YE
OLE TACKLE BOX
There comes a
time of year when the bass just won’t hit anything you throw at them. This is
when the catching gets tough and (as the saying goes) the tough get going. This
usually occurs when the infamous front comes through (mostly prior to a major
tournament).
What am I going to do, is probably the most asked
question on any lake by most anglers. There are several answers to this question
and I would like to cover some of the possibilities in this issue of Outdoor
Florida Magazine.
What I have learned over the years is that when
the bite slows down, you MUST SLOW DOWN ALSO. What I mean is, when the
largemouth close their largemouth, they are not aggressively chasing bait or
your lures. This is the time to downgrade to a worm or lizard or grub or a Craw.
I have also learned to downgrade in size. If you are casting a 6”, 7 ½” or
larger worm, downsize to a 4” or a Slider Worm and WORK IT SLOWLY and see what
results you can achieve. A cold front causes a bass’s metabolism to slow down
and they will very rarely chase any bait, which will cause them to use a lot of
energy. Most of the time the bass will eat something small and easily
attainable, when it is presented properly. There are times when just letting the
worm sit and do nothing, will trigger a strike.
This is a great time of year to rig what is
referred to as the WACKY WORM. You can accomplish this by rigging a pen worm or
floating worm with the hook going through the middle (egg sack) of the worm and
bringing the point forward. You can also increase the action of this rig by
inserting a small finishing nail into the head. When you snap your wrist and rod
tip, the worm folds into a “U” shape and then flexes out again causing the
bass to snap at it.
Spinner Baits will trigger REACTION BITES and
should be matched with the baitfish in the surrounding water. Bright clear days
use willow leaf silver blades and if it is cloudy or overcast go to an Indiana
Blade or Colorado Blade. I try to mix my colors with a gold and sliver willow or
sliver Colorado and gold willow. If the water is murky ALWAYS use Gold Colorado
blades as the give off more vibration and will get you more strikes.
For Guide Trips
call: Lone Star Bass Guide Services 561-279-7519 or e-mail CaptDandy@aol.com
Find us fast on the web. www.lonestarbassguidesvc.com