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Fish Tales |
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Top Water Bass
Explosions |
Fish Tales
Top Water Bass Explosions
By Bill Decoteau
It was always pitch black when we
set out on our nighttime excursions.
In the beginning had it not been for
our flashlights I’m sure I would
have ended up walking knee deep into
the water, as I meandered my way to
our shoreline destination. My ears
became my eyes, while my sense of
feel detected the cool mist of
twilight and the aroma of a frog
laden pond indicated we had traveled
in the right direction. My
mentor reminded me of the necessity
to remain completely quiet. Opening
the lid of his “Ole Pal” metal
tackle box, he removed what seemed
to me a huge, monster size black
plug! Whispering, while he tied the
plug to his braided black fishing
line, “This is called a Hula
Popper.”
As a young boy, I was introduced to
the trilling adventure of pursuing
“Night-Time Top Water Bass”, via the
seductive movements of a well built
lady dressed in black with
tantalizing dangling lace.
Quoting the advice given to Benjamin
(Dustin Hoffman, in the Graduate.),
“Plastics Benjamin….Plastics!”
Modern day technology has catapulted
bass anglers into a world of
synthetic reality, leaving nothing
to the imagination. Creature baits
in every shape and form have been
devised. With each manufacture
“legally” claiming to have developed
a design like none other before?
Fiberglass “Buggy Whips” of
yesterday have been replaced by
graphite constructed single piece
ultra-light blanks dressed with
titanium ferules. Heavy bulky metal
reels mounted on metal reel seats
have found themselves put to
pasture, as lightweight supper
sensitive space age material reels
are saddled to new era rods. (www.AllStarRods.com.)
They label them Super Braids,
Microfuse, Fire-Line, Power Pro and
let’s not forget our comic book hero
Spiderman with his super strong,
super sensitive “Spider-Wire!” Not
only do these Super Braids have the
ability to cast further, have the
memory to have no-memory, but also
they disguise themselves as super
weaklings with the generic strength
of line ten times their size. (www.PowerPro.com)
As I reflect back to my early
childhood days, I cannot help but to
chuckle. The old fiberglass bait
caster pole stood about five feet
tall, showing a sign of maturity
having turned yellowish white, a
color distinguishing its age. Its
cork handle wore the scars engraved
by an arsenal of topwater baits that
had been locked and loaded in a
position of readiness.
A round nickel silver PFLUEGER-SUMMIT
Level Wind and Anti-Back-Lash reel
with shiny ruby jewels embedded on
each side, beckoned a praise of
Royalty. Spooled to the crown jewel
of bait casters, much like the
Tucker Automobile ahead of it’s
time, was a form of ancient braided
line that even the Bass Professor
would have been honored to use.
Super strong, multi-colored, woven
to lay flat this unique “Braided
(Woven) Line” displayed the
qualities of a brainless inventor,
for it too had no memory! (www.Pfluegerfishing.com)
Two distinct topwater baits were the
only two my mentor relied upon for
successful nighttime excursions: the
Hula-Popper and the Jitterbug. Both
products of Fred Arbogast a lure
maker of the 30’s, yet still readily
available today in the exact
same-patented design. (www.Arbogastlures.com)
“Always use a heavy plug on these
bait caster outfits,” he would say.
With smooth precision he sailed the
bait in the air, always arriving at
its destination. “It’s imperative
that your ears become your eyes,
listening to the rhythm of the baits
cadence and the sudden splashing
sounds!”
Although I don’t remember being able
to see the plugs as we worked them
along the surface, I do recall the
necessity of making sure the line
ran through my fingers while reeling
in the slack or working the baits.
“Once you hear the sudden splash, be
prepared to feel the line move. When
you feel any pulling sensation, set
the hook by sweeping the rod upwards
and to the side,” he added.
Closing my eyes, the thrill of that
familiar Pop-Pop-Pop…pause,
Pop-Pop-Pop…pause cadence brings
back the exhilarating rush when out
of nowhere an explosion sounded, my
line started pulling, the hook was
set as the rod went up, and then as
quickly as I raised it, the bass
would lower the tip right down to
the water.
Although not yet invented by Ray
Scott, my mentor insisted that we
always release the bass that we
managed to land. After admiring the
deep dark rich green colors, the
size of each bass’s belly, and of
course the ability of placing a
closed fist into their large-mouths,
we thanked each of our competitors
for a stealth fight, challenging
them to another “Bass Battle’.
As time went on, I learned to read
the water and weather conditions,
which helped us to choose the
topwater bait we tied on first. “If
we have a slight breeze or ripple on
the water. It’s always better to tie
on the jitterbug. A slow crawling
retrieve will usually produce more
action, but don’t hesitate to vary
your retrieve faster-slower or
combinations of both; bass are very
moody creatures.” Adding with a
chuckle, “Kind of like women, maybe
that’s way we always refer to bass
as She’s?”
Today’s fast pace bass angler has
more baits than most tackle shops,
always striving for that ‘Secret
Bait’ or something different than
the other competitors? Wanting an
edge to out smart the other guy,
anglers have lost the passion in
some respects to the antique art of
bass angling.
Today’s educated bass anglers are
discovering that topwater bites can
exist all day long! “My go to
topwater bait during hot summer
weather is often a Booyah Buzzbait,
“ claims Mercury Outboards Frank
Scalish. (www.MercuryMarine.com)
“I learned how to become patient
when setting the hook on buzzbait
bass by fishing the Booyah Buzz at
night when I could not see, but only
hear it gurgling across the
surface!”
Burning summer heat has a tendency
to wear out an angler quickly,
forgetting there are usually two
distinct patterns available:
deepwater bass and super shallow
bass. “I have had times when
smallmouth bass will blast a ˝ oz
Booyah Buzz burned on the surface
over an open water point with grass
cover in twenty to twenty-five feet
of water.” Cracking his ‘Buckeye”
smile Scalish replied,” If they are
missing the bait, I’ll add a trailer
hook.”
When asked if he slows down his
buzzbait retrieve at all, Scalish
laughed saying, “Only to put another
bass into my livewell!” “These bass
are responding to an inherited
reflex bite and I believe it’s the
speed and sound of the buzzbait that
is attracting their attention. In
shallow water largemouths may miss
the bait, due to not clearing the
thicker matted grass, or lily pads.
That’s why it’s imperative that
anglers concentrate their shallow
water cast to specific areas.” Frank
Scalish suggest areas with several
types of cover such as wood, pads
and rocks have the potential to
product bigger and better bass.
Outdoor Writer Tim Tucker once
wrote, “I truly believe that when
Bass Anglers die they go to heaven,
where all their “Bass Bites” are
Topwater.” I pray my belated
colleague is right, as nothing is
more exciting than pursuing our
favorite quarry at the borderline
where our two worlds meet with
unparalleled explosive action!
Dad, thanks for the mentoring
memories. I have memorized your
instructions word for word every
time I tie on an Arbogast Hula
Popper or a Jitterbug. Rest in peace
as your special plugs have been
retired along with your ‘Ole Pal’
metal tackle box, shown only on
occasion to retell the stories of a
young boy, his mentor, and their
excursions of Topwater Midnight
Explosions……………….God Bless and Best
Bass’n
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