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BASS staff 17y

Ask the experts:

FISHING SLOW, BUT FAST?

I've heard a lot about how you fish fast even when you fish slow. What does that mean?
Jerry Bradford, Raleigh, N.C.

Elite Series Pro Kevin VanDam
When I'm fishing slow fast, my boat is moving pretty fast, and I'm covering lots of water, but my bait is moving slowly. A good example of this might come when I get on a boat dock or stump pattern. Maybe I'm targeting bass on the ends of boat docks in 10 feet of water with brush on them. I'll put the trolling motor on high and make really accurate casts to a specific target before I cruise past it on my way to the next target. My presentations might be really slow and subtle, but the boat keeps moving, and I can hit a lot of targets that way.

AFTER THE LOVIN'

I've always had a tough time catching postspawn bass. Any tips?
Art Madison, Bly, Ore.

Elite Series Pro Matthew Sphar
I try to focus most of my efforts around bedding and staging areas — places you know the fish have been recently. Then, I try to fish really slowly. I think that's a mistake that a lot of anglers make; they don't fish slowly enough. One of my favorite tactics is deadsticking a stickworm like a Yamamoto Senko or Kinami Flash. Cast it out in an area you think should be holding bass, preferably around some good cover, and just let it soak there. Leave it there as long as you can stand it. A lot of times, a bass will pick it up or grab it as soon as you start to move it.

CONFUSION ABOUT COPOLYMERS

I have heard about copolymer lines. What are copolymers, and what applications do they serve?
John Overbey Alexander, N.C.

Tom Ference, Product Line Manager, Gamma Technologies
There's a lot of confusion about copolymers. The term simply means that there are two or more ingredients in the mix when the line is being made. A copolymer is still a monofilament — single strand —line. In fact, most of the monofilament lines on the market today are actually copolymers. You can use these lines anywhere you'd use any other monofilament fishing line, but they're especially good with treble hook baits like crankbaits and topwaters. The copolymers offer some stretch and are more forgiving with baits like that, which generally don't have a lot of hook penetration.

DEEP THOUGHTS

How can I get the maximum depth out of my crankbaits?

Tom Jenks, Spencer, Iowa

Elite Series Pro Steve Kennedy—
Line size is the biggest key. I use 10-pound P-Line Fluoroclear for most of my crankbait fishing. Smaller diameter lines cut through the water better than heavier lines and let the bait dive deeper. Fluorocarbon lines help, too, since they're denser than water. They might help you get another foot or so. Another big factor in crankbait depth is the length of your cast. It takes crankbaits quite a while to get to their deepest running depths, so a long cast really helps. Use a 7- or 8-foot rod to make the longest cast you can.

CHATTING ABOUT CHATTER JIGS

Those new vibrating jigs like the ChatterBait or Booyah's Boogie Bait look great in the water, but I'm not catching much on them. What am I doing wrong?
Harold Carmichael, Bunkie, La.

Elite Series Pro Terry Scroggins
I'll fish these baits three different ways: (1) like a jig, with a lift-and-drop retrieve, (2) like a spinnerbait, when I'm looking for a reaction bite, or (3* like a crankbait. My favorite of these baits is the Booyah Boogie Bait, and I love to throw it around grass or boat docks. I'll tick the tips of the grass with it or skip it up under boat docks. It gives the bass a much different look than a rattlebait or conventional swimming jig.

TO THE POINT

Do you like a straight shank hook for Texas rigging?

NO. For most of my Texas rigging I prefer an Eagle Claw offset worm hook. To me, that hook makes the baits keel and swim better. The other hook I use a lot is the Eagle Claw HP hook with a clip that holds it to the bait. I like that hook when using smaller baits, and especially when Carolina rigging. I use those two hooks 99 percent of the time.
Elite Series Pro, Peter Thliveros

YES. I like a straight shank hook when Texas rigging in water deeper than about 8 feet. I think it gives me a better connection, twists the line less, balances the bait better and gives the bait better action than an offset hook.
Elite Series Pro, Mark Tucker

NO. I use an offset hook —either an Owner or Gamakatsu. I think the offset hooks do a better job of holding the worm or other soft plastic bait on the hook. The most important thing to remember is to use the sharpest hook you can find, no matter the bend or style. Every hook I tie on in competition comes straight out of the package. And don't try to sharpen the chemically sharpened hooks — you'll only dull them!
Elite Series Pro, Marty Robinson

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