Targeting the Spawn

Spring is on the way so the Bass are headed for the beds and picking the right Bass fishing tackle for this time of year can be tricky. Do you know how to catch bedding Bass? Here are several new tips and techniques for catching these finicky fish during the spawn and I will explain them to you.

Sight fishing is one of the funnest ways to catch Bass. It is also one of the most frustrating. Bedding Bass do not bite out of hunger. They bite to defend there nest of eggs so rule number 1 is be patient and keep your distance. The goal is to see the Bass sitting on the bed but not spook them yet be close enough to make accurate cast and be able to watch your bait. Large female bass defend this nest with the utmost aggression so getting your bait in or right at the bed is critical.

Picking the right bait

Once you have found your beds the next step is picking the right lure. Bedding bass are defending the eggs from would be intruders who eat them. Bass have several enemies who eat there eggs depending on what part of the country you are in. Therefore Bass fishing tackle should vary depending on where you are fishing. If you live in the south( Below the Mason Dixon line) lizards and craw's are your best bet. If you live up north and are fishing the great lakes during the spawn the goby is your lure of choice. This little fish is well known for stealing small mouth eggs. If you are looking for a universal bait that will work well all over then there are 2. The bluegill/sunfish and the crawfish are the best choices. Any of these soft plastic baits will work.

How to fish it

There is a new log head that I am excited to tell you about. It's the stand up jig. Pairing this new jig head with a soft plastic craw makes it an awesome bed bait. This ingenious new shaky head jig stands up on end so the craw stands up with claws out like it is in defense mode. This is irresistible to a Bass. Get this Bass bait near a bed and the Bass will strike for sure. Texas rigging a stick worm or lizard is also a very good way to get the big finicky female to bite and of course old faithful, you cannot leave out the tubes. Dropping a tube into the bed is still one of the deadliest ways to get bedding Bass to bite. Natural looking soft plastic swim baits offer convincing targets for bedding Bass as well. Just get it in or near the bed and let it sit.

I hope this helps put more fish in your live well. Enjoy your next fishing trip!

Sincerely,
Tripp McKay

Please visit http://www.discountbassfishingtackle.com to see my large selection of Bass fishing tackle.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tripp_E_McKay


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Sun And Weeds Are Keys To Lefebre's Ice-Out Tactic

Sun And Weeds Are Keys To Lefebre's Ice-Out Tactic:


Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Photo: FLW Dave Lefebre said anglers fishing Northern-tier lakes during ice-out should concentrate their efforts on the north shore.

By Terry Battisti
Special to BassFan


For those anglers who live in the Southern-tier states, ice-out is a foreign concept. Moderate winter temperatures allow year-round fishing in water that rarely dips below the 50-degree mark.

In the North, though, the scene is much different. Summer transitions into fall and then winter – when the surface of lakes, reservoirs and even rivers freezes solid. About all the serious angler can do is drill holes through the ice in order to placate the desire to catch fish for up to 4 long months.

Late winter brings one of the best times of year, though – ice-out. To a Southern angler, ice-out can only mean one thing – bitter cold weather. Whereas, to the serious Northern angler, it means something else – free water and a rapid increase in surface temperature. This rapid increase in water temperature also signals the fish to move shallow into the warmest water they've seen in months.

In this installment of BassFan Pro Fishing Tips, FLW Tour pro and Pennsylvania resident Dave Lefebre talks about fishing ice-out – one of his favorite times of the year to be on the water.

Sun and Weeds Dictate Area

“Ice-out offers the most dramatic surface temperature increase you’ll see the entire year,” Lefebre said. “But that isn’t the only thing an angler needs to consider when fishing at this time. Sun angle is also really important. In the southern lakes, the sun is relatively high in what we consider spring. But in the North, it’s still low on the horizon, and this will dictate what area of the lake to fish.

“In nearly all the lakes I fish in the North, the northern side of the lake always has the biggest concentration of fish that are willing to eat. The fish are always where the sun shines most.”

But there’s another variable that plays a major role in Lefebre’s ice-out success.

“Weeds are the second thing that come into play this time of year. I generally start out in the same places that I fished in the fall, the last places that had good weed growth. These areas have the best grass and actually hold bluegill, crappie and perch all winter long. Where you have the bait, the bass will be close by. It’s your typical forage-prey relationship.”

He doesn’t just look for any weeds, though. He’s primarily looking for milfoil and coontail, the latter being the best.

This isn’t just going-down-the-bank type of fishing, though, he added.

“What you’re looking for are flats in 4 to 14 feet of water. Once you locate the flat, then look for the dark and light areas. The dark areas are where the grass is and where they butt up against lighter areas signify a change in the bottom composition.

"You’re not really keying in on one thing because the fish are pretty random this time of year. You just have to search them out day to day."

Tactics and Tackle

Once you’ve located a flat that contains a good weed population, Lefebre suggests two baits – one to find the fish and the second to clean up.

“When I first come into a weedy flat this time of the year, I prefer to throw a blade-type bait like a Jann’s Netcraft VibE,” he said. “This bait allows me to fish the area quickly to find the fish. Then, once I find the fish, I throw out some buoys and change to a Countdown Rapala.”

“The Countdown Rapala is a lost bait, but it’s my favorite bait to throw right after ice-out. I cast the bait out and let it sink into the grass. When it sinks, it kind of has a Senko-like fall, so always pay attention when you go to move it the first time – a lot of the time this is when you get bit.

“If you don’t get bit on the initial fall, pull the bait as if you were fishing a worm. As soon as you feel the lip hit the grass, stop it for a few seconds and then give it a sharp yank to clear the grass. As soon as you feel it wobble, stop it and let it sink back to the bottom. Work the bait like this all the way back to the boat.

“The best flats seem to be in the 6- to 12-foot depth,” he added. “The bait sinks slow and you have to fish it slow, so any deeper than that isn’t good.”

He mainly uses the CD9 version, but sometimes will use the CD7. He also keeps his color selection simple by using only silver/black, gold/black and chartreuse (if the water’s dirty). But he has a little trick he does to the bait to make it more weedless.

“I take off the belly hook completely,” he said. “Then I replace the rear hook with a No. 3 Gamakatsu treble hook and cut off the bottom hook all the way to the bend so it doesn’t hang in the weeds.”

His rod of choice for the Countdown isn’t the typical rod you’d normally throw with a jerkbait.

“I use a 6 1/2-foot medium-heavy casting rod with 14-pound fluorocarbon,” he said. “I’m fishing the bait more like a worm and don’t need the shock-absorbing characteristics of a rod normally used for cranks and jerkbaits. Also, the fluorocarbon line sinks and gives me better contact with the bait."

For the VibE, he uses a little bit different tackle.

“With the VibE, I use a rod like you’d throw a 'Trap on. I also use 30-pound Suffix 832 braid with it. It’s just like fishing a trap in the weeds and the braid helps me rip the bait free from the weeds.”

His color selection for the VibE is the same as for the Countdowns – silver, gold and chartreuse – and he prefers the 3/8- to 1/2-ounce sizes.

“Like I said before, this is a bait that no one throws,” he said. “It’s my favorite way to fish this time of year and I’ve had days when three of us in the boat caught over 200 fish. It’s not just a Northern thing, either. I’ve caught fish like this at Okeechobee in the winter and any lake that has a lot of grass flats."

Scanlon Not (Just) In Kansas Anymore

Scanlon Not (Just) In Kansas Anymore:

<i>By Jonathan Manteuffel
Special to BassFan</i>


Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Photo: B.A.S.S./Deb Johnson Casey Scanlon's rookie year on the Bassmaster Elite Series will be filled with new experiences.

By Jonathan Manteuffel
Special to BassFan


Not many anglers can say they won the very first bass tournament they ever entered, but Casey Scanlon did it. He was only 15 years old then. Now, at age 27, he's finally running with the big dogs in the 2012 Bassmaster Elite Series.

One of just two Kansans on the tour, this will be his first year in the Elites. He is one of a handful of true rookies in the 100-angler field.

"This is something I've always dreamed about doing," he said. "I started my own landscaping company so I could have time off to fish. Then I worked my way up through local and regional tournaments. Finally last year I decided to do the (Bassmaster Central) Opens, and got a break."

His break was that veteran Tommy Martin, who finished ahead of Scanlon in the points, declined his invitation to the Elite Series. Only the Top 5 in each division of the Opens received invitations, but when Martin opted not to fish, B.A.S.S. offered the 6th place-finisher the spot.

That was Scanlon, and he jumped at it.

"It's been a financial struggle getting my ducks in a row, but I'm tired of mowing grass," he noted. "I've been (tournament fishing) since I was 15, and the last 5 or 6 years I've fished 30 to 40 tournaments a year. I would drive to the Ozarks and practice just 1 day and still be able to compete with the big names in the region.

"This year I'm ready to step up my game."

Ready to Learn

Doing that will require that he learn at a very fast pace. The Elites get under way next week in Florida, where if you're not fishing grass of some sort, you're probably not catching fish. Unfortunately for him, there isn't much grass to fish in Kansas.

"Grass fishing will be new to me. I made a trip to Okeechobee and the St. Johns to start learning it this winter. It's an overwhelming, amazing thing to look at when you idle out into miles of (vegetation), but I'm looking forward to fishing there. That will benefit me in the long run – I'll learn more in 1 season on the tour than in 2 or 3 years fishing around home.

"I'm interested to see how my style compares to the other guys, and looking forward to learning new lakes and getting experience. Then when we get up North, I may be working hard learning to use a dropshot rig. I'm not good at looking at them on a graph while I fish for them."

What he is good at is power fishing.

"I catch a lot of fish on a shallow crank and a jig," he said. "I love throwing a jerkbait, too, and I'll probably do quite a bit of that this year. And, of course, I like throwing a topwater. That's everybody's favorite when they're hitting it.

"I haven't done a lot of traveling, so that will be exciting," he added. "I'm also looking forward to the Mystery Lake. That's a concept I like."

The event he's most looking forward to is the Bull Shoals stop next month.

"It's the only one I've fished tournaments on before (out of the eight stops on the Elite Series schedule). Hopefully it won't be in full-out spawn. With the mild winter we've had, it has a chance to be that. But even if it is, I'm comfortable fishing Ozark lakes and highland reservoirs, so I'm looking to do well there."

Some Advice from a Veteran

One of the anglers fishing the Elites who Scanlon already knows is fellow Kansan Brent Chapman, who recently won the Lewisville Central Open – the same tournament in which Scanlon placed 2nd last year. Despite the connection, they aren't planning on sharing information routinely on tour.

"Brent has been helpful on financial advice and sponsors and stuff," he said. "But he already has his own (network). I talked with (fellow rookie) Jared Miller a little at the Lewisville Open, and we may room together some, but we'll probably do our own thing (fishing-wise).

"I'll be kind of flying solo. I won't be sharing information with anyone. I really don't know anybody well enough on tour at this point."

Despite all the new lakes, techniques, travel, financial concerns and the higher level of competition, Scanlon believes he can be competitive right away.

"It might be lofty, but I'd love to win Rookie of the Year," he said. "I'm really competing against only nine or 10 guys, and this year it's pretty much true rookies – not like when David Walker or somebody (moved over from the FLW Tour). We all have a good chance.

"And of course I'd love to qualify for the Classic on Grand Lake next year," he added. "I've fished there quite a bit, and I like it. I'll have to have some good finishes and make some checks. I'll just have to keep my head down, focus on fishing and not let the financial thing or stress get to me."

Pro Tips Weekly: Jason Christie

After catching a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 8 ounces, pro Jason Christie sits in second place. (Photo by Brett Carlson)

Take the lures you’re likely to need

07.Mar.2012 by Jason Christie
A fisherman should work out the tackle management system that makes sense to him. By this time of year, I’ve gone through my boat and replenished everything I think I might need anywhere the tournament trail goes. Otherwise, I take each tournament on an individual basis and I load the stuff I think I might need for a particular lake and time of year. I have a process I follow. In my garage I store a lot of tackle and when I get ready to hit the road, I’ll go around and drop the lures I think might come into play into one of two strong plastic bags. Then I put the bags in my truck and I’m good to go. Of course, a fisherman needs to pack a little of everything. However, I used to pack so much stuff it looked like I had five or six ricks of wood in the back of my truck. Take some spares, take some stuff that fits in with seasonal patterns and take some stuff in case of unforeseen circumstances – such as a passing cold front or thunderstorm that muddies the water unexpectedly. A lot of different stuff will work at different times, but you don’t need to haul it around every time you go fishing.
--- Rayovac Pro Jason Christie, Park Hill, Oklahoma

Performance Psychology

06.Mar.2012 by Jay T. McNamara, Ph.D., L.P., aka Dr. Fish
Successful fishing is a complex process requiring mastery over your intellect, emotions, and behavior. To consistently catch fish you have to be able to think clearly, control your emotions, and act efficiently, displaying both urgency and care, depending on the issues at hand.
Based on the natural skills you were born with, and what you learned through life experiences, you already have some sense of mastery over your intellect, emotions, and behavior. However, performance psychology techniques allow you to take this mastery to a much higher level. It's kind of like fishing with a cane pole, dacron line, and a bobber, versus using a graphite rod, a 10 ball-bearing spinning reel, and premium fluorocarbon line. You can catch fish with either, though most of us would rather have the spinning outfit, eh? In subsequent articles I will talk about mastering emotions and behavior. For now let’s focus on using your intellect for maximum effectiveness.
In addition to my performance psychology work, I also do pre-employment and promotional evaluations for several large companies. When evaluating job applicants, intellectual capacity (brainpower) is a good predictor of whether someone will be successful or not. First and foremost, you have to be smart enough to do the job at hand. If you can’t figure out how to do the work of accounting, mechanical drafting or bricklaying, it’s unlikely you’ll be successful at those jobs.
What is equally important is how you use and develop your intellectual skills. Physical strength is a great analogy. The body you were born with has a certain amount of arm and leg strength, though if you want to, you can go to the gym, work out, lift weights and get substantially stronger. Similarly, regardless of the natural intellect you have, there are a number of things you can do to strengthen and expand your analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Category width is a great concept, one that all would-be successful anglers should get to know. It refers to how wide or inclusive your mental categories are. So for example, one of the categories you use (whether you know it or not) is pre-spawn bass baits. For starters, take a look at what’s in that category now. You probably have spinnerbaits and jerkbaits, and you might also have jigs and rattle-baits. Would you consider making your pre-spawn bait category bigger? How do you do that? Well, you could review magazine or Web site articles on pre-spawn tournaments in your area for the last five years. Take note of the lures the top five finishers used, and see if you might add one (or three) of these to your arsenal.
Alternately, you might think about shrinking or consolidating one of your categories. Last summer, I helped a guy in our bass club “evaluate” his plastic-worm category. We started in his boat, moved to the garage and ended up in his basement. By actual count, we sorted through 326 bags of plastic worms, some of them dating back to 1976, based on sales receipts stapled to the bag. For this guy, shrinking this category will make finding and using plastic worms a lot easier.
Intellectual flexibility is one of my favorite performance psychology concepts. Like some of you, I have a remarkable capacity to get into a mindless, chunk-and-wind routine during which many minutes, sometimes hours, go by while I have not had a single conscious thought about what I’m doing. Of course, if while doing this every 10th cast produces a four-pounder, then I would say keep it up. However, that’s not usually the case, and I end up being zoned-out, rather than “In the Zone.”
Several intellectual or cognitive flexibility techniques can be helpful here. One of them is no more complex than using the alarm on your watch or cell phone. Let’s say you are practice-fishing for a tournament, and you want to make sure you don’t get into a rut. Set your alarm for 15 minutes and when it rings ask yourself: “Do I want to keep doing this for another 15 minutes, or do I want to change something?” Maybe you decide to change spots, or perhaps you may change something subtle like casting angle, the size or color of lure, or your retrieve speed. Even if you change nothing at all, you are giving yourself an opportunity to sort through options and make proactive decisions rather than just getting into a mindless, non-thinking routine that fails to utilize your intellectual talents.
Whatever your natural intellect might be, just remember there are lots of ways performance psychology can help you stretch, strengthen, and expand your skills to become an even more effective angler.

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Jay T. McNamara, Ph.D., L.P., also known as Dr. Fish, has published his book “The Psychology of Exceptional Fishing.” You can order it by contacting Jay via e-mail at this address: jay.DrFish@gmail.com.
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Jay T. McNamara, Ph.D., L.P., is a psychologist, who is also an avid bass and walleye angler. With more than 27 years of professional experience complemented by participation in competitive fishing at local and national levels, he is uniquely qualified to illustrate

Several FLW Pros Sound Off On Using A-Rig

Monday, March 05, 2012



By Todd Ceisner
Special to BassFan




Here's a question to ponder: What was the last lure, technique or piece of equipment to register as significant an impact on the bass-fishing universe as the Alabama Rig?

Ever since the multi-lure rig burst onto the scene last October when Paul Elias used it to tattoo the field at the Guntersville FLW Tour Open, winning by 17-plus pounds, its impact on the industry has been far-reaching. In the weeks and months since, the rig has been the talk of the town, creating an almost unprecedented buzz that shows no signs of simmering down. It has spawned a spirited debate over its place in tournament fishing – does it go against the spirit of the sport, or is it the next major innovative way for people to catch more and bigger bass? If nothing else, it sure has people talking and … fishing.

“This time of year, you go to a lake and the ramps are empty,” FLW Tour pro Brent Ehrler said last month. “Now, the ramps are full and it’s because of this rig.”

Various tackle companies are scurrying to capitalize on the hoopla as other versions of the umbrella rig are hitting the market, while some pros are experimenting with making their own and tailoring them for different conditions and applications. Rod manufacturers are now marketing umbrella rig-specific models. A quick scan of the "New Accessories" page on Tackle Warehouse’s website recently revealed that nearly a third of the 82 items displayed were directly related to an umbrella rig. Heck, there’s been so much discussion about, it one would think Tim Tebow had put his likeness on a bait.

Worth A Try

Many pros have spoken out in favor and against using the rig in competition. B.A.S.S. has prohibited the use of multiple-lure rigs in the Bassmaster Classic and in Elite Series tournaments this year, while FLW opted to allow them – provided they are used in accordance with state and local regulations.

BassFan spoke with several FLW Tour pros about the umbrella rigs and where they see them fitting into the tournament scene. Many believe the B.A.S.S. rules committee jumped the gun when issuing its zero-tolerance policy. Most FLW Tour pros are pleased with their circuit's ruling and are eager to see how the rig plays into decision-making during tournaments this year.

Allowing the rig in competition, some said, will at least provide a broader sample of data to study to determine if it'll be allowed in future years. After all, it’s evident how effective the rig can be in the fall and through the winter. It’s only fair, some say, to see how it plays through the spring and summer.

More than one pro admitted that when he was first introduced to the setup, either on the ramp by the product’s inventor Andy Poss or at a tournament, they chuckled at its appearance and dismissed it as just another gimmick. Who’s laughing now?

As one pro pointed out, people are sometimes resistant to change, and veering down a path that features multi-lure rigs may represent a radical change to some. However, in a results-driven world, one thing’s for sure: The Alabama Rig is here stay simply because it's so effective at catching fish.

Favorable Reception

Following is a sampling of opinions from FLW Tour pros on the Alabama rig, its usefulness, its future place in the sport and what tournaments it might play a deciding factor in this year.

Darrell Robertson

"I think guys better get one. I haven't fished it much this winter and really haven't caught any fish on it, but undoubtedly on lakes around me like Grand Lake, they're catching all kinds of fish on it. The only thing I have against it is it's going to allow people to catch fish when they're not that catchable. It might be something that'll cause the fish to not get much of a break.

"People come up with new ways to catch fish every year. It's probably one of the better things someone's come up with in a while. This is probably the hottest thing that's come along. With the new Structure Scan and Side Imaging and the Alabama Rig, it puts bass in a lot of danger. They'll all get used it, but it'll be something that will catch fish for a long time. It'll make all of the bass fishermen be more versatile.

“B.A.S.S. didn't allow it because there are 10 to 15 guys that cash a big, fat check every tournament and they don't have to change their way of fishing. I think FLW has led the way ever since FLW started and B.A.S.S. has kind of followed.






Photo: Plano
Brent Ehrler thinks the A-Rig might make its biggest impact during the summer months.


“(I think it’ll work at) Kentucky Lake. I don't think it'll be a big factor in the tournaments that are right around the spawn. You have to have the right conditions for it, but if the conditions are on, let me tell you, that thing will catch fish.”

Jay Yelas

“I love the innovation of the Alabama Rig. To me, it’s a whole new paradigm shift, going from the single bait to a multi-bait. It’s just fascinating to me how we’ve missed this for so many years and then overnight, it’s this huge sensation.

"When I first saw it last July, I just chuckled and thought it might catch some fish, but there was nothing special about it. It never clicked in my head until October when Paul Elias did that in that tournament. I was in that tournament and I got my hands on one and went back to the same area I’d been fishing the first 2 days where I was catching seven or eight keepers a day on everything I knew how to use. I went in there with the Alabama rig and caught 30 on the third day of the tournament. It was just one of those special days. I haven’t had that much fun in bass fishing in so long. To struggle on those fish for 2 days and just barely make the cut, and then find a new way to just whack them, that’s what fishermen live for.

“Everybody has a ton to learn about it. We’re still in the beginning stages of this thing. To me it’s not all about swimbaits. Who knows where it’s going to from here? You might see people rig up combinations of different baits like soft plastics or topwaters or whatever.

“In my 24 years of fishing as a pro, I’ve never seen a new product introduced into the sport of any sort that works so well and have people just want to ban it immediately. I’ve never seen anything like it. To me, that goes against the grain. I want to embrace the thing. I love it. I think it’s the coolest thing anybody’s invented in a long time.

“I’m really curious to see what it does on the national scene this year. I’m glad FLW is going to let us fish it just because everybody is so excited about it and I’m looking forward to seeing how good it really is. There are 10 FLW tournaments this year. Are half of them going to be won on the Alabama Rig? Who knows? It’s going to be exciting to find out. I know in the fall it’ll be good at Wheeler. I think it could be a big player in the Forrest Wood Cup. It could be good at St. Clair in August.”

Brent Ehrler

“I don’t think anything has ever hit the market like this. It was like the perfect storm on the Tennessee River with fall fishing, schooling fish, off-the-bank fish and suspended fish along with it, and that’s where it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out. It’s obviously winning every tournament through the middle of winter right now. It could be one of those where it continues to win tournaments through the spring. It’ll obviously win them in the summer. I think that’s when it’s really going to shine. It might just be a year-round thing. How long it will last, I don’t really know, but it has definitely rejuvenated everybody in the industry.

“I think it’s great for the industry as a whole as far as getting people involved and getting them out there and getting them excited about fishing. I think it’ll boost other tackle sales, too. You’d never think of a bait that could sell a boat, but I think it’s possible now.

“I think it’ll be a factor the entire year with the exception of Okeechobee and maybe the Potomac. I think a guy could, theoretically, go and catch them at any of the stops we go to and they could even catch them at the Potomac and Okeechobee, but it’s a different scenario with shallow water and grass. I just don’t think it’s going to shine in that stuff. But if you get into any kind of deep water I think it’ll work. I honestly believe it could work at every single one of the stops on the schedule this year.”

Luke Clausen

“I’m glad FLW did allow it. I think a lot of people are against it because they’re afraid everybody’s going to be able to catch them on it, but if that’s the case we’re all going to be throwing it and the guys who are better at finding fish are still going to be better at finding them, and they’ll catch them on that instead of throwing something else.

“I think it’s good for the sport, but I think there’s a lot of fear that guys who don’t know how to fish as well as others are going to catch them on it. If that’s the case, you better pick one up and go find a better area than everyone else.

“From what I’ve heard about it, those Ozark lakes will be good if we go there early enough. It’s going to be a deal where, in my opinion, if it’s cold it’s going to be good if they’re relating to shad. If it gets warm and they start getting around the bank, it’s not going to be the powerhouse that people think it’s going to be. I could be dead wrong, but I don’t think it’ll be that good then. As far as ledge-fishing, it seems like it would be good then, but I don’t know. I just haven’t done it enough to know. We’re all going to learn. From what I hear, it doesn’t appear to be as good on the blueback (herring) lakes like Hartwell and Lanier. It’s just not the bait it is on the Tennessee River and some of the river fisheries where they’re really following balls of shad.

“A lot of it will depend on the time of year, too. Right now, in my opinion, it’s probably going to be at its best. I’m not saying it’s not going to work some other time, but right now the fish are relating so heavily to those bait balls that it’s going to better now than ever, but I could be wrong.”






Photo: Sara Hageman Schenck
Shad Schenck said all the hoopla that's been created by the A-Rig is good for the sport.


Shad Schenck

“It’s a great rig and I’m sure every angler I know is excited for the opportunity to throw it. Of course, there’s a time and place for that lure just like there is for any lure. Everyone gets excited and there’s a lot of hoopla about a new lure that works really well and I think there’s been a lot of the same thing with this lure that there was with the ChatterBait and things like that.

“I’ve fished the FLW Tour for 13 years and I certainly wasn’t around when the jig came out and I wasn’t around when the buzzbait was invented, but I think it’s great for the sport. It’s created a lot of hoopla and gotten people excited about it.

“I think it is here to stay just like the Carolina Rig is here to stay and every other lure is here to stay. My rule is I’m not out there to test lures. I’m out there to win tournaments. I don’t throw a lure until it’s won a tournament and when it’s won a tournament it’s in my arsenal. I’ve never thrown anything unless I know it works. My time and every cast I make for the whole season are too valuable to be a tester.

“It’s certainly going to play a role at Kentucky Lake. I’ll be anxious to see if it does anything at Champlain, but certainly with the time of the year, it’s very doubtful. It’s more of a schooling bait so if we get into a situation where there are schooling fish, which could happen at Beaver Lake or Table Rock, then yeah, it’s going to come into play. It’s almost like asking me if a jig is going to win a tournament this year. I hope people have forgotten about some baits that I’m going to be throwing at certain times.”

Charles Bebber

"I’ve caught several fish on it since it came out. I finished 13th at the Everstart Championship at Kentucky Lake. I caught every bass on it. Granted, I was only able to use one hook in that deal, but I haven’t seen it do any damage to a fish that a crankbait or something like that wouldn’t do.

“You’d be crazy to not throw it under certain circumstances. If everybody’s catching them on it and you say, ‘I’m against it,’ you’re going to get beat.

“There are so many applications to it and I’ve already started tinkering with making my own and I’ve made some finesse versions for when we go to different lakes where I might feel like the wire might be a hindrance to catching them.”

Cox, York Found Their Own Unique Stuff

By BassFan Staff
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Flipping mats was the route to winning the Okeechobee FLW Tour Open, as Randall Tharp proved by racking up more than 100 pounds over 4 days in Florida. There were other ways to earn a hefty paycheck, though, and John Cox and Jeremy York, the respective 2nd- and 3rd-place finishers, paved their own paths to single-digit placements.

2nd: John Cox

> Day 1: 5, 27-10
> Day 2: 5, 25-04
> Day 3: 5, 16-15
> Day 4: 5, 8-06
> Total = 20, 78-03

Florida's John Cox, a rookie winner last year at the Red River FLW Tour Major, spent most of this tournament in close proximity to the launch in Clewiston. He could've gotten to his best spot within minutes each morning powered only by his trolling motor.

He focused primarily on clumps of vegetation near the mouth of the Clewiston channel. "I'd just drift down through there and flip everything that was there," he said, noting that a spinnerbait also accounted for a few weigh-in fish.

He had no company at all for the first 2 days, when he weighed his big sacks. On day 3 the Soldier Appreciation event launched and, with many of those participants opting against long runs in a stiff north wind, the area saw a lot more traffic.

He ran to an area he'd been saving on ultra-windy day 4 and it didn't produce (he ended up catching his five squeaker fish on a small crankbait), but he still held onto the No. 2 slot by more than 4 pounds.

> Flipping gear: 7'6" heavy-action Shimano Clarus pitching rod, Abu Garcia Revo Premier casting reel (7.1:1 ratio), unnamed 50-pound braided line, 1/2-ounce Rattle Head jighead, Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver (junebug).

> Spinnerbait gear: 7'2" medium-heavy Shimano Clarus rod, same reel, unnamed 30-pound braided line, 1/2-ounce Rattle Head spinnerbait (white with gold willow-leaf blades).

> Cranking gear: 7'6" heavy-action Shimano Clarus flipping stick, same reel, unnamed 30-pound braid, unnamed 1/2-inch crankbait (white with blue belly).

> "I don't even know who makes that bait and it's one I can't find anymore," he said. He was forced to throw it on flipping gear because he didn't have a cranking setup in his boat at the time.

Main factor in his success – "The good weather the first couple of days and being around some big fish."

Performance edge – "The jighead had a loose hook, and I don't know if it was the clicking noise or what, but sometimes I'd just barely shake the line and a fish would pick it up."






Photo: FLW/Shaye Baker
Third-place finisher Jeremy York had to wrestle many of his fish out of the gator grass.


3rd: Jeremy York

> Day 1: 5, 20-06
> Day 2: 5, 22-15
> Day 3: 5, 17-08
> Day 4: 5, 13-05
> Total = 20, 74-02

Jeremy York had no worries about traffic in his primary area – there might not have been another angler in the field who'd considered venturing into Uncle Joe's Cut and attempting to wrestle fish out of the unrelenting gator grass.

Uncle Joe's is a narrow ditch connected to the rim canal that runs for several miles. He'd had a good first day there in last month's EverStart and was in position to make a run at a Top 10, but then got 30 bites on day 2 and landed exactly one of them to end up 55th.

"That stuff is unlike any other grass," he said. "Compared to gator grass, hyacinths or hydrilla are pretty easy to get fish out of. About half the fish I caught, I had to go and physically dig them out of the grass."

He'd originally figured the area was good for about 15 pounds and he had a little less than that on day 1 when he began thinking about pulling out. A 4-pounder convinced him to stay a while longer and two similar fish went into his livewell over the next hour.

"After that I thought I'd really milked it, but they'd reloaded in there the second day and they just kept replenishing. I lost two 5-pounders and a 3 on camera (on day 4). It was just so tough to get them out."

> Flipping gear: 7'6" extra-heavy G. Loomis rod, Lew's Tournament Speed Spool casting reel (6.4:1 ratio), 25-pound Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon line, 1-ounce Strike King tungsten weight, 4/0 Trokar flipping hook (attached with a snell knot), 4" Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog (Okeechobee craw).

Main factor in his success – "Probably the biggest thing was just listening to the fish. They were telling me what I needed to know and they just kept telling me to stay."

Performance edge – "The Power-Poles, especially with the wind blowing the way it was. When I really needed to pick a place apart, I could put the sticks down and take the time to really work on the area."