masterS series
Shaw Grigsby ’ s affinity for sight fishing is understandable : He ’ s won major tour-level events and caught his personal-best largemouth using sight-fishing techniques .
My go-to jig is a 3 / 8- or 1 / 2-ounce Strike King Premier Pro Model Jig in white with a matching Rage Craw or Rage Bug trailer . With a white lure like that , I can easily see where it is in the bed and can watch the bass react to it . I can also better see if the fish picks it up — usually before I can feel the bite .
I fish the jig on anywhere from 20-pound-test Seaguar AbrazX fluorocarbon to 65-pound-test Seaguar Smackdown braid , depending on what I think I can get away with . Line selection can be a balancing act , especially with big bass . You have to go light enough not to spook the fish , but you want enough muscle to keep them out of heavy cover and put them in the boat .
My other bait would be a 4.25-inch Strike King KVD Dream Shot in a more natural color . I ’ d rig it on a drop-shot with a main line of 20-pound-test Smackdown Braid and a leader of 8- or 10-pound-test InvizX . I ’ d only have about 6 inches between the sinker and my bait . I want to keep it near the nest .
the basics
Every bass bed has a “ hot spot ” — a little area that ’ s usually about 6 inches around and which the bass on that bed are especially interested in protecting . Finding that hot spot and putting your bait there is usually critical . Luckily , you ’ ll know when your bait is in the right place because the bass will show you with its behavior . They ’ ll appear very agitated and take an aggressive stance . This is when they ’ re most likely to pick up your bait .
You can find that hot spot through trial and error — by making multiple presentations to the bed — but the sooner you find it , the more likely you are to catch the fish . Sometimes the hot spot is a slightly different color than the rest of the bed . You can also narrow your search by watching
the male or female around the nest . Where is the fish hovering ? Which way is it facing ? What is it looking at ? Are bluegills focused on a certain area ? All this can clue you in on where you need to place your bait and help you get it there sooner .
Quite often , the female is protecting a much larger area than the male , but you might not even see the female until after you catch her mate .
And speaking of seeing the bass , I ’ ll often cast to a bed without seeing a fish at all . They can be really tough to spot . A lot of times I ’ ll only see a shadow of the fish or a part of the fish , or maybe a telltale ripple on the surface or the shake of a stick or piece of vegetation . Something as simple as a bluegill hurrying away from an area can clue you in on a sight-fishing opportunity that might produce the biggest bass of your life .
bonus
When I first got started sight fishing , it was a lot easier . There were few anglers doing it and even fewer who were doing it well . Nowadays , a lot of anglers are really good at it . To succeed , you need to be even better . It takes a special something to stand out .
The first thing I ’ d recommend to someone who ’ s serious about sight fishing is to take a lot of care with that first presentation . It ’ s the most important because it ’ s the one that ’ s most likely to be successful . That first pitch or cast needs to be perfect .
By “ perfect ,” I mean it needs to be right on target , to enter the water quietly and to be presented from as far away as you can reasonably do it and still know that you ’ re on-target and that the bait is in the right place .
Don ’ t be in a hurry . Be patient and methodical . It ’ ll pay off .
66 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | APRIL-MAY 2021