Scott Suggs : Walking the Dog
Walking the dog is an artful topwater technique in which the bait dances to the rhythmic movement of a rod tip . Mastering this mesmerizing water waltz has become almost a rite of passage for bass anglers .
A variety of topwater baits can be made to walk . Classic “ walkers ,” however , trace their ancestry to cigar-shaped lures like the famed Heddon Zara Spook .
Walk-the-dog presentations draw some of the most explosive strikes in the angling world .
“ I like to hold the rod down at about a 30-degree angle to start ,” Suggs says . “ I like to throw to the left and twitch my rod to the right . You have more room for action that way . I hardly ever twitch the rod down toward my feet . The more you can go left to right or right to left , the better off you are .”
Learning to walk a bait effectively and for extended duration is “ mainly a matter of confidence ,” Suggs believes . And nothing boosts confidence like getting bites from a well-executed presentation .
presentation
Suggs doesn ’ t limit himself to a steady , even-paced walking action . He mixes varied cadences , pauses and actions until he has dialed in to the bass ’ s preference .
“ I start slow ; I ‘ slosh ’ the bait to one side , wait and wiggle it for a one-twothree count , then work it the other way ,” he explains . “ The next cast , I may speed it up . By the time I ’ m done , I ’ m gliding it back and forth , left to right .”
When he ’ s working a school of fish and he hooks a bass on the tail hook after a less than explosive strike , Suggs speeds his retrieve .
“ I get it rocking so the fish has to dedicate to it ,” he explains . “ Usually , when I ’ m getting finicky bites , I ’ m working the bait too slow .”
One of his favorite maneuvers is deadly effective in the postspawn period as bass are guarding fry .
“ I pop the rod hard and throw slack into the line ,” he says . “ I make it spin almost all the way around ( 180 degrees ) so it ’ s looking at its tail . I ’ m almost working the bait in place , keeping it within a foot square . I want to irritate the fish into striking – They crush it .”
Tackle
Suggs employs the topwater model from the Lew ’ s Signature Series rods lineup for most of his dog-walking chores . It ’ s a 7-foot medium-power rod with fast action . Its short butt section keeps the handle from banging his forearm with the walking action .
A 7.5:1 Lew ’ s baitcasting reel spooled with 15-pound-test Strike King Tour Grade monofilament line handles most applications ; 20-pound test gets the job done when he ’ s fishing near heavy cover .
Suggs upscales to a 7-foot , 1-inch heavy-power Skipping rod from the Lew ’ s Signature Series when working magnum baits like the bulky 2-ounce Strike King KVD Mega Dawg .
“ Braid gives you your best performance for long casts with the Mega
“ Walk-the-dog presentations draw some of the most explosive strikes in the angling world .”
Strike King KVD Sexy Dawg in Clear Sexy Shad .
46 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | JUNE-JULY 2022