It took a while to get the fish in the boat, and when my partner returned to the rear deck, he no longer could see his topwater bait on the surface. It wasn't until he started reeling that he realized his topwater bait was snagged on the bottom. The only explanation we could come up with was that a fish had grabbed the topwater and subsequently dived to the bottom while we were wrestling with my fish. Bottom line: My partner got his lure back, but we both were left wondering how big a fish had gone after it. Neither one of us had seen or heard a thing.
I was reminded of that incident today, while reading an online account by bass pro Dale Verts. He was fishing a plastic worm at the base of an impoundment's dam one day when he had a similar experience. Seems he had an overrun with his baitcaster, and by the time he had picked it out and started reeling up the slack, a bass was making off with his bait.
A little later, his friend also made a cast toward the same dam, and then, for whatever reason, decided it was time for a dip of chewing tobacco. It took a few seconds to get the pinch between his cheek and gum, and when he tightened up on his worm, a bass grabbed it, too, and took off.
Turned out they were onto something. Their otherwise tough day up to that point suddenly became productive. Several bass picked up their worms before they had a chance to do anything, and the rest hit their baits as soon as they moved 'em.
Deadsticking, or the "do nothing" technique, often is associated with cold-water fishing, but Verts contends it will work all year long. "It's as viable in the heat of summer, as it is in the coldest part of winter," he said. "And it works in all depths. I've done it with a jigging spoon in 45 feet of water, as well as for spawning bass with a plastic tube less than a foot deep. In fact, it can be used with a variety of lures, and is a go-to for me with plastic worms, jigs and grubs. What it takes is patience and confidence, and the only way to build confidence is for an angler to give it a fair shot."
Verts adds that deadsticking is not a technique for finding bass--not in the least. "Anglers must know bass are in the area first," he said, "or it may be a very long and frustrating day on the water. This method is best employed when anglers have been catching bass, and for whatever reason, they have shut down. This is when deadsticking shines.
"Keep in mind," he continues, "deadsticking doesn't necessarily have to be done at the very start of a cast. In fact, I include it as part of my retrieve by simply 'killing' the lure and letting it die for a bit, maybe several times during a retrieve. When I encounter an obstacle underwater, such as a rock, brush pile, or anything I think may hold a bass nearby, I'll stop my bait and try to wait out the fish.
"This also is a killer technique when fishing pressured waters. While everyone else is chunkin' and windin', a lure left standing in a bass's face may be more than it can stand."
And finally, to maximize your hookups, deadsticking afficionados urge that you keep a little slack in your line. "This way, once a bass picks it up and starts to run, they won't feel any instant resistance," they say. "Throw your bait out and let it sink or sit, keeping your rod tip pointed down, directly at the bait. To detect a bite, you'll feel the line start to rip away, as most bass will hit your lure before trying to run away with it."
No comments:
Post a Comment