PETER T’S PICKS
Thliveros also is fan of
small, compact baits because
they slide in and out of thick
cover easily. His favorite is the
Zoom Z-Hog Jr.
“The bait has a really small
profile and is very stream-
lined – not much bigger
around than the weight – so
it follows the weight through
the hole extremely well,” he
says. “A more compact,
streamlined bait allows
you to penetrate with a
lighter weight.”
Zoom Z-Hog Jr.
2. COLORS
AND RATTLES
HALLMAN’S ADVICE
It’s hard to go wrong with black/blue and various green hues, says
Hallman. He never adds dye, but he will occasionally use a rattle.
“I’ll sometimes use a rattle when they aren’t really eating it on the
initial fall, or if I’m having to shake it to draw them from a distance,”
Hallman explains. “A rattle won’t mean much if 80 to 90 percent of
my bites are coming on the initial fall.”
Add a rattle in dirty water or if fish
aren’t biting it on the initial fall.
PETER T’S ADVICE
Thliveros is a fan of darker colors such as black/blue, black neon,
black sapphire, Okeechobee craw (green pumpkin/blue usually) and
green pumpkin. He likes to dip the tips of the claws of green pump-
kin baits in chartreuse dye if the fish are eating bluegills, and he
prefers to use a rattle, especially in cooler water or in situations
when the fish might need some help locating the bait.
36
fLWfISHInG.com I january 2017