only by allowing these diving lures to stay in the strike zone longer, but also to spook fish less in the clear cold waters where these visually oriented lures work best.
Upsize your spinning reels
Size 25 and 30 are the most popular spinning reel sizes for bass anglers, but legendary pros like Kevin VanDam nearly always use a size 40 spinning reel.
Why? Back to that physics class we spoke of a minute ago. Larger spools provide even less friction as the line leaves during the cast. Plus, you’re able to pick up more line with each turn of the handle during the retrieve while fighting that 5-pounder.
Fully capable of fighting big fish
Finally, speaking of 5-pounders, don’t ever believe you can’t fight big fish on spinning tackle. As proof, Bass Fishing Hall of Fame member Shaw Grigsby has lost count of the bass over 5-pounds he’s landed on spinning tackle, and the number of freight train tugging smallmouth caught on spinning tackle annually is staggering.
The key is to make sure you’re using a quality reel with the drag set just loose enough to allow big fish some tugging room. Pair it with a 6’ 10” to 7’ medium action rod with plenty of tip. A rod of this length and action will provide added launch momentum on the cast, and necessary amounts of forgiveness, so as not to tear hooks free from the mouths of big fish.
Lastly, take your time and be patient during the fight, but by all means, don’t be afraid of spinning tackle. Instead, embrace its advantages. Spool up a size 30 or 40 reel with 8 or 10 pound line, tie it to your favorite cold water crankbait, and let ‘er rip, Tater Chip.