PRO FINESSE TACTICS
(Special exclusive weekly features for our web site written by Joe Bucher on how-to-fish the new Pro Finesse Product Line)
New Pro Finesse 3 ½ inch Craw
Small soft plastic craws are one of the deadliest baits one can fish for both smallies and
largemouths. They are particularly good in the spring fished "Texas Style" weedless around sunken brush, logs, cribs and boulders. Craws are clearly the #1 food of smallmouth bass throughout much of the season, and that's why this is a deadly bait to fish for old bronzeback just about anytime. The best time to employ a finesse tactic such as this is when conventional speed lures such as spinnerbaits and crankbaits do not produce. Another key time to grab the light spinning rod rigged with a craw is after you've plucked off the active fish with the spinner or crank. The remaining fish have wised up to the speed tactic. Now, finesse is the key to further success.
The unique Texas Rig is by far the best all around way to fish the small craw day in and day out because it enables you to fish the bait virtually anywhere in any kind of cover. By the way, the term Texas rig basically means that you bury the hook point back into the plastic bait itself to attain the weedless nature. While the Texas Rig is by all means a well established method in bass fishing circles, few know how to fish it successfully with ultra light tackle. Generally speaking, most bassers rig soft plastics Texas Style with heavier, stouter tackle in order to get consistent hookups and have the ability to bull fish out of cover. Few even consider trying this same approach with spinning tackle and lines of less than 8 pound test. However, it can be done successfully, and here's how.
The first thing to consider when attempting to fish a Texas rigged plastic on light tackle is – how do I effectively drive the hook thru the plastic and into the fish? The answer is in hook selection along with the correct rod action. The hook you choose for spinning tackle worm fishing has to have a thin diameter along with an ultra sharp point, and a very small barb. Yet it still needs to have ample temper so it doesn't bend on the hook set. Very few hooks will accomplish all of these tasks successfully. In fact, I have found only a handful. The one worm hook I rely on almost exclusively here is a Gamatsu 1/0 - 2/0 straight sproat thin wire black nickel worm hook. This specific hook is so perfect for ultra light Texas rigging – thin diameter, ultra sharp point, very small barb, and great temper.
The second thing you need is a perfect rod action. Too much rod power breaks lines and bends hooks on hooksets. Too little rod power absorbs both speed and hookset inertia. The latter translates into a poorly hooked fish that throws the lure on the jump. With that in mind, rod choice is very critical with light line worming; particularly with Texas rigged plastics. I have had success with two rod action here. My favorite over the past few years has been St. Croix's Avid or Legend Elite' Series in the 6' 3" MXF, which stands for medium action, extra fast. This rod is one super quick hooksettin' son of a gun. Snap you wrist upwards and the hook is set. Period.
Another rod I have used successfully on more recent trips is the slightly longer 6 ½ foot MF. This rod is a bit slower on the hookset than the hyper speed 6' 3" MXF, but it has more sweep and a much better bend once the fish is hooked. I think it is a better choice when fishing lines in the six pound range or lighter. If the lure is a small, lightweight subtle action bait like a Reaper or a Craw rigged on a 1/16 ounce weight, I'll favor the 6 ½ foot MF. If I'm fishing eight pound test, heavier sinker weights of 1/8 ounce or more, I tend to like the 6' 3" MSF more.
Finally, I think line is an important issue for this light tackle wormin'. No matter how much the line manufacturers try to sell me on all the new technology, I still firmly believe that original blue Stren is the finest worm and jig fishing line ever made. I've still never seen another line that even comes close to original blue Stren for light line performance. The blue line color enables you to "line watch". Line watching is a vital part of this system. Many of the strikes are detected visually from the line and not from the feel in the rod. By watching the blue colored line, you will see the line jump from a sudden bass "gulp". Line watching also lets you know when the bait is on the bottom, when the lure is dropping, and if a fish has intercepted it along the way.
Original blue Stren also has tremendous shock strength in light pound test ranges. This is critically important for this style of fishing since you will be putting an incredible strain on the line on the hookset. If the line does not absorb the power of your initial hookset, it will break. I have relied on this line for this technique for nearly two decades now and it has served me well with two line class world records! An 8 pound 5 ounce 23 3/4 inch smallmouth, and a 15 pound class 28 ½ inch largemouth. Both were caught on light spinning gear and original blue Stren. The smallie was taken on four pound test (an official line class world record on 4 lb. test), and the monster largemouth was caught on eight pound test (an official line class world record on 8 pound line). Need I say more?
Rig the Pro Finesse Craw by first sliding on a Gambler screw-in worm weight up on the line. Use a 1/16 ouncer for real shallow water and light winds. Use a 1/8 ouncer for deeper water and windier conditions. About the heaviest weight I ever use is the 3/16 ounce model. Then tie on a 1/0 straight sproat Gamagastu black nickel worm hook with a Palomar Knot. Rig the Craw by threading the point of the hook into the top of the craw about 1/4 inch and immediately pulling the hook back out. Pull the remainder of the hook thru the craw plastic until the eye of the hook buries inside the craw. Then, reverse the hook and bury the point back into the craw body. I will usually push the hook point all the way thru the plastic and expose it. Then, "skin hook" the point back into a tiny portion of the craw body. To finish, slide down the weight and screw it into the craw. You're ready to fish.
Cast the craw over top of any visible cover and slowly fish it thru all possible nooks and crannies that might be harboring a hiding bass. I like to hold the rod at a constant 10 to 11 o'clock angle. This upward rod angle greatly increases feel, and enables me to drop the rod quickly for vertical plummets off of cover. This vertical plummet is where many strikes occur.
Once you feel a strike, immediately drop the rod tip slightly and allow some line slack to occur. Watch that line during this slackness. Let the fish swim the slack out as you simultaneously drop the rod and get into a good hookset position. Right before the fish has taken out the slack quickly and abruptly snap your wrist (and the rod tip) upwards. This action quickly loads the rod, generates tremendous speed and power, and provides solid hook ups nearly each and every time.
That's it! That's all there is to this fantastic method fishing.