Tackle Tips
With the exceptions of very light and very heavy lures , metal baits are best worked with 6-foot-10 to 7-foot medium-power , fast-action rods and 10- to 14-pound-test fluorocarbon line . Shorter rods serve better when baits are presented vertically .
As retrieves are largely executed with rod movement rather than reel turns , mid- to high-gear-ratio reels serve best , picking up slack in a hurry when necessary . Lighter lures will likely require a shift to spinning tackle and 8- pound-test fluorocarbon . Heavy lures may call for slightly heavier line and a medium-heavy rod .
FREEDOM TACKLE KITLER BLADE TAIL SPINNER
COLOR : BLACK SHAD
LUNKERHUNT HATCH TAIL SPIN
COLOR : COMMON SHINER
JACKALL DERACOUP TAIL SPINNER
COLOR : HL BLACK & GOLD
Tail Spinners
Increasingly widespread usage of forward-facing sonar continues to enhance understanding of and proficiency with metal baits . While coldwater anglers often use their metal baits interchangeably , some are finding niche roles for each .
Lawyer finds tail spinners work best on suspended bass .
“ A tail spinner is a bait you want to pendulum down to the fish ,” says
RAPALA JIGGING SHAD RAP
COLOR : BLUE SHAD
RAPALA JIGGING RAP
COLOR : GLOW PINK SQUIRREL
Lawyer , who opts for the Kilter Blade Tail Spinner from Freedom Tackle , which features a unique spinner that straddles a willow and Colorado spinner in design and function . “ It free roams on its own with that tail blade spinning . I don ’ t run it through a school of bass . I want it to coast over the top of them . If you deliver it a few feet over their heads , they come up and eat it better . If you let it fall below them , they seem to lose interest .”
Tail spinners of recent design are made to cast far but descend slowly . Stefan employs two different designs . The Jackall Deracoup features a # 3 Colorado blade not much smaller than its compact metal body . The Lunker Hunt Hatch Spin sports an elongated 2-inch shad body and willow blade of comparable length that produces a subtle swimming action . A compact 1- ounce bait package , it performs well in current and deep water with a slow swim or yo-yo delivery .
Technique Tip
Schools of lethargic bass tight to the bottom offer bonanza opportunities .
“ Often , you can feel a tail spinner or a blade hit a bass in the back ,” Stefan explains . “ It feels like you snagged a leaf . When that happens , there are probably a lot more down there . It ’ s worth making repeated casts . If you trigger one into biting , you can get three or four more to bite , too , before they shut off .”
Note the location , he advises . An hour or two later you might be able to come back and duplicate the process .
FREEDOM TACKLE TURNBACK SHAD
COLOR : SILVER CHARTREUSE
RAPALA SNAP RAP
COLOR : GLOW HOT PERCH
Ripping Baits
Cold-water bass maestros borrow from the ice angler ’ s sheet music . Icemen find concentrations of fish and lure them with vertical “ in-your-face ” presentation . It ’ s a job tailor-made for metal baits .
The Rapala Jiggin ’ Rap was a wellkept West Coast “ secret ” before word of its sway over suspended winter bass spread . Ripping baits don ’ t have the flash of a spoon or the vibration of a blade , but they do offer a deadly change of pace . The awning-like tails on these metal-bodied baits cause them to fall fast and erratically in a broad arc that extends their reach into the strike zones of schools of bass suspended from 20 to 45 feet down over depths of 60 to 100 feet or more .
A host of similarly styled ripping baits have come into play since .
“ One of the most effective is the Turnback Shad Vertical Jig from Freedom Tackle ,” Lawyer says . “ You pitch it in front of the boat or drop it vertically into groups of fish , then work it with short snaps . It ’ ll push forward , then turn around and go back in a different direction . It ’ s just so irregular and so much different than a spoon , and the bite ratio per cast is a lot better than any other metal bait in the rotation .”
Rapala has expanded its Jigging Rap family , which today includes the Jigging Shad Rap , Flat Jig and Snap Rap . Others include the Lunker Hunt Straight Up Jig and Puppet Minnow from Northland Tackle . The category includes baits with both realistic finishes and bold , gaudy color patterns to dial in water clarity and fish mood .
66 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2023