How To Fish The Damiki Rig - Winter Bass Fishing

Have you used the Damiki Rig? Its a great technique to catch Winter Bass! When nothing else is working the Damiki Rig has a unique fall and appearance that lures bites in difficult conditions. If you're desperate for a bite you can rely on this rig to come through in a pinch. Come along as Tim shows exactly how to use it this Winter. 

The rig is designed with perfect balance. When fished vertically it sits perfectly level below the boat with a unique look that nothing else can mimic. When cast into deep water the bait has a spiral fall that bass simply can't resist! On a tight line it glides along with no motion at all but fish can't resist it! No matter how you fish it, it has a place in the arsenal. We'll follow this video up with a more in-depth fishing video down the road but we wanted to make sure you guys were aware of the technique during the cold water months. 

Below is a breakdown of the baits and gear we use to fish the Damiki Rig. It was designed to be fished with its own bait as a trailer but there are some other great alternatives that we've listed as well. 

Heads...

-Damiki Rig Head: http://bit.ly/2tg1ajm

-Damiki Rig Underspin Head: http://bit.ly/2kcZmTU

Baits... 

-Damiki Armor Shad Jerkbait: http://bit.ly/2VQ7g6o

-Damiki Armor Shad Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2KtPDAT

-Reaction Innovations Shiver Shot: http://bit.ly/2JCpY7S

-Zoom Tiny Fluke: http://bit.ly/2MJmF2H

Tim's Spinning Combo... 

Rod- Megabass Destroyer Addermine: http://bit.ly/2B7NyFj

Reel- Shimano Exsence 3000: http://bit.ly/2iMtscV

Line- Sunline XPlasma Braid 12 lb: http://bit.ly/2OR5i2j

Leader- Sunline Sniper 6 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Tim's Casting Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Expride 6'10" Medium: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

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

Line- 20 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 12 lb Sunline Sniper Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Winter Tips For Dropshot and Ned Rig Fishing

Still struggling to catch Winter Bass? Tim has some advice that will help you catch more fish during the cold water months. When you're finesse fishing with Ned Rigs, Dropshot, or a tube, its critical that you change your cadence in Winter. The same method you were using in Fall will not work anywhere near as well as this slower approach. 

The difference between fishing and catching really can be as simple as going slower. If you're still shaking your baits like you did in Summer and Fall, you're making a mistake. At the very least you need to fish your baits slower and more methodically with longer pauses between movements. At the most, you need to literally drag your bait across the bottom without any movement of the rod tip at all. 

Slowing down sounds easy but if you're not used to it, its much tougher than you might expect. If you struggle with slowing down Tim suggests sticking the tip of your rod underwater. The resistance if the water makes it more difficult to "over work" the bait and also makes you more aware of your movements. Don't let the Winter cold get you down, keep adapting and you will find the fish you're searching for. 

Below is breakdown of some of Tim's favorite baits and equipment for finesse fishing this time of year. 

Favorite Baits... 

Finesse Tube- Dry Creek Tournament Tube: http://bit.ly/2cJwI6r

Fat Tube- Big Bite Baits Tour Tube: http://bit.ly/32e23VR

Straight Tail Worm- Roboworm 4 1/2": http://bit.ly/2asZyH3

Shaped Worm- Big Bite Baits Smallie Smasher: http://bit.ly/2ZpCOCY

Ned Worm- Roboworm 3" Ned: http://bit.ly/2j9F0Xy

Favorite Colors: Green Pumpkin, Morning Dawn, Old Ugly, Margarita Mutilator

Best "Bang For The Buck" Spinning Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Expride 6'10" Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2osaj3q

Reel- Shimano Stradic CI4+ 2500: http://bit.ly/2gu84t7

Line- Power Pro 10 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- Sunline Sniper 6 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Great Budget-Friendly Spinning Combo... 

Rod- Daiwa AirdX 7' Medium: http://bit.ly/2P7Z3Vu

Reel- Daiwa Revros 2000: http://bit.ly/34nCGCj

Line- Sunline Sniper 8 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

3 Tricks To Catch More Fish With Finesse Swimbaits

Finesse swimbaits are awesome! These little paddle tails get bit every month of the year and they catch way bigger bass than most anglers realize. If you aren't using them, you're missing out on some of the easiest bites you can get. Simple adjustments to cadence and head design will make the baits even more effective. Come along as Tim explains exactly how to maximize your time with small swimbaits. 

Tim has a handful of heads he uses to really dial in his finesse swimbaits. He adjusts head selection with the size of the bait, depth he's fishing, and water clarity. (Underspin for muddy water, Okashira for Ultra finesse tactics, and a mix of Guppy and TacticalBassin Finesse swimbait heads for all the standard clear to murky water fishing.) He combines those heads with 3 different cadences that help him maximize his time on the water. By adjusting cadence he is able to keep catching fish on small swimbaits when most anglers have given up. 

The finesse swimbait is truly deadly in Winter. It will work today and will continue to work all the way through the spawn. Below is a breakdown of the baits, heads, and Gear Tim is using to catch bass on finesse swimbaits. 

The Heads... 

-TacticalBassin Finesse Swimbait Heads (3.8 - 4.8 Keitechs): http://bit.ly/2Pqrq3n

-Dirty Jigs Guppy Head 1/0 Hook (2.8 - 3.3 Keitechs): http://bit.ly/2nyUJRS

-Megabass Okashira Head 1/8 oz: http://bit.ly/2EpluSA

-Cool Baits Down Under 3/16 oz: http://bit.ly/2boS7QA

The Baits... 

-keitech Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

-Megabass Spark Shad 3": http://bit.ly/2XcLZk4

-Keitech Easy Shiner: http://bit.ly/2bxJK6H

Damiki Armor Shad: http://bit.ly/2KtPDAT

Megabass Dark Sleeper: http://bit.ly/2TyR1GT

Finesse Swimbait Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Expride 7' Medium: http://bit.ly/2osaj3q

Reel- Shimano Stradic FL 2500: http://bit.ly/35Bufnb

Line- 15 lb Power Pro Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- 8 lb Sunline Sniper: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Budget Finesse Swimbait Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7' Medium: http://bit.ly/2s7kaQn

Reel- Shimano Nasci 2500: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- 15 lb Power Pro Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- 8 lb Maxima Ultragreen: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Try This Easy Trick To Trigger Winter Bass!

Winter bass fishing can be really frustrating! You know the fish are there but they just won't bite! Sometimes the difference between struggling and having an amazing day is as easy as knowing how to TRIGGER a REACTION Strike. Come along with Tim and JD and see what a difference cadence changes can make while fishing for Bass in cold water. 

Tim and JD used a 3-part approach to find success on Clearlake. Tim relied on an Alabama Rig and a Tactical DD Crankbait to trigger reaction strikes from lethargic bass while his son JD crept an Underspin along the bottom to pick of more aggressive fish. The key to all 3 methods was speed and cadence. 

Last week we explored how to catch Winter bass if you didn't want to "power fish". Today Tim shows exactly how powerful an aggressive approach to Winter fishing can be. Below is a breakdown of the baits and equipment the guys were using to find success on the Water. 

Crank... 

-River2Sea Tactical DD Crankbait (DD Minnow): http://bit.ly/37dclbX

A-Rig... 

Rig- G Funk Cali Rig: http://bit.ly/2rZhST7

Heads- Dirty Jigs Tactical Finesse Head (1/8 oz): http://bit.ly/2Pqrq3n

Baits- Keitech 3.8" Fat Swing Impact (Electric Shad): http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Dummy Baits- Keitech 2.8" Fat Swing Impact (Shad): http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Underspin... 

Hook- Owner Flashy Swimmer (3/16 oz 3/0): http://bit.ly/2e8O4Y7

Bait- Keitech 3.8" Fat Swing Impact (Pro Blue Red Pearl): http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Tim's Crankbait Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 906 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Bantam MGL XG: http://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line- 12 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

JD's Spinning Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 6'8" Medium: http://bit.ly/2jOUXAO

Reel- Shimano NASCI 2500: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- 20 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 10 lb Sunline Sniper: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju