A bass fishing video blog dedicated to teaching and helping bass fisherman grow.
Tagged with: bait modifications
When it comes to Spinnerbaits and Buzzbaits don’t just open your package and set to fishing. If you do you will be missing out on bites that with just a few quick tricks and modifications can increase your chances of success dramatically. Tactical Bassin’ teaches you some quick things to make sure your spin and buzz game is drawing every bass it can this summer!
This is probably the most underrated video we've ever done. On the surface it seems like such a mundane topic but there is no other topic that can make a bigger instant impact on your fishing and your wallet than understanding treble hooks. So what's the deal? Why do we care so much about hooks? You can take a single bait and change how it moves, how it sinks, how fish bite it, and sometimes even where they get hooked, just by understanding your hooks. If you commit to the next 17 1/2 minutes and make it all the way through this video you will absolutely be a better angler on the other end!
We use hooks every time we hit the water but very few anglers really understand those hooks, how they really work, and how to make them work for you. With some basic knowledge you can learn to switch wire size, hook shape, color, or brand at the right times to drastically increase the number of fish you land!
While this topic seems mundane on the surface, I can't help but get excited about it. There is no other aspect of fishing that have more of an impact on your actual catch rates than your hooks, yet most anglers completely neglect them. When I ask a guy what his favorite hook is I'm invariably met with something like "Triple Grips", "Owner", or "Gami". Very few anglers even consider their options within a brand, let alone branching across various brands to match the different circumstances on the water.
Again, I challenge you to make it through to the end of this video. I know its long but it will change the number of fish you catch in the coming months. This video is about trebles but much of the information applies to single hooks as well.
Hooks are expensive and having a large assortment on hand can get pretty pricey but if you learn how to use them to impact sink rates you can have a single lure do all sorts of different things, saving a lot of money in the long run. Get yourself some quality split ring pliers because you're probably going to start changing hooks a lot more!
My favorite hooks for the various categories are:
Stinger hooks are truly miserable. I hate them on swimbaits, I hate them stuck in the net, my hand, the fish, and the bottom of the lake. I hate them bending and failing. I hate that fisherman have had it ground into their brains that they need them! I HATE STINGER HOOKS!
Since everyone seems so dead set on using them you might as well know how to do it right. Believe me, if you can rig a stinger hook the wrong way and find out by losing a big fish, I’ve done it. I’ve had knots fail, wires break, crimps pull loose, and even eyelets rip free from the bait. But I’ve also learned how to make the connections strong, how to keep fish hooked, and how to get them in the boat without any failures.
If you’re going to use stinger hooks this video will benefit you. I cover the four main stinger connection options that I believe are viable. They are, in no particular order, braid, wire and crimps, single strand wire, and heavy monofilament. After you’ve watched the video please share your thoughts. I’d love to hear what you think.
Some of these options are very common but others are not. Which do you use and which do you like best?
And in case you missed it in the beginning, I don’t condone the use of stingers. I honestly believe they kill higher numbers of fish than a single hook rig does and in almost all circumstances they really aren’t necessary.
We custom paint crankbaits, change blades on spinnerbaits, pour our own worms, why on earth don’t more people customize their jigs? Sure they work out of the package but so do most of the other baits we modify. Does that make any sense at all? Jigs, like most other baits, seem to work their best once they’ve been chewed on a few times. Since I’m not willing to spend the day pre-chewing my own jigs the next best bet is to make it look like I did.
There is definitely something special about a jig that has the “it” factor. One of these days I’ll get around to fully explaining this factor but for now its the magical “something” that makes one bait work better than all of it’s identical counterparts. Here is a shining example of a jig with “it”. This is a 3/4 oz Dirty Jigs No-Jack jig in the color “molting craw”.
Its been responsible for 4 fish over 9 lbs and a handful of others over the 7 lb mark. (Yes, all of those scratches are from bass teeth) Why does this one work so well? I don’t know! The important part to understand is simply that it does. I know the day will come when I lose this jig. Instead of waiting for another one to get beat up enough to start developing “it” I’m going to skip a major part of the curve. If you follow these simple steps to modify your jigs and give them more of a mottled look they will be much more appealing to big bass.
If your goal is to catch any little fish that will bite its not all that hard to do and any old jig will do. In fact, don’t bother modifying your baits at all. On the other hand, if your goal is to catch a GIANT, whatever that may be to you, then do everything you can to put the odds in your favor. Don’t go down the bank throwing the same jig as everyone else. Make your bait look more real than any other jig that big bass has ever seen and then cross your fingers that today is her day.
Do you modify your jigs? Do you have a different approach? Leave a comment and share it with the rest of us.
