How to: Make Swimbaits Last Longer

As swimbaits get more and more expensive the need for them to last is ever increasing. There are some simple modifications you can do to any softbait that will make it last much longer. This week Matt shows how to cut open a soft swimbait and properly secure the harness to make it last. He also covers how to repair the baits once they're damaged.

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The two baits shown in the video are the Mattlures Ultimate Bluegill and Huddleston Deluxe 8" trout. All you need to increase the life of your baits is a razor blade, superglue and Mend-it.

Step 1: Cut Open your brand new bait with a razor Blade. (I know its scary)

Step 2: Once the harness is fully exposed, carefully cover the harness in superglue and carefully lay the body back in place.

Step 3: Use Mend-It to seal the razor cut in the bait.

Big Delta Swimbait Fish

This week Tim and I took a break from all the work of filming and editing. Tim got to Spend some time with family and I went fun fishing. Despite the brutal wind/rain forecast I headed for the Delta to see if any of the early prespawn females were moving up to feed and was not disappointed!

All too often anglers back themselves into a corner by continually fishing the same patterns with the same baits. When major weather events happen its a great time to get out and try new things. Often times the fish will move into the shallows to feed on whatever is being washed into the lake (or river). These shallow fish are an easy target. Even if they're not biting, they'll show themselves. If you pay attention while fishing reaction baits you might be able to catch them on a return visit.

This fish came on a bank I hadn't fished in years, with a bait (S-Waver 200) that I'd never thrown there before. The key to consistently catching giant bass, especially on multiple waterways, is to never stop searching. The Delta is constantly changing. The bass are shifting from one spot to the next, feeding on different food sources and its important you keep up with the changes to maximize your time on the water.

As Winter begins to turn to Spring, branch out, try new lakes, new spots, and new baits. This just might be the best year you've ever had!

How to Catch the Fish of a Lifetime

I recently had the opportunity to do two seminars at the International Sportsman's Expo in Sacramento. From swimbaits to jigs, even going so far as fishing a chartreuse spinnerbait with willow leaf blades at night, I laid out my tricks for fooling big Winter and Spring bass.  There was a great turnout and a lot of positive feedback. There were also quite a few requests from anglers that live outside the area, that we record the seminar so they could listen and learn as well. The show was extremely loud and there is some background noise but Tim did everything he could to bring you the complete seminar.

From start to finish, here it is! Below you will find a breakdown of the various baits I discuss in the seminar with quick links to see them on Tackle Warehouse.

We hope you're able to glean some knowledge from the seminar and put it to work on your local fisheries. If you have any questions, we're here so feel free to ask.

The following baits were used in the tank:

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Photo Courtesy of Sean Moffett

Trout/Kokanee eaters:

• Huddleston Deluxe 8" Swimbait
• River2Sea S-Waver 200
• Gan Craft Jointed Claw Magnum
• Dirty Jigs Tackle 3/4 oz Pitchin Jig with Sweet Beaver or Pork Trailer

Bluegill/Baitfish Eaters:

• JSJ Prototype Swimbait (Not yet available)
• River2Sea S-waver 168
• Dirty Jigs 3/4 oz. California Swim Jig with Roboworm EZ Shad Trailer

Night Fishing:

• Huddleston 8" Trout Swimbait
• Osprey 7" Tournament Talon Swimbait
• Dirty Jigs 3/4 oz California Swim Jig with 4.8 Keitech Trailer
• Revenge Heavy Duty Spinnerbait (Double Willow)

Winter Fishing: Top 5 baits for Cold Water Bass

With winter fast approaching most lakes have turned over and the bass have headed for warmer deep water haunts. "Deep" is a relative term that varies lake to lake but when bass head for the depths a lot of anglers lose confidence.

In this week's video we break down our favorite baits for seeking out those deep water bass. This list may be missing some baits you expect but when the going gets tough, these 5 options are consistent producers.

1) A Football Jig: Tim and I vary a little on our specific choices. I lean toward a 1/2 oz or heavier Dirty Jigs Finesse Football (Give "Go To" or "Super Matt Brown" those colors are deadly). Tim takes it a step further and will occasionally go as light as 3/8 oz with his Dirty Jigs HP Football Jig. Why go with a light weight in deep water, you ask? With the lighter weight comes a smaller hook, allowing you to drop to lighter line and even throw the jig on a spinning rod if conditions require.

2) A Drop Shot: Tried and true, this bait is deadly in deep water! Tim likes to downsize, often using a size 2 Owner Mosquito hook with a small tungsten weight. He insists that the light hook allows his bait to have maximum action in deep water. As for baits, he uses a wide range of options but a 6" Roboworm Margarita Mutilator is a proven winter time color.

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3) Ball Head: The ball head is such a simplistic way to fish and consistently catches quality fish in the cold water months. Much like a darthead, you should thread the worm on so the point of the hook is left exposed. The difference between a ball head and virtually every other head design is that it has almost no action of its own. This is a drawback most of the year but when the water is cold that "dead action" drives the fish crazy. Tim and I both agree, a 5" senko is your best option with this presentation. Day in and day out, it gets a significantly larger bite than smaller worms.

4) A Jigging Spoon: The spoon is a deadly bait throughout the fall but don't lose faith as cooler temps take over and the bass become lethargic. Using a very subtle flip-flop approach, keeping the jig on bottom at all times, is a phenomenal way to get a big bite in winter. Matt prefers the Blade Runner DUH spoon for its ideal weight, size, and color schemes.

5) The Small Swimbait: I prefer the 6" Basstrix or the 4.8 Keitech coupled with 1/2 and 3/4 oz Swimbait Heads. With an exposed lead head its very easy to maintain bottom contact. From rock to gravel, sand to mud, you'll feel every change in contour and the bite will be unmistakable. For this method I maintain constant bottom contact and swim the bait as slowly as I can stand. It presents a sizable but slow moving meal to the bass that is hard to resist.

This Winter, consider not getting your boat winterized. Instead, head for the lake! The bass are still there and they still need to feed. You may be surprised to find that some of your biggest bites of the year come when the water temperature is below 50 degrees.