Happy Halloween from IBASSIN

Have a spooky day and hope you have a great Halloween
without a "scare" in the world. 

A Late Fall Must for Trophy Smallmouth Bass.

You need these baits.
By Luigi De Rose

The JACKALL Squirrel DD is a top choice for cold water. 

Deep diving jerkbaits are a must for late fall trophy smallmouth bass fishing. If you looking for these minnow baits, you might have to move pass the bass fishing section and over to the walleye one in the tackle store. Often, these deep diver plugs are considered walleye baits but they're lethal on trophy sized smallies. Don't expect them to glide and dance like short billed baits. These deep divers are ideal for more sluggish action as they remain deep. 

Here are a few to remember:

Jackall Squirrel DD

Rapala X Rap 

MORE BELOW

Late Fall Fever

Biggest of the big lurk for the willing angler.
By Luigi De Rose 

Wind, cool temperatures and unwilling friends can make fishing in late fall difficult. The wind and lack of companionship kept me off the water this weekend and now I am kicking myself. Boating during this calendar period can be chilly but if you have the nerve and a warm jacket the rewards are worth it.

Here is IBASSIN.com friend David Chong with an amazing 8.2 pound Lake Simcoe giant. Dave only got a handful of bites but how can you complain when you net your personal best smallmouth.

For photos of Dave's big bass link over to IBASSIN.com's facebook page.
www.facebook.com/pages/ibassincom/265989363495983


For more on how to catch record size smallmouth bass, sign up to BASS TALK. These seminars give you the best knowledge you'll find anywhere. For more information on BASS TALK jump to the links:
www.basstalk.ca/

www.facebook.com/groups/13104560932/?fref=ts

Cold Weather Preventative Boat Maintenance with IBASSIN.com

Learn how to prevent boat and motor problems during the fall and winter. Follow these tips will ensure your motor, pumps and fuel remains safe. This video will explain some preventative boat maintenance that will keep you on the water and your rig out of trouble.

Top Bass 2014 Classic Awards

Top Bass Tournament Series was booming in 2014. With record numbers of tournament participants, each event was exciting.  Here's a video shot at the 2014 Classic this September.

Paul Castellano and Taro Murata Win the Bass Pro Shop Open

Castellano and Murata whip windy Lake Simcoe.
By Luigi De Rose

Castellano and Murata are all smiles with a great win.

Top 5

1. Paul Castellano & Taro Murata 24.1lbs
2. Patrick Campbell &  Mathew Holland 24 lbs  + 6.30lb Smallmouth
3. Ben Sabourin & Glenn Thompson 19.76 lbs
4. Simon & Melanie Frost 18.85 lbs
5. Derek Strub & Mike DesForges 18.25lbs

Cold Water Jerkbait Tips with Jackall Pro Cody Meyers and IBASSIN

Jackall pro Cody Meyers explains how to use jerkbaits for smallmouth and largemouth bass when the water turns cold in the fall and winter months. Learn how to adjust your jerkbait for when the bass are shy and the water is cool.

Fall Crankbait Techniques with Duo Realis pro Kevin Hawk and IBASSIN

FLW Cup champ and Bassmaster Elite angler Kevin Hawk explains a great autumn presentation for catching big bass by casting a deep diving crankbait. Learn as he explains to the followers of IBASSIN.com how to approach fall bass fishing.

For more fishing news, techniques and how-to videos click onto www.ibassin.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

Five Fabulous Fall Baits for Bass: Jigs

The power of the jig. 

By Luigi De Rose

Largemouth and smallmouth will eat
the jig equally well. Keep the jig on bottom close to
the bass will help you score. 

Football jigs, a close cousin to flipping jigs, were designed specifically for bouncing along deep, rocky bottoms. The major difference is its chubby football shaped head with the line tie at 90 to 60 degrees. This designed won’t wedge between boulders and is surprising good in thin vegetation. Most football jigs are heavy, 1/2oz to 1oz, ideal for staying on bottom. Strikes typically occur at the end of long casts so solid hooksets can be a challenge. Make sure it has an ultra sharp hook and thinned weed guard, if it has one at all.  

Football jigs are best worked around deep grasslines, bluff banks, bars, points or saddle areas between islands. Surprisingly, this technique is a quick and easy way to check expansive areas. It vacuuming up aggressive biters yet enticing fickle ones too. Work  footballs more like a crankbait or Carolina rig than a traditional jig. Dragging it with sweeping rod pulls or crawl it under a leisurely retrieve. Stick to a twin tail grub or frog chuck trailer. Olive, melon, pumpkin, peanut butter and jam, or craw colours are best.

Finesse & mini jigs

Finesse or mini jigs are a junior version of a flipping jig. These bite sized jigs are ideal in a multitude of fishing conditions. Ultra shallow, clear water, heavy fishing pressure, cold fronts or cold water are all ideal mini jig situations.

In high stakes tournaments in Ontario, the success of mini jigs have secretly flowed through the ranks of the elite. Big weights and top finishes speak volumes. Many anglers have literally turned their tournament career around solely on the success of mini jigs. Once an after though, these jigs are much underestimated. Much of it does have roots in scientific research. Immature crayfish evacuate the shallows to escape scores of predators. Bass living along deeper structure are accustom to feeding on smaller crayfish making a tinier jig an ideal snack. 

Compact sizes don’t always translate to dainty weights. A few companies pour finesse jigs up to 1/2oz and with strong hooks, but they’re a rare find. Skilled manufacturers shrewdly manipulated the lead head to remain minuscule yet heavy. Others have switched to tungsten, a pricy non-toxic lead alternative. Regardless, mini jigs can transform a day from hoe-hum to amazing.

Jigs are core bass tackle. Throw them more often and fine tune which type of jig will suit the fishing conditions your in will almost guarantee success. 

Five Fabulous Fall Baits for Bass: Tube jigs

Terribly terrific tubes.

By Luigi  De Rose

Tubes are a favourite of northern anglers and for good reason – they catch a lot of fish. Dragged on the bottom or pitched into shallow weeds, the tube is very versatile.  

Tube jigs are amazing at catching smallmouth and largemouth
in the autumn. 

Fall triggers a migration for bass from summer shallows to deeper water. Anglers who follow them will be able to benefit when bass school on predictable pieces of structure. One of the best presentations for catching bass during this calendar period is a tube. Regardless if bass are munching on craws or minnows, there is a colour scheme that will match the local prey perfectly.

Key Factors:

• Water depth
• Jighead size
• Hook quality
• Colours

 The most versatile open water method of rigging a tube is slipping an exposed jighead into the hollow cavity. Spinning gear is most ideal but baitcast loves don’t have to sulk as long as they scale down and lighten up on gear and line choice. A selection of jig weights from 1/8oz to 5/8oz will work everywhere regardless of wind speed and water depth. Don’t cheap out when shopping for jigs. Search for extra sharp hooks with good wire. You won’t recall how much you saved when a monster bass pulls free. 

Most baits are 3” or 4” and that is fine. Name brand tubes have salt or scent or both. The real key is to have a large selection of colours. Bass can ignore one colour and gobble up another. Rotated between proven colours and don’t be stubborn to change.

Many pros favour a rattle on the jighead. Finding jigs with one can be difficult but a bag of rattles and some heat shrink tubing can convert any jighead quickly.  Worrying about the details can be madding but it is usually better to rotate between spots than trying to force feed fall bass. 

Five Fabulous Fall Baits for Bass: Jerkbaits

Jerkbait are king of fall! 

By Luigi De Rose

*Special Video Feature: Jackall Pro-angler Cody Meyers explains how to fish jerkbaits next week*

Jerkbaits work exceptionally well when the water cools and the bass are thinking of eating.  Largemouth bass love them but smallies get all the glory. Jerkbaits are so versatile that there is almost no wrong method to using them. But, if you’re after superb fall action, the devil is definitely in the details.

Several key factors will affect where and how you fish a jerkbait. Consider these factors before you leave home.

Key Factors:

• Water depth
• Baitfish
• Water colour
• Water temp

Suspending jerkbaits with shallow lips have been all the rage for almost two decades. No one makes them better than the Japanese.  As the saying goes, “you get what you pay for” and that is very true with jerkbaits. An internal weight system, fantastic action, immaculate finishes and the finest hooks all help put more bass in the boat. 

Jackall and Shimano pro Cody Meyers knows
that cold water and jerkbaits like the Dowzvido 90SP
are truly amazing. 

These types of baits simply cast further, look better and have better action. Don't forget that many companies such as Jackall, Lucky Craft and Megabass offer deeper diving versions of their shallow baits. They're tailor made for cold, deep water.

Water colour and temps will play a huge role in how to fish the bait. Establishing a jerk-pause-jerk caddice is a must to catch the eye of a bass.  As the water become chilly the rod tempo must be slowed. A little used technique called strolling becomes stronger as we progress through autumn. Technically, strolling is long line trolling using the wind and trolling motor to propel the boat and bait along deep flats. Gingerly sweep the rod along instead of doing a wild dance is a better match for the conditions.

Bait and bass should determine lure size. Smaller sized baits can trigger moody bass, particularly pressured smallmouth. Down sizing tackle and moving to spinning gear is a must if you wish to launch them any distance.

Don’t hesitate to buck conventional wisdom. Exchange your favourite jerkbait with a magnum one can be great. Giant bass sometimes only want to eat once. A large bait will surely appeal to them.  This is particularly true when fishing around smelt. Smelt are long, nomadic bait and candy to bass. Matching their size, shape and look is a must. 

Jerkbait fishing is the corner stone to fall bass fishing. Often considered superior in the spring, these baits must be utilized in the fall.

Five Fabulous Fall Baits for Bass: Crankbaiting

Crank your way to success.
By Luigi De Rose

Depending where you live, crankbaits can be the most or least popular choice for fall fishing.  Crankbaits are just as useful for finding pods of bass as they are at catching them. Schooling bait and cooling water temps will bunch up bass. Cranking a plug allows anglers to cover immense sections of water while remaining productive at catching bass regardless of their mood. Once a sense of feel is established while using this lure, it can also be used to telegraph the bottom.  Weed, rock, sand even mud can be detected simply by interpreting the reaction of the bait as it comes in contact with the bottom.

Bait selection has been a huge hurdle for anglers. Consider these factors when reaching into your tackle bag.

Key factors:

• ·      Water depth
• ·      Cover
• ·      Water temps
• ·      Baitfish
• ·      Water clarity

Each factor will determine size, style and colour scheme of the crankbait you knot on.

Rapala and Storm Pro-angler Jacob Wheeler knows
the importance of the square bill. This Storm Arashi
Wake Bait is a great fall crankbait when the bass are shallow.
(Photo: IBASSIN)

Darker water and heavy weed grown will force you to select shallow running or square bill baits. Square bills run through cover well and excel around wood or rocks.  If the water is warm or the sun pops out long enough to warm up a cool day, an afternoon crankbait bite might be the way to turn around an otherwise slow fishing day.

If the lake has a strong population of both smallmouth and largemouth select deeper diving cranks than can be cast very far and run along the bottom. Smallmouth can be boat shy particularly in crystal clear waters, so heavy baits than can be rocketed great distances is a huge plus.  Smallmouth love crayfish this time of year and scour the bottom looking for them. Scraping the bottom with a natural craw colour patterns can be a winner but don’t shy away from brilliant orange or chartreuse.  Neon bright colours can trigger smallies when all else fails.

The Shad Rap from Rapala is an
amazing cold water bait. 

Cold water won’t kill a crankbait bite but you’ll have to adjust accordingly. Start cranking much slower and it might be wise to switch from a large, plastic plugs to slimmer, balsa wooden baits. Wooded baits, such as Rapala Shad Raps, provide great action without being too erratic for docile bass.

There is a lot to consider when looking for autumn bass. Crankbait fishing is complex but it can also be as simple as chunkin’ and windin’.  Always consider the local conditions and rotate between lure size and diving depth before giving up on these amazing baits. 

Five Fabulous Fall Baits for Bass

IBASSIN's guide to autumn bass fishing

By Luigi De Rose

This week IBASSIN will be highlighting five fabulous fall baits. Each day, one lure will be promoted on its merits of being an essential bass lure for this time of year. IBASSIN has readers from all over the world. These guidelines work best when integrated with local fishing conditions. Remember to  adjust accordingly but don’t neglect subtle daily changes. A few degrees up or down can kill or resurrect a day on the water.

Autumn can be some of the best or worst fishing of the year but it can also be one of the best times to catch a lot of giant bass. Weather is usually unpredictable making boating and fishing a challenge. Try keeping your spirits high during lulls in the action because your luck can change in a heartbeat.  Use this guide to help transform your fall bass fishing. 

Translating Common "Dock Talk" Phrases Uttered by Countless Bass Anglers

by Dave Wolak

(originally posted in www.fieldandstream.com)

Even though I know better than to get wrapped up in “dock talk,” I have to admit I enjoy it for no other reason than the comedic value of what bass anglers will say when searching for the right way to describe—yet simultaneously hold sacred— their pattern and results from a day on the water. Though I’ve heard some pretty wild phrases uttered, there are those few that seem to pop up more than others. So I thought I’d help with a little translation of some of the most common. Granted, these are just my opinions of meaning (but I’m right most of the time).