“ Changing the weight , or really , changing the rate of fall is often the first thing I ’ ll do when downsizing anything ,” Latimer explained .
Take a Texas rig . Instead of switching soft plastics if they ’ re not getting bit , the first thing both do instead is switch the weight , especially in shallow water .
“ There ’ s only a little bit of water if you ’ re fishing shallow ,” Latimer added . “ So the fish are always going to be a bit more spooky .
“ A heavy Texas rig splashing in and falling fast to the bottom can be a lot . I might switch from a 3 / 8-ounce to a 3 / 16-ounce or even weightless to see if that slower , more subtle fall rate is less intrusive enough for them to bite .”
Small final thought
If you ’ re still on the fence about this whole small movement , here ’ s one last thing to consider .
When looking at the Top 10 Baits galleries after every major MLF tournament , what do you see ?
“ You see the winning tackle is usually finesse to normal size ,” Latimer said . “ Any time you step outside that realm , you ’ re flirting with not getting bit . And you can ’ t weigh fish you ’ re not catching . For me , I like to be swinging the bat , and I don ’ t need to be swinging big . I just need to be swinging because eventually I ’ ll hit that home run .”
Z-Man David Walker ’ s CrossEyeZ Flippin ’ Jig Color : Candy Craw
Berkley PowerBait Crash Craw Color : Green Pumpkin Party
WHEN IT COMES to catching big fish , anglers usually take the less-is-more , quality-overquantity approach . In other words , they ’ ll forgo catching a lot of fish in hopes of catching a couple big ones .
Again , this makes sense – until you look at it through a slightly different lens .
In baseball , sluggers known for hitting home runs follow the same mindset : They ’ ll forgo getting a lot of hits for just the ones that really put runs on the board . Yet , if they really followed that mindset like anglers do , sluggers would be extremely selective about their pitches and only swing at perfect ones ideal for them to hit home runs . In the meantime , they ’ d get on base a lot via walks .
The problem is , it ’ s almost the exact opposite in reality . Home run hitters strike out far more than most other batters .
So where is the disconnect between sluggers and anglers ? Math . “ I can ’ t catch a big fish if I ’ m not getting bit ,” Latimer explained . “ And if I ’ m throwing large stuff , I ’ m not going to be getting bit as much . The more times I can swing the bat , the more likely I am hit a homer . It ’ s simple math .”
Basically , Latimer follows the same approach as a bigleague slugger . He sets his mind big and puts himself in position to hit home runs , and then he just starts swinging ( setting the hook ) as many times as possible , knowing that eventually one of those swings is going to be a home run .
WORMS FOR WARY BASS A heavy flipping jig with a bulky trailer can scare off spooky big fish . Downsize to a shaky head or a Texasrigged worm for a more natural presentation .
Owner Shaky Ultrahead 3 / 16oz
Berkley PowerBait MaxScent D-Worm Color : Bold Bluegill
Gamakatsu SuperLine Offset EWG Hook 4 / 0
Yamamoto Senko Color : Baby Bass
APRIL-MAY 2022 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 65