Whether you care to admit it or not, we all have vices, and we all have room to grow as not only a person but as a better angler, wait a minute, wouldn’t a better angler, be a better person!? Maybe your New Year’s resolution is to shed a few pounds, quit smoking, or try something new?
As a seasoned tournament bass angler it’s hard not to fish the same lures and techniques year after year, especially if you have had some success on the tournament trail. ‘Fishing memories’, whether that be spots you’ve caught fish on in the past, or lures you’ve grown to love, could inhibit your growth as an angler.
In 2015 I’ve made the commitment to not only try a handful of new techniques but hopefully learn one well enough to add it to my tournament arsenal. Here’s a trifecta of lesser known techniques that have been responsible for a number of high level tournament wins, top ten finishes, and paycheques for our buddies from the south.
Spybaiting (Bond…James Bond):
Another new super finesse technique originating from Japan, spybaiting was introduced to North America through a lure called the Duo Realis Spin 80. It’s a small 3’, but stout 3/8 oz. jerkbait/dual propbait. It is designed to be launched with a long cast then left to slowly sink to the desired depth, the most effective retrieve is said to be crawled dead-slow, props spinning, with a subtle rolling action through the water column to dupe lethargic suspended bass. Spy baiting works best on light line 4-6lb test and a medium light 7’0 spinning rod. This one could be dynamite for clear water smallmouth in Canada!
Key Equipment: St.Croix Legend Tournament Dropshot/Finesse Spinning Rod (TBS610MLXF), Duo Realis Spin 80, Vicious Pro Elite Fluorocarbon 4-6 lb test.
Alabama Rigs (Sweet Home Alabama):
This technique has taken the Bassmaster Open Series and FLW tour by storm the last couple of years and has been responsible for a number of big money tournament wins. So much so that it was actually outlawed on the Bassmaster Elite Series and a season or two later the FLW Tour followed suit. A-Rig’s or Umbrella rigs actually originated as saltwater applications used to troll for xxx , bass anglers soon found out that they work well for bass and the A-Rig quickly reached superstardom. There are a myriad of companies that now produce A-Rigs, they can come with anywhere from 2 to 5 arms or more, meaning you can fish 5 individual baits (usually swimbaits) all at once, and many also come with spinnerbait blades of various shapes and colours. One thing to keep in mind is that often times your province or state will only allow a certain number of hooks, here in Ontario only 4 baits are allowed to be fished at once, making it necessary to fish either a spinnerbait blade or “dummy bait” with the hook removed on the 5th wire. I’ve had the most success thus far with an A-rig in Ontario during the fall months when bass are keyed into baitfish, specifically, targeting smelt or ciscoe. The method behind fishing A-rigs is very simple, make a long cast, let the rig sink to the desired depth, and impart a steady retrieve. Catches of multiple bass are possible, and less rare than you think! Key Equipment: St.Croix Legend Tournament Pitchin’/Lite Flippin’ Casting Rod (TBC76MHMF) or St.Croix Legend Tournament Swimbait Casting Rod (TBC710HF), Vicious 50 lb Braid, Mann’s Alabama Rig , Venom Pay Me Rig, River2sea Bumbershoot, Venom Lures Rig Heads ¼ oz, Your favourite swimbait (Keitech, Strike King Shadalicious etc.)
Neko Rig (Be Like Mr. Miyagi):
Nearly every tournament angler I know has a wacky rigged senko tied on most of the season, and for good reason, they flat out catch fish. Enter yet another super finesse technique originating from Japan, the neko rig. This rig offers something quite a bit different from the always popular wacky rigged soft plastic stick bait but is used under many of the same conditions and scenarios. The neko rig requires a small finesse hook, like a 1/0 – 2/0 Eagle Claw Lazer Trokar TK 97 wacky rig hook, or the TK97w (weedless wacky rig) for fishing in and around weeds and wood, hooked through the middle (wacky rigged), here’s where the tweak comes in – a 1/16 oz nail weight or specially designed neko weight (insert pictures) is inserted into the head of the bait. This gives the bait not only a different look, as you can shake the bait, nose down, vigorously in place, but it also falls quicker than the senko, and lets you fish it in deeper and windier conditions. You can neko rig nearly any soft plastic bait including: finesse worms, stick worms, tubes, craws, and creature baits.This rig works best: As a vertical, slow, methodical presentation on tough bite days, like cold fronts and high pressure systems, heavily pressured/conditioned fish (think third day of a tournament), or when you are revisiting a spot or piece of structure that you have already fished that day. Key Equipment: St.Croix Legend Tournament Split Shot Spinning Rod (TBS68MLF) or St.Croix Legend Tournament Dropshot/Finesse Spinning Rod (TBS610MLXF), Lazer Trokar TK97 1/0 or 2/0 wacky rig hook or (TK97w) (weedless), Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp Nail weights (1/16 oz) or Damiki Neko Sinker (1/16 oz), Vicious Pro Elite Fluorocarbon 4-6 lb test.
So whatever New Year’s Resolution you’ve made for 2015 hopefully you haven’t already broken it, and if you have, maybe just stick to something easy like trying out a new lure or technique for this season, it just might be the master key to unlocking your favourite lake, or better yet, cashing a big cheque! n Josh B. Peacock is an avid tournament Bass angler, Outdoor Writer, Fisheries Biologist, and semi-retired Lake of the Woods Guide (born and raised in Kenora, Ontario) holding a Bachelor of Science in Fisheries Management from Lake Superior State University in Michigan.