Turned-in point impales fish in the corner of
the
mouth.
The ring on this hook lets baitfish
swim freely.
Encourages bites and penetrates
easily.
Two spikes on the shank of this worm dunker’s fave hold long bait
in place.
The large gap and turned-in point lock larger bait in place and
hold
fast.
BA
ITS
Live or dead baitfish and
cutbait.
All live baitfish, from fathead minnows to shiners and
herring.
Shiners hooked up through the lips or under the dorsal fin above
the spine.
Red worms for panfish; crawlers for walleyes,
trout, and catfish.
Crayfish, large shiners, and other
live baitfish.
P
RESENTATION
Bottom rigs work with dead bait and cutbait. Use a free line for live
baitfish.
Any live-baitfish tactic, including bobbers, free lines, and
bottom rigs.
Using a long pole, dip the Aberdeen hook and minnow
combo in pools.
Any bait fishing tactic that involves frisky
live bait.
Fish shiners under a bobber or on a
free line.
Y THE
After you’ve made the effort to catch fresh live bait (or buy it from a gas-station vending machine), having it constantly fall off the hook can lead to a short, aggravating day of fishing. Be sure to rig your bait on the correct-style hook.
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GAIN SOME WEIGHT
1
2
3
4
5
6
The weight you choose to rig a soft-plastic bait can make that lure a killer—or a dud. Compared with yesterday’s sinkers, today’s models are more sophisticated and specialized than ever, so it pays to invest in a variety of them. Here are six types you need in your tackle box so you can always sink to the bass’s level.
1. BULLET WEIGHT Environmentally friendly tungsten bullet weights are smaller than equally heavy lead and louder when your Texas-rigged bait bumps cover.
2. INTERNAL TUBE WEIGHT Compared witha bullet weight, this sinker gives tubes a more natural appearance and a smaller profile. When you’re angling for skiish bass, both advantages can pay off nicely for you.
3. SPLIT SHOT Split-shot rigs are deadly for lure-shy bass. Bullet Weights Egg Shot slides over cover more easily than round split shot, reducing snags.
4. WEIGHTED HOOK A weighted hook lets you alter a bait’s action.
5. CAROLINASINKER Noisy Carolina rigsusually work beer. On Lindy’s Carolina Mag Weight, magnetized steel balls separate and collide with theslightest movement to draw more bass. The weight comes preassembled.
6. DROP-SHOT WEIGHT Drop-shoing excels for finessing clear-water bass. They’re denser than lead and help you “feel” what’s on the boom. The narrow, line-gripping eye eliminates the need for a knot.
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Rig a slip
Bobber
Rigging a slip bobber is a breeze. First, fasten a bobber stop on your line. Some commercial ones are on string that comes pre-knotted around a tube. Thread your line through the tube and then slide the knot off the tube and tighten. Or try what I like best: a bit of rubber tubing so small that it impedes casting very little when wound on a reel. If your slip bobber has a large hole at the top, add a small plastic bead on your line to keep the stop from sticking inside the bobber. Thread on the bobber after the bead and then tie a hook to the end of your line with two or three small split-shot sinkers spaced a few inches apart, a foot or so above the hook.
This versatile terminal knot is excellent
for securing your line to a hook, lure,
or swivel; it’s perhaps most commonly
used to fasten the leader to a fly.
22
Pass several inches of line through the hook or lure eye (). Next, loosely wrap the tag end around the loop you’ve made (). Wind the leader several times around the loop, then pass it through the opening just below the hook (). Pass the leader through the far end of the loop (), and then tighten down and trim as necessary (). The hook itself will hang from the middle of the knot.
SLIP BOBBER
BOBBER STOP
SLIP SHOT
TIE A
CLINCH KNOT
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4
2
5
3
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Properly Sharpen
a
