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Fish Tales |
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Rubbing
the Rocks |
April 2010
Fishing Factors
www.ProAnglers.com
“Rubbing the Rocks”
By: Billy
"Hawkeye" Decoteau
As the
water temperatures start to settle
into the 55-65 degree range
everything within the underwater
aquatic world seems to be working
towards their annual migration
habits. “One factor most bass
anglers do not consider into their
springtime bass equation is the
migration of one of a bass’s
favorite health food choices
crawfish,” advises Bassmaster Elite
Angler Mark Menendez, who holds a
degree in Fishery Biology. (www.MarkMenendez.com)
“In the northeast sections of the
United States, especially within the
glacier lakes where there is an
abundance of gravel and rock
formations, crawfish will start to
migrate towards the shallows at just
about the same time the bass do,’
says Menendez. According to Menendez
gravel and rocky bottoms leading
into shallower water become
underwater highways for these
crustaceans. “The average size of
crawfish this time of year is within
the 3” range, dark shades of green
and brown are prominent in most
cases.”
Although it has been
documented, ‘Springtime Bass’n’ most
likely is a prime time to land the
‘Bass of a Lifetime’; it can also be
one of the most frustrating and
unproductive seasonal transitional
periods for bass anglers as well!
“Spring cold fronts especially in
the northeast is Mother Natures way
of testing our patience and
persistence as Bass
Anglers”…………chuckles FLW Tour
Series, and Lake Champlain Champion
Pete Gluszek of Mount Laurel, New
Jersey.
Connecticut’s Jess
Caraballo an FLW Pro Angler is quick
to agree, “One day you think you
have the bass patterned on either a
crankbait or jerkbait technique, as
they move shallower towards spawning
flats, and the next day they seem to
disappear all together?”
Ranger/Evinrude’s Pete Gluszek
believes bass are in three different
zones. “In this ‘Bass’n Equation’ we
have stable temperatures within the
water column, registering
temperature ranges of 55-60 degrees
with a high in extreme shallow back
bays reaching a possible 65 degrees
on warm sunny days! But, add in a
cold front to this and that 65
degree temperature drops instantly
to within the 55-60 degree range!” (
www.Evinrude.com )
Obviously the five-degree
temperature difference is a major
blow to those bass we patterned
earlier in the warmer shallows…………so
where do they go? “According to
Skeeter/Yamaha’s Mark Menendez once
the crawfish begin their slow
crawling parade to the shallows, the
bass are close by.” Menendez
concludes bass take up residence in
deep water, shallow water and occupy
what he refers to as ‘funnel
feeders’, nomad bass that are on the
move within the water column. For
these reasons, Mark Menendez highly
recommends anglers utilize a
crayfish scent. “I always apply a
coat of BioEdge Crayfish scent, and
suggest anglers do the same. When
bits are few and far between
BioEdges’s 100% natural crayfish
oils can change a fishless day into
a productive day on the water!” (
www.BioEdgeFishing.com )
The front deck of Andy
Vallombroso’s bass boat, just might
reveal the secret to where these
disappearing bass take residence? “I
believe Menendez’s theory
wholeheartedly, and bass angler’s
need to realize that all of the bass
within a body of water do not spawn
at the same time!” Reaching for a
Power Tackle SPN 43-70 spinning Rod
spooled with 6lb Seaguar
fluorocarbon line, Vallombroso
opened his closed hand slowing.
“Most anglers only utilize ‘Hair
Jigs’ after ice out, but I can tell
you they work tremendously this time
of year as well!” (
www.PowerTackle.com ) “One other
very important factor is shallow
bait fish,” adds Vallombroso. “I
scan sunny shallow sandy bare banks
looking for baitfish.”
Vallombroso is a smallmouth expert
and a ‘Master’ at tying Hair Jigs!
(Visit Vallombroso’s web site @
AndysCustomBassLures.com ) In
his Nutmeg state of Connecticut,
Andy spends enormous amount of time
on Candlewood Lake a pristine
smallmouth and largemouth highland
reservoir situated along the
Connecticut New York border. “I
believe smallmouth bass will move
towards the shallows before the
largemouth’s do, and to me a key
water temperature is 56 degrees.”
Concentrating on water depths
ranging from 8-10’ Vallombroso
monitors his Lowrance HDS sonar
electronics looking for steep rocky
banks close to the spawning area,
when the reaction bite from faster
moving baits seem to disappear.
“My go to bait is a 1/8 oz
Silver Fox Rattlin Hair Jig made out
of real Fox hair, I never attach a
trailer and I utilize both round and
football jig heads,” claims
Vallombroso. Logging his jerkbait
bass suspended over 10-15’ of water
and holding in the 8’ range,
Vallombroso works his lightweight
Silver Fox hair jig in a shaky worm
fashion in and out rock and gravel
bottoms barely moving his hair jig
with his extremely sensitive Power
Tackle rod in a hook setting
position. “It’s imperative that
anglers utilize fluorocarbon line
for this technique!” Vallombroso
utilizes 4-6 lb Seaguar TATSU
Fluorocarbon line. (www.Seaguar.com
)
California’s Matt Paino of
Optimum Baits (
www.optimumbaits.com ) is an
expert when it comes to
incorporating the Japanese Finesse
version of the Shakey Head Worming
technique! “My years of worm fishing
experience, has taught me there is
no wrong way to present a plastic
worm!” Then with a bass-eating grin,
“However, I’ve also learned that
there are certain techniques that
will out perform others, especially
during seasonal transitions as in
this scenario!”
Living in
Japan Matt observed the studious
tactics applied by competitive
Japanese bass anglers in their
efforts to improve their
presentations in the most natural
way possible. “The Japanese have
created a technique they call “INCHI
WACKY” or translated meaning “Jig
Head Wacky!”
Two of Japan’s
Top Bass anglers have fined tuned
this technique to perfection, Takuma
Hata of Zappu Inc. and Toshiro Ono
of Jackall Inc. Paino claims the key
to success with the Jig Head Wacky
technique is in the rigging. “When
rigging the worm, it is vital that
you position the hook by inserting
it in the middle of the worm and
have it exit at a 90 degree angle
from the insertion point. The worm
will then be fixed tight on the hook
allowing the worm to be presented
more naturally with a very irregular
enticing action.”
When
it comes to choosing jig heads Paino
says the V-Shape angled hook on the
Zappu Tungsten Jig Heads not only
keeps the worm permanently anchored
on the hook, but the angle of the
line tie coupled with the
sensitivity of Tungsten aids in
detecting both bottom cover and
subtle bass bites.
“This
technique is absolutely awesome when
applied to rock piles, drop-offs,
vertical structure points and
especially in deeper locations when
bottom contact is imperative.” Matt
Paino suggests anglers choose worms
that are balanced, since the
technique requires impelling the jig
in the center of the worm. As for
jig head sizes, this west coast
finesse angler relies on Zappu jig
head weights of 1/32 to 1/16 oz more
often than not. “There are times in
deeper situation when I will turn to
a 1/4oz head, but I’ve learned from
the Japanese this technique works
best with the lighter head weights.”
So which worm does this Japanese
Finesse Shakey Head Worm expert
prefer? “Optimum Baits has designed
a complete Rabbit Fur Series of
worms specifically for the “INCHI
WACKY” technique, my go to bait for
this scenario would be the 4” Teaser
rigged Wacky on a Zappu Jig Head.
But, I will also have two other rods
rigged with different Zappu jig head
weights. One with the Rabbit Fur
grub and the other with a Rabbit Fur
4” straight tail worm rigged Texas
style for the traditional Shakey
Head presentation.”
Pete
Gluszek has a change-up deliver of
his own he refers to as
‘Power-Finesse’ (
www.TheBassUniversity.com ) for
these tough conditions. “This is the
time I will turn to lighter weight
casting jigs with spider grubs and
work them along deeper tapering
banks covering areas between
vertical banks and 45 degree banks
up to the spawning flats. The bass
are most likely spread out since
they have not committed themselves
to the spawning flats, so it’s
important to cover lots of water,
while concentrating specifically on
rocky bottoms!”
Gluszek’s
arsenal consists of his lighter
weight offerings tied to
fluorocarbon 10-15 lb test line
spooled on a baitcaster, saddled to
a Rogue 7’ extra heavy rod. (
www.roguerods.com ) Monitoring
his electronic this Buckeye Lures
Pro Staffer (www.BuckeyeLures.com)
is constantly looking for isolated
cover. “Isolated cover in the form
of rock piles, wood and brush piles
or possibly deeper grass patches are
bass magnets for Big Bass!” This is
when the FLW Stren Series Lake
Champlain Champion turns to
utilizing larger jigs to fill his
livewells. “I’ll utilize the same
Rogue 7’ extra heavy rod with 12-15
lb fluorocarbon line tied to either
a 3/8 or 1/2oz black or brown jig
and dissect the isolated cover from
every angle until I entice the bass
to eat.” If the water is clear, this
Evinrude Pro Staffer turns to a
Green Pumpkin jig, while all of his
jig presentations are paired with
matching plastic pork trailers.
The next time you’re pounding the
shallows and your bass have
disappeared, try pointing your bass
rig in the opposite direction, down
size your presentation, add BioEdge
Crayfish scent and start “Rubbing
the Rocks”!
God Bless and
Best Bass’n
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