___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lake Level- FULL POOL
Water Temps
Dike 3- 52
Down Lake- 45-49
Mid Lake- 40-46
Up Lake- 37-41
Chris Craft
CCBASSN Lake Anna Guide Service
www.ccbassnlakeanna.blogspot.
[email protected]
540-894-6195
540-895-5900
540-895-5770
February fishing has its ups and downs, that is a fact. We go outside and it might be 20 degrees or it might be 70 degrees. But just because you are bundling up or taking it off doesn’t mean that the fish are feeling what you are. I’ve gone out when it has been 76 degrees and when it has been 30 degrees all in the last month. The difference in the water temperature has been 3 degrees from both days. Why is this important you ask? Well I know for me, and for most bass anglers out there, we tend to move faster and fish faster when it is warm out. A 2 degree jump in water temp isn’t going to put those fish on the feed bag and fire up their metabolism. They might move slightly shallower, but they aren’t in the back of the coves or creeks getting ready to spawn (YET!) Fish are sluggish when the water is still cold regardless of the air temperature. They don’t want to move fast or far for a meal. And when they do move for a meal, they want it to be substantial enough to sustain them for a good while before they have to eat again. All you have to do right now is look onto wherever you get your fishing information from, and you will see that there are some HAWGS being caught right now and most are taken on bigger baits. So how do you get yourself one of those hawgs? Simple, SLOW DOWN and think outside the box. Finesse techniques may work for numbers right now, but that isn’t going to get you that big bag or that kicker fish you need to take that tournament or your personal best. You should be throwing something big enough for a bass to want to eat it and not have to eat again really soon. If you are reading this blog, you are probably a big fan of Power Team Lures already, and here’s what I would be throwing if I were out there right now.
#1- PowerTeam Lures 10” Ribbon Hinge worm. This worm has the right action that says “I’m alive, so eat me” but still doesn’t put fish off by being too active like a lot of ribbon tail worms. The subtle action that’s halfway between a straight tail worm and a ribbon tail will call them in with water displacement and won’t appear out of its natural cold water element. Pair it up with some Hog Tonic to get them enticed and really think its FOOD! Texas rigging with a slow drag or subtle hop on the main lake points, creek channel swings, and the first 1/3 of creeks are where you are going to find those big fish right now that are looking to eat. Don’t neglect steep rip rap banks either. If you have temperatures that are fluctuating, the bass will move up on the rocks to warm up because the rip rap will hold heat better than other types of structure. The bottom of the banks where the rocks meet the lake bottom can be a great place to catch them!
#2- 4.5” Conviction Craws and 4.5” Texas Rig Jigs. The subtle action on the appendages of these baits won’t look out of place because the craws are cold this time of the year too! I fish these 2 baits multiple ways. I like them on a football jig as a trailer and on a Carolina rig too. But the best way I’ve found to fish them is on a football shaky head, dragged along the same places as the Ribbon Hinge worm. I pair mine up with a ½ oz to a ¾ oz jig head and a 7’3” MH rod, 6.4:1 reel and get a good distance off the bank so I have plenty of area to cover. If you think the fish want more subtle bait, I like to cut or pinch the top skirt half off the Texas Rig Jigs so the skirt is only underneath the bait and it looks like the little legs underneath the tail section of a live crawdad.
Just experiment with retrieve speed, hops and shakes, or straight dragging speed until you find what the fish want. Fluorocarbon will help out a lot when it comes to these techniques. I prefer 14 lb for these techniques. The limited stretch will help you feel the subtle bites this time of the year. It also helps to “fool” the fish into thinking its live bait, as they can’t see the line.
Contributed by:
Chris Allard
Power Team Lures Pro Staff
Fight Your Way To Bigger and Better Bass
By: Scott M. Petersen
Here at Big Bite, February is frog month so we are going to talk about the Fighting Frog in this month’s newsletter. If you have fished this bait before you will have a good idea what I am talking about, but for the new anglers that have not had a chance to rig a Fighting Frog onto a hook or on the back of your favorite jig you are in for a treat. So grab a baitcaster, spinning rod and hop in the boat we are going frog fishing that is Fighting Frog fishing.
The Fighting Frog comes in two different sizes 3.5″ and 4″. When you take a closer look at the bait it has many uses and today we are going to cover just a few. If you have a favorite way to rig and fish the Fighting Frog that we did not cover log onto the Big Bite Face book page and let us know how you fish your Fighting Frogs.
Start Small – For those of you who are looking for a different look and want to go on the finesse side the 3.5″ Fighting Frog is an excellent choice to get the job done. I have many times just rigged the Fighting Frog on a 1/4oz shaky head jig or on a 3/8oz football jig, rigged with no skirt and fished weed edges or open water rocky areas when the bass bite is on the slow side. This is a great option to throw also when fishing in pressured conditions, maybe on the second day of a two day tournament. This is a smaller profile to the bass than a fully rigged football jig or weedline jig and I can tell you if you downsize your jig head size and line size you will get more bites even in the toughest of conditions.
As another option do not be afraid to rig the Fighting Frog Texas style and fish the inside weedline during the early season. Bass are in the shallows looking for food before the spawn and will welcome an easy meal when on the prowl looking for a mate and a place to spawn.
Flipping – Whenever I put a Flipping stick in my hands one of the first baits that I grab is a Fighting Frog. I use this bait for two reasons one, it is a bigger profile bait that the bass can easily see from a distance and two, the action. The Fighting Frog craws give off a lot of action when moved even a short distance, just lift the frog off of the bottom a foot and the craws will swim all the way on the lift and back to the bottom. When I am looking to make the bait a little more visible; or when fishing in dirty water conditions; I will dye the craws on my Fighting Frog either chartreuse or orange in color for added attraction.
When it comes to battle, I will grab a 7’6″ flipping stick that is rigged with a 6-3:1 or 7:1 baitcaster reel that is either spooled with Sunline 20lb to 25lb Shooter or Sunline FX-2 60lb braid. Now let me clarify here a little, if I am going toe to toe with bass that are buried deep in heavy cover, I will use a reel that is spooled with the Sunline FX-2 braid hands down. But let’s say I am pitching my Fighting Frog around docks and I am fishing in clear water conditions, many times with braid in these conditions the bass can see the line and will not bite, so if I am fishing in clear water conditions I will rely on Sunline Shooter as my line choice. 20lb to 25lb can pretty much handle all I can dish out so do not worry about breaking off fish or loosing bass either.
To rig the Fighting Frog I use two different presentations one is a 4/0 Gamakatsu Heavy Cover Hook with keeper and I will peg my weight, I use either a Bullet Weight Screw Lock Tungsten Weight or use a regular Bullet Weight and use a bobber stop to keep the weight in place against the hook. The reason for pegging the sinker is to keep the bait as one; I do not want the sinker to separate from the Fighting Frog as it is going through the weeds and fall to the bottom. I want my offering to stay together. Another option to use is a jig head with a Fighting Frog as a trailer. You make the decision as to what works best for you.
Bulk Up – When fishing a jig you have many trailer choices that you can team your jig with. One of my favorite choices when I am looking for bigger bass and need a bigger profile bait is to team my jig with a Fighting Frog as its trailer. When I need a slower fall during tough bite conditions the Fighting Frog trailer is my first choice. The Fighting Frog when threaded onto the jig creates a bigger, wider profile than a slimmer craw option that will fall faster through the water column. This combination is a good choice to use when the bass are not in a chasing or neutral mood and will not chase a bait. The slow fall of the jig keeps the bait in the strike zone longer many times triggering more strikes.
I also have started to replace my twin tail trailer option on my football jig and have started to use the Fighting Frog more. Let’s face it when you are dragging your football jig over and through the rocks looking for bites you are many times after some of the biggest bass that are in the system so why give them a bait that has a smaller profile, it’s time to bulk up and to do this start to rig your football jig with a Fighting Frog. The action that the craws put off is just as good; or even better than your favorite twin tail grub and the bigger profile of the Fighting Frog will trigger more bites from bigger bass at the same time. Once again if I am looking to make my offering a little more visible in off color water conditions I will color the craws either chartreuse or orange in color.
When it comes to fishing this option I many times just grab my flipping stick setup that is spooled with 20lb to 25lb Sunline Shooter and go to work. Many times you are fishing this presentation on open, deep water rock areas where the biggest bass of the system spend the summer months. Deep open water rocks, 20lb to 25lb test line Shooter Line, 1oz football jig rigged with a Big Bite Fighting Frog trailer being pulled across the rocks that is hawg fishing at its best!!!
One option to always keep in your back pocket is to try to fish the Fighting Frog on a football jig with no skirt; I call this fishing the Fighting Frog naked. Make your cast and the let the jig settle to the bottom, work the jig along the bottom until you feel a good rock. When you get the jig against the rock try to rock the jig back and forth a few times, this action will get the jig to stand up and look like the craw is taking a fighting position.
So as you can see the Big Bite Fighting Frog has many options to fish it all the way from being rigged on a shaky head jig to a flipping hook or a trailer on a jig with or without a skirt, you make the choice. Keep your Fighting Frog options open and make adjustments as you fish. To see all of the Big Bite Fighting Frog colors please log onto www.bigbitebaits.com
SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE FISHING REPORT
March 2013
DALE WILSON’S
SML GUIDE SERVICE
PHONE NO: 540-297-5650 / 540-874-4950
www.captaindalewilson.com
Picture: David Owens from Huddleston,Va. with a citation 37″ / 18 lb. striper caught Feb. 8,2013 in the mid section of the Roanoke river.
OVERVIEW: March brings many changes to fishing! Most species of fish will start to feed more actively this month in preparation for the spawning season. Water temperature and the location of shad will be keys to being successful fishing this month. Water temperature will be in the 50s to low 60’s later in March.
Largemouth Bass-Fishing will be good. Best lures will be A-rigs, jerk baits, spoons, Carolina rigs, shaky heads, and football head jigs. Most largemouth bass will be caught around rocky shorelines, secondary points, shallow brush piles, stumps and docks. Best depths will be from the 1 to 25 feet deep. Windy days with abundant sunshine will be the best time to fish this month. Shad and wind will be the keys to catching bass this month.
Smallmouth Bass- Fishing should be fair. Best areas will be rocky banks, ledges and main channel points. Best lures will be floating-fly rigs, A-rigs, crawfish colored crank baits, tube lures, drop shot rigs, jerk baits and shaky heads. Best areas will be in the mid to the lower sections of the lake. Cloudy, windy days will be the best time to try your luck. Smallmouth will suspend under schools of shad and also feed on crawfish.
Striped Bass- Fishing should be good. Stripers will be caught mostly in the mid to upper sections of the lake and the major creeks. Best lures will be A-rigs, swim baits, buck tails, jerk baits and Zoom flukes fished with 3/8 to 1/2 oz. jig heads. Live bait and trolling will also be a productive method.. The best depth should be from the surface to 45 feet deep. Best time to try your luck will be early mornings, late afternoons and after dark. The seagulls will still be active early this month. The colored water from the recent heavy rains should make fish feed in shallow water.
Crappie-Fishing for crappie will be good. They will be found 5 to 15 feet deep this month. Best areas will be in the main creeks around docks, fallen trees, and brush piles in the mid to upper sections of the lake. Small live minnows and 1 ½ inch tubes and twister tail grubs fished on 1/16 to 1/8 oz. lead heads will work best to catch crappie this month. Small Gulp minnows also work well when fished on small lead heads or drop shot rigs.
Tip of the month: Stained water will make for better fishing. Look for bait fish. Try fishing wind blow coves. Keep your running lights on when fishing after dark. Take a kid fishing.
Travis And Danny Towe first place with 21.79 lbs and 6.94 lunker
Chad Green and Dean Wood second place with
19.74
Charlie Fochman third place with
17.29
TULSA, Okla. — Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., now owns what only 33 others can claim: a Bassmaster Classic title.
On Sunday, Pace won the 43rd world championship of bass fishing, the 2013 Bassmaster Classic presented by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. His prize for a three-day catch of 54 pounds, 12 ounces, was $500,000 and the most coveted trophy of the sport.
His victory on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees was wire-to-wire, although he shared the first-day lead with 2003 Classic champ Michael Iaconelli of Pittsgrove, N.J. On the second day, Pace stepped over the entire 53-angler field, surpassing his nearest challenger — Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho — by 7 pounds.
Sunday Pace took the win with a margin of 3 pounds, 4 ounces over Palaniuk, who had to settle for second when his hard charge proved to be unsuccessful.
“This is a gift that I will always cherish,” said Pace, 32, claiming his first Classic trophy in his fifth Classic appearance. “This is the ultimate high of a career, a life-changing moment.”
Scrounging Up Bass
Offering bass a presentation that they’re not unaccustomed to seeing day in and day out is an excellent way to increase your catch, and fishing plastics on a Scrounger head is a sure shot way to do this. Rig a 3.6” Hammer Shad on one of these bad boys and you’re definitely in for a treat. The Hammer Shad/Scrounger combination offers a unique action in a downsized presentation that can produce when other moving baits won’t, especially in pressured waters.
Here’s the best way to describe the action of the Scrounger; put your arm straight out in front of you with your thumb pointing straight up at the ceiling (imagine your thumb would be the hook). Now take your hand, rotate it counter clockwise 90 degrees, then back up to center, then 90 degrees clockwise, then back to center. Do that about 5 times per second and you’ll get the visual. Because of this unique action, laminate colors like Money, Slam Shad, Perch Fry, Smoking Minnow and Tasty Tilapia are perfect for the back of a Scrounger because the contrasting colors add a tantalizing element of flash to every rotation. What you end up with is a perfectly sleek 4” baitfish presentation that combines flash, wiggle and a pulsating” thump” that’s unlike any crankbait or swimbait out there.
This combo can be fished shallow, deep, around all kinds of cover and in current and it’s excellent for all species of bass (and a multitude of other species too!). It’s extremely effective in any water temps 50 degrees or above but will also put them in the boat in water temps as low as 45. A 6’6” to 7’ med action spinning rod with a fast tip rigged with 10 or 12 lb Fluoro is all you’ll need to toss this set up and bury the Scrounger hook into a basses mouth. As far as retrieves go, a standard “chuck and wind” retrieve is very effective. But getting creative with different retrieve speeds, or adding quick snaps with your rod tip or brief pauses during your retrieve will help you dial into what the bass are responding best to.
So if you’re looking to add a simple yet deadly technique to your box of skills, rig a 3.6” JP Hammer Shad on the back of a ¼ oz Scrounger Head and start bending that rod!
Source: powerteamlures.com
