Tackle Box Secrets
In any complete bass fishermen’s tackle box there should be a few things that are necessities hiding within. Right next to that top-secret lure, hid behind a couple cans of sardines, under the stale crackers should be a couple of permanent markers. Brand doesn’t matter as long as they’re of the permanent type. These markers have a multitude of uses for the fisherman. An orange marker run along the underside of your favorite lure will sometimes make the difference between catching and casting. I’ve had great success with various lures AFTER coloring the underside with different shades of orange. You will find that altering the colors of lures with the markers will test your artistic skills, and soon every lure in the box will look like a hand painted version. Adding a different color to your lures is only one use of these markers. Line camouflage is where I use the markers the most. There are many circumstances in clear water fishing that it wouldn’t be advised to go down to 4#, 6#, or even 8# test line because of the thick cover. I find that I can get away with the heaver line test by hiding the line with the markers. To do this you simply tie on your top-secret lure and at RANDOM with no pattern, color the line in one-inch to one-foot increments. I usually start at the lure and work towards the reel for a total of about six feet or so. The object is not to color the entire line but to break up the straight line that the fish sees under water. In clear water you will see the difference the breakup of the straight line from the point that the line enters the water to the lure is quite a significant change. Very simple and quick but maybe this will be the difference of that fish turning from a looker into an eater! Good luck with your markers, and how long has those sardines been in there anyway?
When A Bass Talks LISTEN!!!!!!!!!
Every bass that we are lucky enough to catch, talks to us. The problem is, most of us just don’t listen! Case in point, while fishing in my local honey hole the other day I had a brief but important talk with a little fish that changed my next two hours of fishing drastically! After the trolling motor hit the water, I commenced to beat the water to froth with my usual top-secret baits that have been working well in the last few weeks. After a dismal first 45 minutes with only two little dinks joining me in the boat, I decided to try a Rattletrap. While I was reeling in the Rattletrap a bass came up chasing baitfish a medium cast away from the boat in the opposite direction from my last cast. I immediately started cranking the Trap as fast as I could so that I could cast to the fish while the action was still going on. Well the Trap made it almost half way back to the boat before a three pounder tried to take not only the bait but the rod also. Now this fish hit the Trap while I was cranking as fast as I possibly could with a 6.3:1 ratio reel. Simply put, the bass said REEL FASTER STUPID! I listened, and proceeded to catch 17 bass, 3 pickerel, and a 15-pound turtle in the next two hours by burning in the bait faster than you could imagine. I have to admit the turtle caught my attention!
The point here is to pay attention to every bite or fish you get. They will tell you what you need to know if you pay attention. Try varying your retrieve rates every five cast or so until you find the correct speed or method of retrieve the fish will react to. Here lies another problem. Remembering what you were doing when the fish hit. Concentration is a key element in listening to the fish. Never give up; keep trying different speeds and techniques until you get a bass to point you in the right direction. When nobody’s looking it’s ok to talk to the bass and thank him for his fishing tips, I won’t tell! Trust me!