ZAPPU Inchi-Wacky At an Elite Series event on Bull Shoals Reservoir in Arkansas earlier this year, Kurt Dove suspected he’d have to rely on finesse tactics. His hunch proved correct as many anglers in the top ten fished small tubes or shakey head worms. “It was super clear water,” he recalled. “And fishing really light […]
Tackling the Baitfish Spawn with the Skimmer With August water temperatures in the low 80s, Kurt Dove assumed that the shad spawn on Lake Amistad was long over, but recently he came across a situation where small baitfish were utilizing the ledges in the lake’s rocky bluffs to spawn. Not surprisingly, the largemouths were right
Early morning is prime-time during a shad-spawn Read More »
ZAPPU-Twin Blade The swim jig revolution isn’t just limited to small pockets of the country anymore. While it used to have devotees primarily in far-flung locations like Wisconsin and Alabama, today most serious anglers who want to catch shallow-water bass around any type of cover have integrated a horizontally-presented leadhead into their arsenal. So, with
Swimming the Twin Blade Read More »
If you save your lipless crankbaiting exclusively for the pre-spawn bass of the spring, you’re missing out on some of the year’s best bites, said Elite Series pro Kurt Dove. He dotes on an Ima Rock N’ Vibe throughout the late summer and well into the fall. “It’s great in fall because the fish are
Yo Yo Into Fall ~ Rock N’ Vibe Read More »
As bass start to leave their deep water summertime haunts on lakes around the country, their trek to shallower fall feeding spots is a gradual one. They want to keep their secure access to deep water, but they’re pulled in the opposite direction by their conflicting biological imperative to fatten up. For Kurt Dove, an
Boat Positioning for Cranking Bluffs Read More »
When Ima first released the Flit 120 Floating, many anglers assumed that it was not muchdifferent than its predecessors, a tool aimed largely at cold-weather conditions and the pre-spawn. Those who learned to use its buoyancy to their advantage, however, have come to realize that it’s an effective tool any time the fish are shallow
Float With the Flit Into Fall Read More »
Bill Lowen can slow down and fish a Carolina Rig, drag a tube, or jiggle a dropshot, but given the choice he’d rather keep moving…FAST. While he’s willing to pick apart a defined area, running and gunning come naturally to him, and when fish are aggressive he’s in his element, and almost always ends up
Burning the Square Bill for Smallies Read More »
The two major bass tours typically end their seasons on northern waters where the smallmouth grow big and mean, but are usually in relatively deep water. As a result, the dominant patterns usually involve dropshotting or dragging a tube, or perhaps slinging a deep diver like the IMA Beast Hunter. Bill Lowen has been on
Stay Shallow and Swim a Jig for Smallmouths Read More »
The Victory Tail soft plastic is a relatively new addition to the Optimum Baits lineup, but Michael Murphy says that it’s a lure that draws from the past and looks to the future. It can be rigged on just about any terminal tackle that you already use for plastics, and the sky’s the limit when
Summertime Victories Read More »
For those anglers who still haven’t dared to throw the Ima Big Stik because it looks too imposing, California guide Randy Pringle has one thing to say: Get over it. Pringle, who had a heavy hand in the bait’s design, said that while he uses this topwater when he needs a big bite, he’s caught
Sticking to it in the Summer Read More »
