This 3.5lb bass was caught on a Junebug colored Jackall Flick Shake, with a 1/8oz jig head with a single wire brush guard. This was my first experience using the Flick Shake and I absolutely loved it. I caught 6 smaller fish in a matter of 30 minutes, and then this chunk.

The Flick Shake is a very versatile bait that can be hooked both wacky rigged or similar to a drop shot through the head of the worm only.

I went to the Spring Harbor Pond a little earlier today, approximately 1:30pm. It was extremely windy and a slight cold front had made its way to South Florida. I knew these conditions were not necessarily ideal, but fish still need to eat! I fished for about 45 mins with an orange lipless Redeye Shad crank bait, but didn’t catch anything but a bunch of Hydrilla.

After having no success with the crank bait, I switched to a Carolina rig, with a 1/4oz tungstuen weight pegged about 15″ up from a Zoom MAG II Junebug worm (I call it a crazy tail) on 20lb fluorocarbon line. Look what I caught… in the words of Takahiro Omori, “5 pounder, I knew it!”

HOT TIP: If the wind is blowing, remain patient, fish deeper and slower. Let the fish see your bait!

Today was kind of a slow day fishing at Lake Okeechobee. My buddy John and I went to the western grass flats, little did we know, there were a ton of other boats with the same idea. It made it very difficult to get on a good area, but we did manage find some fish. Unfortunately, in this spot they weren’t that big (1lb-2lbs). We probably caught 5 small bass here, and I personally missed a nice size blow up on a zoom worm that was stuck on top of the Hydrilla.

A couple hours later, we headed south for a short run and found a less crowded area. Here is where things got interesting. I mentioned in my previous posts that I would be trying some of the new techniques I’ve been practicing, including the drop shot. Drum-roll please… I got a 3 pounder on the second cast, same combination I caught the 4.5lb bass (drop shot Ozark Smoke Zoom colored Worm with 1/4 black tungsten weight and a Trokar hook). I caught several other smaller fish too, but for whatever reason, the fat ones weren’t biting.

After we left our second stop, we found some good looking points of bull rush with no Hydrilla. This made it easier to throw some different baits, and trust me, we threw a lot. This is where I caught the other 2 “larger” fish of the day. Both weighed about 2.5lbs. I know it’s nothing to brag about, but they looked great compared to all the dinks we were catching! These largemouth bass were caught using a 7′ pole, 15lb fluorocarbon line, a Texas rigged black and blue tube bait, with 1/4oz tungsten weight, and a Trokar hook.

I lost a few bait setups today including the one I just mention. But let me tell you what I learned.  After losing a Trokar hook, I went back to the “El Cheapo” hooks and they were not as effective. I was still catching fish, but the hooks stayed inside the mouth. With the Trokar, the hooks came out of the fish’s head, face, lips, and eyes EVERY TIME! Trokar hooks are no gimmick.

HOT TIP: Trokar hooks are surgically sharpened. You will catch more fish.

Learn more from Scott Martin

I fished at the pond again tonight, mixed it up a bit, and got some interesting results. I was using a 7′ pole with 15lb Fluorocarbon, throwing a Texas rigged junebug colored Zoom worm G tail with a 1/4oz black tungsten cone weight, and a Laser Trokar Hook, about 20ft from the shore. I notice a steep drop off, covered in a mossy hydrilla and was flippin’ just past it with a yo-yo/upward jerk motion as I reel in. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The Results: 5 fish, Avg weight 1.5lbs (pretty standard weight for this pond)

On any given afternoon, there are several people fishing this hole both for game and for food…trust me, they don’t catch 5 when I am there! I think I am on to some good patterns and bait colors/movements. I’m fishing Lake Okeechobee tomorrow, and plan on applying some of these techniques, so I will let you know how things turn out!

I see a Zoom G Tail on Ray’s Deck!

For a week straight, I’ve been practicing on the same pond located in the middle of an apartment community. To sharpen my game, I try to throw at least 100 casts a day, 7 days a week, in various locations. I typically go between 5pm and 7pm, and usually bring two 7′ Med Hvy poles, one with a top water lure, and one with dark colored jig or spinner bait. I have successfully caught at least one substantial large mouth bass a day on top water (averaging 2.5lbs) and have found the closer to dark the better; However, I was bored today and went fishing at a VERY HOT 3pm…guess what? I caught a monster 4.5-5lb hawg with a drop shot (I did not have a scale, might be bigger)!

HOT TIP:  Due to frequent storms, Florida bass experience changing water conditions often. With no rain, higher temperatures could make a “Hot” bass retreat to deeper-cooler waters, but they’re still hungry.

This fish was swimming into the current created by a gigantic fountain in the pond, 15 feet out and down, from a nice grassy point. I was using a 5″ Ozark Smoke colored Zoom Worm, a 1/4oz drop shot rig, on 7′ Medium Heavy pole with spider wire 20lb braid, with a 6′ liter of 15lb fluorocarbon….This was a fun one to catch!!! My first cast she bumped it. The second cast she swallowed it.

HOT TIP: Always follow up on bites. If you are throwing a top water and miss a fish, throw a jig or worm in the same spot, immediately after reeling in.

How to Rig a Drop Shot