Early Summer Whopper Plopper Fishing From The Kayak

Come along as Tim heads out on Clearlake for an evening of topwater fishing. Tim is fishing out of an all-new kayak and he brought 3 rigs along for the adventure. He has a Whopper Plopper, a frog, and a Punch Rig. Its a short trip before the sun goes down but that's prime time for the evening topwater bite!

The topwater bite in June can be truly incredible. The fish's metabolisms are the highest they've been in months, the water temperatures are warm but not exceedingly hot, and the baitfish are typically still shallow. Its a recipe for topwater mayhem! We chose the kayaks for this quick adventure because we can move stealthily through the shallow cover and catch fish that often spook when the bass boat trolling motor is chopping through heavy grass.

Tim's kayak of choice tonight was the new Topwater 120 PDL. This boat is known for its sturdy platform and ample storage, two things that are very important to Tim. Tim ran into Matt on his Predator PDL, giving them a great chance to compare the boats side by side. If you're in the market for a new kayak, boat boats are excellent choices!

Below is a breakdown of the baits and gear the guys were using in the video.

Baits...

- Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver (Delicious): http://bit.ly/29W3RZW

-Tungsten Weight 1 oz: http://bit.ly/2bo4NZf

-Peg X Stoppers: http://bit.ly/2bHjowk

-Bully Wa 2 Frog (Ghost): http://bit.ly/2axyR2a

-Whopper Plopper 110 (Monkey Butt): http://bit.ly/2bsPbQV

Tim's Kayak- Old Town Topwater 120 PDL: http://bit.ly/2KGiYf5

Matt's Kayak- Old Town Predator PDL: http://bit.ly/2WyVQka

Tim's Whopper Plopper Combo...

Rod- Zodias 7'2" Medium Heavy: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Curado 70 HG: http://bit.ly/2apmDJt

Line- 40 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Tim's Punching Combo...

Rod- Expride 7'11" XH: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Tranx 200 A: http://bit.ly/2Tv0yCy

Line- 65 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

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Sonar Basics: How To Interpret Down Imaging Sonar

What is down imaging? Is it really going to help you see more fish? Do you need it? Tim walks us through the differences between sonar and down imaging, what the different frequencies are for, and when to use down imaging to your advantage. He shows on the water, real life examples of how it can be used to gain a clearer understanding of what your unit is reading.

Modern electronics are incredibly powerful. Gone are the days of flashers and fish symbols, here to stay is a picture so clear that you can count the fish amongst the branches of a tree. If you understand how to tune your down imaging unit between frequencies it is an incredible tool!

The purpose of today's video is to give you a clearer understanding of what down imaging is and a brief overview of when/how to use it. There is a lot more information on the subject that we'll cover down the road in a more in-depth video. The cost of down imaging units has come way down in recent years, if you're a typical angler getting out on the boat a few times a month, down imaging can improve your angling experience.

Below is a breakdown of Tim's equipment, links to our other electronics videos, and a list of budget-friendly down-imaging units.

Tim's equipment...

Unit #1- Humminbird Solix 15 G2: http://bit.ly/2Hazsej

Unit #2- Humminbird Solix 12 G2: http://bit.ly/2AE2YDB

Trolling Motor- Ultrex Mega DI I-Pilot Link: http://bit.ly/2RqrT4v

Budget-friendly Down Imaging Units...

Humminbird- Helix 5 G2 DI: http://bit.ly/2TNndFW

Lowrance- Hook 2 Series 5 Sonar: http://bit.ly/2Y2sjk2

Garmin- Striker Plus: http://bit.ly/2skseug

Summer Ledge Fishing - Crankbaits, Underspins, and Hair Jigs

Today we're on Pickwick Lake looking for Summer bass on offshore ledges and breaks. This time of year the bass stack up on the edges around current and can be caught on a variety of power fishing techniques. We found an aggressive school in 20-25 feet of water and had a great time figuring out which baits they would eat.

The fish we located today were in a giant school. They gathered in the confluence if two river arms and were feeding aggressively on shad and other baitfish that came down the current. We used a 3-part method to catch these fish. We started out with a deep crankbait to fire up the school then switched to a hair jig and a heavy underspin to keep the fish's interest once the initial flurry was over.

Ledge fishing is an awesome way to catch a bunch of bass in a hurry. Its also an amazing opportunity to catch BIG bass in the middle of Summer. If your local lake has current in the Summer, you have fish that back out to the outside structures, ledges, and breaks. This fishing style will work on your lake and you might be amazed how big of bass you can catch in the heat of the day.

Below is a breakdown of the baits and equipment we used to catch the fish in today's video. We also included a few color recommendations to make it easier for you to apply the techniques to your local lakes.

The baits...

-6th Sense Cloud 9 C20: http://bit.ly/2BQ4uDs

(Wild Shad, Platinum Citrus, Sexified Chartreuse Shad, Shad Fantasy)

-Strike King 6XD: http://bit.ly/2ery44M

(Sexy Shad, Turtle Shad, Chartreuse Sexy Shad, Sexy Blue Back Herring, Powder Blue)

-Picasso Hair Jig 1 oz: http://bit.ly/2FeJkAb

(Bling Shad, White)

-Blade Runner 1 oz SpinTrix Underspin: http://bit.ly/29UVegz

(Anchovy, Black Shad, Grey Shad, Pearl)

-Keitech 4.8 Fat Swing Impact Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

(Pro Blue Red Pearl, Ghost Rainbow, Electric Shad, Gizzard Shad)

Upgraded Crankbait Hardware...

-Hooks- Gamakatsu EWG Size 2: http://bit.ly/2cZrsbY

-Split Rings- Owner Hyperwire Size 4: http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

Crankbait Combo...

Rod- Zodias 7'6" MH Glass: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Curado 200K: http://bit.ly/2tHewEh

Line- 15 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Jig Combo...

Rod- Expride 7'7" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Curado 150 DC HG: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- 50 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 20 lb Maxima Ultragreen: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Electronics...

-Humminbird Solix 15 G2: http://bit.ly/2Hazsej

-Map Card- Lakemaster Plus Digital: http://bit.ly/2Dk5Erc

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Where Do Bass Go In Summer? (And How To Catch Them)

Summer bass fishing is really fun once you know where to look! You can catch fish all day long, even in the heat of the day. Summer gets a bad wrap amongst fishermen because they don't understand bass movements and feeding patterns. Once you get ahead of the fish, its non-stop action! Let's take a look at where they are and how to catch them.

During Summer the bass break into two distinct schools. The first goes shallow into cover and the second heads out to main lake structures. The shallow fish are fun because you can target them with a variety of power fishing techniques, our favorite are frogging, flipping, and throwing swim jigs. The fish on outside structures group up around current when available and large structures when the water is calm. These fish can be caught on crankbaits, worms, jigs, and a variety of other lures.

Don't let the pressure steer you away, summer is prime time for bass. Don't be surprised if you find bass stacked up in current and catch 100+ fish a day, and who knows, there might even be a GIANT bass in the mix!

Below is a breakdown of the lures and equipment we use to target Summer bass. We'll begin with cover-oriented options and end with offshore options.

Frogs...

-River2Sea Bully Wa 2 65 (Little Allen, Ghost): http://bit.ly/2axyR2a

-Jackall Gavacho (Gill, White): http://bit.ly/2L7KsWS

Flipping...

-Jackall Archelon: http://bit.ly/2uo4sN5

-Vike Tungsten 1.5 oz Flipping Weight: http://bit.ly/2DUIxB4

-Gamakatsu Superline 4/0 EWG Hook: http://bit.ly/2ac92XG

-6th Sense Peg X: http://bit.ly/2bHjowk

Swim Jigs...

-California Swim Jig 3/8-3/4 oz: http://bit.ly/2auXfmx

-Keitech 4.3" Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v