Murray and I rigged up three top smallmouth baits and headed out.
Early in the evening, just
before dark, we caught a few fish on a red crawfish, ½ ounce, Rattle
Trap. After throwing next
to the bank, we ripped the baits out towards deeper water and let
it fall. Using a "yo-yo" action
retrieve and allowing the bait to bounce off of the rocks on the
bottom, the smallmouth couldn't
stand it. They would nearly jerk the rod out of your hand when they
bit the Rattle Trap. I'm not
sure if color really matters, but I think I catch more smallmouth
on red Rattle Traps than any
other color. I like to use 17# test line with these baits.
For a change of pace, I was also throwing a red, ½ ounce Bulldog
spinnerbait with a large
gold "superdog" blade. This blade is the best blade on
the market, in my opinion. When fishing
at night, you need to slowdown the retrieve of your baits and allow
the fish to feel the vibration
of the bait to find it and eat it. With the tremendous thumping
action the "superdog" blade gives
you, its easier to tell whether or not the blade is still turning
while making a slow retrieve. You
can literally feel the bait pulsating and vibrating through the
water. If there is a smallmouth in the
area, its going to run up and crush this bait. 17 - 20# test line
is my choice. It does not inhibit
the action of the bait and gives you some help retrieving your bait
if you should get hung up.
With the super sharp Gamakatsu hook that comes standard on this
bait, the fish is caught.
Seldom do I miss a fish with the Bulldog spinnerbaits due to the
good hooks they put on their
baits, but if I do, I'll add a trail hook just in case the fish
are "short striking". I prefer not to use
one if I don't have to due to the increased likelihood of getting
hung up.
I fish both the Rattle Trap and the spinnerbait in the same manner.
The "yo-yo" action usually
works the best since I usually fish points with bluffs and ledges
on them. Although the fish may
not be on the bottom, they may be suspended. The "yo-yo"
retrieve gets the bait down into the
strike zone better than just reeling straight back to the boat.
Sometimes the fish move out into deeper water. This is when we go
to the DD 22 crankbait
by Norman Lures. It get down deep and has proven itself numerous
times to be a good choice.
Here again, I use the red/black color when fishing for smallmouths.
I like 14# test on my 7'
Castaway cranking rod when fishing the DD 22. It has a super soft
tip which helps prevent
ripping the hooks out of the fish's mouth resulting in more fish
in the boat.
Murray and I boated a dozen or so fish in about three hours. As
I mentioned in my
night fishing article, I like to fish with the moon. One of the
most productive spots for this type
of fishing is at the state park camping area on Lake Whitney. This
especially true if there has
been a south wind blowing during the day, which helps concentrate
the baitfish in this area.
Another good area is around Bee Bluff and Cedar Shores. The river
channel makes a big
bend and has quite a few points and secondary points in these areas.
Look for large chunks
of rock near these points and fish them hard, especially if you
notice baitfish in the area.
Often, it is necessary to switch between the Rattle Trap, the spinnerbait
or the deep diving
crankbait. The fish move around if they are feeding, so don't get
stuck using just one of the
baits. If an area looks like it should be holding fish, give them
a different look with a different bait.
It won't be long until we have enough moonlight to go give the Lake
Whitney bass a try, again.
If you want the big bite, look for the fish with the little mouth,
the smallmouth bass. If I can be of
any help, email your questions to me or contact me through the Daily
Sun office. Remember to
practice catch and release.
Until next time,
enjoy the Texas outdoors.
