Bass Fishing Apr - Jun 2019 | Page 38

FISHING BASS SKILLS THIS SIMPLE TECHNIQUE HELPS JOHN COX CASH MORE CHECKS WHEN OTHER APPROACHES WASH OUT i 36 t’s no secret john cox of debary, Fla., is among the best skinny- water bass anglers on the planet. Ask, and he’ll tell you he is way more comfortable playing in the dirt – or real close to it – than in water too deep to touch bottom with his rod tip. “i grew up fishing in ponds, canals and stuff like that,” cox says. “i’ll fish deep if i have to, but 7 feet or less is where i make my living. it’s what i like to do.” cox is a power fisherman by trade who has banged out some really big checks and top finishes using all sorts of methods ranging from flip- ping jigs to winding swimbaits and tossing square-bills and frogs. but when the bite turns tough, as it so often does toward the end of multi- day events with large fields, he’s always quick to reach for a swim- ming worm. “it has saved me more than once when my other patterns played out for one reason or another,” cox says. “i’ll have one rigged in every tourna- ment. it’s not something that i will usually start with, but i’ve finished with it a bunch of times.” learning to wind a worm the way cox does might save some of your outings too. Where and When cox honed his swimming-worm skills on the shallow, grassy waters of Florida, but he has also used it to exploit bass on lakes and rivers in other parts of the country. the tech- nique will work year-round, but it shines especially bright during the spring months when fished in rela- tion to shallow vegetation, flooded bushes, stumps, laydowns, docks and other types of shoreline cover. “it works best around grass and pads, but they will also come off of wood to get it,” cox adds. “the main thing i look for in either situation is pretty clear water. if you’ve got a foot or more of visibility, you can catch ’em swimming a worm.” Worm choices just about any worm can swim, but those with some signature swag in the caboose tend to get the most play. the most popular worm for swim- ming is probably the Zoom ultra Vibe BREAKING DOWN SWIMMING WORMS By Matt Williams speed worm, which features a u- shaped tail that creates a distinctive buzz on the surface and an enticing vibration as it moves through the water column beneath the surface. A new offering cox is excited about is the berkley powerbait wind up. the 7-inch worm is designed with a meaty ribbed body that tapers down to a hard-thumping, boot-style tail – the kind found on many swimbaits – that wags side-to-side when in motion. he used it to finish second at the February Flw tour stop on lake toho. “the sound it makes when buzzed on the surface is totally unique from traditional swimming worms,” cox says. “My guess is the sound and vibration are different beneath the surface, too. the ultra Vibe is still going to work, but the wind up is going to give fish an entirely different look and sound. i think it will replace some of the other swimming worms. For me, it already has.” cox says he prefers the wind up during springtime warming trends when water temperatures are above 60 degrees and the fish are on an aggressive feed. fLWfisHing.com i spring 2019