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Where the Pros Fish on Their Days Off

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Where the Pros Fish on Their Days Off

Brevyn and Brian Latimer recently fished their first father-son fishing derby.

Where the Pros Fish on Their Days Off

Z-Man® Fishing Team recounts recent outings and why fishing now is more important than ever

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Ladson, SC (April 13, 2020) – It’s one of the more interesting questions in fishing: Where do guides go on their days off? What do tournament anglers fish for when they’re not casting for cash? While we’re asking, it might also be nice to know what lures they’re throwing when the cameras aren’t rolling and the pressure’s off.

As guide trips and tournament circuits have gone on temporary hiatus this past month, a fascinating though not surprising thing has happened: A lot of us are still fishing. Dads are joined on the water by sons and daughters. Significant others are spending quality time together in the great outdoors. To seasoned anglers, it just makes sense, for there’s simply no more natural way to give each other a little elbow room, no better medicine than out on your local lake, river or ocean.

When we recently checked in with our friends and pro anglers in the Z-Man family, we discovered most of them are doing the same things you’re doing . . . fishing! Let’s touch base and see what Team Z has been up to.

Kristine Fischer – Tournament Kayak Pro, Hobie Bass Open Series:         

“I’m surprisingly grateful for the “down time” we’re all experiencing. Right now, in a normal year, I would have been on a five weekend-in-a-row tourney bender, and the last three years, I’ve not only missed spring turkey season because of heavy tourney schedules, but also pre and post spawn musky fishing. I’m super stoked about getting back in the woods to hunt turkeys and for the chance to cast for those big green fish.

Z-Man adventurer Kristine Fischer has been putting big smallmouth bass in involuntary quarantine.

“So, in the absence of a busy tournament schedule, I’ve taken my life on the road and parked it in the mountains within an hour of the New and James rivers in Virginia. It’s really beautiful here and the fishing can be spectacular. The last few weeks, I’ve been on the water most every day, so that hasn’t changed.

“Smallmouth bass here are in that awkward transition, but when you find them, the quality is well worth it, as you’ll note in my photos here and on social media. With a favorable moon phase and warming temps, the bass bite is on the verge of exploding.

“While the muskies are spawning, I’m giving them a rest until late April. But the big smallmouths I’ve been catching have been set up near current breaks and eddies where they’re grabbing easy meals before the spawn. I’m also finding good numbers of bass using sun-exposed wood and mud banks.

“Right now, the smallmouths are biting crankbaits, swimbaits and spinnerbaits. And when the bite gets a little finicky, I’m tossing a TRD CrawZ™ on a Ned rig. If there’s a place this amazing combo won’t work, I haven’t found it yet.

“We’re all looking forward to returning to normal. In the meantime, I’m appreciating the opportunity to slow things down a bit and get back to a little fishing ‘just for fun.’”

Mark Daniels Jr. and sons share a moment.

Mark Daniels Jr. – Major League Fishing Pro:

“Staying on the water has been a therapeutic way to cope during these times. I’ve been doing a lot of fishing close to my home in Alabama. Just got back from a little run out to a local creek—less than a mile from my house— where a buddy and I caught some really nice spotted and largemouth bass while wading up to our waists in moving water. So fun, man, and the fish are crazy strong.

“I’m a big fan of a TRD TicklerZ™ on a Finesse ShroomZ™ jig. Normally, the Hula StickZ™ on a Neko or Ned rig is another go-to. But at this creek, because we had lots of stickups and debris in the water, I went to a Texas rig. I used a fairly light 3/16- or 1/8-ounce bullet weight, and rigged the Hula weedless on offset worm hook. The key was to throw the bait upstream against a bank and let it wash right down with the current, sort of dancing it and following the bait with the rod and picking up slack as it drifted.

“To keep things simple, I carried one rod and another in a backpack and just tucked a few small boxes with weights and hooks into my waders. You’ll need extra stuff because break-offs are common in these creeks.

“Last week, my family and I also launched the boat on Lake Martin, for a little catch-clean-cook crappie fishing. Turns out, a lot of other folks have had the same idea. There’s a lot of boats out there!

“We found crappies suspended around docks and brush and then pitched little shad-shaped plastics on a 1/8-ounce jig. The best part of the deal is the pay-off at dinnertime. At the Daniels’ household, you gotta have the essentials for a good fish fry: a bag of Louisiana New Orleans Style Fish Fry breading, a little Tony Chachere’s Original Creole seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder and because I like a little extra spice, cayenne pepper. But be careful, because it’ll knock your lips off.

These different types of fishing have been a real change-up from my normal competitive bass boat routine. But hey, it just proves, fishing is fishing, wherever you go—it’s all fun.”

Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson – Bassmaster Elite Series Pro:

“We’re holding down the fort up here in Ontario, staying healthy and doing good. My wife Shelby and I have been hanging out around home and ice fishing almost every afternoon or evening, catching walleyes, pike, crappie and lake trout.

It’s easy to self-isolate when you live on the shores of Ontario’s Lake of the Woods, as does Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson.

“We live on the northwest corner of Lake of the Woods, so we have some of the best ice fishing in the world right outside our door. We’re definitely eating well, too! Fresh walleye is some of the best, most delicious freshwater fish on the planet—and we’ve got the grocery store right in our backyard. Substitute Frank’s Hot Sauce for your usual egg wash routine for a kicked up fish fry alternative.

“Spring is coming on fast, but we probably still have another week to ten days of solid ice to keep us busy. Besides walleye, we’re also catching some good lake trout. And one of my

favorite bass baits is also a hot lake trout bait right now— a 5-inch Z-Man Jerk ShadZ™.

Gussy’s ultimate ice rig, the Z-Man Jerk ShadZ.

These trout are focused on eating minnows like herring and smelt, and the Jerk ShadZ makes the perfect imitation. The buoyant Elaztech formula helps the bait sit naturally horizontal on a jig so it looks very realistic in the water.”

David Walker – Major League Fishing Pro:

“Weather’s been pretty nice around these parts (Eastern Tennessee), and I’ve been taking my daughters out for white bass, which are biting like mad right now. We’re having a lot of fun together, catching a ton of these fish as they migrate upstream. Most people like to throw small spoons, spinners or a crappie fly under a cork, but we’ve been smashing the bass on 2.5-inch Slim SwimZ™ rigged on a white 1/6-ounce Finesse ShroomZ jig. We’re getting a lot of bites with the little swimbait, and its ElaZtech composition is so durable that each bait stands up to dozens of bites—and these white bass bite with a tremendous amount of aggression. Tomorrow, if the weather’s nice I’m bringing my wife along, too.”

Ace bass angler David Walker has been enjoying some downtime with his daughters.

Brian Latimer – Bassmaster Open Series Pro:

“I’m really lucky to be the father of two sons, Brevyn and Brooks. They’re cool little dudes. And it’s great because right now my oldest boy, Brev, who’s 7, is into a lot of the same things I was into when I was a kid. He rides dirt bikes. He does karate. He likes to fish.

“Actually, we fished our first tournament together the other day. It was part of an adult-junior trail at Lake Secession, which is right down the road from our house. It’s a lake that I actually grew up fishing as a kid, and our family has a lot of history there. My dad has two bass over 10 pounds from this lake on his wall, and my personal best came from there. Back when I was a kid, my dad would pick me up from school, and we’d go to Secession for a few hours before dark. It’s a special place for us, and I’m proud that Brev and I got to fish our first tournament together on that lake.

“For all you parents out there in a similar place, don’t forget that taking your kids fishing isn’t just about getting them into the junior nationals or trying to land them some pro-staff deal. Fishing is much deeper than just tournament fishing. It’s a much bigger picture. Every kid isn’t going to be a pro tournament fisherman, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take them or they can’t still love it. Don’t push so hard. Don’t get too tied up in their success.

A Z-Man SlimSwimZ catches everything that swims.

“That’s why, right now, I’m just taking him fishing. I’m making memories. I’m getting ready for our next tournament together, because no matter how it all works out, the days we spend together fishing are special days for us. He’ll remember our first tournament, just like I remember fishing that lake with Pops. And that’s what really matters.”

Finding a Fishing Tournament Partner: It’s Harder Than You Think by Walker Smith

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Finding a Fishing Tournament Partner: It’s Harder Than You Think by Walker Smith

We fishermen are an interesting bunch sometimes. Gone are the days of chatting at the boat ramps after tournaments and talking about how you did or didn’t catch ’em. For the past few years, the post-tournament scene feels like more of a secret society meeting than anything else. People are cutting lures off before they dock, shoving rods in rod lockers, turning graphs off so people won’t see their GPS trails and throwing life jackets on top of piles of spent soft plastics.

Really?

With everything so competitive and secretive these days, it’s becoming really tough for people to find a fishing partner—especially for tournaments. I honestly see both sides of the coin. One guy just wants to fish a fun derby with somebody, but the other guy doesn’t want to show him his best stuff. I totally understand.

When you meet a fellow angler and the two of you start fishing together, it’s almost like going on your first few dates in high school. It can be awkward. You don’t know how the other person goes about things. You don’t know what their system is. You don’t know if you can trust them. Essentially, you’re both just feeling each other out. I’ve been through it before and it’s just weird.

But I digress. I think there are some things you can do to figure out fairly quickly whether or not it’s going to work out between you and a potential fishing partner. Hear me out on this and let me know your thoughts on our Facebook page.

Force Them To EAT! 4 Easy Ways To Trigger A Reaction Strike

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Force Them To EAT! 4 Easy Ways To Trigger A Reaction Strike

Force Them To EAT! 4 Easy Ways To Trigger A Reaction Strike

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When opportunity knocks a bass instinctively strikes at something even if the fish isn’t hungry.

Baitfish or crawfish swimming past a bass and bumping into a log or rock that slows the prey down is hard for a bass to resist. A crippled baitfish that flutters in front of a bass hiding in a bush or under a dock is also an easy meal for the bass to quickly inhale. These golden opportunities for bass trigger reaction strikes from the predator fish.

Bass anglers can mimic these situations to trigger reaction strikes from bass using a variety of lures and presentations. Here’s a look at some of the best tactics for triggering reaction strikes from bass.

Flipping To Cover

fall docks
Flipping jigs or plastics to cover will help trigger bites as your bait descends.

This tactic is ideal for triggering a reaction strike from inactive bass holding tight to cover after the passage of a cold front. Flip a jig or Texas-rigged soft plastic bait into the thickest cover you can find and let it slowly fall into the bass’ hideout. Use a lightweight jig or sinker (1/4 or 3/8 ounce) so your lure will descend slowly to trigger a reaction strike on the initial fall.

Bumping Cover

angler fishing brush
Banging a crankbait or jig over laydowns, log jams, or other structure for reaction strikes.

Banging a spinnerbait or square bill crankbait into a rock or log is another effective way to trigger a reaction strike from bass. Retrieve your lure at a high speed and make sure it crashes into the cover. The lure deflecting off the target imitates a fleeing baitfish that has been stunned after running into the cover. A bass takes advantage of this opportunity by inhaling the deflected lure.

Ripping Weeds

lake-weeds
Ripping a baits through the grass can cause a reaction strike from fish hiding in the weeds.

When lipless crankbaits or spinnerbaits start bogging down in grass, bass anglers jerk their rods to free the lures from the vegetation. This ripping action frequently draws reaction strikes from bass lurking along the edges of the grass lines. Using braided line will help your lure cut through the grass easier and prevent from having to free the bait from too much vegetation when you jerk.

Stroking A Jig

Stroking a jig near bottom is an easy way to trigger strikes from fish not willing to bite.

Inactive post-spawn bass can be tempted into biting by stroking a jig off the bottom. Throw a heavy (3/4 or 1 ounce) jig along with a main-lake point or ledge and let it drop to the bottom. Then jerk your rod up to about the 1 or 2 o’clock position to rip the jig off the bottom. As the jig falls quickly back to the bottom, watch your line for a bite. The jig ripping off the bottom and falling down quickly imitates a fleeing crawfish, which causes a reaction strike from bottom-hugging bass.

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Dustin Catrett Developing the Written Word of Bass Fishing

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Dustin Catrett Developing the Written Word of Bass Fishing

Dustin gives a look at how he broke into the world of becoming a Bass fishing writer & worked his way up through the ranks to become one of the best writers in the world of Bass Fishing.

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Why Do Shiny Baits Catch People So Many Fish?

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Why Do Shiny Baits Catch People So Many Fish?

Why Do Shiny Baits Catch People So Many Fish?

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When the sun is shining, throwing a bait that reflects the light increases your odds of catching fish.

Various forage such as shad, crawfish, minnows, and worms all reflect ultraviolet light from the sun and bass see this reflection to key in on their prey. Shiny lures shine brightest in clear water but research has shown UV light penetrates murky water similar to what it does in clouds.

Shiny Baits - 10,000 Fish Death Stalker
The 10,000 Fish Death Stalker has a trailing blade that reflects sunlight and attracts fish as it flutters during retrieval.

When Shiny Baits Shine

Lure makers have been adding on bright UV-reflective paint such as chrome, silver, and gold for years and some have even added on colors that glow after a certain amount of exposure time to the sun. A lure sprinkled with plenty of metal flake throughout its paint job also reflects sunshine well. Lure manufacturer Brett Ware has also infused a small amount of UV-shiny colors into the plastic he uses for grubs, craws, worms, and creatures.

Shiny Baits - Googan Squad Scout
The Googan Squad Scout in the Ayu pattern is ultra-reflective and works great on sunny days.

Flashy Bass Baits For The Spring

I use a variety of reflective baits throughout the year based on seasonal patterns. During the winter and early spring, if I am fishing clear water I favor a suspending jerkbait with a lot of chrome in its body to reflect the sunshine. The reflection of the lure becomes even more pronounced when I twitch the bait and the flash created by this action triggers reaction strikes. When I am fishing off-colored water, I switch to a white jerkbait which seems to reflect the UV light better in the dingy water.

Shiny Spinnerbaits Always Play

Another one of my favorite shiny baits for catching both spring and fall bass is a spinnerbait. A spinnerbait’s silver or gold blades generate plenty of flash on a sunny day whether I am fishing clear or dirty water. The blades will reflect sunlight on a steady retrieve, but I like to create more flash from the blades by occasionally twitching the spinnerbait throughout my presentation.

Spinnerbaits put off a lot of shine and glimmer.
Spinnerbait blades come in gold and silver which both shine and shimmer.

Targeting Spawning Bass With Reflective Baits

When bass are spawning, I like to throw floating worms in bright colors such as yellow, methiolate or white over a bass’ bed to tempt the fish into biting. During the post-spawn, chrome or white topwater baits produce best for me on sunny days because these colors reflect sunlight best when I use a walk-the-dog or popping retrieve.

Shiny Bait - Bubonic Crankbait
The Catch Co Bubonic Crankbait reflects light while mimicking the action of a fleeing baitfish or crawfish. This helps angler present their lure as much water possible while triggering BIG bites.

A variety of crankbaits are also available in reflective colors. One of my favorites for fall fishing is a chrome-and-red Bubonic Crankbait that mimics the bright colors of shad that bass hone in on during autumn. When the sun gets bright, remember to take advantage of its light by drawing strikes with a shiny bait.

Bass Edge The Edge Episode 324 Kelley Jaye

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Bass Edge The Edge Episode 324 Kelley Jaye

Bass Edge Radio interviews BASS Elite Series professional angler Kelley Jaye as the featured angler in the latest podcast presented by Megaware KeelGuard.  Show hosts Aaron Martin and Kurt Dove visit with Kelley about his success with jerkbaits and breakdown his fishing style, seasonal behavior patterns and learn all his jerkbait strategies.  This episode also features a segment with Ph.D. Jay McNamara and the gang discusses his soon to be released 2nd edition book “The Psychology of Exception Fishing”.

Face Covers Made by Fishing and Hunting Companies Ideal for Use in Compliance with Recent CDC Guidance

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Face Covers Made by Fishing and Hunting Companies Ideal for Use in Compliance with Recent CDC Guidance

Face Covers Made by Fishing and Hunting Companies Ideal for Use in Compliance with Recent CDC Guidance

Minneapolis, MN (March 9, 2020) – The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced on Friday new guidance to Americans regarding the use of cloth face coverings to reduce the spread of coronavirus. An excerpt of the CDC’s specific guidance appears below:

We now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms. This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms. In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

Fish Monkey Performance Face Guard (Note: turn vented mouth feature to the side in this application)

Many anglers and hunters may already have a variety of suitable, cloth face coverings on hand in the form of scent-control facemasks, neck gaiters and multi-functional headwear designed for hunting and fishing. Some of these products offer the added benefits of being antimicrobial, odor adsorbing or moisture wicking.

Many of the companies that make these products are reminding their customers that their face covers provide an effective and economical way to comply with the recent CDC guidelines, while reserving N-95 masks for medical workers and first responders on the frontlines battling this insidious virus.

ScentLok makes a variety facemasks. The Savanna Lightweight Multi-Paneled Gaiter offers Spandex binding and insets for a comfortable, next-to-skin fit; three panels with an articulated nose tab, wicking treatment and Carbon AlloyTM technology for maximum odor adsorption.

Many of the companies Traditions Media represents offer such products, including ScentLok, Gill, Fish Monkey, St. Croix Rod, and Hobie. Of course, there are others.

Easy Face Cloth Cleaning

Legions of outdoors enthusiasts use personal ozone products to keep their gear deodorized before and after outings. But ozone can do a whole lot more than destroy odors; it can also reduce a variety of other unhealthy contaminants like viruses, bacteria, mold and fungus.

Hunters who already have an ozone storage bag like the OZ by ScentLok OZChamber 8K can use it to clean and disinfect their cloth face covers. Portable ozone generators like the OZ Radial Nano can also be used for this purpose, either inside a plastic storage tote, small bag, or even a cooler. Cycle the ozone unit for up to 30 minutes with the face masks in an unoccupied space. At the end of the treatment, remove the face cloths and wait another 30 minutes or so before wearing to allow any remaining ozone to revert back to oxygen.

Stay safe, practice social distancing, and enjoy the outdoors in ways that comply with the rules and orders of your state and local health authorities. Together, we’ll get through this soon.

The Hobie Sun Mask employs a UPF 40 stretch polyester fabric to block harsh rays and features ventilated and unventilated sides. (Note: turn vented mouth feature to the side in this application)

St. Croix Rod’s soft, breathable 100% microfiber polyester Classic Neck Gaiter is moisture wicking, quick-drying, fully customizable for versatile wear and available in several styles.

How Mike Iaconelli Boats Bass With The Chicken Rig by Josh Boyd

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How Mike Iaconelli Boats Bass With The Chicken Rig by Josh Boyd

How Mike Iaconelli Boats Bass With The Chicken Rig

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One of the most appealing aspects of bass fishing is the diverse list of ways that largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass can be caught. It seems as if every year, crafty anglers discover new and exciting ways to boat bass at a feverish pace. Such discoveries place additional tools at our disposal for putting bass in the livewell, and afford us the opportunity to be more efficient anglers in general.

One such tactic, that continues to find favor among an ever-growing number of bass fishermen, is that of fishing the Chicken Rig. Although this rig is utilized by a number of anglers, under a wide array of circumstances, few have been as outspoken regarding its benefits as 2003 Bassmaster Classic Champion and 2006 B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year, Mike Iaconelli.

Why The Chicken Rig?

Iaconelli touts the rig as being universal in its ability to put bass in the boat, no matter the body of water or lake conditions. He says, “I use it all year round. I would say spring through fall it’s at its best. It can be used in any cover, from no cover to the heaviest, gnarliest cover you can imagine.”

According to Iaconelli, the Chicken Rig owes much of its value to the versatile role that it can play in an angler’s fishing repertoire. “The Chicken Rig is basically a weedless Neko Rig. It is a Neko Rig that you rig Texas-Style, and it gives you the same pecking action as a Neko Rig, but you can fish it anywhere,” says Iaconelli. “You can use it when fishing in heavy cover or sparse cover, when skipping under docks, and when fishing shallow or deep,” he continues.

What Bait Should You Be Fishing?

Though several baits can be fished in conjunction with the Chicken Rig, one, in particular, has yielded excellent results for Iaconelli. “I’m using the Berkley Powerbait Flute Worm. You can use all three sizes, but the 5.7” is the most versatile,” Iaconelli says.

When it comes to color choices, Iaconelli says that what he uses varies depending upon the situation, and though he tries to match the color of his bait to corresponding hatches, it is also extremely important to choose what will catch the eye of bass that reside in a given body of water.

What Does The Chicken Rig Consist Of?

Iaconelli says that rigging the Chicken Rig is no more difficult than rigging any other soft plastic set-up, and shares similar components to other popular finesse rigs. “I like using a size 1 to 1/0 or 2/0 straight shank style hook. A VMC Finesse Neko Hook is the right hook,” says Iaconelli.

Choosing which weight to use when fishing the Chicken Rig is also fairly straightforward according to Iaconelli. His head of choice is a VMC Half Moon Wacky Weight. “The nail weight is just a little nail. I’ll use anywhere from a 1/16 ounce to a ¼ ounce weight,” says Iaconelli.

When fishing the Chicken Rig, the devil is in the details. From which end of your soft plastic that the weight is to be placed, to where your hook intersects the body of your bait, a keen attentiveness to the fine details are what makes the Chicken Rig so effective.

Iaconelli stresses the importance of weight placement by saying, “I put it in the fat end of that Flute Worm. It’s really important.” Iaconelli continues, “You want that skinny end to be up shaking, you want the fat end to have the nail, and as you shake your rod, that nail pecks the bottom.”

Referring to hook placement, Iaconelli explains that though the Chicken Rig is hooked Texas-Style, it is not at the nose of the bait as many are used to. “I’m rigging it Texas-Style back in the body of the bait, and that’s the key. I rig it just below the halfway point of the bait. On the Flute Worm, we have three high spots. So I start in the middle-high spot, and by the time the hook pops out at the bottom, it’s at the bottom-high spot,” says Iaconelli.

The Texas-Style hook placement that is used in conjunction with the chicken rig comes as one of the major differences between it and the Neko Rig. Because the hook features no exposed point, the chicken rig can be fished virtually anywhere without fear of snagging. This comes as a significant advantage when fishing among heavy brush and in dense vegetation.

When striving to achieve the best results possible while fishing the Chicken Rig, your choice of line also plays a vital role. “I prefer Berkley X5 braided line tied to an 8-10 pound Berkley Trilene fluorocarbon leader,” says Iaconelli. As with most any form of finesse fishing, Iaconelli finds favor in the use of spinning tackle, which allows him to optimize his presentation and put bass in the boat.

Chicken Rigging To Success

The Chicken Rig offers anglers a number of distinct advantages, with the biggest being that it is fished in a completely weedless fashion. As a modified version of the Neko Rig, the Chicken Rig can be fished without any reluctance toward the snags and hang-ups that lie below. This allows you to pull bass from locations that those fishing the Neko Rig would seldom dare to venture. Next time the bass at your local lake refuse to give any ground, tie on a Chicken Rigged soft plastic, and make the most of your time on the water.

All You Need To Know About Bass Fishing In The Wind – MTB

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All You Need To Know About Bass Fishing In The Wind – MTB

All You Need To Know About Bass Fishing In The Wind

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Wind can be beneficial or destructive when blowing across the land. A steady wind is good for turning windmills that generate power. A cool breeze provides relief from the heat of summer, but gales from a tornado or hurricane wreak devastation.

Wind can also be beneficial or prohibitive for anglers depending on the time of year and the body of water they are fishing. The wind is most beneficial because of the chain reaction it causes among prey and predatory fish. I always chuckle when I heard an angler say wind continuously blowing on a bank pushes baitfish to the shallows followed by predatory fish such as bass or crappie.

That is half true because concentrations of baitfish and their predators do congregate along windblown banks. However what really happens is the wind churns up zooplankton in the shallows, which attracts baitfish to feed on the microorganisms and then bass and other predators invade the shallows to forage on the baitfish.

zoo plankton
Zooplankton are tiny creatures that lives in lakes, rivers, and oceans. Small fish feed on zooplankton often and where there are small fish, there are big fish!

Fishing Windy Banks For Bass

A howling wind that crashes waves into the bank can trigger bass into biting most of the time. You can use a gusting wind as an ally except when water temperatures are extremely cold in the winter and spring. Then you are better off trying to fish calm areas exposed to the sun.

Can Wind Impact The Bass Spawn?

Josh Douglas bass fishing in the wind
Josh Douglas with a GIANT smallmouth bass.

Too much wind is also detrimental when fish are staging up for the spawn. A slight ripple on the water then is beneficial but the fish seem to avoid hanging in areas where whitecaps are slamming into the bank. Bass during the spawning stages seek warm water and protected areas to build nests, whereas bass in the summer and fall are in more of a feeding mode then so a stout wind activates the fish. So if you are struggling to get bites throughout the summer and fall, you can count on the wind to turn your luck by concentrating on the windiest spots you can find.

The wind can be your friend on some lakes but a foe on others. When fishing grass lakes, a strong wind blowing hard over the grass makes it tough to fish vegetation. Gales producing menacing waves can wreak havoc on lakes with sand or mud bottoms. If bass are extremely shallow there the wind can dirty the water and run off the fish.

Safety Tips For Fishing In The Wind

Josh Douglas bass fishing in light wind
Josh Douglas caught this chunky largemouth on a bluebird day with light wind.

Anglers fishing the wide-open spaces of large bodies of water such as the Great Lakes need to pay close attention to the wind. A stiff wind can be a hindrance to anglers on the big waters, but it has a positive effect on smallmouth bass. They fish deep enough that the wind just adds more current and actually makes the fish bite better because it opens up the fish’s strike zone dramatically. However, on the Great Lakes wind can be life-threatening so sometimes anglers shouldn’t be out there in bass boats. If you choose to play the wind, you must decide which banks will produce best if the wind is blowing at the same velocity on each spot. You can look for the banks with the best structure or cover or try banks attracting the most baitfish.

Don’t Rock The Boat

Josh Douglas bass fishing in the wind
Keeping the wind at your back will help you save on battery life.

The toughest challenges everyone encounters when fishing a windblown bank are controlling the boat and trying to save as much battery power as possible. Sticking the nose of your boat into the wind to head into the breeze is the best course of action most of the time. Then it becomes a matter of willpower and battery power. You are going to eat up battery juice because you are going to be riding out the waves and stuffing a few of them, so you better be prepared for wet toes.

If you fish into the wind, you can try to save some battery power by turning down the speed dial on your trolling motor. Running the trolling motor on 100 percent is when you really suck the juice and burn up your batteries. You are better off then not holding the boat quite as well into the wind and running the trolling motor at 80 percent.

Work With The Wind, Not Against It

Josh Douglas with a big smallmouth bass
Smallmouth fishing usually improves on windy days.

When wind gusts above 30 miles per hour you usually don’t have much of a choice so you have to fish with the wind. If the wind blows hard straight into the bank, you can head downwind and try to keep your boat parallel to the shore. Fishing with the wind is a necessity on the Great Lakes, so you need to throw out a drift sock to control the speed of your drift. You can take advantage of this downwind course to cover a lot of water quickly. If you get a few bites then you can turn immediately into the wind and hold the boat where you got the bites.

When the wind blows, the boat will rock, but stay the course and you’ll be rewarded with a handsome windfall of bass.

Yo-Zuri 3DB Series 1.5 MR Crankbait Review By Walker Smith

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Yo-Zuri 3DB Series 1.5 MR Crankbait Review By Walker Smith

Most crankbaits I’ve tested seem to have a fairly particular time and place. Water clarity, temperature and time of year plays a huge role in selecting the best crankbait for the situation. Once in a while, however, I run into a crankbait I can use pretty much whenever I need to get a bite. Although I’d love to keep it to myself, it’s time I introduce you to one of the best plugs I’ve tested in recent years.

The Yo-Zuri 3DB Series 1.5 MR is a special lure in many different ways. From top-quality components to beautiful color schemes, this crankbait will catch fish when you need bites. You can pull into a pocket with it and almost expect to get bit before you pull your trolling motor back up. That’s how much confidence I’ve gained in it.

I’ll quickly go over some of its most noteworthy characteristics.

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