Fall Jig Madness

Those that have been following the site for any length of time will recognize this face. To those that are just joining us, allow me to re-introduce Adam Hinkle. Adam has contributed a great deal to this site with his perspective on shore fishing for trophy bass. Though he is deadly walking the banks of Southern California you’re about to see that he isn’t limited to the shore. When the bass go offshore Adam dusts off the boat and follows them out.

In this video he’s targeting fish that are working a deep water break in early october. The fish are moving up the ledge to feed in the afternoon as they bulk up before the cold water months. He manages to put a 6 and 8 lber in the boat on back-to-back casts. Nicely Done!

Here are the baits he used:
Dirty Jigs Finesse Football
Berkley Chigger Craw Trailer

Open Water Froggin'

Sometimes its just about having fun. Here is my good friend Sieg Taylor putting the hammer down on some quality Clearlake bass. The fish were feeding on small minnows around the edges of offshore grass lines and the frog bite was on fire. Often times the key to catching frog fish in the open is to “walk the frog” but for whatever reason these fish wanted it popped along quickly making as much commotion as possible. The bites were vicious and the fish kept getting bigger.

Sieg targeted them with a custom rod, 65 lb braided line, and the Snag Proof Bobby’s Perfect Frog in “Wild Bullfrog”

Night Fishing 101: Jigs

This video is what the entire “Night Fishing 101″ series has been building toward.
For well over a month, I’ve been mulling over what should be covered and how much detail to include. In the end I decided to give you everything. With that in mind there is no way to cover “everything jigs” in a short clip so you’re about to see 18 minutes on how I believe a jig should be fished in the dark.

I’m going to be covering:
-What jig styles to use
-When to fish each jig
-Matching trailers to jigs
-Different retrieves

You’ll probably have to watch this video more than once to glean all the details. Read between the lines and you’ll probably find a few bonus tips as well.
Right away you are going to notice some wind interference with the sound. I apologize for this, but this video was shot as one cut in order to keep the information genuine. If I were to remove the wind segments I would also remove a few extra secrets I hadn’t planned to include. Continue to listen and almost immediately the sound quality will improve.
To me, this video is what TacticalBassin is all about. I want you to hear what I believe to be truth. It is uncut, unrefined and unfiltered. You may not agree with my sentiments and that is perfectly alright. Regardless, I don’t anticipate anyone watching the entire video and walking away without new insights.

Regarding the gear mentioned in the video, you cannot find it all in one place. Tackle warehouse is going to be the best source but even they don’t carry all of the products mentioned. You may find other products that work great for you, these are what you will find on the end of my rods.
Here are the links to the various sources I use for my products:
California Swim Jig
Dirty Jigs Pitchin’ Jig
No-Jack Flippin’ Jig (available soon at tacklewarehouse)
Roboworm EZ Shad
Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver
Uncle Josh Phantom Craw
Uncle Josh Maxx Pork Phantom Finesse Craw

Night Fishing 101: Swimbaits

A few short years ago the word “Swimbait” was virtually non-existent on the web. Today swimbaits are a hot topic on virtually every bass forum and the interest continues to rise. With all of the information out there its shocking how little has been spoken about fishing soft swimbaits at night. While I may not be the world’s leader on the topic I have seen my share of success and feel that I can shed some light where others have chosen to remain silent.
I intended to keep this video short and give a basic overview of the topic but as is often the case, I got to sharing information and the time went by quickly. The key tip to remember from this segment is that virtually any swimbait will work at night if you can cause the tail to kick at ultra-slow speed. Do not be afraid to modify your baits to achieve this and don’t get stuck on a particular brand.

While most of my largest night fish have come on swimbaits that are 7″ and longer, I have seen some absolute giants caught on smaller 5-6″ baits as well. Do not be afraid to experiment but remember that when all else fails, slow down. If you go slow enough, the bass will come to you.
If you’re in need of a few baits to help you get started with your night fishing adventure I recommend tackle warehouse. Four of the five baits I mentioned are available here: Swimbaits at Tacklewarehouse