Big Bass on the Spittin' Wa frog

Earlier this spring Tim and I were approached by River2Sea about a new frog they were planning to release at ICAST. At that time the Spittin' Wa didn't even have a name. After seeing the bait, having the opportunity to film with the frog before it hit the market sounded like a great opportunity and the chance to have some fun with a brand new product.I was looking forward to fishing with this unique frog, what I didn't expect was to start catching consistently bigger bass than I had caught on a frog in years past. After spending a few months with the bait I feel that there are a few factors contributing to the increase in fish size.

1) SIZE The Spittin' Wa 70 is a large frog. In fact, the only baits I know that are bigger are the Spro King Daddy, and the Snag Proof Frogzilla The large profile naturally lends itself to big bites.

2) WATER DISPLACEMENT The cupped face moves a lot more water than a traditional frog. As a result I was able to fish the frog out over deeper water and pull up large fish earlier in the spring than I had in the past. The wake that tracks behind this frog in open water is pretty substantial and helps to call fish in frog greater distances.

3) OVERSIZED HOOKS As odd as it sounds, strong hooks make all the difference in frog fishing. For many years a "secret" frog modification has been to reinforce the base of the hook where the shanks come together. The reason for this is that a hook can flex and deflect away from the surface it is supposed to penetrate during a hook set. While this doesn't happen often, it is most likely to happen on the largest fish with the largest hard bone section in their jaw. The hook in the Spittin' Wa 70 is larger and made of a heavier gauge wire than other frogs I have fished in the past. The result is a very stable hook that doesn't deflect when setting in to big fish.

I hope you enjoy the video. This frog is deadly and definitely worth adding to your arsenal. If you don't have the Spittin' Wa in a local shop you can pick them up and support Tactical Bassin at the same time by following this link to tackle warehouse.

I should also add that like most baits, I don't fish these straight out of the package. I shorten the legs and change the hook angle slightly before fishing the baits. I'll be sure to cover those modifications in a future video to clarify any questions. In the meantime, pick a few up and see if the size of fish your catching on a frog increases.

8 lb Spotted Bass!!!

Most people know me as a largemouth fisherman but once in a while I get the Spotted bass bug and I start heading to the foothill lakes in search of world-class Spots. Afterall, we live in California. We've got the current world record and I think everyone agrees it will be broken again in the next couple of years. It wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit if she happened to fall for my presentation.Frankly, it amazes me that more anglers don't fish for trophy spotted bass. The allure of the 10 lb largemouth distracts many anglers from the allure of a fair shot at a WORLD RECORD spot. How can you pass up that opportunity?

Giant spots, unlike giant california largemouth, will eat just about anything. Each year I'm shocked by the number of magnum spots we catch on worms, tubes, jigs, small topwater, and small swimbaits. It goes to show you that any weekend warrior has a shot at a magnum spot, no special equipment needed! So where should you go? It seems like the buzz these days is all about Bullards Bar but there are quite a few fisheries producing world class spots. Personally, I would say that Shasta, Whiskey Town, Bullards Bar, Collins, New Melones, Don Pedro, and Bass Lake, all have an equal shot at the next world record. All of these lakes have produced spots over 8 lbs in the last 12 months and most have rumors of 10+ lbers being secretly caught as well. Its up to you to pick the one you like best and put in a couple extra days this year. Good luck out there!

My largest spots this year have been caught on the following: -Dry Creek Tubes -Get Bit's 3 1/2" Tube -A variety of Swimbaits -River2Sea's "tuned" Rover The smaller swimbaits as well as the tubes were all paired with the Dirty Jigs HD Swimbait Head

Pre-Spawn Swimbait Fishing

I recently got back from a trip to Clearlake where I got to fish with my good friend Tim Little. We were able to find a great pattern throwing River2Sea S-wavers for pre-spawn fish that were moving up to feed on bait fish.

Early spring can be a difficult time to consistently pattern large fish. As the smaller males begin to move in to the shallows it can feel like the larger fish have disappeared all together. Throwing larger baits can be a great way to identify where the larger fish are located. Often times they will be holding in schools very close to the smaller fish. Using a bait like an S-Waver or other Swimbait allows you to intentionally target larger bites throughout the day. I've found that even when they are not willing to bite, large females will follow large swimbaits (6-10" long) to the boat, giving away their location. Once I've located these larger fish I visit them again during different weather conditions to try and fool them in to biting.

In the past I've insisted on throwing softbaits exclusively when the water is in the high 40's and low 50's but I've experienced days in the last 12 months that have caused me to challenge those beliefs. Even in cold water there is a place for slow, methodical hardbaits that draw up big bass. There will be more to come on this later.

Welcome to 2013

I got a little time to break away on the 1st to do some swimbait fishing on Clearlake. Welcome to 2013!