by Capt. Jake Davis
I cannot tell you over the past few months how many times that I have been asked “How are you catching your fish?” This usually prompts me to ask the angler “What are you doing?” or I’ll simply say we’re fishing the basics! Then I’ll get the look of dismay combined with “What do you mean?”
In today’s world of Facebook and YouTube videos, it seems every other month there is some new tactic that is all the rage! As anglers, we often forget our roots. While there is nothing wrong with learning new tactics or ways to catch fish, if you are struggling, go back to the basics of fishing! This means tactics such as jigs, Carolina rigged plastics, Texas rigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and topwater lures. Here is a little refresher.
The “Rig” or “Old Ball and Chain”; I am a firm believer that Carolina rig fishing is just about the most effective tactic that anglers can use when searching out that trophy bass. The reason is that Carolina rig fishing is not only very easy, but it is also an extremely versatile method of angling.
Texas rigged plastic such as an 8.75 inch Tomahawk Worm or creature bait like the D-Bomb; both of these plastics will move lots of water during a slow presentation. My Texas rig is made up of a 3/8 to 3/4 ounce tungsten weight followed by a bead and 4/0 hook.
Search baits such as crankbaits and spinnerbaits; my favorite cranks for covering deep water are a Rapala DT 16 (12-16 foot) and DT 20 that dives to 16-20 feet or a Z-Boss 20 or 25 from Profound Outdoors. Color selection really depends upon water clarity and sunlight penetration. A good example would be if the water is stained or there is little sunlight because of heavy cloud cover, I’ll opt for more chartreuse in my crankbaits.
Once you’ve located a group of bass with a crankbait and caught a number of fish and the bite slows, a football head jig is the go-to setup. I prefer a 1/2 or 3/4-ounce Mussel Crawler from Tightline Jigs matched to a Missile Baits Twin Turbo Tail or D-Bomb when they want a bulked up profile. Make some changes to your jig; first trim the weed guard down to 2-4 strands. When picking a trailer, use a contrasting color. For example, if your jig is black and blue, use a green pumpkin trailer.
It may not be sexy but when things get really tough, tie on a shaky head with a trick worm and slow down.
The most exciting bite on the water remains the topwater bite. The Pop-R and Zara Spook have been around forever because they work. I don’t think there is any tactic that can get the heart rate up and blood flowing like a big fish crushing a hard bait in open water or hollow body frog over grass.
There has been more fish put in the boat and more tournaments won with the tactics I listed above than all others combined. So, the next time you find yourself struggling, get back to the basics of fishing!
Capt Jake Davis is a USCG Licensed Professional Fishing Guide on Lake Guntersville, Normandy, Nickajack and Tim’s Ford. Visit www.midsouthbassguide.com or call/email 615-613-2382, msbassguide@comcast.net