Articles

Bass in the Grass

By Travis Peterson

Bass and heavy vegetation go hand in hand or fin in fin, depending on which perspective one takes. Anglers who get easily frustrated by a few weeds clinging to their lure or line quickly give up bass fishing. Those who dare enter the thickest cover with the proper tools for the job and the right mind-set will be rewarded with bass, big bass.

Rods, reels, and line must be strong and dependable. Most bass anglers opt for a flipping stick or heavy baitcasting rod in the 6'6" - 7'6" range. St. Croix has a number of rods that fall into this category yet are light enough to keep me pitchin' from daylight 'till dark. A quality baitcasting reel like the ABU Garcia Revo is also paramount. As with most things, you get what you pay for when it comes to reels. Lastly, tough, abrasion resistant line like Berkley Big Game is the critical link between man and beast. I prefer 25-pound test.

Lures for fishing heavy vegetation fall into two categories, horizontal and vertical lures. Horizontal lures swim through or over the cover while vertical lures are presented in a drop-lift-drop or "yo-yo" fashion.

Spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, weedless spoons, soft jerkbaits, hard jerkbaits, crankbaits, and topwater lures fall into the horizontal lure family. When fishing bass in emergent vegetation, that which grows to and above the surface of the water, I rely on four primary horizontal lures. They include a ReedRunner Spinnerbait, a Buzzard Buzzbait, a Jawbreaker Spoon, and a Slurpies Jerk Shad. The entire arsenal of lures is pitched around heavy cover and retrieved at a relatively rapid rate with exception of the slug, which is twitched in and out of openings in the cover.

When fishing weed flats, I'll continue to employ the ReedRunner and Buzzard, but add a couple other horizontal lures to the mix. In the case of the ReedRunner, I'll mix up the retrieve until a pattern is established. A ½ ounce model is called upon for fishing the flats as it simply runs deeper.

The Buzzard really shines when the sun doesn't. I reserve it for lowlight hours and overcast days in clear water. In dark water, it will catch bass all day.

A Rattlin' Rap is a super lure for casting over weed flats. The trick is to retrieve the lure so it just ticks the tops of the submerged vegetation. In many cases, this means burning the lure. There's no such thing as too fast for largemouth.

Finally, I keep a topwater lure like a Rapala Skitter Pop tied to a lighter rod yet with relatively heavy line. Often bass can be coaxed out of depths as deep as 15 feet in clear water to take a topwater lure.

In the vertical category of lures for heavy vegetation, there are flippin' jigs and texas rigged soft-plastics.

I generally have three rods rigged with weedless vertical lures. A Rattlin' Jungle Jig sees the most action in my boat. The standard BuckShot Rattles are key to getting the attention of fish that cannot see the lure. I'll dress it with a Slurpies Jungle Craw Chunk or Brush Beaver. When the cover grows extremely dense and reaches or extends above the surface, few other lures will penetrate the vegetation and reach the fish.

A Brush Beaver is my second vertical lure for heavy cover. I Texas-rig it with the weight of the bullet sinker dictated by the density of the cover and depth of water. Sling-Shot Worm Weights allow me to change weights without retying.

A Slurpies Flippin' Tube or a Slurpies Jungle Hog will be rigged on another rod just to give the fish a different look. Again Texas-style is the way to go.

Making short flips to pockets in the vegetation, I allow any vertical lure to fall through the canopy of cover. Once it reaches bottom, I shake it a couple times and reel it in before repeating the process.

Patience is a big part of the game when fishing bass in the grass. Once a few fish are put in the boat, patience actually comes pretty easily. Anglers who consistently catch big bass in the Midwest and anywhere for that matter, continually remind themselves that they are in the vicinity of fish. They know that the odds are increased by pitchin' to the weeds versus barren water. It's only a matter of time and WHAM, a braggin' sized bass latches on to the lure. The fight is on. It doesn't get any better.

Like patience, the final piece of the puzzle, concentration, cannot be purchased at the local tackle shop. Concentration refers to remaining sharp cast after cast, flip after flip. Frequently getting hung up or having to clean the lure of weeds can have a negative effect on one's attitude. Bassers with high levels of concentration believe that every cast has potential. Every cast could be the one. In reality, not every cast produces. But then, another WHAM, a football-shaped bass attacks the lure. Because the angler has maintained concentration, he knows what to do.

Many bass anglers, myself included, are drawn to the sport because the playing field is mean. It's nasty. A week link in equipment is quickly identified. One best be prepared, physically and mentally. Bass in the grass . . . it doesn't get any better.

Backwoods Bassin'

By Travis Peterson

Look at a map of north-central Minnesota and one will note that it is peppered with small blue irregular shaped lakes. Many lakes in Paul Bunyan Country are easily accessible. Paved roads lead the way to plenty while reaching others requires a short jaunt down a gravel road. The Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Forest Service do commendable jobs maintaining many boat landings. Concrete ramps, docks, and spacious parking lots are often taken for granted.

Many other lakes are not as easily accessed. Reaching these lakes often requires a four-wheel drive, a small boat or canoe, and some sweat and muscle. The extra effort to get to lakes "off the beaten path" can be well worth it. Many of these backwoods lakes are loaded with largemouth bass, among other species. Some of the bass that swim in these waters may have never seen a lure. Many such lakes are seldom fished as most anglers are unwilling to give up the comforts of their Lund Pro-V for a canoe or duck boat.

To find such hidden hotspots, use topographical maps. Locate a potential lake and then determine how to best access it. Before trekking through unfamiliar territory, it is also wise to consult a plat book. This will identify the surrounding land as state, federal, or private. Private landowners are often willing to give access to anglers who ask. Some old logging roads will be marked on topo maps, but only if they were developed before the map was updated. These maps will also show depth contour of some back-country lakes. However, others merely appear as puddles of water, some without names. Hint: Just because a body of water doesn't have a name doesn't mean it isn't worth fishing. If depths are shown, consider whether or not the lake might "freeze out," be depleted of oxygen in winter.

Scott Andersen of Bemidji is an avid bass angler and owns a Ranger bass boat. Despite being equipped with all the bass catching bells and whistles, the Ranger is often left in the garage when Scott heads out on a bass fishing excursion. Instead, he slides his 12 foot flat bottom duck boat, equipped with a front mount 24-volt electric motor, depth-finder, and pro pole into the back of his truck. Lastly, Scott throws in a couple of rods and a small box of tackle. "I've fished tournaments on many of the best bass lakes in Minnesota," says Andersen, "but given the choice, I'd hit one of a number of potholes within a short distance of Bemidji." Catching 20-30 quality bass on a given day is common and some of the largest bass Andersen has caught have been hauled over the gunwale of his duck boat. "It's important to practice catch and release on such lakes" he warns, "as their size makes them susceptible to over-harvest."

Scott and I fish together on occasion. One such outing last season found us on a small lake accessed by dragging his small boat through the woods a short distance. After a minute or two on the water, I noticed that water was quickly forming around my feet. While dragging the boat down the trail, a rock must have scarred a hole in the boat. I asked Scott if he had any bubble gum that I could chew and then use to plug the hole, a trick I've resorted to in a pinch. Scott was even better prepared however and made a B-line for shore. After draining the water from the boat and drying the damaged area with his T-shirt, Scott pulled a tube of epoxy from his tackle box and quickly mended the boat. Within minutes we were back in action. We fished two lakes that day and caught a couple dozen bass, including my largest of the season.Smaller bodies of water warm up more than larger lakes. Thus, many of the bass on such lakes take up residence on the weed-line in the heat of the summer. Effective lures include Slurpies Ringworms and Shakey Worms rigged on Lipstick Worm Jigs.

Often a medium action spinning rod and handful of these finesse worms is a recipe for fun in the summer sun. Key areas include points and inside turns where cabbage and coontail weeds are growing.

North-central Minnesota is loaded with small lakes that go virtually untouched. Take to the backwoods in search of bass, but don't forget the epoxy (or bubble gum)!

Soft Sticks and Fluke Tricks

By Travis Peterson

Soft plastic baits are very popular for enticing bass. In recent years, a couple of lure-types have gained high regard among bass anglers. Stick-baits and flukes are two categories of soft plastics that have exploded onto the bassin' radar. They haven't gone away like some "flash in the pan" lures either.

Stick-Baits
If you haven't heard the Senko story, it goes something like this. Businessman/pro bass angler, Gary Yamamoto, accidentally dropped an ink-pen in the lake. He noticed the rate of fall and the action the pen displayed as it descended into the depths. The Senko was born! This story may just be "dock-talk", but it sure sounds good! Regardless, the success of the Senko spawned an explosion in the soft stick-bait market.

Out of the water, one might pre-judge a soft stick-bait to lack action. It doesn't have a curly tail or other appendages. Put to use however, it's obvious that these lures have all the right moves to provoke largemouth and smallmouth bass. Similarly shaped worms have been around for years. They aren't the same though. Floatworms . . . well, they float. Finesse worms are . . . well, "finessy". These worms definitely have their place and get called upon for specific situations. However, most bass experts don't take to the lake in search of bass, largemouth or smallmouth, without a soft-stick bait rigged and ready.

Most soft-sticks are salted, which makes them sink. The amount of salt affects their fall rates. Weighted by only a worm hook, they descend in a horizontal position. They "shimmy" ever so slightly as they fall. In addition to salt, some soft-sticks are scented. Such is the case with Northland's SLURPIES Dip-Stick which is lathered in Sow Sauce, a baitfish attractor scent.

The number of applications or ways in which anglers rig and use soft-stick baits continues to increase. A popular set-up is an unweighted Texas-rig. This set-up is dynamite around shallow cover such as aquatic vegetation, brush, logs, and rocks. There may not be a better bait for skipping under docks. A 3/0 or 4/0 offset worm hook is typically employed.

Some anglers like to add a small bullet weight ahead of the bait, although this results in a head-down profile and descent. Special weighted hooks are gaining in popularity. These allow for a little extra weight but maintain the horizontal profile.

Wacky-rigging is another popular utilization for soft sticks. Special hooks are available for this rig as well, some weighted. The bait is simply impaled on the hook in the mid-body area, point exposed. For working around cover, weedless and weighted wacky-rig hooks like Northland Tackle's Lip-Stick Wacky Worm Hook are an effective option.

With the aforementioned set-ups, "dead-sticking" is an often-used term. It refers to pitching the bait to a likely target or area and leaving it there as long as the angler can stand it. This technique is especially productive when the bite is tough due to fishing pressure or cold front situations.

The versatility of stick-baits is endless. Carolina-rigging and drop-shotting are other applications in which these lures excel.

Flukes
This category of soft plastics is also labeled "soft jerkbaits" and grew rapidly after the success of the Slug-Go. These lures have a minnow profile. A girthy mid-section tapers to a narrow tail which is often forked or fluked. Many have a hook-slot which reduces the amount of plastic to punch through when setting the hook. An off-set worm hook with generous gap will help too. The realism of fluke baits has increased recently. Consider Northland Tackle's new SLURPIES Jerk Shad. This bait is sculpted and colored to look like a baitfish, complete with realistic eyes. Rigged Texas-style with no weight, this bait has tremendous darting action when worked similar to a hard jerkbait. A jerk, jerk, pause action imparted by the angler brings a fluke to life. Worked rapidly, the bait will stay near the surface. By slowing the retrieve or employing a weighted hook, the lure can be worked in mid-depth ranges.

While flukes appear to be a finesse-bait, many bass anglers use them aggressively, fan casting likely areas and using a relatively rapid retrieve. It's probably the most subtle or least intimidating "search lure" available. When bass show themselves and won't bite, it's time to slow down.

Flukes are just as effective on smallies as on their green cousins. Particularly in waters with a strong pelagic forage base like smelt, smallies will unload on these soft jerkbaits in minnow patterns. When bronzebacks leave the banks and chase baitfish in deeper haunts, a fluke paired with a ¼ - ¾ ounce jig will get the minnow imitator in the zone.

Soft stick-baits and flukes are deadly on bass across North America. With the versatility and fish-catching qualities of these soft plastic gems, it's a safe bet that they'll continue to stand the test of time.

"Bass Bits" The author offers these tips when fishing soft plastic jerk-baits and flukes. "

When Texas-rigging, secure the plastic of choice by applying a drop of super-glue to the eye of the hook before rigging. This will lead to less frustration, especially when skipping the lure under docks, but also when fishing though brush and weeds. "
Don't discard stick-baits when they tear. Texas-rig them from the opposite end. When that end splits, save the bait for wacky-rigging. This can triple the life-span of these baits! "
Around shallow cover, have a fluke rigged and ready at all times. The new SLURPIES Jerk Shad is a great throw-back bait to fish that miss a topwater spoon or other offering. "
Try pairing a medium fast spinning rod with 20 pound Berkley FireLine for skipping around docks. Skipping with spinning gear is easier than with casting gear. The low-stretch line is essential for pressuring fish before they wrap around dock posts and other obstructions. "
When other lures put a number of fish in the boat from a school, follow-up with a soft-stick bait like a SLURPIES Dip-Stick. By dead-sticking this bait, additional bass can often be extracted from a school.