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Tips and Tricks II

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Tips and Tricks II

Richie tackles topics such as how to work a Texas Rig, how to work a topwater bait, and how to land a fish in "Tips and Tricks II".

Tips and Tricks II

How I work a Texas rigged worm

When worm fishing, I try to keep my bait on the bottom as much as possible. I spend the majority of time with my worm sitting on the bottom and my rod straight up toward the sky at 12:00. When I get ready to move my worm, I move my rod down to about 2:00 while reeling in my slack at the same time (I like to keep a lot of line between the end of my rod and the fish so she doesn't feel the rod). Then I work my rod upward while shaking the rod to give it action and keep it from catching any stuff on the bottom. The only time my reel moves is when it is taking up slack. I never move my bait with my reel. That way I know if I feel something different, it is probably a fish (especially if I didn't move my rod). If I feel a single thump, I drop my rod, take the slack out and immediately set the hook. If I feel a machine gun hit, I wait a while, because I know it is a little fish and the hook probably isn't in his mouth yet. Big fish normally won't move far to chase a bait. If you work your bait fast (like most people do), you will get more little fish bites, but the big fish probably won't bite. The reason big fish and little fish feel different when they hit is that when big fish hit, they suck the bait to them (the fish doesn't always move). Whereas, little fish pick up the bait on the run and what you feel is the fish carrying the bait (the fish is moving).

Most common worm fishing mistakes:

1) fishing too fast
2) waiting too long to set the hook
3) putting the rod to close to the water

How I work a topwater bait

You've probably heard that you should wait two seconds before setting the hook. That is a good idea because what happens is that a bass will open that giant mouth and take the bait back down, but it takes a second or two before she closes her mouth. If you set the hook with her mouth open, it is likely to come back out. But how can you wait two seconds when one hits a buzzbait at full speed? Believe it or not, it is possible. It may be unusual, but I work a buzzbait similar to a plastic worm. I try to keep my rod as high as possible (often even behind my head). When a fish hits it, I don't set the hook, but drop my rod and take out the slack. By the time I get the slack out and set the hook, one or two seconds have passed. The fish never felt the rod because I had so much distance between the rod and the bait.

When working topwaters that actually float (unlike buzzbaits), I try to keep a 90 degree angle with the bait. When working a shoreline, I recommend that my client in the back throw even or ahead of the front of the boat and keep his rod above the outboard motor. When a fish hits the bait, by the time he gets all the slack out to set the hook, he has waited long enough to catch the fish.

The topwater bite on most public lakes is rarely ever so good that you are expecting a bite every throw. Many people react instantly when one hits a topwater. I recommend keeping that 90 degree angle, so it will force you to wait.

Topwater fishing is best at dusk, dawn, and on cloudy days when the water temp is over 60 degrees. Always fish shallow water unless there is a compelling reason to fish deeper. Always try to keep as much distance between the boat and the shallows as possible.

Most common topwater fishing mistakes:

1) setting the hook too soon
2) too short of cast
3) fishing topwaters at the wrong time
4) fishing the wrong water

Note: I don't personally throw topwaters often because I believe it is selfish for a guide to work a shoreline with a topwater in front of two paying clients. I will normally throw a worm, jig, or spinnerbait in front of the boat a little deeper so I don't fish the same water. However, if I only have one client I am more likely to fish a topwater.

How to land fish

I recommend keeping your rod high and reeling in a fish as fast as possible. You should try to keep your rod bent all the time. That way if the fish jumps, you have a bent rod to keep the line from getting slack. When you get slack in your line is when the fish will get off. By keeping your rod high and bent when you get the fish to the boat, you are not as likely to reel the fish to the end of the rod (which you should never do). Once the fish is close to the boat, stop reeling and simply grab the fish by the mouth and bring it in the boat. If the fish is only a pound or so, you can swing the fish into the boat with your rod. Always make sure your drag is set so it won't break your line.

Some good fishermen try to keep the fish from jumping by putting the rod tip down under the water. That may help keep the fish from jumping as much, but if the fish does jump, it is much more likely to get off since you don't have anywhere to go with your rod.

Richie White