By: Terry Brown

Throwback lures can still be very viable bass fishing options.

Being around fishing for as long time can be an advantage. Seeing the old and now the new gives perspective on the creative and the copied. Living through the early days when the technology was in its infancy, baits were sometimes archaic and clunky but they were original. They were best we had and they caught fish. Today, space age materials and manufacturing processes have for the most part replaced handmade. Plastic and tungsten has replaced wood and lead but the heart of the design is still relevant and many of the builders have the same passion.

Today’s fishing community has kept up with new products and new technology. Matter of fact they live for it and seek information on anything new. Manufacturers create lighter and stronger tools now, however, they may not necessarily be better.

Jason Christie has won a bunch of money this year on the old original Rebel crankbait that is no longer in production and it was the key to his latest Bassmaster Open win on Ft. Gibson.

There are several products that have been around for a while that I still like to use. They may be a bit battle scarred, but all they need is to be dusted off, customized a bit and brought back into action. They still catch fish. Remember, the old set the course; the new just streamlined it.

Five old bait favorites, in no particular order, that still catch fish today are:

1. Fred Arbogast Jitterbug

The Jitterbug is a topwater bait that has a very unique metal lip and a pivoting line tie that allows the bait to walk slowly side to side. To-date, nothing has been built that has the same wobbling action. It is exceptionally good at night and low light conditions and works well around lily pads and fished parallel to the bank.

The Jitterbug is best worked slowly in calm water. A steady retrieve and a slower gear ratio reel is a must for this bait.

If an older model is used today, change out the metal hardware and replace with eye hooks, split rings and sharper hooks. The Jitterbug is still sold today. There are nine models of the Jitterbug including a weedless and jointed models.

2. Cotton Cordell Big O

One of the first molded plastic crankbaits this shallow diver has some unique properties that make it special including a very unique rattle, with several small BB’s, a wide wobble and a molded bill that makes it super durable. Cotton Cordell made this bait from a Fred Young carving in 1973. The Cordell Big O is still sold today but we really like the older models best for tough days on docks and over grass.

3. Heddon Zara Spook

The Original Spook is a two hook model that also came with screw in hardware. The unique side to side walking action coined “walking the dog” generates big explosive blow-ups. The cigar-shaped bait had no lip or rattle and some even came with glitter glued to the bait. The “old dogs” are the ones I like best but remove the hardware and use better hooks. The old hardware can bind, pull loose and cause lost fish.

4. Rapala Floating Minnow

This lifelike, balsa stickbait has been around for decades, one of the first baits from Rapala. Its shape and lifelike action imitates a minnow, and because it is made from balsa, it floats very high on top of the water. It works great both jerked in shallow water and fished like a topwater. I especially like this bait in clear water and during the spawn. A couple of quick jerks followed by a long pause allows the bait to float to the surface and mimic and injured minnow.

Just about every gamefish on the planet has fallen victim to the Rapala Floating Minnow, and rest assured it is still a big seller today for Rapala.

The lip design allows the bait to dive nose down and have erratic action when twitched. My two favorite colors and sizes are Silver (11S) and Gold (11G) and comes in several lengths including my favorites of 11 and 13. Its casts on a 6 foot baitcasting set-up well but seems to have more followers using spinning gear. The hooks on this bait are super sticky out of the box and are short shank models that do not tangle.

5. Bagley Diving B II

This Jim Bagley creation was one of the first wide-wobbling, deeper-water balsa crankbaits I purchased. The Killer B and Dredge were later models I gravitated to, but I still have an affinity for the action of the Diving B II. This bait is silent, has the unique rounded Bagley lip design and was carefully painted to make it visible to bass in a variety of water clarities. It dives 6-8 feet depending on line size and utilized a wire through bait technology to hold the hooks and lip line tie as a single unit making it very durable and easily tuned.

This bait works well on points but was especially effective on docks with a stop and go retrieve. You can actually tune the bait to run under the dock on the retrieve. Stopping the bait and letting it rise quickly generates the most vicious strikes.

Other great baits I still have in my arsenal that didn’t make my top five but still have a place in my memory banks are the original Storm Wiggle Wart and Short Wart, the Luhr Jensen Woodchopper, the Smithwick Devils Horse, the South Bend Nip-I-Diddee, the Heddon Hellbender, Brother’s Bait Company Limberneck Spinnerbait, the Lunker Lure Original Buzzbait and the Heddon Tiny Torpedo.

Don’t be afraid to pull some of these old baits out and give them a try. I bet you catch fish on them.

By: Walker Smith

It can be difficult to get motivated for bass fishing this time of the year. The bass are slowly but surely becoming exceedingly conscious of the upcoming winter weather and their metabolic rates are screeching to a halt. Compound this ever-increasing inactivity with bone-chilling conditions and it’s pretty darn tempting to stay home and catch up on our honey do lists.

’Tis the season. Welcome to wintertime fishing.

According to Elite Series pro Timmy Horton, however, there’s a ray of hope—an elixir, of sorts—for our winter bass fishing blues. If your timing is just right, you can experience some of the most incredible action of the year by targeting warm runoffs.

To unleash this special pattern’s true potential, he believes it’s important to understand several key elements that will drastically shorten your learning curve.

• Know what makes it special
• Two very different types of runoffs
• Small windows
• Lure selection

Why runoffs and why now?

“They’re just not biting.”

It’s one of the biggest clichés in our sport and it’s also one of the most prominent excuses for a poor outing on the water. But as both the air and water temperatures drop, this old saying might actually hold some validity.
“I believe there’s always a bass somewhere in the lake that’s ready to eat,” Horton said. “But throughout the colder months, their feeding activity takes place in very short spurts because their metabolism becomes incredibly sluggish. This is one of the reasons they become so difficult to catch— you have to be in the right place at exactly the right time.”

Runoffs, however, seem to level the proverbial playing field by introducing two variables into the equation. They can provide both warm water and enormous concentrations of baitfish on which the bass can feed.

“If the water is below 60 degrees and a warm rain comes through the area, runoffs can be incredibly productive,” Horton said. “The precipitation is often 2 to 3 degrees warmer than the rest of the water which sends the bass into a major feeding mode. Not to mention, the shad flock to these runoffs to gorge on the microorganisms and phytoplankton that are washing into the water.”

In addition to providing warmer temperatures and a smorgasbord of easily available forage, these runoffs often leave behind a distinct stain to the water. Because stained water is much denser than clear water, it will conduct heat faster and remain warmer for days after any rainfall.

The bass are actively seeking warmer water and when they sense it coming from these runoffs, they’ll get absolutely stacked. The shad do the same thing as well, which creates a perfect storm.

Understand the two different types of runoffs

Contrary to popular belief, not every runoff is the same. Horton places them into two distinct categories and approaches each one very differently.

“Some may confuse these areas with the precipitation runoff that’s commonly found in the backs of major feeder creeks,” Horton said. “But that type of runoff can actually hurt the fishing this time of year because it can introduce entirely too much mud into the creek, causing both the bass and bait to disappear almost overnight. The runoff pattern I’m describing is much more of a short pocket and cove-oriented deal.”

Industrial runoff— Runoff from industrial areas, such as manufacturing facilities, often remains consistent throughout the entire year. As a result, the bass become accustomed to it and tend to position much tighter to the influx of water. They’ve learned where the action is, so there’s no point in meandering elsehwere. So when Horton targets these areas, he’ll concentrate his efforts within 10 to 15 yards of the water flow.

Natural runoff— Whenever new water is introduced into a fishery by way of topographical features, such as mountains and valleys, Horton has noticed a difference in the bass’ behavior. Instead of positioning tightly to the point of entry, they’ll actually scatter throughout the surrounding area. He’ll still begin his dissection close to the water flow but will work away from it until he stops getting bites. As a general rule, Horton believes the first 20 to 30 yards to be the most productive.

Small windows of opportunity

For some of you, all this talk of big bass might have you chomping at the bit to go try this coldwater technique. But don’t get carried away yet. In order for this to work, both your personal schedule and the weather has to line up almost perfectly.

“This pattern gives you a very small window of opportunity,” Horton said. “But if you watch the weather and get out there at the right time, you won’t believe how crazy the fishing will be. You can literally catch zero bass the day before and hammer a 20-pound limit the very next day.”

So what’s the deal with the weather? When can we expect to jack on ‘em?

Warm fronts— I always feel obligated to point out that the word “warm” is a relative term. But regardless of your location, this runoff pattern can take place anytime after a warm rain event. As long as the precipitation is a few degrees warmer than the current water temperature, there’s a solid chance of getting on a great bite. For example, if the water in your favorite lake is currently 45 degrees, make plans to fish runoffs the next time a 50-degree rain hits your area.

It lasts for a few days— It doesn’t have to be nasty and wet outside to experience this special fishing pattern. If you’d rather stay dry, just make sure to target these runoffs within 4 or 5 days of the most recent rainfall. The fresh water will lasts for several days, so there’s no need to fish in inclement weather.

It doesn’t take much— If you get a rare 75-degree rain or something similar, fishing runoffs will be absolutely unreal. But an extreme warm front isn’t necessary. Horton has caught countless big bass by targeting runoffs just a degree or two warmer than the rest of the lake, so don’t overthink it. A small increase in water temperature is all it takes.

Find ‘em quickly: Use satellite imaging such as Google Earth to find nearby mountain valleys, farm ponds or even wildlife refuges. These are all prime areas to find warm runoff in the colder months.

Productive lures to consider

A boat full of fishing equipment isn’t required for this pattern. To be quite honest, there will be days where you can catch ‘em on just about anything that remotely resembles a baitfish. But day-in and day-out, Horton enjoys the most consistent success on three primary types of lures— a jerkbait, spinnerbait and lipless crankbait.

Jerkbait— “My number one choice is almost always going to be a hard jerkbait, such as an Azuma Bray Z,” Horton said. “A jerkbait will temporarily spook big balls of shad, which gives the bass an excellent look at your offering. It’s important to use a suspending model because even though we’re searching for warmer water, it’s still relatively cold compared to other times of the year.”

Spinnerbait— When he finds a runoff in fairly stained water, Horton relies heavily on a 1/2-ounce white and chartreuse-colored spinnerbait, such as a Swampers Target Willow. He makes long casts and slow-rolls it through the area. The added flash and vibration of the blades helps the bass locate the lure and drastically reduces short-strikes.

Lipless crankbait— “You’ll find a lot of pipes that introduce warmer water near big flats,” Horton said. “The Azuma Shaker Z allows me to cover a lot of water which is extremely important. These pipes will often create a 10 to 15-acre area of warmer water, so you have to use a lure you can fish efficiently.”

If the cold weather sweeping across the nation is making you a bit stir-crazy, grab a couple of rods and search for some nearby runoffs. If you pay close attention to the weather, you’re likely to have a few days of fishing you’ll never forget.

By: Jason Sealock

We’ve had a bunch of requests to do a piece on how to tie several rigs for bass fishing with soft plastics and when and where to fish them. We’ll start with this overview piece with diagrams on how to rig the plastics. We’ll follow up with underwater videos to show how the rigs look in the water and we’ll expand on these rigs with more advanced rigs in future pieces. But for now here are the five basic plastics rigs we think every bass angler should know.

1. The Texas Rig

The Basics – This is one of the first rigs most of learned for soft plastics when we started bass fishing. The rig is pretty simple and becomes second nature after you rig about 1,000 worms this way.

You start by piercing the hook point into the nose of the worm. Push it in ¼ of an inch and then poke it out of the side of the worm at a 90 degree angle. Run the whole hook out the side until you get to the eyelet. As you approach the eyelet rotate the hook so the hook point is pointed back towards the body of the worm. Now lay the hook to the side of the worm keeping the worm straight. Make a mental note of where the bend of the hook intersects the bottom of the worm. That’s where you want to insert the hook point and then thread it into the body of the worm.

The rig is weedless and snagless if the plastic is covering the hookpoint. It presents the worm both horizontally along the bottom if a bullet sinker is added or horizontally towards the top if rigged weightless. It can also be fished vertically with a heavy bullet sinker in applications like flipping, pitching and punching. It’s the best way to present a soft plastic bait in heavy cover. Keeps the hook covered. It works in grass, rocks, brush, timber and manmade structures.

Advanced modifications – You can actually run the hook point back into the side of the bait and out the other side and then lay the hook point on the side of the body just pricking the point back into the plastic. This makes it a lot easier to stick fish on a hookset but it’s not as snagless around dense cover. This method is actually called Tex-posing.

Some folks will stick a tooth pick or other keeper like the Eco Pro Tungsten Diamond Pegs into the eyelet of the hook to lock the plastics in place on the hook. The more your plastics tear from fighting fish, the less weedless the rig will become. So if you feel like you’re starting to snag more, it’s time for a new plastic.

2. The Carolina Rig

The Basics – The Carolina rig is made to separate the worm from the weight so that the worm is a more natural horizontal freedom of movement. As you pull the weight along the bottom the worm will dance and dart and suspend momentarily behind the weight.

To tie the rig, you slide a bullet or egg sinker onto your line, then slide a bead or brass clacker on to the line behind the weight and hold them in place while you tie a barrel swivel to the end of the line. Now take a leader from 2 feet to 5 feet and tie that to the other end of the barrel swivel. At the end of your leader, you’ll attach a hook and then thread your plastic onto that hook either Texas rigged or Tex-posed.

This rig is weedless but it allows you to fish a worm faster through a larger horizontal area like a ledge, a flat, a weedline, shallow weed beds. It’s not particulary good around rocks like rip rap as it tends to hang a lot if you use a 1/2- to 1-ounce weight. It’s a great way to feel the bottom with a heavier weight and find things like isolated stumps or clumps of weed. You can fish it fast, but as a general rule, you want to keep the weight in constant contact with the bottom. Think of it more like a slow crankbait. Just pull it a foot at a time with a side sweep of your rod; then take up the slack and do it again.

Advanced modifications – We’ve seen a lot of success with a very small weight like a 1/8-ounce bullet sinker and small plastics. It’s a finesse Carolina rig that can be fished on top of grass and through snag-prone cover more effectively. Smaller finesse worms, French fries and even soft jerkbaits are extremely effective on this rig. And using a split shot with a small plastic and no swivel can be great tool in ultra clear water.

3. The Drop Shot Rig

The Basics – The drop shot rig presents the bait in a horizontal fashion up off the bottom but is a tremendously effective way to fish vertically. In contrast to the Carolina rig, the weight is at the bottom, and the hook is up the line anywhere from a few inches to several feet. With this rig, you can use the weight to hold your bait in one place and fish it up and down, shaking it and enticing fish to come in and take a bite.

To rig it you start by tying a standard knot to the hook but making sure to leave a long tag end from 6 inches to several feet in length depending on how high off the bottom you want to fish the bait. After you tie your knot, take that tag end and run it through the eyelet from the side the hook point is on. This will cause the hook to kick out with the hook point upward. Then Texas rig your worm onto the hook or if you prefer a small drop shot hook, just nose hook the worm just over the point.

At the bottom of your tag end, attach a drop-shot weight or a bell sinker. We like an Eco Pro Tungsten Pro dropshot weight and a VMC Spin Shot drop shot hook for our rigs.

You can fish it vertically in cover or make casts to deep structure and work it back slowly like a texas rig until you contact a piece of cover. Then stop and work it up and down trying to just move the slack and not move your sinker at all. As you put slack in the line the worm will fall. As you pull the line tight the worm will rise in the water column.

Advanced modifications – Using a small No.1 or 1/0 worm hook and texas rigging the worm can be very effective for fishing around standing timber and brush piles. Nose hooking on small finesse and drop shot hooks can be effective for open water. And we’ve found that wacky rigging the worm on the drop shoot hook is also effective for catching finicky bass.

We’ve also heard of anglers attaching a jig as the bottom weight to give the fish two different baits to look at.

4. The Wacky Rig

The Basics – The wacky rig offers anglers a very natural looking profile to a bait that sits horizontal in the water but falls slowly vertically and can be fished in one spot very well. It can be a weightless rig or have a ring weights or belly weights like the Eco Pro Tungsten Wacky Rig weight added to it to get it down in deeper water faster.

This is probably the easiest of the rigs to tie. Tie a hook to your line with your favorite knot and then fold the worm in half and pierce the worm through the middle. Then after you cast, let it fall and give it a few slight twitches, then let it fall and twitch it some more. It looks like a real earthworm writhing through the water column.

This is a great technique in clear water. The fish need to be able to see the worm but it looks very lifelike. You can fish it around floating cover like docks or around bedding bass or bass relating to vertical structures. It’s hard to fish it over large horizontal areas because it works so slowly.

Advanced modifications – Lots of anglers like to use O-rings to keep the bait on the hook. We actually prefer split rings sized to the size of the worm we’re using. A No. 6 or No 4 works for a lot of the baits we fish like a Zoom Trick Worm and a Yamamoto Senko. It’s as effective on a drop shot as it is rigged weightless.

5. The Neko Rig

The Basics – Really we consider this rig probably 4b as it starts as a wacky rig. But truth be told it’s the exact opposite of a wacky rig because of how the worm is displayed to the fish. Where a drop shot is a horizontal presentation mostly fished vertically, the Neko rig is a vertical presentation fished horizontally.

To tie the rig, tie your hook to the end of your line. Then pierce the worm through the middle just like a wacky rig. Now insert a lead nail weight or nail into the tail of the worm. As you fish the worm, it will stand on end but as you twitch it, the worm will pull horizontally twitching forward while standing up vertically off the bottom. A very unique presentation for a soft plastic.

Advanced modifications – Several great insert weights exist now for rigging this way. There are ball weights that insert into the tail, giving the appearance of a shaky head that you can move from the middle of the worm instead of the head of the worm. Split rings can keep the worm attached to the hook while fighting fish. Just slide the split ring over the worm to the middle and then run the hook point into the worm under the split ring to hold it in place.

These presentations give you five great ways to tempt fish with soft plastics. With weights, without weights and combined together, you can make a lot presentations to the fish until you find the one that most appeals to the bass on that particular day the next time you’re out bass fishing on your favorite fishery.

By: Tim Hine

Reaction Strike – Revolution Frog

Everyone likes to frog fish and the Revolution Frog found in July’s Tackle Grab box came just in time for some summer time top water fun.

At 1 ¾” this frog can be fished around ponds or larger bodies of water. Regardless of where you are fishing, the Rev Frog will definitely catch you fish.

In most cases you will want to pair up a top water frog with a heavy action rod and heavy braid. Seeing as this frog is smaller and lighter than usual, we recommend fishing this frog on a 7’ – 7’3 medium heavy to heavy action rod with 30-50lb braid. Now, your equipment selection will really depend on how thick the cover is you are fishing, but if you down size your equipment slightly you will increase the casting distance and reach more potential fish.

Retrieve the Revolution Frog in various ways until you trigger strikes. Start by burning the frog, then slow it right down with pauses between each twitch. You will have to show the fish exactly what they want to earn their bite! When setting the hooking, don’t set right away because you will miss more fish than you will hook. After the fish blows up on the frog, count 1, 2 then set. This will allow the fish to take the frog. If you do this correctly, you should get both hooks in the roof of the fishes mouth.

River2Sea Biggie Smalls

We have done a product review on the River2Sea Biggie Smalls in the past. Standing at 2 ¼” in length and 3/8oz in weight, this little square bill is ideal to bang off various types of cover.

When the Smalls came in May’s Tackle Grab box, we literally took it out for an all out assault on post spawn largemouth.

Prior to big female largemouth retreating to recover from their tiring spawn, they will chase and chomp on unsuspecting bait fish before they leave the shallow spawning flats. The River2Sea Biggie Smalls square bill mimics those baitfish in the shallows, right down the size.

Early spring, the bait is much smaller than the summer, so matching the size of what the largemouth are chasing will be key.

Diving down between 2 – 4 feet, pair up the Smalls on a 7’ – 7’6” medium action crankbait rod on 12 – 14lb fluorocarbon and a 5.3:1 bait casting reel.

Yo-Zuri Rattl’N Vibe

Yo-Zuri has been around for years, and sometimes it seems like they get pushed out of the way by new and exciting techniques, but nothing will ever replace the lipless crankbait.

The Yo-Zuri Rattl’N Vibe arrived at Rahfish HQ mid-summer. Although you may feel like the lipless crankbait is a cold water technique, you are missing out if you put it away in the summer!

Burning lipless crankbaits over sandy flats for smallmouth on the Great Lakes is one of the best techniques to catch hungry summer smallies. Since these fish like to bask in the sun and cruise looking for bait or crayfish, the Rattl’N Vibe was a big part of our summer time smallmouth success.

At 2 ½” in length and 5/8oz in weight, the Yo-Zuri Rattl’N Vibe can be fished many different ways. Whether you need to burn it over sand, yo yo it over and around broken rock or jig it off the bottom, this could be one of the more versatile types of hard baits on the market.

Your equipment will really depend on how you intend on fishing the Rattl’N Vibe. A simple cast and retrieve method can be fished on a 7’3 medium / heavy action crankbait rod with 10 – 12lb fluorocarbon. We only suggest you down size the fluoro for water clarity reasons. If you are fishing smallmouth, then the water will be much clearer and you need a smaller diameter line.

If jigging is your deal, you may want a slightly longer rod for those sudden hook ups, as jig bites generally come on the fall.

Secret Lures – MVP Finesse Jig

There definitely are a lot of jigs on the market! Secret Lures Finesse Jig was another bait that came mid-summer, which again, was a great timing on Tackle Grab’s part! Since Spotted Bass tend to suspend and stay quite a bit deeper than largemouth or smallmouth, fishing a jig for Spots is always a good way to catch them.

Although the ideal size of jig for deep Spots is a 1/2oz or 3/4oz, the Secret Lures Finesse Jig is actually a great way to catch finicky post front Spotted bass. On days were they need a good look and they want a slower presentation, make sure to bring your patience, cast the Secret Lures Finesse Jig out and let it get down to bottom and settle. The design of the jig is such that it will stand up, so adding a trailer is a good thing. Since these post front fish will be tough to catch, selecting a 3” or 4” trailer will be a perfect match and will also add a little weight to the Finesse Jig.

Slowly dragging the Secret Lures Finesse jig along the bottom with the odd pause and hop will trigger those Spots to bite.

Vicious Fishing – VC2.4

We were excited to receive the Vicious VC 2.4 medium diving crankbait in August’s box, because at that time largemouth had retreated to deeper isolated grass in search of cooler water and current.

Setting up the VC 2.4 on a 7’11” Medium action crankbait rod and 12lb fluorocarbon, allowed for long casts so we could reach the top of the grass.

A slow steady retrieval speed is key here, but not as important as where you are casting. Offshore fishing definitely requires practice, so much so that even some of the pros aren’t comfortable fishing offshore in tournaments.

Locating the grass, rock piles or tree tops is one thing, but figuring out how the fish are positioned in comparison to the cover or structure is the time consuming part.

Using your electronics, locate the structure and the fish around it, and position your boat less than casting distance away. To reach your target depth you will need to cast past the structure so the VC 2.4 will reach the depth of the fish well before the lure actually gets in front of them.

This technique could take some time to figure out the positioning of the fish, but isn’t that what fishing is all about?