Blade blades
Most bass fishermen, because of their use of jigs and worms, have forgotten some of the most important baits that can catch the amount of hard-catching bass under suitable circumstances and many times mean the difference in winning a tournament. These lures do not have an appeal or victory in tournaments such baits as mounts, soft plastics and spinning bars. Fishers who are just starting to do bass fishing, many times do not know how and when to use these baits. Even some really good bass fishermen do not understand the role of these solid metal lures.
Some of the best baits we use for these methods are a sheer spoon called Silver Buddy, as well as a Span King Thruster shank. These lures can really help you from time to time. We have never won a tournament using only these baits, but in fact they can add a decent bass to the bag when other baits fail.
Most anglers use these baits in deep water with a vertical presentation, but we use them in other ways that really work well in the northeast.
When we catch some of the deer waters of New York, and some in the Midwest, such as Table Lake, we use them in situations with deep water when it is difficult to get a bite using other methods.
They work well there, especially in the late fall and early winter, but in some of the cleaner waters of the Northern Lakes we use them, throwing them, because the water is actually not so deep, and we cannot cope with them.
During these cold periods, we set the boat on the landing or on the deep edge of the apartment. Then we throw a spoon to the edges of the growth of weeds with thin vegetation. We usually catch them at about 6 feet of water to a depth of 20 feet, and then we use the spoon on the boat again in a yo-yo motion. We just let the bait fall to the bottom, pull it when it hits, and then return it to the boat.
We found that the bait called “Talus herring” works well in this direction. If we want the lure to fall more slowly, we simply use a heavier line. This technique works well for us here in the northeast, before the ice begins to form. You can cover much more water with this bait, rather than a jig or grub that will search for fish all day. The bass kick zone is very small in colder water.
SPRING SPRING TACTICS
In the spring, we like to use the bait called "Silver Bud". We use mostly size 1/2 oz. This bait produces much better in early spring. We were very lucky with this bait shortly after the ice went out.
We catch this lure with short jumps in the same places as in the fall. This bait improves vibration, and I think that’s why we feel good in early spring when the water is cold.
We've done as much as 20 bass from a small area on this lure in Rock Lake and some northeast reservoirs. We usually have the best luck with this bait, when we catch it in areas where there is a piece of stone, the best areas where the caddisc is located, and when it departs from bluffs to sand and pebble apartments, just like it happens on the river Sassafras in the Upper Chesapeake Bay. This lure is also great for smaller resorts in some of the Pennsylvania reservoirs and in the Midwest.
I usually cruise back and forth to the creeks until I find the baitfish. You must really learn how to properly use your electronics to achieve this goal. When I see a lot of baitfish holding deep changes (sometimes they will also be bass), I follow them until I find some kind of structure. Sometimes in deer lakes it is 30 feet or more. When you fish on such a deeper bass, you should pay attention to your line, then I lure the bait and then follow it on a semi-dense line. I learned to do it in Table Rock and Bull Shoals in Missouri after many disappointing trips. The spoon should tremble and watch the line, it is a real minority bite. Set the hook when the line does something unusual.
TAIL SPINS
These best ones are great because they have abandoned so far. Whenever we see a fish go quite far away, we can get to them with these baits before the action slows down. You have to be careful with the many baits for tails, as they cause a lot of turning lines. The tail of the Strike King Thruster tail does not do much the same. The ball bearing rotating on this bait eliminates a lot of turning lines. Because of the construction of this bait, the bass has more problems with throwing the bait, and this leads to a more mundane bass.
Sometimes, when we use a crankbait, and the fish seems to be disconnected to this bait, we pull out the shank. You can fish all through a column of water, and many times catch more bass in the same area. It imitates dye very well. Sometimes we even throw this bait on an apartment, where other anglers may be tempted to throw a spinning mill or a rat-L-trap. Sometimes we throw the thruster tail and treat it on scattered grass or weed, which is located a few feet from the surface. We were lucky with this technique in New Jersey and in the Midwest and in Florida. Vibration and flash sometimes paint huge blows. I just use the 20-25 pound test to control the depth over weeds or apartments, and use the 10 pound test if I want it to go deeper.
We also used this bait successfully around standing wood in some reservoirs in the Midwest. The design of the bait helps to remove it from some standing lumber, tree trunks and even limbs. You can even use it effectively by floating the bait using bridge piles in the Potomac and Sassafras rivers.
LINE, REEL and ROD COMBO
I use a 6 to 7 foot die-casting bar, such as G.Loomis or Kistler, and any high-speed reel, such as Chronano Chronarch or Curado. This is just the right combination for these lures and returns. I like to use any good monofilament for this, depending on the particular technique, it will be a 12-20 pound test. Never get caught without some of these blade baits in your boat, it could save the day or win the tournament. More detailed articles on this are available, as well as videos.
