By: Andrew Martin

A lot of anglers fall into the trap of thinking topwater is strictly a summer or fall technique. A lot of folks are waiting until the bass are off their beds and settling into their warm weather patterns before they start throwing those buzzbaits and spooks. Even though summertime can set you up for some killer explosions, you don’t have to wait! There are surface donkeys to be hooked, even in the springtime; you just have to know where to look.

SOME LIKE IT HOT

Once spring has sprung, the key to knowing when it’s the right time to start hurling your topwater baits is temperature. Both air temp and water temp are key to signaling when this technique will start being effective. With air temperatures, start looking for those consecutive days in the mid-seventies. Once you see that, pay attention to your water temps and when they begin to creep around that sixty degree mark. GAME ON.

You should start seeing more surface activity, with baitfish busting and bass coming up to feed on them. Sometimes searching the backs of creeks, where warm water run-off is coming in, can give you that couple of degrees that will ignite the water with potential topwater victims.

BEDDING DOWN

When you think of springtime bed fishing, topwater isn’t always the technique that is at the top of the list. However, some of the most explosive topwater action you can see all year, might just come after pulling that prop bait or spook over the top of a big, angry female on the nest.

A few weeks back, my team partner and I won a tournament using this exact technique. It was a small lake and the bank was cluttered with sight fisherman, looking for beds. We were stuck out in the middle of a bay and happen to stumble on a series of trees in 6-10 feet of water. The air temperature was in the low 70’s and the water temperature was already up in the low to mid 60’s. We started throwing River2Sea Rovers (a spook style walking bait) over the edges of the tree tops and started getting pummeled by 3-8 pound bass. After tons of repeated strikes, in a fairly small area, many without hookups, we realized we were invading a big bass maternity ward. Luckily, we were able to put five good ones in the boat for 20 pounds. Females guarding their nest cannot stand a topwater bait being pulled over their bed!

MIX IT UP

During the spring, it can be imperative to try some different topwater lures and presentations. Spooks can be an awesome spring bait because you can vary your retrieve, slow it down or even pause it, giving the bass a little longer to look at it. A prop bait, in a nest invading color like bluegill, can also be a great way to pull a female away from her motherly duties and into your boat.

Nothing is more exciting than watching a big bass explode on a topwater bait. Instead of waiting until later in the year for that heart-pounding experience, try tying on some topwater in the spring and enjoy the ride!

Pro Staff: Dobyns Rods, Tackle Grab, PowerTeam Lures, Solar Bat Sunglasses, Skinny Bear Jigs, Gethooked Baits, Whiskey River Bait Co.

Contributing Writer: Rahfish.com, Bass Utopia, Bass Angler Headquarters

TG: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
CC: I’m a 26 year old graduate from The University of Alabama- Roll Tide! I enjoy watching football, playing golf, and of course fishing. My tournament history is very limited since I recently graduated. I fished in two small/medium tournaments last year with my cousin as my partner. We won 1 and had a chance to win the other but we let a 5 pounder off at the boat. I’m on the Warrior Baits pro staff as well as the pro staff for Powell Rods; both are amazing companies and I strongly suggest you give them a try!

TG: How long have you been fishing? Any favorite memories?
CC: I have fished my whole life, but I only really got into lake fishing about 4 years ago. After going out one day and catching a 6 pound bass I was addicted. My favorite memory would have to be throwing a worm into 25′ of water as the last cast of the day and catching the fish in the picture. It had been a long day on the water and that was the only rod I had left out, so I just made a cast off the side of a ledge and hooked up with this fish…it was totally unexpected!

TG: How often do you fish?
CC: I fish as often as I can, literally! If I can’t make it to the lake then I’ll go to a nearby pond; I always say, “You can’t catch your trophy bass if your line isn’t in the water!”

TG: What species do you primarily fish for?
CC: I primarily fish for Bass. Guntersville is my home lake, so more specifically largemouth bass.

TG: What are your favorite baits?
CC: Favorite bait would have to be Hollow Belly Swimbaits (Thanks to FLW tour pro Justin Lucas for teaching me to fish these). Other baits I enjoy include Texas Rigged 10″ Worms and anything top water. It’s really hard for me to enjoy jig fishing like everyone else does, that’s one area that I’m working to improve on.

TG: What are your goals for the upcoming season?
CC: My goals for this upcoming year are to just simply get better. I truly feel that you can never be good enough at whatever your passions in life are, there’s always room to improve! I also plan to fish many more tournaments over the course of the next year, now that I’m out of school I have more time to dedicate to fishing.

By: Randy Phillips

Though spring has officially sprung as of March 20th, many anglers in the U.S. and Canada are well aware that cold temperatures can still pose a problem for fishing throughout the entire season. A few tips and tricks:

Keep yourself warm

You can always remove layers to stay comfortable, but if you don’t dress warm enough you will become stiff, less mobile, and even run the risk of frost bite or hypothermia. It’s critical to bring food to keep your body burning calories and keeping you energized. Beyond physically prepping your body itself for the cold temperatures, it’s critical to stay warm in order to stay sensitive to the feel of a fish taking your bait. In cold temperatures, the bite is much less aggressive than normal. You need to be on top off your game due to the bite being so sensitive. Always watch for a twitch in your line – often times you will not feel a fish hit, rather you will see your line jump.

Let your bait sit, and be patient!

Cold weather fishing is much different than the summer hot days. In the summer there is vegetation, plenty of food around, and shaded areas for bass to hang around in. These are all visible areas that produce fish. In the colder months, fish hold tighter to the bottom, as bottom rocks hold some extra heat. In the colder days the fish become lethargic. So the ultimate tool in fishing in the cold is patience. Let your bait sit. I let my bait sit for 15 seconds to 2 minutes depending what I’m using.

All about the baits

My go-to baits for cold weather fishing include jerk baits, silvery buddies, or jigs.

A jerk bait represents a bait fish that is injured or extremely cold or even dying do to the colder water. When fishing with this bait, it’s all about the cadence in which you fish. You need to find out how the fish want the bait. Nine out of ten bites are going to come when the bait is not moving. You want to cast and use a twitch twitch, pause cadence. The key is the pause – be patient. Let the bait sit for 30 seconds to a minute before repeating.

A silver buddy is representing dying baitfish. With this bait you are fishing deeper pockets. Cast and let the bait sink to the bottom. Keeping bottom contact on each fall is critical. Once you have felt that the bait is on the bottom it is a yo-yo type retrieve. So lift the rod up to 12 o’clock and then go back to 9 o’clock. A lot of the bites are going to come on the fall or the fish picking it right up off the bottom.

Next is a jig. With this bait it’s about patience. Cast and let it sit. You do not need to move it much. Most bites will come by letting the jig sit and they will eat it right of the bottom.

Lighter line

Beyond specific baits for cold weather fishing, another technique for colder days is using a lighter line – typically an 8-10 pound test. The water is much clearer in the colder months due to minimal algae and vegetation in the water, so it is critical to downsize your line.

Bundle up and fish on! Summer will here before we know it.

By: Andrew Martin

Since the original Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap was developed in the 1960’s, there have been very few innovations to the lipless crankbaits that have become universal tackle box staples. True, there have been minor stylistic variations like new shapes, different rattle chambers, a plethora of color combinations and sizes; nothing particularly innovative that will help put more fish in the boat. That’s why when I received my Tackle Grab box in the mail a few weeks ago, with a Backstabber Lures “Lipless Stabber,” I was intrigued. The first thing that catches your eye when you take the “Lipless Stabber” out of the package is that they have taken the front treble hook off and placed it on the back of the bait. Weird, right? Might be weird, but it’s a very smart innovation.

The first benefit of having the hook on the top instead of the front is getting a secure hook set once you get a strike. One of the problems with lipless crankbaits isn’t getting bites, but keeping them secured and getting them to the boat. What often happens after a strike, is the fish will get hooked by one prong on the back treble. Everyone has had that experience. You get a good bass to the boat and see that one little hook hanging from the bottom lip. It takes one good surge and pops off. With the Backstabber, when a bass hits the bait from behind, you now have two trebles that allow for more secure hookups. The top treble gets the bass right in the roof of the mouth, where it is much less likely to pull free.

The second benefit of having the hook on top is the ability to come through cover. With the Backstabber, you have the ability to run through thicker weeds, bump off of stumps without the front treble getting hung up. You still have the ability to “rip” the bait through the weeds, which is a dynamite way to catch fish, but you can keep the lure in the strike zone longer without getting a big clump of grass that will render your bait ineffective. Similarly, you can have more confidence bumping your crankbait into wood, without the fear of sticking it and losing your bait.
The other innovation, that I believe will be standard on all crankbaits in the future, is the 360 degree rotation on their treble hooks. Both the bottom and top trebles can fully rotate. When fighting a fish back to the boat, one of the key reasons they come off is the ability of the fish to use the weight of the lure as leverage and come unbuttoned easier. With the 360 degree rotation, the fish can twist and turn and the treble hook twists and turns with it. Better control of the fish. More fish in the boat.

In my opinion, everyone should be bending over backwards to get Backstabber Lures “Lipless Stabber” in their hands. These baits, along with Backstabber’s line of lipped crankbaits, are revolutionary in their design. Through Tackle Grab’s monthly box, I got lucky and ended up with one to try out. I will be buying many more. I encourage you to pick up a few and give them a try today!

Pro Staff: Dobyns Rods, Tackle Grab, PowerTeam Lures, Solar Bat Sunglasses, Skinny Bear Jigs, Gethooked Baits, Whiskey River Bait Co.

Contributing Writer: Rahfish.com, Bass Utopia, Bass Angler Headquarters

By: Colin Belle

For everyone that has been fishing for a number of years you have most likely opened your tackle box on the first nice day in the spring to go fishing only to realize that some of your baits have “melted”, dried out, or have become covered in rust. Even worse you realize that your fishing reels, rods, waders and other expensive gear has also been damaged to the point of no return!

But if you follow these simple guidelines you will extend the life of your valuable fishing gear and gadgets. You will also be able to take stock of the equipment you own so you know what to purchase during the winter months; this is the time to buy at discounted prices.

Waders

Proper wader care is very important to preserve the materials they are made from, whether synthetic or rubber.

1. Clean them with freshwater and dry thoroughly. Boot style waders should be packed with newspaper to help keep the boots in proper shape.
2. Roll them up; do not fold because this will create cracks and creases that will leak. Place them in a garbage back, preferably black to block out light.
3. You will want to store them in a cool and dark location out of direct sunlight.

Rods

For cheaper rods very little if any maintenance before storage is necessary. But for more expensive rods and those with natural cork handles and grips more care and conditioning is necessary.

1. Rinse rods with fresh water and let air dry.
2. Rods with cork handles need to be cared for by applying cork wax to the handle and grips, this can be purchased from music stores and consists mostly of lanolin, a substance derived from wool-bearing animals such as sheep.
3. Check all of your guides to be certain there’s no nicks, scratches, or cracks in them while also making sure there is no fraying and that the guides are securely attached to the rod still. This is the time to make any minor fixes rather than after your line gets cut by a nick in the guide and you lose your favorite lure, this has happened to me.

Reels

Fishing reels are arguably the most expensive investment for most fishermen but at the same time one of the most neglected pieces of equipment. With a few simple steps you can preserve your fishing reels for many years while making sure they do not fail when you are trying to bring in that personal best fish.

1. Braided line can be left on a reel over the winter but note that it can become discolored from high use. However, monofilament and fluorocarbon fishing lines should be removed and stored on a larger diameter object; I keep the spools they come on for this reason. If you do not remove these lines you will end up with a “line memory” problem. What this means is that come spring time you will notice the line has become very curly, more course and will not straighten out properly when casting and retrieving your baits. If you do decided to discard the line do so by bringing it to a local store that will recycle it for you!
2. Remove the crank handle and spool and clean with a damp cloth and then use a compressed can of keyboard cleaner to remove fine particles from the moving parts within the reel.
3. I then use gun oil to lightly lubricate any of the moving parts within my reel and the crank receiver. I then store my reels in a zip lock bag until the spring to block any moisture out and keep the clean and dust free.

Tackle

There is not a whole lot to be said for the proper storage of tackle in the off-season except for a few important things. Organization is probably the most notable with the proper storage of your soft plastics and baits with rubber skirts to prolong the life of them as second.

Hard Baits should be rinsed off with freshwater if they are dirty or have been used in saltwater and then properly organized so they are ready for use again in the spring.

Plastics and skirted baits should be sealed tightly with little to no air in either the bag they came in, soft baits such as worms and craws, or in a heavy duty sandwich sized zip lock bag for your skirted spinner-baits. This prevents the oils in the plastic from drying out and causing them to tear, break or even melt. Then store them in a box out of direct sunlight such as a closet. Ever find a hula-popper in your tackle box with a melted skirt, if it had been in a zip lock during the off season you might still have it!

By: Andrew Martin

Everyone has to start somewhere. Some of us were introduced to fishing before we could walk and never remember not being able to skip a tube twenty feet under a dock with a baitcaster. For the rest of us, somewhere along the line we learned about fishing, graduated from hooks and bobbers to artificial lures and spent a lot of time muddled in trial and error. Maybe you found an old, rusty, in-line spinner in your Uncle Murph’s tackle box or found a red and white Daredevil on the wall at the bait shop. After you tried it out and caught that first bass, you were hooked (pardon the pun). Nightcrawlers became a thing of the past and all you wanted to do was learn about catching them big ol’ bucketmouths with every crazy contraption that had a hook! When you’re first starting out, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the lures on the market. If you’re new to this wonderful world of bass fishing, try simplifying to just four types of baits. After doing a little poll on Facebook (and taking my own choices into account), here are the four that I would recommend every beginning bass angler have in their tackle box:

SPINNERBAIT

The spinnerbait has been catching bass for decades. It is easy for the beginner to master and a TON of fun to throw. A simple two arm metal wire, with a lead head on one side for weight (anywhere from 1/8-1 ½ ounces) attached to a hook, with one, two, three or even four metal blades that spin and flash when brought through the water. When you’re starting out, pick up a couple 3/8 and 1/2 ounce varieties in white and chartreuse with double willow leaf shaped blades in gold or silver. This combination will catch fish in almost any lake in the country. Using a spinnerbait is a piece of cake. Cast it out and reel it back in. Nothing to it. Try reeling it a little slower or a little faster to see what the fish want. Maybe let it stop for a second and flutter down or give it little twitches with your rod tip. This type of lure is called a “reaction bait” and is a great way to locate schools of active, aggressive fish. Throw it along the shoreline, in the weeds, along docks or stumps. When a bass hits it, rip your rod upwards and hold on!

CRANKBAIT

Another essential bait to include in your arsenal is the crankbait. Also a “reaction bait,” crankbaits are designated by their protruding plastic bill or lip that causes the bait to dive down into the water when reeled back in. These are some of the most versatile baits you will ever fish and they are simple to use. They come in various styles that can dive to multiple depths. They have shallow divers, medium divers and deep divers. When you’re starting out, try the shallow square billed varieties, particularly from spring through fall. These can be deadly when bounced off of cover like stumps and trees or along shallow rock. Try colors that match what the bass are eating like shad, bluegill or crawdad patterns. Even advanced anglers typically only throw 4 or 5 different colors depending on the water conditions, so don’t get overwhelmed by the variety. Once you get used to the shallow divers, find some that dive in the 6-10 foot range, then 10-14 until you get to those big lipped, deep diver that crawl around in the 20 foot range.

SOFT PLASTICS

Warning. This is a BROAD category. Let me help you narrow it down a little bit. Soft plastic baits come in every shape, size and color imaginable. If you were new to the sport and happened to walk into your local bass fishing superstore , the massive amounts of soft plastic baits would blow your mind. Basically, you have a couple of different categories and it would be helpful to own a couple packs of each. First, you definitely want to pick up some stick baits. These “senko” style plastic worms do not look like much, but they are one of the best fish catchers around. Second, I would invest in a few straight tailed and curly tailed worms. They come in varieties from 3-inches to 12-inches. Keep it simple and get a few 6-inch versions. Third, creature baits. There are a billion varieties, but a brush hog style and a beaver style would probably be a good start. Finally, pick up some tubes. Tubes are so easy to throw and work almost anywhere at any time of the year. All of these various plastics can be rigged in a variety of ways. Check out YouTube and look up videos on “Texas Rigging,” “Wacky Rigging” and “Shakey Heads.” Again, you only need a couple of colors. The four that I would pick are Green Pumpkin, Watermelon, Oxblood and some sort of black/blue or Junebug color. Toss these out and work them SLOWLY. Dragging or slow hopping them on the bottom. Let them sit or “dead stick” for a few seconds and bass will suck them in and head for the hills!

JIGS

The final bait that I wouldn’t leave home without, is a jig. Jigs are a simple lead head attached to a hook with some sort of skirt tied to the head. These come in light finesse versions to massive 1-ounce or bigger styles. Jigs can be used in a variety of circumstances, from less than a foot of water to 60 feet. Typically, you will pair a jig with some sort of soft plastic trailer, like a crawdad or creature bait. You can cast these into heavy weeds and other cover and slowly hop them back, imitating a fleeing crawdad. You can buy some in a “football” style and drag them in deep water over points and humps. You can purchase them in a “swimming” style and use them in similar situations as you would a spinnerbait. They are so versatile, there is almost no wrong way to fish with them, making them perfect for new anglers. Again, try the 3/8 or 1/2 ounce versions, as they will be the most versatile for fishing them in different depths. Get some in green/brown and some in a black/blue depending on the water clarity. Some of the biggest bites, the ones that almost pull the rod out of your hand, will come on this simple little lure.
Nothing is more frustrating and discouraging than trying to figure out the maze of products on the market. It feels like you need an advanced engineering degree just to catch fish! Remember, bass are not going to outsmart you. You might want to try a great service like Tackle Grab, that ships you new lures every month. This way you can try new things, without feeling overwhelmed. Keeping it simple will make your journey down the road to angling greatness smoother and much more fun!

Pro Staff: Dobyns Rods, Tackle Grab, PowerTeam Lures, Solar Bat Sunglasses, Skinny Bear Jigs, Gethooked Baits, Whiskey River Bait Co.

Contributing Writer: Rahfish.com, Bass Utopia, Bass Angler Headquarters

By: Andrew Martin

When the bite gets really tough, no technique in recent years has put more fish in the boat than the drop shot. Developed to fish the deep reservoirs of California, it quickly became a mainstay for anglers all over the country. If you’re like me, certain techniques sometimes get put on the back burner. You want to learn them, but with limited time on the water and busy lives off the water, it’s tough to add another thing to your plate. This is for those of you that need a little primer on the basics of the drop shot. Having this simple technique in your repertoire will help you land fish during times when other presentations are just not working. Here are a couple of steps to get you started:

STEP 1 – Choosing Your Hook, Line, Sinker and Rod

Like any other technique, a lot of the basics come down to the terminal tackle and the line you are using. Your typical drop shot set up will work best paired with a 1-4 sized hook. Most of the major hook manufacturers will have a technique specific “drop shot” hook that they are marketing. Some anglers prefer to use a wacky rig type circular “octopus” hook. I like the standard drop shot hook and most of the time opt for the #2 or #4. Weights can vary from super light 1/16 to 1/2 ounce. Again, most manufacturers have a “drop shot” specific weight selection. They tend to be teardrop or cylindrical in shape. As with most finesse set ups, drop shots are typically thrown on 4-10 pound flourocarbon. Personally, I really like Seagur’s InvisX. After trying a number of brands, it’s the one that I noticed the least amount of memory. Again, lots of brands on the market, find out what works for you. Recently it has become popular to connect braided line to an 8-10 foot flourocarbon leader to reduce the amount line twists. I’ve tried both ways and tend to prefer straight flouro.

The standard rod for this technique is a 6’9-7’0 medium/light spinning rod with a fast tip. Personally, I use the Dobyns Rods Savvy Series 692. It has the perfect amount of backbone and sensitivity, specifically designed to be used for drop shot applications.

STEP 2 – The Knot

In order to rig a drop shot effectively, it is essential to learn how to tie a palomar knot. After securing your hook, make sure your hook is facing up. If it is facing down, run your tag end through the top of the eye of the hook. This should right your hook, so it is facing upwards. The trick is to leave your tag end longer than usual and tie your weight to the bottom of the tag end. The proper length between your hook and your weight is a topic of some debate. After spending a little time with some of the top west coast drop shot gurus, leaving about an inch or two longer than your bait seems to be the most effective. For example, a 6-inch worm, leave an 8-inch leader to your weight. This will vary if you’re fishing in weeds, where you want the bait to float above the weed line or other structure, but for rocky or sandy bottom an inch or two is a good rule of thumb.

STEP 3 – The Right Plastics

Since the drop shot started as a west coast phenomenon, it would make sense that the most common plastic used for this technique would be the west coast hand poured worm. Typically these are just a soft straight-tailed, 4-6 inch worm. Though there are literally thousands of small custom worm manufacturers, Roboworm has become the most popular. Lots of companies have come out with their technique specific plastics. PowerTeam Lures has a little 5 inch bait called the Finicky Tickler that is specifically designed for drop shot applications, as well as their “goby” style bait, the JP Hammer Shad. Don’t limit yourself. Tubes, senkos, creature baits and grubs can all work on a drop shot. Experiment and see what works best for you.

STEP 4 – How to Work It

The simplicity of this technique is what makes it most appealing. There really is no wrong way to work it. You drop it down to the bottom, at any depth and let it sit. Most good drop shot anglers will tell you to literally dead stick it. The natural movement caused by the water, will be enough action to entice the fish. Some will shake the rod tip to impart a more aggressive action, especially when tossing it onto a spawning bed. Nothing drives a big female crazy more than a white tube on a drop shot tossed right up where she laid her eggs!

Now that you have the basics down, give the drop shot technique a try. The sky is the limit in regard to the various ways you can rig it and work it. The newest craze is throwing it on baitcasting gear with heavy line in heavy cover. Find your own new application. Most importantly, if you haven’t given it a shot, get to it! Do some experimenting. The drop shot is a proven fish catcher that will get the job done when the bite gets tough and all other baits fail.

By: Katie Bernotsky, Power Team Lures

From coast to coast bass are just programmed to eat crawfish, which is why the Craw D’oeuvre is such an invaluable tool in your tackle bag. At 3.5 inches in length and neutrally buoyant, the Craw D’oeuvre was specifically designed to mimic the average size and true subtle action of real crawfish…the two factors that make it so effective for catching bass. It’s available in 18 different colors and can be rigged and fished a variety of ways to accommodate any conditions you’re faced with when you hit the water. The more ways you know how to fish it, the more successful of an angler you will be. Here’s a handful of the most common ways the Craw D’oeuvre is fished:

Shakey head; Rigged on a Shakey head or Stand up head, the Craw D’oeuvre is an excellent finesse presentation. This method will not only produce any time of year, but it’s also perfect for when the bass are in a negative mood as well as cold water situations.

Flippin’ and Pitchin’; Texas rig the Craw D’oeuvre on a 3/0 heavy wire hook topped off with a ¼ to ½ oz tungsten weight and pitch it around wood, grass, rock, docks and anything that looks “bassy”. Due to its compact size , bass usually engulf the Craw D’oeuvre so don’t plan on missing to many hook sets.

Drop Shot; Yes Drop Shot! Many anglers don’t think of drop shotting craw baits, which makes this such a deadly presentation. Rig it on a 1/0 or 2/0 drop shot hook with a 6 to 18” lead and experience what other anglers haven’t been telling you. **Exceptionally Deadly on bedding fish.

Jig Trailer; A main staple for avid jig fisherman around the country, the Craw D’oeuvre is an excellent complement to your favorite jig. It’s available in 18 different colors so there’s plenty of “Jig and D’oeuvre” color combinations to play with. And think outside of the box! There are many times that contrasting jig and trailer combos will out-perform jig and trailer combos that blend, so feel free to get creative.

Finesse Texas Rig; Texas Rigged on a 2/0 EWG light wire hook with a 1/16, 1/8, or 3/16 oz tungsten weight and fished on spinning gear is a sure shot for when the conditions call for a downsized presentation and fish are around sparse cover. A 6’6” to 7’ medium action spinning rod and 8 to 12 lb line will get you the casting distance you need plus the sensitivity to detect subtle bites.

Punching; The Craw D’oeuvre is excellent for punching heavy matted vegetation. It slides through the grass with ease plus its compact size minimizes the chances for short strikes. Rig one on a 3/0 heavy wire flippin’ hook or EWG hook, top it off with a ¾ to 1 ½ oz tungsten flippin’ weight, punch it through some heavy mats and you’ll see what’s lurking under all that thick vegetation.

To see all the available colors of the Craw D’oeuvre, visit www.PowerTeamLures.com

By: Andrew Martin

The traditional curly tail grub has been around for decades. In its various forms and sizes, the grub has probably accounted for more numbers and species of fish than any other bait. It is undeniably versatile. Fish it in all four seasons, any water temperature, fresh water or salt water and for everything from trout to walleye, flounder to calico bass, crappie, smallmouth, largemouth, muskies and even giant versions for barracuda and dorado. Not only is it a multi-species juggernaut, it can be utilized in a ton of different ways.

Though they can be used for tons of different fish, here are three ways that a grub can be effective catching bass:

1. The “Original” Swimbait – Before the invention of the massive hunks of plastic we know as “swimbaits”, grubs were used in similar situations. Cast them out on a jighead and reel them back, swimming them through the water, causing the erratic action of the tail to entice the most lethargic of fish. Give it a “stop and go” retrieve, let it flutter down and kick it back into gear. For bass out west, 1/8-1/4 ounce darter heads are extremely popular. The narrow, bullet shaped head allow the grub to be streamlined through the water. PowerTeam Lures 4.5 inch grub is excellent for this technique. Their unique tail design and ribbed notches, allow the grub to almost vibrate, displacing a whole bunch of water. There are dozens of different styles of jigheads that can be paired up with a grub. Experiment and find what works best for you.

2. Hitch up the Trailer – Hands down, one of the best trailers on the market is the grub. Depending on the time of year and specific situation, a single tail or twin tail grub can be extremely effective. The fluttering curl tail has an amazing action while a jig is dropping down. Use a twin tail when you want your jig to fall a little slower and a single tail when you don’t need as much action, for a subtle approach. Try big 4-6 inch grubs to bulk up a jig. If the bite is tough, use a micro jig with a little crappie grub. Grubs are also excellent when used as a trailer on spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and on A-Rigs when paired with a jighead.

3. Drop it Like it’s Hot – With the popularity of the drop-shot technique moving from the west coast across the country, hundreds of baits have come out specifically for this finesse presentation. The 3-4 inch straight worms that many would have never touched in the past, have become a mainstay in everyone’s tackle box. The grub, however, was one of the first plastics to be used on a drop shot. Western anglers would nose hook it on a 10-20 inch leader and let it down right into schools of bass. Many times a bass will grab it on the fall. The action of the grub as it’s dropped down is a quick and easy meal and almost impossible for a bass to resist.

There are dozens of other ways to rig up a grub, these are just a few that have worked well for me. Get creative. There are almost no wrong ways to work this fantastic bait. Pick some up and give them a try!

Pro Staff: Dobyns Rods, PowerTeam Lures, Solar Bat Sunglasses, Gethooked Baits, Whiskey River Bait Co., Tackle Grab

Contributing Writer: Rahfish.com, Bass Utopia

With the holidays upon us, we’ve developed A Day in the Angler’s Life – our 2012 Gift Guide featuring a compilation of the best holiday gifts for today’s anglers across the country. Developed with help from our favorite fishing fans, A Day in the Angler’s Life takes you through a fisherman’s day, start to finish, with recommendations for everything from high quality fishing apparel to the best coolers to keep your catch fresh. Want to buy your holiday gifts directly from us? We have a selection of products in our gift guide available to purchase directly from us!

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Happy Holidays!
-The Tackle Grab Team