Barnes annual spring feeding frenzy for casting to open water isn’t the only appetite motivating a traditional springtime activity! This is also when the Black Bears wake-up and search for high protein, energy efficient food after their winter hibernation. While the Black Bears roam the surface above the chilly Maine waters, another high protein creature begins crawling around below the surface………….Crawfish.

Equipping himself with a Black Strike King ½ ounce Bitsy Flipping Jig, Dave Barnes adds a Zoom Super Chunk Jr. Black trailer. “After the early spring ice out, crayfish begin emerging from the mud, and their shell colors are dark. It’s for this reason I choose a dark color jig such as black with a black trailer or at times a black/blue jig rigged with a sapphire blue trailer,” says Barnes. (www.StrikeKing.com)

Dave Barnes ties his Strike King ½ ounce Bitsy Jig to 30 or 40 lb test Power Pro Braided Spectra line. “There are two important reasons why I utilize Power Pro braided line,” claims Barnes. “Reason #1: In the spring you are usually faced with a lot of windy cold fronts, which in turn blows your line into bows, as well as blowing your jig around. With Power Pro I have found the wind doesn’t blow my line as much and in turn my jig reaches bottom quicker, allowing me to detect it’s location much better. Reason#2: In spring the bass bite is extremely subtle due to their sluggish nature, Power Pro’s sensitivity has allowed me to detect those ultra-light pick-ups, increasing my reaction time and the number of bass I catch during early springtime conditions.”(www.PowerPro.com)
Maine’s clear glacial lakes with rocky bottoms have lead Dave Barnes to discover positive presentation techniques that encourage bass to take his jigs. “At times I will implement a short hopping movement to my retrieve. This seems to mimic a crayfish’s movement over the rocky bottom,” claims Barnes. Then with a Black Bear eating grin on his face Dave Barnes whispered, “Try shaking your jig in place, and when you get a mushy feeling set the hook………it just may surprise you how many times that shaky jig will entice a bass to bite!”

Barnes technique may seem a bit different from what you have read before, but from my experience and knowledge of his consistently winning or placing in the money, my advice has always been, “When Maine’s Top Bass Angler Dave Barnes reveals one of his money making techniques, you better take note! You just may never get this information again!”
With a chuckle in voice FLW Professional Bass Angler Pete Gluszek replied, “I’m not to certain about those Black Bears Barnes is talking about, but there’s not doubt I agree with him 100% for tying on a black jig!” Then adding, “I can promise you though I will keep an eye out for Barnes Black Bears from now on.”

Franklin, New Jersey’s Pete Gluszek launches his NASCAR Ranger Bass Boat on every available open body of water. After ice-out bass start to school-up moving toward shallow water in an effort to warm their bodies and fatten-up for the annual Spring Spawning Transition. Cruising shorelines they seek out isolated logs, boulders or weed beds with sandy gravel bottoms. However, before they start to move in a horizontal direction, FLW Professional Angler Pete Gluszek concentrates his efforts along vertical structures!

“When the water is cold, bass become extremely lethargic, in areas where there is ice cover once the ice is melted, the entire aquatic system comes alive and this is when bass begin to move vertical in the water column seeking out warm comfort zones. My areas of choice are to seek out hard vertical cover areas such as bluff walls, ledges, rocky vertical tapering points and structure breaks that allow bass easy access for depth changes as needed when a cold front blows in.  According to Gluszek, springtime cold fronts seem to drive these transitional bass closer to cover, rather than suspend and this is the time the Northeast Stren Series Lake Champlain Champion ties on a Vertical Lures Jig. (www.VerticalLures.com). “Half ounce to one ounce football head Jig-X is my choice, and my trailer is always a Chunk-X Trailer,” says Gluszek. Adding, “I don’t like a swimming type tail trailer during these conditions especially in cold water! I feel it’s imperative to keep and work your presentation as naturally as possible.”

With one eye on his Garmin electronics, Gluszek simply locates vertical cover adjacent to flats logging the depths his jigs entice bites on his GPS sonar. “I like to let my Vertical Lures football head jig crawl over the bottom telegraphing both cover and structure changes,” says Gluszek. According to Pete Gluszek his Vertical Lures football jig head was designed exactly for this purpose. “Another factor that aids in sensitivity for detecting subtle bites is the type of line an anglers uses, for me there is no better line than Carbotex.” (www.carbotex.com)  Gluszek recommends tying on 15-17 lb test for casting jigs and 20-25 lb test Carbotex line when flipping heavy cover. “I definitely agree with Dave on his choices of jig size. However, this time of year I like to have three Rogue seven-foot Heavy Action baitcasting rods on my deck!” The Lake Champlain Champion won this title utilizing his Vertical Lures jigs and seven-foot Rogue flipping sticks. (www.roguerods.com) Rigging each rod with the same color jig and trailer, Pete Gluszek only changes the jig size of each. “One rod will have a one-half ounce jig, another a three-quarters ounce jig and the last a one-ounce jig, says Gluszek. “My color choice is also very simple Black Vertical Lures jig with either a Black/Blue or Contusion Chunk-X trailer or at times a Craw Chunk-X Trailer. “I always secured my trailer with a Chunk-X Sling. This sling is the best invention ever as it pegs the trailer securely yet allows the trailer to move through the water very naturally,” claims Gluszek. Pete Gluszek and Dave Barnes have learned over the years that this time of year bass are extremely legethic and many times an angler will not even realize he has a fish on. To help offset an anglers lower catch ratio Professional BASS Angler Dave Barnes and FLW Outdoors Professional Pete Gluszek have offered some helpful suggestions. Give them a try this spring and let us know how you made out…….You might find your Lunker Bass’s picture in my column!

God Bless and Best Bass’n

Northwood’s Sporting Journal
Office: 1.207.732.4880
www.sportingjournal.com
Column: Best Bass’n
March 2008 Issue

Bill Decoteau is an outdoor journalist with a strong passion for pursuing the Black Bass. His activities include covering and photographing professional bass trails, the New England Paralyzed Veterans of America Bass Trail, as well as emceeing benefit tournaments. Bill may also be found holding bass seminars or sharing winning techniques utilized by some of the nationals’ top-bass pro’s at many of the regional sportsmen shows.

Northwood’s Sporting Journal
Office: 1.207.732.4880
www.sportingjournal.com
Column: Best Bass’n