"Flippin' the Bird"

        With so many new realistic Hollow Body Frog Baits coming out lately, you might have forgotten about this frog bait with an attitude. No frog collection is complete without "Flippin' the Bird". It's really in a class of its own. 

In spring/summer wherever there's tules, you will see the easily identifiable Red Winged Black Birds. And Flippin' the Bird is a perfect rendition of these flying Mc Nuggets. I've had real RWBB's swooping down at me thinking I had one of there own on my line, more than once.

Casting into the tules, making a big commotion, and the baits tendency to right itself in the water is usually all that is needed to elicit a strike. 

It can be used at night to represent a downed bat. 

I like to trim the rubber strands to the shape of wings and a split tail to further its bird like appeal. 

This bait will stand out when the frog bite is in full swing at your local waters. It's definitely a classic!

Hudds don't just mimic trout

                When it comes to big swimbaits like the Huddleston, I notice people will say, "we don't have trout in our waters, so they won't work".

Just because there are no trout in your waters, don't let that stop you from throwing a Hudd. Whatever types of fish you have that grow to the 8" size can be mimicked or suggested. 

Bass are opportunistic feeders and if they scrutinized food by demographics, etc. before eating, they wouldn't be productive hunters. The "reaction strike" is what makes them productive and having a large mouth doesn't hurt. 

"Don't think too much". Whenever we start eliminating possibility, we do just that. 

Where I live in Ca. many of the tackle shops do not carry the perch color or version of lures because they don't nessesarily inhabit waters this far west, and through experience, they know lures of this type do not sell well. Common knowledge of local fish species has led to this belief. For this reason, I look for perch colored baits online and fish them knowing they're the least chosen out of all the color/paterns offered in particular baits. We do have carp, suckers, chubs, and Sac pike. And the perch color/pattern can pass for these other types of fish. 

In bass fishing, "match the hatch" is important when the bass are keying in on an abundant food source. A trout stocking, a Shad spawn, Crayfish mating ritual, or chasing a school of baitfish. The rest of the time it's a matter of opportunity and doesn't nessesarily apply.

I had noticed the suckers were spawning at a particular lake, so I thought about mimicking them. The males will sport a dark horizontal strip down their sides at this time. They flock to current, so I figured big bass would be ambushing them on their way to the creek inlets and outlets. After adding a stripe to match look, I set up near the outlet. Second cast, I swam it past a little rock wall and it got hammered. I don't even think the stripe was all that important. More so to me than the bass anyway. The key was finding an ambush spot where a big predator could lie in wait.

So what I'm getting at is, just because there are no trout in your waters, you can still throw a Hudd. Now if there are no 8" fish, then that's another thing. And if that's the case, I would look for better water to fish. 

The Long Nose Sucker bares a distinctive stripe during the spawn.

A black sharpie was used to add stripes on the top and sides.

Understandings crawfish patterns and coloration is key to big bites!

Understandings crawfish patterns and coloration is key to big bites!

I found this article by Jim Root on Bassmasters. It's a topic I been trying to gain a better understanding to form my own seasonal color preferences. (I added the pics and captions)

Early October pumpkin with orange tips.

There are very few people in the world who don’t throw jigs or other crawfish imitations when bass fishing. Some people have no less than three jigs tied at any given time on their boat. So what is it that makes them so deadly on bass, and how do you know what color to use? There has been a lot of research recently that says it’s not enough to throw a tube, you need to know the correct pattern.

Recently I came across a study which showed that 90% of the time bass will choose to eat crawfish over anything else because crawfish are extremely high in protein and very easy for bass to digest. So it’s not coincidence that people throw so many tubes, jigs, soft plastic baits with pinchers. This part is really not deniable. Anyone with a boat who’s had bass in their livewell will tell you that at some point bass have spit up crawfish. What gets tricky is when you start debating color, and if it matters.

Let’s start with what is universally true: craws do change color. In a study performed by the University of Michigan, Dr. Robert Thacker found that crawfish have red and blue photoreceptors. In lakes where blue-green light transmitted best, the craws were lighter in color. And in lakes where red light transmitted best, the craws were darker in color. There has also been clear data to support that swamp-like bottom composition results in very different coloration than rocky bottom lakes or tributaries. I’m not carrying around a spectrophotometer from lake to lake measuring the color intensity, but I do have a few traps that I’ll place at different points around the lake to collect samples of crawfish, which is ultimately the most effective way to match the hatch. This is really important to do because local bait shops often import what they sell from farms, where conditions can be completely different from what you’re fishing.

When they’ll change color is when they’re molting, or shedding their shell. This results from outgrowing the one they’d worn previously. This process has also been known to change the color entirely based on habitat. What researchers have found is that molting is initiated by a chemical that’s released in the body that’s been linked to the different phases of the moon. An article in Bassmaster Magazine had this to say about colors and moon phase: 3-4 days before and after a full moon throw brown and orange or olive and orange,black and red as you move further into the moon cycle, new moon nights should warrant dark brown and black, and to use black and blue as you move to a sickle moon.

So if you take all the data and combine it what you get is that crawfish are considered delicious by bass, they change color frequently during the different moon phases, with different color patterns per each section of water in each individual lake/river/pond. . go “match the hatch”!

        Full.                       Mid                             New.                       

Brown/Orange.       Black/Red.           Dark Brown/Black.      

Olive/Orange

    Sickle

  Black/Blue

This baby carrying mother had claws with bright red flake. (Early Nov.)

Dry Erase Markers for Swimbaits

Dry Erase 

         To add touch of realism and contrast to swimbaits, without turning it into an arts and crafts project, use a red "Dry Erase" marker to suggest gills. By drawing a fine line along the gill plate, swimbaits can benefit from another layer of detail. What is better than the pipe cleaner gills is, if you screw up or just don't like the effect it can be wiped off and the bait is no worse for wear. Crazy Glue hardens and tears away from the soft surrounding portion of the bait, eventually ruining it. The Dry Erase can be done quickly right before use. 

A black Sharpie will color a Hudd a dark purple and offers a different "Night Stalker" look that the fish haven't seen. (Segregation is acceptable for Sharpie will bleed onto other baits)

 

Tip - Wake Baits and Ambush Spots

               Here is a great technique for fishing Wake Baits from shore. Cast parallel to the shoreline, as close to the bank as possible and keep moving about 1/4-1/2 your casting distance each time after the retrieve is completed. 

You're using the bank to offer structure for a predator to use to trap its prey. Doing this offers predators more incentive to pursue your bait, Increasing its temptation. Cast into the wind so your bait is traveling down with the current generated. 

Work your way down the bank and in smaller venues, around the entire lake. 

Note the types of structure, cover and shoreline which held fish for future reference. 

A stick, boulder or even trash like a car tire can offer a predictable detour for bait, and a predator to capitalize. Wake the bait as close as you can past these types of anomalies. Go slow so the bait struggles to swim. Periodic stops suggest that the bait is tiring or dying. 

After moving down the bank, every 2-3 casts, you can cast behind you, along the shoreline, to see if you missed any. 

It's rare that a wakebait is effective just randomly casting to open water. Offering a ambush or funnel spot is part of the equation to any lures success. Once you get the familiar with identifying ambush spots, you can look for deeper ones and fish it with baits that run at those levels, all the way to the bottom.

I've included a link to a video that demonstrates the technique with a S-Waver glide-bait. A wakebait is the best way to learn the effectiveness of the concept because you can see the action as it unfolds.

https://youtu.be/oCv-uXPQViM

A nice post spawn bass that fell for a Live Target Pumpkinseed Wake Bait using this technique at night.

Improve Your Fishing Karma

          Confidence is huge. Misguided or not, confidence is an important factor when it comes to fishing. So this means that all fishermen are superstitious to an extent. That's why we ask "any luck?" Because without luck, it would mean we're just not good and that could never be the case. 

Now I'm the type of person whom without bad luck, I wouldn't have much luck at all. So if there's a reasonable way I might improve my luck, I'll do it. 

I have a secret tip on improving luck and I'll share it with you. I know others whom have adopted this ritual as well. Because let's face it, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

When I'm having a bad day fishing and feeling like I should have stayed in bed. Instead of acting like I'm never fishing again, I'll just call it a day and start to pick up spent fishing trash. Just grab a bag, (I try to always have one in my tackle) and fill it up and dispose of it properly. Its disgusting, I know, disgusting how quickly the bag is filled. 

People who fish with me know how much fishing trash bothers me. It's just so disrespectful it boggles the mind. In my lifetime of fishing, I'm sure I've created trash too. So I pick up more than my share. I also figure it's harder for people to litter in a clean place. It doesn't take long to notice the difference at your fishing spots either. 

Another added bonus is all the stuff you find. My buddy found a Roman Made Negotiator, another found a Deps 250, and I've found many Hudds and Damascus blade pocket knife that I still have and think is very cool. (Valued @ $200) 

I swear that it's almost guaranteed that you will "have luck" on the next outing. It all depends on what you already owe. 

Remember to give it a try and see for yourself what good fishing Karma can do. You already know what confidence can do. 

Fishing Goals - Personal Best

             It's a good idea to set some fishing goals every year. Small steps to improve on weaknesses, avoid complacency, and further yourself down the right path towards your "personal best". New techniques, places to go, things to aquire, numbers to surpass. Here's another example of a fishing goal and its benefits. 

Having a goal to "assist others", too often, is overlooked. When a fellow fisherman (stranger or friend) catches a nice fish, possibly the fish of their lifetime, take the time to offer any assistance they may need to document their expirience. 

Most of us carry a scale and camera, just in case we catch that trophy we're after. They may not be prepared (as you or I) for this occurrence. If needed, snap a good photo and weigh it for them. Explain the correct handling procedure to ensure a clean release. (See proper handling blog) This could be that persons "fish changing expirience" so lead by example. 

Taking the time to help another enjoy the fruits of their labor fishing, not only helps them, it helps the sport that we enjoy so much, ultimately effecting you in the process.

It will minimize the stress on the fish, by limiting time out of the water, for a better chance of survival.  (Preservation)

It helps a fellow fisherman to capture a precious moment they will carry with them for the rest of their life. (Etiquette)

It will help you gain insight on the circumstances surounding the trophy catch. (Knowledge)

Plus, it will help your fishing Karma by paying it forward, hopefully starting a positive ripple effect. (Influence)

Ones "personal best" goes well beyond a number to be achieved. Its what you do, how you live, and its how you will be remembered. 

Now that's a goal to fish for.