|
GRIZZ TIPS!
WATER CLARITY:
For clear water you should use baits that are subtle and natural in appearance. Best bets here are white, white and chartreuse, pumpkin baitfish, green pumpkin or
any other natural looking combination. Blade combinations should not be over
looked either. Tandem Colorado (or wide willow) and willow leaf blades normally
work the best here giving you a good combination of vibration and flash for the fish to home in on and see.
For muddy or stained waters use bright colors like chartreuse, chartreuse/lime, fire
tiger, orange/chartreuse, and white, combine them with a double Colorado or wide willow combination for more thump and vibration
and you have a winning combination.
MATCH THE HATCH:
It works in fly fishing and it works with lures too.
Every lake, pond, or river we fish have specific forage fish that the predators key on first and seek out such as shad,
yellow perch, or blue gills. You should always try and present a bait that replicates
these forage fish as close as possible. With the numerous bait heads, skirts,
and blades that GRIZZ BAITS™
has available you can do just that! Another key element to remember other than
color is the size of the bait, if the bass are keying on a specific size range in the bait fish you want to match that as
closely as possible.
PRIME CONDITIONS:
Prime conditions for spinner baits are usually when there is a slight chop on the
water combined with a breeze. The wave action breaks up the visibility from above
and drives baitfish onto structure. Fish
in these conditions are very aggressive and competitive. Cast a 3/8 to 1/2 oz.
spinner bait into the schooling bass and hang on for some heart pounding strikes!
VARY RETRIEVE SPEEDS:
Experiment with retrieve speeds and let the fish
tell you what they want. Burn them fast right under the surface for viscous strikes! Stop and start your retrieves and often following fish will strike the bait
as it flutters right in front of them out of reflex.
Slow roll them deep bumping them off of
rocks or stumps and very often the bass will strike the bait as it deflects off the object.
Rip them through the tops of submerged weed beds enticing strikes from bass buried within the weeds. Another effective tactic with submerged weed beds is to retrieve the spinner bait just above the weed tops
and then stop the retrieve when it reaches open pockets and let the bait flutter down into the opening. Pay close attention as the bass will blast out of the weeds to attack the bait.
Retrieve the bait over the tops of the weeds and then let it flutter down into the open pockets
LIGHT CONDITIONS & BLADE
COLOR CHOICES:
When faced with bright sunny days nickel or silver
blades are usually your best bet. For cloudy days brass or gold blades work best
along with painted blades such as chartreuse, rainbow or fire tiger patterns.
GREAT COLD WATER BAIT!
A great misconception with spinner baits is that they
are only effective in warm water conditions. In spring you can catch some of
the biggest fish of the year using spinner baits. Once you catch one in the spring
on a spinner bait keep working that area as there will be more bass in that area.
Remember bass are hungry in the spring after a long winter so this is no time for finesse fishing. Half ounce spinner baits are the norm here, long casts, and the ability to cover shallow,
mid range, and deep water make them indispensable.
FALL
FISHING :
As the days get shorter and
waters cool, bass know that winter is coming and it is time to feed up. The changing
season brings wind and this wind drives baitfish onto points, bars, rock piles, and islands where bass will stack up and ambush
them in preparation for winter. Spinner baits and in line spinners are ideal
for these conditions! This is the time of year when you can find large numbers
of fish and big fish too! Once you find them work the area thoroughly and you
just may bag the biggest stringer of your season. As always we encourage catch
and release to ensure the future of our fishing resources for years to come.
Example of type pf structure to look for in the fall (left). Right, a 4.5 lb. Largemouth on 1/2 oz. Grizz Bait™ Cocoa Bear Spinner Bait fishing wind blown island/point
October 2006.
DOWN SIZE ON PRESSURED WATERS:
When fishing high pressured waters downsize your bait.
It is a proven fact that bass get conditioned to baits when they have been exposed to them for a length of time. Switching to a 1/4 oz. spinner bait can lead you to catch fish that other anglers
miss because they just kept throwing the same 3/8 oz. baits that everyone else has.
For proof of what you can catch check out this beautiful 4.5 lb. smallmouth that GRIZZ BAITS™ Pro Staffer Chuck Gaskell caught on a 1/4 oz GRIZZ BAITS™ COCOA
BEAR!
CATTAIL REEDS:
When fishing cattail reeds position your boat
parallel to the weeds and cast beyond the reeds and retrieve the lure along the front edge and through the weeds if possible. Bass stack up in the weeds positioning themselves to face outward in perfect ambush
position. You can cast directly into the weeds and catch one or two before you
spook them all, but by casting parallel you can clean up!
SHORT STRIKES:
Sometimes fish strike short, that is they nip at the back of the
bait without getting hooked. One technique to increase hook ups is to add a trailer
hook to the bait by slipping the loop of the trailer hook over the point of the spinner bait hook and keep it in place by
slipping a piece of surgical tubing or rubber skirt collar over the hook point to keep it in place. Two easier tips are to cut the skirt shorter so it is even with the hook and or bend the wire with the
blades up so that the trail blade is directly above the hook so that the profile of the bait is equal to the hook eye.
Fishing Tips
Spinnerbaits
Spinnerbait fishing can be one of the most enjoyable fish catching techniques out there on any given day,
but there are some days better suited for them than others, we'll discuss them here. The spinnerbait shown in the photo is
from our sponsor Grizz Baits (grizzbaits.net).
 Although most bass anglers prefer an overcast or partly cloudy day with a nice 5-8mph chop on the water when working spinnerbaits
more knowledgeable anglers will continuously catch large bass on those dog day afternoons when we are just hoping for a slight
breeze to blow. On these calm days and in clear water anglers choosing to burn natural colored skirted willow leaf bladed
spinnerbaits just under the surface will attract some quality smallmouth and largemouth bass, a smaller blade will work better
to keep the lure from busting the surface. In stained water try using the rounder colorado or indiana blades for more vibrating
attraction and look for brighter colors such as chartreuse and white.Best times to throw a spinnerbait can be early spring in 1-10 feet when the water temps reach that 50 degree
mark and then again in the fall in 1-10 feet as well as the water starts to cool below 68 degrees and hang on for the strike
of a lifetime!
When purchasing a spinnerbait make sure the parts and components used in making them are of
high quality and can withstand a long day on the water. Best lure sizes are the 1/4, 3/8 & 1/2 oz sizes, and choose golden
shiner colors, white and chartreuse patterns. Retrieves can vary from burning to a real and pause or even a yo-yo retrieve.
Experiment with different techniques and you'll see why this is the bait anglers love to cast.
GRIZZ BAITS™
HIGH QUALITY HAND MADE SPINNER BAITS,
IN-LINE SPINNERS & BUZZ BAITS
GRIZZ BAITS™ The Only Fish Finder You'll Ever Need!
|
