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Calico Bass
Fishing 5-5-5 |
By Larry "Calico
Hunter" Heron
http://www.swimbait.com/techniques/calico-555.htm
A. Five things
about gear and swimbaits:
1) The rods
I prefer a 7-9ft rod, moderate to extra fast action rod, graphite is
best, composites are ok, But don’t let lack of proper gear keep you
from trying!
2) The reels
A revolving spool bait casting type reel is best, Shimano, Abu, Daiwa,
etc. Line wise go with 12-15lb and use some thing with low stretch,
P-line, Izorline, Berkley big game, Stren high impact.
3) The swimbaits
Go with 4-5in baits shad style bodies, I use swimbaits made by Big
Hammer Lures, but there are lots of other manufactures that make good
products, colors wise, browns, greens, reds, sparkles, darks. Fish the
darker stuff early and late. Fish the greens and browns in off colored
water and deeper waters as well, but throw in the reds deep too. Fish
the flashy stuff in clear water and around the kelp, also been playing
with skirted twin tails, work pretty good when there’s no current.
4) The Jig Heads
I fish anywhere from 1/2oz-11/2oz depending on time of year, depth of
water, current, and size of the swimbait but ¾-1oz is what I use
mostly. I like eyeballs, and fish non-painted heads on baitfish
patterns and redheads on brown bait and reef forage patterns (octopus,
shrimp, small rockfish, etc). If you want to color match your heads to
you baits go for it! As far as the hooks are concerned whether they
are cheaper galvanized hooks or a premium hook, make sure they are
Sharp! Big Hammer makes an array of different sizes of heads in lots
of different colors with the premium hooks.
5) Scents
I use scents made by Procure, my favorites are calico cocktail,
saltwater formula, predator, shrimp, and believe it or not crawdad.
You have nothing to loose by using some type of scent, at the very
least it covers up non-fishy odors such as sun block, gasoline, etc.
Scent also seems to really help during the cold water months and in
the dirtier water.
B. Five things
that dictate where to fish:
1) Time of year
Late spring through early fall, fish can be caught shallow and around
the kelp, and in the colder months they tend to congregate on hard
bottom and deepwater structure.
2) Water temp
What’s the water temp? Warmer water usually means more active fish
that can be caught throughout the water column. Cooler water causes
the fish to slow way down and become structure huggers that’s when I
look to the deeper structure and hard bottom areas in 40-100ft of
water and slow the presentation Way Down! Too quick of water temp drop
screws everything up! See finesse fishing!
3) Water color
Watercolor can play a major part in successful swimbait fishing. Too
clean of water is usually the kiss of death for swimbait fishing once
the sun comes out. This is when I look for kelp with lots of current,
or better yet look for off color water, I like green to blue /green
water, although I’ve had great success in green/brown water
especially when fishing shallow water and around boilers.
4) Current
Current can make or break a potential spot, fish like lots of current
for it stirs up food for them, and will also bring outside food
sources into the strike zone, so generally lack of current results in
lack of bites! Also another thing about finding a spot with good
current, even if you don’t meter a lot of fish try the spot anyway,
“remember” the fish are roaming around the water column looking
for food in the current!
5) Signs of life
If you get to a spot and you see boiling fish there’s a pretty good
chance they will bite, if you see birds crashing around the kelp or a
reefy area, Get over there! If you see bait fish flipping around that’s
a good thing, and obviously if you meter lots of fish that’s a good
sign! Now if there’s no current but lots of fish on the meter try it
anyway, this is also a good time to try the skirted twin tails.
C. Five things
about presentation:
1) Fishing the water column
Learn to work the water column. The biting fish can be anywhere. When
casting in an open area vary the depth of your retrieve. Try mentally
breaking the water column up into three zones, bottom, mid water, and
surface, or what we call “up high.” Work each area in sections,
for the lower third make a long cast and only give the lure 12-15
cranks, then free spool it back down to the bottom then repeat this
back to the boat. Pay attention for bites as your lure sinks back
down. Some times you just feel a “tick”, and your lure stops
sinking, other times your spool speeds up real fast, in either event
put the reel back in gear and wind, wind, wind! For mid water, cast
and only let sink half way down and do a medium retrieve back to the
boat. And for the up high area cast and only let it sink a little
ways, this is especially effective when the fish are boiling on the
surface. Also try varying your retrieve on mid and high parts of the
water column. Bites while on the retrieve usually come as a vicious
hit or might be as subtle as your lure just gets heavy, when you get a
bite wind! wind!, Wind!, till your line gets tight, then swing!
Remember swings are free!
2) Finesse fishing
Finesse fishing is usually used when water temps are cold (low to mid
fifties), after the water temp drops dramatically, no current, or when
the fish just don’t wanna bite! This is when I drop down to the
smaller 4 in baits, or even smaller. The presentation is SLOOOW!
definitely fish that bottom part of that water column, and even try
dragging the bait across the bottom, pause, drag, pause, drag most
bites you will feel a tick, tick then your rod will load up, see above
“when you get a bite”.
3) Fishing kelp stringers
While fishing the kelp edges try to cast as close to the kelp as
possible, if your not getting stuck once and while your not getting
close enough! I like to give the lure a little slack by raising my rod
tip to a 12 o-clock position in free spool after the lure hits the
water then follow the lure down as it sinks most bites on the edge of
the kelp come on the sink! Now drifting through the stringers is
another story. Always cast with the stringers, do the sink thing, then
do a medium to fast retrieve back to the boat. Also try to retrieve
your swimbait in the same direction the kelp is laying, for the fish
are usually waiting in ambush that way.
4) Fishing the web
Fishing the web is a little unorthodox, but it works really well when
there’s decent drift and your fishing larger reefs or hard bottom
areas. This requires two rods, make a long cast and put the rod in a
rod holder with the reel in free spool, then take a second rod and do
the same thing, I know this goes against almost everything we have
been taught, but trust me on this one! Now once the first rod hits the
bottom, do a medium to slow retrieve for the lower part of the water
column then put the rod back in the holder in free spool. Then pick up
the other rod and do the same thing till you get down to about half a
spool on your reel or you get a bite! Remember what to do if you get a
bite? No bites by ½ spool? ok then do a medium retrieve back to the
boat and start over again.
5) Pop out fishing
This mostly applies to web fishing. A lot of the time your swimbait
will get stuck on the bottom while your drifting, so instead of trying
to jerk it out of the snag try winding through till your line gets
real tight, and if your lure “pops out” do a real slow wind for
10-20 cranks. If your successful in the pop out you will get nailed
right after the lure shoots out of the rocks. My thought is the lure
shooting out of the rocks represents potential prey making a break for
it ! This technique can be a little costly but it works very well at
times.
Anyway have fun. I am confident if you give these things a try you
will catch more fish on swimbaits. Just remember two things:
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Confidence is everything! If don’t think your going to catch
something you wont! Make every cast with the attitude I am going
to get bit! |
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Please don’t use this info to be a better killer of bass! With
knowledge comes responsibility! Remember catch and release of
calico bass, slow to grow so let em go! |
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