Hi Blackwater Fans,
Check out the article written by our Pro-Staffer Tony Lain. Tony is always looking to help his fellow angler’s with Tech Tip. If you wanna get the edge like Tony check out our e-store & purchase some Toray Line http://blackwater.myshopify.com/ make sure to use the discount promo code: fishblackwater
Pre-Spawn with Big Blades
By Tony Lain
Early Spring… trees show the first signs of blooming, birds are chirping, love is in the air and the first wave of big female large-mouth bass start moving towards the shore! This time of the year gives an angler the opportunity to catch some of the biggest and healthiest bass of the season, and an opportunity for the tournament angler to weigh in a huge bag. Under normal conditions in early Spring, female bass will stage near spawning flats and protected coves. The first wave of big female bass will stage on long tapering points, off shore humps, deep banks with isolated structure and deep creek channels near spawning flats. The best depth to target the first wave is usually in the 15-30 foot range. When the first wave of pre-spawn bass start staging near shore, I get really excited and it’s when I tie on a heavy spinnerbait. When I say heavy, I’m talking spinnerbaits in the 1oz to 1 ½ oz size. This heavy lure is the perfect presentation to slow roll in deep water, where big bass stage before the spawn.
Rod and Reel: This technique requires a rod with a longer length, sensitivity, heavy action, with a softer tip. I found that many rods originally designed as flipping/pitching rods, and rods designed to toss deep driving crank baits are also excellent for fishing heavy spinnerbaits. The key is the rod must have a soft tip and fast taper. These types of rods work well for this technique because it’s length allows me to make extremely long casts, and I can also pick up a lot of line during a hook-set. I have learned that the best reels for this technique are reels with a gear ration between 4.9:1 to 6.3:1. A slower reel is better. When slow rolling heavy blades in deep water it is almost impossible to go too slow. Using a slower ratio reel makes me slow down even more and allows me to effectively slow roll the heavy spinnerbait, while bumping the bottom and remain in the strike zone almost the entire length of the cast.
Line: When slow rolling heavy spinnerbaits in deep water, the low stretch, increased sensitivity, and sinking characteristics of fluorocarbon line is critical. When I am slow rolling a heavy spinnerbait in deep clear water I use 12lb and 14lb Toray line. I prefer to use TORAY fluorocarbon line. The TORAY Solaroam Superhard Upgrade is the perfect line for this technique.
Technique: Look for long tapering points, off shore humps, deep banks with isolated structure like wood or big rocks. When possible, position yourself so you can fish your lure slightly uphill or parallel to the shore. Make the longest cast possible. Let the lure sink all the way to the bottom on a slack line, but pay attention as it sinks because occasionally bites will occur as the lure falls. Engage the reel and snap the rod a couple times to get the blades spinning on the lure. Hold the rod low to the water, angled slightly to one side. Slowly retrieve the lure, keeping the lure just above the bottom, slow enough to occasionally bump bottom structure. Try a slow stop and go retrieve, as well as a slow steady retrieve until you get bit. I have found, the colder the water, the slower the retrieve should be. When you get bit you will either feel a thump, slight tap, or the bass will literally knock slack in your line. After the bite, quickly increase the speed of the retrieve until the rod loads up, and then set the hook hard with sweeping hook-set. Fish on!
