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How To Get Ready For Trout Season

November 28, 2011 by ·

It seems as though 2011 has gone by in a blink here at MVF. With all the scheduling that we do as far as testing new gear and getting everything else ready, sometimes things just slip up on you without any forewarning. Such is the case right now. We have been so focused on the changing seasons and getting those lures out that we are testing for cold water bassin’  that it didn’t even occur to me that here in So-Cal, trout season has already begun. What made me aware of it was simply the fact that on my last couple of trips, I managed, on accident, to catch a couple on bass lures!

Yes, this has happened in the past but I can’t remember a time where I was so utterly oblivious to the fact that our local lakes were in the process of stocking. So with that in mind, and my young daughters pleading with me to take them, we got the trout rigs ready to go for the season. Yes, they both chipped in and gave me a hand getting the gear ready.

We have gone over the process we like to use to get our panfish rigs ready for trout season but some of you may not have gone that far back in the archives. So I figured I might as well go over it again since it really is a fairly simple thing to do and if you have children that will be joining you on your fishing trips, in my opinion, they should learn how to maintain your gear so that they have a greater appreciation for the sport in general.

We started the day by stripping the line off of all the spinning reels. I like to use 4 pound P-Line CXX in moss green for the majority of my panfish outings. But, before I re-spool, there are a few things that need to be taken care of.

Once I get the old line off the spool, I remove the reel from the rod and clean both with a mild, all-purpose cleanser like Windex. No, I’m not looking to put a streak free shine on everything but I do want to remove dust, dirt, grease and any other leftovers from the surfaces of my rods and reels. I get out the pipe-cleaners to clean the inside of the guides as well as those hard to reach tight places on my reels. Once that is done, on to the next step.

I clean my cork handles with Simple Green to remove all the oils from my hands as well as anything that has been transferred to the grips by way of handling fish. A simple terry cloth wash towel does a great job of being abrasive enough to scrub them clean without compromising the cork. Then I apply a fresh coat of Armor-All to the grip. I’ve been doing this for years and do believe that it extends the life of the cork. Now that I’m done with the rods and they are back to looking like new, it’s time to dig into the reels.

Spinning reels are fairly easy to clean and lube, so don’t be shy about trying it yourself.

Remove the spool and give those bearings a couple of drops of oil to get ‘em spinning like new. Then, remove the handle and side cover of your reel. You can easily apply a little grease to the gears and a drop or two to the interior bearings without having to disassemble the entire reel. You should, prior to lubrication, take a few minutes and clean the inside of your reel. Put things back together and all you need now is to re-spool with new line, tie on your favorite lure and get out to the water.

I guess that some might consider it overkill but I also like to hit the new line the night before the trip with some KVD Line Conditioner. 4 pound line doesn’t usually present any handling problems but I figure it can’t hurt and, as we said in our review, it does seem to increase casting distance. One thing that I’ve learned over the years is that no matter the target species, the longer you can keep your lure in the strike zone, the more apt you are to get bit! And after all, isn’t that one of the main reasons we all do this?

See ya’ on the water …

Filed Under: Fly Fishing ·

How To Use Solunar Tables To Catch More Fish

November 17, 2011 by ·

We got a question from one of our readers about solunar tables and whether or not they really work. Furthermore, they were wondering if they should plan their trips according to some of the tables that they have seen published. So we’re going to try to answer this question based not only on our experience but also some empirical data.

Let’s start with the actual published data available to you and me. Oh, there doesn’t seem to be any from any source that would be considered authoritative. Well, that part was easy! But if this is the case, why are these tables published everywhere and is there anything to them?

Let’s look at this from a skeptical angle to see what we can find. To begin with, these tables are based on sun and moon influences that we all know do indeed have some validity. However, for them to work perfectly would require a few things that just don’t happen in the real world. The first being that the weather is always 100% predicable, day after day, week after week, month after month, and so on ad infinitum. Unfortunately, we all know that this just isn’t the case. Inclement weather can roll in at a moment’s notice and completely mess up a pattern that was well established days earlier.

Another problem is that these tables all assume that your local water is completely static. There is no fluctuation in current, the water level and temperature never rises or falls and there are no other more local variations that will affect the tables’ predictions. Man, I sure wish I could find such a place! Then all you would have to do is read the table for day and time and every day you went fishing would be your best day. Once again, reality bites.

But what about the times when I have gone fishing that coincided with the tables and it did work out? Okay, let’s look at those times and other factors that may have been in your favor besides the solunar tables.

I’m sure that most of you are aware that the spawn for bass will usually coincide with water temps reaching a certain point as well as the first full moon after the proper water condition is met. This is one of those keys that the tables can guesstimate but can’t nail down in your area. You have to keep checking the water temp and take advantage of the situation when it presents itself. One of the best times of the year can be the pre-spawn as bass are moving up.

Another well-known factor in catching both numbers and quality of bass is fishing the 3 hour period surrounding the rise and fall of the sun as well as the rise and fall of the moon. Even on days that are considered lower potential by the tables, fishing at these times can yield great days no matter the specie you’re targeting.

All of us have probably had great days on the water when the solunar tables say we shouldn’t. There are a number of reasons for this that mostly involve more immediate environmental conditions.

Have you ever fished a lake that publishes dam release times? This sudden increase in current will often trigger the most aggressive bite of the day. This is again a matter of knowing the body of water that you intend to fish and finding that information.

Have you ever fished a body of water that, for some unknown reason, is suddenly the recipient of a phenomenal hatch of shad or mudbugs or some other food source? This can be a huge boom for anglers who are in the right place at the right time. Here again, local knowledge is the key to taking advantage of an otherwise unpredictable opportunity.

There are so many factors that go into making a great day fishing that are not and cannot be accounted for by using just the solunar tables. Does this mean that they are completely bogus and not worth taking a look at? No, like every other tool in the anglers’ arsenal they have their place. In my opinion however, the more immediate environmental factors such as current, local weather, available forage, water conditions and local knowledge of any body of water have a greater impact on your day fishing than the tables.

That’s why doing a little homework on a particular fishery prior to making your first cast is always time well spent. Couple this with using the time period surrounding the rising and setting of both the sun and moon will really increase your odds of having a truly epic day on the water.

See ya’ on the water …

Filed Under: Bass Fishing, Fly Fishing ·

Understanding Shad Behavior So You Can Catch More Bass

November 14, 2011 by ·

Typical Gizzard Shad

A lot of talk at this time of year is about shad behavior and how that translates into catching more bass. We’re going to keep it fairly simple so that we don’t overload you with information that isn’t necessary.

To begin with, you have to determine what type of shad you’re dealing with at your favorite fishing hole. Is it threadfin shad, gizzard shad, blue-back herring or some other of the many species found in North America? Once you get this one figured out, there are several things that you can be looking for that should help you isolate where the bass are in relation to the shad. Furthermore, this will help you in the selection of color for whatever bait you decide to throw at ‘em.

The first thing that we look for at this time of year is whether or not the shad are moving into the shallows to feed. During fall, this is the typical pattern and you will more readily find them in the major tributaries and bays in your local fishing hole. This is a great time to be on the water as the bass are feeding more aggressively to stockpile their fat supplies for the winter. We talked about using faster moving baits this time of year as they are better shad imitators than slower lures. This is often the key to having a great day on the water this time of year.

Once you find these bass morsels, start by throwing a fast moving bait, like a lipless crankbait just under the school. Why not run it right through? For a few reasons. One, the larger bass in a system will often suspend under the shad and allow the smaller fish to do all the work for them in terms of attacking the school. They just sit under there, moving with the school, and pick off the injured shad as they float down. This allows them to not only stock up but to avoid expending any more energy than is necessary to do so. Remember, the biggest fish in your local waters didn’t get that way by being completely stupid or easily fooled!

Secondly, you do want to differentiate your bait from the school so that the bass can find it. I look at it this way. If I’m under there, pigging out on shad, I’m looking for those that are weak and easy to pick off. I mentioned in my post on the 5 inch BK swimbait that I like to use this bait this time of year because it represents not only a larger meal but also one that is EASY to eat. I believe that is why it’s been so successful for me during the fall season.

And finally, in my opinion, catching these bass that are following the schools of shad requires that you keep moving. Much like a concentric circle, fishing the outer edges of the school which includes underneath it, provides the best opportunity for catching the most fish with the least amount of effort. This way I can pick off not only the fish that are johnny on the spot but also the party crashers who are a little late to the festivities.

Some of you may be thinking to yourselves that the only thing that you’ve ever caught by following these roaming schools of shad are white bass. Yes, they too key on the same forage as black bass but you shouldn’t get discouraged when you start catching them. Often, they are the early birds as well as being the more aggressive fish in the area. The thing to do is to adjust your presentation so that you get deeper than where you’re catching the white bass. It isn’t unheard of by any stretch for large mouth to just hang out under the feeding whites and gorge themselves on their leftovers. White bass tend to be indiscriminate in their attacks. They really are the epitome of a bull in a china shop. They will go through and blast a school of shad, injuring several without eating them. This is where the large mouth takes advantage.

A good rule of thumb that I like to use is to identify the parameters of the school. From there I will cast to the back end of it, well beyond the shad. I allow my lure to sink to the depth that I believe will stay below the school and then begin my retrieve. If I get no takers, I will move up a foot or so in the water column every cast until I find where the fish are holding. Generally speaking, once you have found this, it will be fairly consistent for the period of time you are targeting a particular school.

When you either stop getting bit or the school moves on, you will need to do the same for the next school.

Yes, you will probably end up covering a lot of water and taking a lot of casts but the reward at this time of year is that you very well could wind up with your personal best in numbers as well as weight!

See ya’ on the water …

Filed Under: Bass Fishing ·

Damiki D Hold Weighted Hooks

November 10, 2011 by ·

D Hold Weighted

We’re going to look at another piece of terminal tackle that was debuted at ICAST and is now showing up on shelves. The Damiki D Hold Hook Weighted. We already reviewed the un-weighted version of this hook and found that it simply couldn’t replace our gold standard but we figured why not give this one a shot?

This product makes use of the same keeper system as its cousin but uses an interestingly shaped weight molded onto the hook shank. We obtained this product specifically for use with swimbaits but there are secondary uses for something like this.

So off to the lake to see how they would perform. We tried a variety of baits with this hook including the Double Diamond and Netbait BK. In both cases, the D Hold keeper did indeed keep the bait on the hook and did this quite well. Unfortunately, we had the same issues with this one as we did with the un-weighted version.

Before we go into that, know that the D Hold is sharper than the average bear and is strong. You can use this hook on heavy mono or braid without worrying that you’re going to bend it by putting the wood to a good strike. It penetrates well and the barb does its job. We didn’t have a single fish shake this hook after being stuck. However, those nagging little design irritants kept cropping up.

While rigging your bait straight is a no-brainer on the Damiki, the other issues surface when you penetrate the bait with the hook point. The first of these is that the keeper makes contact with the hook shank. This throws the bait slightly out of plumb. I may be splitting hairs here but it is at least a minor annoyance in my opinion as it makes the baits that we were using run just a little bit off.

Again, like its un-weighted stable mate, the angle of the hook is such that it makes tex-posing virtually impossible. I like to make sure that when I’m fishing a swimbait, there is no exposed point of the hook. Fishing baits like the BK, you have to have the confidence to throw them into and drag them through stick-ups, lily pad stems, submerged tree branches and other forms of cover that will catch bare hook points. The Damiki does not inspire that sense of security.

We also used this hook by not penetrating the back of some of the baits that we experimented with. If you enjoy fishing weighted senko style baits for example, this isn’t a bad alternative. By not going all the way through the bait, you eliminate both the issue of the keeper making contact with the hook and the angle of the hook sticking up and out of the back. This proved to be an effective way to use this hook but still wasn’t exceptional. Again, the Damiki didn’t have enough going for it to replace what we already carry in our tackle boxes.

Damiki D Hold Weighted Hooks
Overall Ratingwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
Not enough here to replace what you have

See ya’ on the water …

Filed Under: Tackle Reviews · Tagged: ,

Hags Tornado F 6.5

November 6, 2011 by ·

Hag's Tornado F6.5

There are times during the year when the use of larger than normal worms will produce more strikes and bigger fish for you. Although fall is typically the season for faster moving baits, that doesn’t mean that on those slow days, you can’t catch them on worms. If you’ve never tried a larger version of these soft plastic bass catchers, now might be a great time to have your first experience with them. The one that I have grown very fond of lately is the Hag’s Tornado in the F6.5 inch version.

Like its smaller sibling, the F6.5 has the same scent, ribs, floating tail and rattle chamber, but in a larger profile. Why would you want to go with this? Because often bass will pass up a smaller offering in favor of a larger one knowing they have to fatten up for the winter. Given they would need to expend the same amount of energy to eat either one, bass, especially bigger bass, may tend to eat the larger bait. Yeah, the old saying, “big baits catch big bass” can be right on.

One of the things that you’ll need to consider when throwing the Hag’s F6.5 is your choice of rigging options as well as the size of the terminal tackle involved. For me, I don’t throw this worm on anything less than a 5/0 hook with my first choice being the Dirty Jigs Stand Up Finesse Head in 3/16. This shakey head brings out the very best in the F6.5 Tornado.

Rigged with this head, the worm will stand almost vertically off the bottom of the lake and every tiny twitch will make the tail come alive. For that matter, just current will have the worm quivering. This subtle action is what I’ve grown so fond of in the Tornado.

I like to fish this bait on either spinning or casting gear with no more than 10 pound test. In our experience with this worm, we got most of our strikes after allowing the Tornado to come to rest on the bottom and then crawling it up and down opposing sides of points. Using short pulls of the rod tip and then just shaking the lure in place for several seconds before moving it a little more was the most effective.

Big Baits, Big Fish!

You can rig it senko style, wacky style or just Texas rigged on an offset worm hook with a standard worm weight too. We’ve caught fish using all of these methods. But if I had to narrow it down to using only one, it would definitely be on a shakey head. Usually when you get a strike on the F6.5, the take is more toward the subtle side. I like to reel down and pause an extra half beat before setting the hook. This allows the fish to get the whole worm in its mouth prior to getting stuck.

You can use a standard worm rattle with the Tornado F6.5 and because of it’s larger size, the rattle will not affect its tail action as much as it does on the smaller version. The color patterns are the same for the 6.5 as they are for the F5 and as we discussed in our earlier review, there are colors that will fit almost any color of water you may be fishing.

We talk a lot about fishing with baits that you have confidence in and this is one of those for us. If you don’t care for fishing worms on shakey heads, maybe you just haven’t found the right one to match your style. The Hag’s Tornado F6.5 may be the one you’ve been looking for.

Hag's Tornado F 6.5
Overall Ratingwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
Yeah it's big, and big bass love it!

See ya’ on the water …

Filed Under: Tackle Reviews · Tagged: ,

Damiki D Hold Unweighted Hooks

November 3, 2011 by ·

Damiki D Hold Hooks

At ICAST 2011, new terminal tackle was being shown everywhere. We decided to pick up a new product from Damiki called the D-Hold Hook. These are offered in both weighted and unweighted versions as well as several sizes in both versions. The first one we obtained was the unweighted in 5/0 to do duty for senko style baits, soft-plastic jerkbaits and other lures like craws, worms and lizards to see how they would perform with these proven standards.

One caveat here, we knew that it wouldn’t provide the same flexibility as a standard EWG when it comes to soft plastics and that you cannot cover your knot with your bait using a product like this. But there are enough applications that hook variations similar to this have found a permanent home in my tackle box and if a new product comes out that would be superior to the ones I currently depend on, it would be silly not to consider it.

The D-Hold Hooks use a piece of wire that is attached to the hook eye that resembles a lower-case, open backed, letter d. The idea being that you thread the head of the bait onto this piece of wire, being very conscious to limit the angle and depth of the plastic that you penetrate, and then onto the hook. The way the keeper is attached to the hook eye is akin to a fast-snap which leaves some of the wire sticking out and pointing to the far end of the wire.

Due to this design, you have to be careful to avoid going through more than about 1/4 inch of plastic on the head. The bait keeper will both interfere with, and have to penetrate the head of the bait. You cannot thread a bait on, in the same fashion as using a standard EWG.

The hook point is sharp, the barb is adequately sized but because of the keeper, the hook seems to be oversized when you put a bait on it. It just didn’t matter what lure we tried, the D-Hold always wound up with the hook point further down the body of the bait than other hook styles in the same size.

Notice the strange design of the keeper

The keeper is effective for holding the bait in place. However, if you’re using a slimmer profile plastic, the far end of the wire will stick up through the lure which allows weeds a place to get stuck. Unfortunately, we tried to adjust the holder but when we did, then the lowest portion of the wire would hit the hook shank which tweaked the bait to one side or the other. Not a great deal but enough to be mildly annoying.

I rig a lot of soft plastics with the hook point tex-posed into the bait as I’m sure most of you do. With the D-Hold, the angle of the hook points up a few degrees. This wasn’t at all apparent until we actually started putting baits on the hooks. Personally, I don’t want my hook point sticking out of the plastic for the presentations that are supposed to be weedless. It sorta’ defeats the purpose if you can still get hung up on a bunch of stuff cause’ your hook keeps popping out of the plastic.

We tried a myriad of different baits with these hooks with varying degrees of success, most of which were what we consider sub-par. Damaki makes some high-quality, proven products. Unfortunately, this one misses the mark for us and we can’t give it a rating that it doesn’t deserve.

Damiki D Hold Unweighted Hooks
Overall Ratingwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
We can't give this one a strong recommendation

See ya’ on the water …

Filed Under: Tackle Reviews · Tagged: ,

Lucky 7: Seven Tips For Creating Your Own Luck On Your Next Fishing Trip

November 2, 2011 by ·

The “Kid” and I were discussing some of our recent fishing trips a few days ago. Inevitably, the conversation turned toward someone asking us if we had any “luck”? Now I have always believed that “luck”, is simply a meeting of opportunity and hard work.

When the two come together, you increase your chances of being successful no matter what it is that you’re pursuing. In the case of fishing, there are what I like to refer to as my “Lucky Seven” rules. I follow these each and every time I get on the water because years of trial and error have borne these out to be the most important components for having good days fishing.

1. Seasonal Patterns Of Fish Behavior

The first thing that I look at are seasonal patterns. Yes, these can vary by a few months depending on where you do your fishing but they tend to be one of those elements that are consistent no matter the location. Fish are going to spawn at some point during the calender year.

Our job as anglers is to spend the time doing the research to find out when this is going to happen in our area or the area we are going to fish. Once we know this, we can take a pretty educated guess as to when we’ll see pre and post spawn conditions as well. Knowing this information guides us in where and what to use when we get out there.

2. Fish Key Structure

Next for me is fishing key structural elements. The ones that I focus on are, points, creek channels, humps, ridges and flats. Most bodies of water have some mix of these topographical features that have historically, consistently held fish. Depending on the seasonal pattern that we’re subject to, these structural features will each, in turn, hold fish.

Now I like to zero in on water temperature and clarity. Not only will they affect what lure choices we should use but they can have an influence on the seasonal patterns by either delaying them a bit or accelerating them. All of this information is readily available either on the internet or by calling a local tackle shop ahead of the trip to see what they have recorded recently.

Just a little hint here: If you can find a tackle store that guides use, they generally will have more up to date and accurate info on the specifics water conditions. Don’t be shy about asking. More often than not, they are happy to bring you up to date.

3. Prepare For The Unexpected

Have you ever heard the old saying about the best laid plans of mice and men? Sometimes you get out there and just don’t find what you were expecting to. Hey, this is fishin’ not catchin’. Here again, preparation is the key to overcoming something unexpected. Having the ability to cover the entire water column efficiently is going to save you a lot of headaches when Murphy’s Law pops up.

We always need to have lures on hand, in different color patterns, that will serve this purpose. Once you’re keyed in on what the fish want, you may only use a couple of baits all day. But to get to this point, you have to be ready to make adjustments on the fly and a well stocked tackle box or bag is part of the antidote for rapidly changing conditions.

4. Find What The Fish Are Eating

Sometimes it’s easy to figure out what the fish are feeding on and sometimes, it’s near impossible. However, if we can feel fairly comfortable that we’ve got this one figured out, it will further narrow our lure choices. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on the water and had some folks come up to me asking me what I was using to catch fish. I make a habit of showing them and then asking them what they’re using.

Man, you should see how far off base some of these people are with their choice of baits. It’s no wonder they aren’t catching fish when they’re throwing something that is completely unlike anything the fish are feeding on.

5. Get The Timing Right

This one is really up to personal preference but I like the old adage, “start early and stay late”. I’m sure that there is something to all the so-lunar tables and best fishing times and other more ethereal studies. But for me, I kinda figure that the fish are going to feed at some point in the course of a day and I want to have a line in the water when that happens. Pretty simple really.  

6. Get To Know Your Water

On top of that, you can get more information about a particular body of water by spending more time on it. You may notice something after having been on the water several hours, that just wasn’t apparent when you got there. This could be the key to turning your whole day around by giving you a piece of information that you didn’t have prior.

A case in point, this summer I went night fishing and just wasn’t getting bit on top-water even though it was the perfect time of year for it. All of the sudden I saw a school of bait fish break the surface and then disappear. I immediately tied on a soft plastic jerk bait and caught a fish on my first cast! The rest of the night, all I did was was throw the jerk and would up with over a dozen fish.

7. Use Your Confidence Baits

And finally, when the going gets tough, use your confidence baits. Yes we here at MVF fish a LOT of different lures during the course of the season. But when the bite shuts down or we’re in a whole new environment, we reach for the lures that have proven they catch fish. For whatever reason, your “confidence lures” are the ones that tend to get you the most strikes because you are the most proficient with them.

Don’t minimize this part of the equation. If you know that you can use a particular bait to consistently get bites, by all means, use it!

There it is folks, our “Lucky Seven”. Just because these have been successful for us doesn’t mean that there aren’t other methods out there that may work for you. But if you tend to get a little scattered before you hit the water, narrowing things down in this way just might help you to have more fun and catch more fish.

And hey, when all else fails, you may just need to get a lucky fishing hat!

See ya’ on the water …

Filed Under: Bass Fishing, Fly Fishing · Tagged:

Netbait BK Swimbait 5 Inch

October 30, 2011 by ·

Bigger Bait, Bigger Bass!

We’re going to take a look at the larger version of a bait that we have reviewed before, the Netbait BK Swimbait in the 5 inch size. We use mostly the 4 inch and it has accounted for a lot of fish this year.

However, this time of year presents a wonderful opportunity to fish the bigger bait because the fish are not only getting more aggressive in preparation for the winter but they will eat larger baits in their haste to take advantage of an easy meal. These are precisely the conditions that allow a bait like this to shine.

I’ll never forget a year ago when “The Kid” and I went fishing on a brutally cold day in November on Lake Lanier. Our guide for the day was arguably the best guide on the lake and because of the conditions, his strategy evolved into using live blue back herring and fishing for Kentucky, or Spotted Bass, as they’re known.

I bring this up because the size of the bait got bigger and bigger as the day wore on. The last area we stopped to fish, he put on herring that were at least 6 inches in length. We ended up getting a double with both fish exceeding 5 pounds.

Here again, the old adage, ”big baits catch big fish”, proved to be the true. I know that there are a lot of folks who just haven’t ever tried throwing a bait like this. It simply is out of their comfort zone. But sometimes you have to be willing to throw caution to the wind to give yourself an opportunity at a new experience.

The 5 inch Netbait has all the same endearing features as its little brother. A good solid head, belly slit that makes rigging easy and of course the same over-sized paddle tail. The action is just as good with the 5 inch and the colors are the same.

I like to throw this bait using the Owner Power Lock Plus swimbait hook in the 6/0, 1/4 ounce size. I prefer the larger hook as I believe it makes for a better hook-set. I’m here to tell you that usually when you get a strike on this bait, the fish aren’t playing with you. They hit the BK  hard with every intention of eating it.

I like to fish this bait, this time of year, by casting it out, letting it sink below the level of the shad and then begin retrieving it at a medium to medium fast pace. I know that a 5 inch bait is often larger than the shad that are being chased but, there are time when I want to have some differentiation in my bait so that the fish can pick it out of the crowd.

If that isn’t working or there are no shad in the area you’re fishing, another way to use the BK is to slow roll it along the bottom adding yo-yo style hops now and again while making sure that after the hop, you once again make some bottom contact. I can’t even begin to count the number of fish that I’ve caught this way, using this lure. Due to its action, the Netbait displaces a lot of water and seems to get the attention of bass.

Just like its little brother, the 5 inch BK comes through structure like a champ. The semi-solid head deflects well off of stumps, lay-downs, stick-ups or just about any other underwater impediment. You will get strikes as the bait is bumping into and deflecting off of these kinds of cover.

Another cool thing about the Netbait product is that the 5 inch is the same price as the 4 inch. We talked about the fact that you can catch several fish on one of these baits. The first one that I used, the final tally for that bait was 22 bass before it was unusable. These swimbaits are truly an exceptional value at about $5 a pack.

Netbait BK 5 Inch Swimbait
Overall Ratingwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
Great value, and even better results

See ya’ on the water …

Filed Under: Tackle Reviews · Tagged: , ,

Tightlines UV Flook

October 25, 2011 by ·

Some more of the 2012 baits are starting to trickle into retail and e-tail outlets so we picked up several to see what the new offerings are like. The first one that I wanted to use was the Tightlines UV Flook. I got these in pearl-black back to match any number of baitfish. I really enjoy fishing soft plastic jerk baits this time of year and was anxious to see how these would perform against my current favorites so let’s get um’ on the water.

The premise of the UV series of baits is that bass don’t have the same filters as the human eye, therefore they respond differently to colors that we simply can’t see. These are built into the UV series with the idea that bass will be more aggressive toward a lure that features these colors over traditional baits without the UV enhancer. I really had no idea whether or not this would translate to more bites, but I had to find out for myself.

You’ll notice from the pics of the packaging that inside the outer shell, each of the baits is  individually inserted into an inner envelope of clear plastic. Whether this is to prevent the enhancer from coming off or another reason, I don’t know. However, it does make it easy to get at individual baits without fumbling around inside the bag.

One of the things that is different about this bait as opposed to other plastic jerk baits is that the belly slit on the Flook is shorter than others because the nose is longer. I usually like to throw the 5 inch versions of these lures on a 5/0 EWG but had to make a small adjustment to a 4/0 to accommodate this characteristic and not get to far into the tail section and kill the action. That proved to be a non-issue in the end but you should be aware of it.

The other factor that we ran across immediately is the fact that the Flook is more petite than most of its competitors for the same size bait. It is both somewhat thinner and weighs less than our current favorites in this genre. Due to this, we went with 8 pound versus our usual 10 pound line. Making these two adjustments, we were able to attain the same distance on our casts as with other plastic jerk baits.

The action of the UV Flook is more subdued and less frantic than most of the current crop of jerks. It still provides the side-to-side darting action but doesn’t travel quite as far or as crisply as we’re used to. The fall is angled in a moderate nose down position that is almost graceful to watch but it wants to ride up in the water column when being worked fast. This bait seems to be most competent on a moderately slow retrieve.

So how did the UV Flook do when it comes to catching fish? To begin with, almost every strike that we got we converted to fish on our thumbs. They were typical plastic jerk bait bites with most of them coming as the lure was moving, not at rest or being dead-sticked. Did it outshine our current first string? No, it hasn’t to the point that I would replace my old reliables with the Flook.

They are a little pricey for this segment considering you are getting 5 for about $5.00. They are moderately durable but not so far superior to others as to out catch them 3 or 4 to one. Does that mean that they are a bust? No, I can actually think of instances that would lend themselves to using the UV Flook over my other go-to baits such as stained water or where the bait is smaller than what I am used to. In these instances, the Tightlines product stands a good chance of outshining most of its competitors and provides a tool for those specific conditions that take advantage of it’s strengths.

Tightlines UV Flook
Overall Ratingwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
Decent bait in a narrow set of conditions

See ya’ on the water …

Filed Under: Tackle Reviews ·

Tightlines UV Beaver Creature Bait

October 23, 2011 by ·

Since the introduction of the Sweet Beaver from Reaction Innovations, the “creature bait” has accounted for countless fish caught by the pros and the weekend warrior alike. The fact is that this style of bait catches bass. We’ve fished some Tightlines products but have not reviewed the UV-Beaver until now.

Like so many of the offerings out there in this category, the basic design is similar. A ribbed body with two small appendages at the top of the body with two larger claw like digits on top. Out of the package, they are connected and can be fished this way or separated to allow them to move independently and give the bait more action. Some use softer plastics while others use a firmer, more durable version.

The Tightlines UV-Beaver is definitely on the firm side of the spectrum. This translates to  less tearing and more fish per bait but conversely, less action from the flapping parts. Like all UV baits, the Beaver has been developed using ultraviolet colors that, the company claims, bass respond to 3- to 7-times better than traditional colors. This may account for the limited palette available for these baits. However, the basics are covered including Black/Blue, Blood and Green Red Flake.

We fished this lure on both a jig-head and a standard Texas rig to see what would be the most effective when using this bait. On a jig-head, by itself or as a trailer, proved to be the most effective. Furthermore, because there is less action from the claws on the UV-Beaver, a more subtle retrieve produced the most strikes.

Use Finesse, And Make A Few Adjustments

While there are baits in this genre that are most effective when the angler uses sharp pops and jerks of the rod-tip, this one is more of a finesse style bait. We found that using about half the energy that one would use with something that has more action from its moving parts was the sweet spot for the Tightlines.

Allowing the bait to utilize its body properly by lifting it off the bottom gently so that it glides back to rest, was the key to getting strikes on the UV. This is accomplished by using lighter weights like 1/16 to 1/8. We also found that the most effective use of this bait was in stained versus clear water or low-light conditions.

The other tweak you might consider is using a scent with this bait. We definitely got more strikes when we used our Fish Sticks Lure Enhancer in crawdad on the Beaver. While I can’t quantify the actual effect of the UV technology, there does seem to be something to it. It could be that the fish can spot this bait better than others in murkier conditions.

All of this being said, the Tightlines UV-Beaver has earned a place on the second string. It really does shine given the conditions that we mentioned above.

Tightlines UV Beaver
Overall Ratingwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.comwww.dyerware.com
When the conditions are just right, this is a good bait

See ya’ on the water …

Filed Under: Tackle Reviews · Tagged: , ,
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