Largemouth Bass Video of the Day

Rapala X-Rap Series Jerk Bait

Made in 2008, the Rapala X-Rap Series jerk bait comes in 4 different models, each designed for different species of fish and fishing environment. It comes in 13 different colors; the one I bought is purple ghost, not shown (rainbow trout color shown). It's swimming level is 3-5 feet deep. A perfect jerk bait for largemouth bass. For more information on this lure, please visit the web at http://www.rapala.com/products/luresdetail.cfm?modelName=x-rap&freshorsalt=Fresh. The model type I bought was XR06, measuring at 2-1/2 inches long and weighing at 1/8 of an ounce. I've done some research on this lure and it has had many successful reviews from anglers. Although I still rely on the banjo minnow, having this jerk bait in my tackle box still gives me a variety to choose from. I will let you folks know when I catch a big one with it!

Jerk baits and the Basics of Working It Right

By definition, a jerk bait is a long, slender hard bait in which the angler imparts the action of the lure. Becoming good with this lure can be tricky as using various soft baits and jigs, but with practice and familiarity, jerk baits can be a favorite. Most anglers will have a couple of these lures in their tackle box due to the fact that it can be effective for largemouth bass, depending which jerk bait type and where to fish them at. Although the majority of the jerk baits you'll see at stores are high floaters, they all promote strike underwater. All jerkbaits have a plastic lip, similar to all crankbaits. What sets jerk baits apart from the rest of the lures is how they're worked. To work a jerk bait, you pull your rod in medium strides or short jerks without reeling. This action is what gives the lure its name, hence jerk bait. Most jerk baits have one body, except a few bigger jerk baits made for pikes and muskies. Several lure manufacturers are well-known for making jerkbaits: Rapala, Smithwick Rogue Series, Strike King, Bomber Long A-Series, and Bagley's Bang O'Lure. Of course, each company has its own designs and colors, but they all work effectively in the given condition. Most jerkbaits used are 1-4 feet swimmers, but there are top water jerk baits and ones that go under 10 feet deep. I personally tend to stick with the 1-4 feet jerk baits because they can still attract bass from deeper levels. I have had success using jerk baits in drop offs with 1-4 feet jerk baits and catching 2-4 ibs largemouth bass. The trick is to practice and become used to the jerk bait. Once you get it down, its finding where to fish and where the fish are that will make using a jerk bait fun. It's practically a metal or a wooden banjo minnow in my view.

Terrible Weather

Lately, the weather has been inconsistent and rainy down here in the 4 state area. I tend to fish at sunset and it seems the rain tend to pour at that time. I did, however, go fishing at Skiatook Lake this past Monday. The weather wasn't so kind to me, but I did catch some largemouth bass. Sorry fellas, no lunkers or nice pictures to post because all I caught were little 8-10 inches. Haha, laugh at me, but atleast the lures I was using produced results, right? Yes that double rigged jig I was talking about actually worked. I just reeled it in regularly without no jerk motions. It provoked an 8 inch largemouth bass to strike it, but that was pretty much the only bass I caught with that set up. I also stumbled on an area in Skiatook Lake that had a conservation park by it. It was shallow over there, but many, and I mean many, largemouth bass seemed to be feeding there. I didn't catch any big ones that evening, but around that conservation area I was hooking little largemouths for a while. Hopefully the weather will be much better this upcoming weekend so I can have a nice picture for you viewers. Till then, good fishing folks!

Largemouth Bass Video of the Day

Strike King's Sexy Shad by Pro Kevin VanDam

I haven't talked much about a new lure and testing it to you folks yet, but I guess I can talk about this new crankbait by Strike King. The crankbait color was designed by Bass Pro Angler Kevin VanDam. For more information on this angler, visit his website at www.kevinvandam.com. This new model is available in seven sizes (listed below) and is available also in King Shad and Red-Eye shad colors as well. Honestly, I bought this crankbait because it was at the bass pro shop's discount deal aisle. I'm not too fond of crankbaits, but I figured for three dollars, why not buy one? I bought two of them; one for me and one for my cousin. We actually used them at Table Rock Lake (a future lake article) and yes, we caught fish. No largemouths, but various panfish from bluegills to sunfish of 4-6 inch sizes. Yes, we were fishing in early May when panfishes are at a feeding frenzy. Unfortunately, he caught all the panfishes with this new crankbait, I lost mine to a rock. So the verdict is a yes, this crank is a buyer. Hopefully you will get a good deal with this new crankbait by Strike King as I did. Just look for it at the discount deal aisles. Just don't tell anyone I told you that, wink wink.

Series 1XS (HC1XS) - Designed for extra shallow conditions and spooky fish. 1/4 oz, dives from 6 to 18 inches.

Series 1 (HC1) - Small, shallow diver with high buoyancy; designed for heavy cover. 1/4 oz, dives from 2 to 5 feet.

Series 3 (HC3) - Small-bodied deep diver designed to enhance castability, and reach maximum depths. 1/4 oz, dives to 8 feet.

Series 4S (HC4S) - Designed for shallow fishing, crawls through thick cover with its unique wide wobble and square bill. Perfect for shallow, cover-laden stained water. 3/8 oz, dives from 2 to 4 feet.
Series 4 (HC4) - Medium-sized body with wider wobble and oversized bill to deflect cover; great for medium depth, heavy cover and dirty water. 3/8 oz, dives from 6 to 9 feet.

Series 5 (HC5) - Medium-sized body with medium wobble and medium buoyancy. 2-degree diving plane for lenghtened casts and deeper depths. 1/2 oz, dives from 10 to 13 feet.

Series 6 (HC6) - Large deep diver with 0-degree diving plane, designed to cast extreme distances. Systematic flat areas are incorporated to send out larger shock waves. Medium buoyancy. 3/4 oz, dives to 15 feet.

Jigs and The Diverse Jigging Methods

By definition, a jig is a hook that has been weighted/outfitted with feather, a plastic body, hair or various materials that is reeled by an angler to attract fish. The creativity of rigging a jig is endless, so even my knowledge of making jigs is tiny compared to many other anglers. I truly believe that jigs are the most widely used lure out there for ANY fish because of its simplicity, creativity of rigging, and that it works. Many largemouth bass anglers tend to use big jigs fitted w/ crayfish because we all know lunker largemouths tend to stay on the bottom for bigger and satisfying meals. For me personally, I tend to use rattling/ flippin jigs that have been outfitted w/ a skirt (like pictured above). I then rig it with a variety of soft plastics. I tend to use crayfish plastics because I like to fish for huge bottom dwellers. For panfish, I tend to use medium-sized grubs outfitted on a weighted hook. Simple and easy to rig, these grub jigs are among my favorite because it works. White bass tend to love these grub jigs, as I've caught more white bass than largemouths with this set up. Out of my whole angling family, I believe I am the only one that uses jigs regularly, besides "trick worms" for largemouths. Other popular jig set ups are shad jigs and frog jigs, but I tend to stick w/ grubs as it has worked for me so far. Another set up that you don't hear a lot about is rigging a shad or a minnow jig to another jig. By directly fitting the hook end to the shad/minnow jig, this set up implies as if the shad is chasing after a smaller fish or insect. I've never tried this set up yet, but I've heard stories of how it works. I will let you anglers know if it works by trying this set up this upcoming weekend. Look for a small post on my results this next week. Good fishing, fellow anglers!

Spinner Baits

Spinner baits are lures with a blade attached to it to attract fish by reflecting sunlight off its spinning blade and by its vibration. Spinners are widely used by anglers in different types of fishing environment. I preferrably use spinner baits when its sunny and windy. I typically attach huge grubs with my spinner baits as it will give it a more appealing look for the largemouths. Believe it or not, but I've caught more largemouth bass with spinner baits than any other lures I've used by far. Why is that? Well, truth be told, its one of the easiest lure to use, besides jigs. Just cast and reel. It's that simple. I believe spinner baits will provoke hungry and aggressive bass to strike, but for the lazy and bottom dwellers, spinner baits might not do the trick. I truly recommend this lure for the beginners out there, but its a preferred lure among many elite anglers like 2009 Bass Master Champion Skeet Reese.

Skeet Reese: 2009 Bass Master Champion

The Advantages of Soft Plastic Baits

Soft Plastic Lures

There are a lot of preferences when it comes to using soft plastic lures, but one thing is for certain: soft plastic lures produces results. I mainly use soft plastic lures because it gives me outstanding results when I fish for largemouth bass. I tend to use/rely heavily on the banjo minnow I'm always talking about, but I also use "trick worms," flippin tubes like Gambler's Flippin Tubes, and a wide assortment of flukes. Is soft plastic lures that good? Well, let's just look at the time when soft plastic lures became a huge buzz. Tracing back to 1998, one man won both the 1998 Bass Master Classics and 1998 FLW Tour Angler of the Year by flippin jigs and soft plastic lures. This memorable victory I'm talking about is none other then Denny Brauer, the 1998 Bass Master Classics champ. After his huge victory, his influence of using soft plastics not only rubbed onto anglers, but it also urged lure manufacturers to produce bigger and more soft plastic lures. Skeet Reese, the 2009 Bass Master Classics champ, also used soft plastics in his line of lures. Another thing I like about soft plastic lures is that it can accomodate jig heads and spinner baits as well. I tend to use 4-6-inch grubs on my spinner baits when I cast them out on sunny days. For deep water jigging, I tend to use plastic crayfish, craws, and flippin tubes.

Plastic Worms

Plastic worms are widely regarded as the one of the "King Lure" for largemouth bass fishing. Depending on how you rig it and which select plastic worm you use, you can either reel it in slowly like a swimming worm or troll it slowly on the surface or underwater. Worms can either be rigged texas-style (most common) or carolina-style. For deep water bass fishing, you can hook the tip of the worm for drop-shot rigging. Another form of rigging is "wacky-style" rigging, which is applying a 1/0 straight-shank hook inserted through the middle of the worm. Another trick-worm technique is to insert a finishing nail or lead nail weight into the head to make the worm do a headstand. Troll it slowly on the underwater surface and jerk it here and there. This will entice bass to strike as it looks like the worm is trying to dig a hole to escape predators.

Banjo Minnow w/ Pikes by Babe Winkelman

Banjo Minnow 006 Lure

By now I'm sure you all have heard about the miracles of the Banjo Minnow 006 lure. It's been designed for a genetic response that will automatically trigger a fish to bite even when its not hungry. Its a revised version of the older "cork-screw style" minnow and definitely works a lot better. Its been out there on the market for a while now, but I can vouch that it will still perform miracles. Its used as a jerk and pull motion bait that acts as a wounded minnow. The difference with this lure and conventional flukes/plastics is that the banjo minnow is grooved and cut, allowing it to move like a real minnow. Combine it with it's jerk and pull motion and you've got a fish-catching bomb in your hands. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that this lure should be in your tackle box because of its simplicity, effectiveness, and ability to catch big fish. I've caught many largemouths with this lure and I'd have to say its the best lure I've spent money on so far. What are you waiting for, go buy it today and start catching record-like largemouth bass! My only con rating of this lure is that it doesn't come with enough of the eye sockets that hold the hook and plastic minnow.

Banjo 006 Minnow Fishing Lure from As Seen on TV Video

Skiatook Lake Bass Master 1988

Skiatook Lake of Oklahoma

Skiatook Lake is located 4 miles west of Skiatook and 11 miles east of Hominy, Okahoma. The lake is about 10,500 acres and has about 160 miles of shoreline. Skiatook Lake is a man-made lake and offers various habitats for bass fishing. Most noticable are the flooded tree stubs and drop-off cliffs of Skiatook Lake. These types of places offer excellent cover for largemouth to hide and feed. Skiatook Lake is rated the second best lake of Oklahoma and has held several, very succcessful bass fishing tournaments. Hybrids, white bass, small mouth bass, and spotted bass can be found near cliffs and rocky parts of the lake, but lunker largemouth bass can be found hidden with the various covered lake spots. I will be conducting a lot of my lure testing in this lake as 7-9 ibs largemouths basses has been caught and documented on Skiatook Lake. For the people with fishing boats, I have included all the boat ramp informations that I know below.

• Bull Creek Peninsula: at the north end of Skiatook Lake, is open year round. Facilities: Boat ramp, Dock, Picnic area, Primitive campsites; 918-396-3170.
• Crystal Bay Marina is 6 miles west of Skiatook on State Hwy 20. Facilities: Cabins, camping, grocery, restaurant, boat ramps/docks, fuel, motor repair, boat rental; 918-396-4240.
• Hominy Landing is a boat launch area, 14 miles west of Skiatook on State Hwy 20. Facilities: Boat Ramp, Dock, Restrooms, Open year round; 918-396-3170.
• Tall Chief Cove is located on the southeast side of Skiatook Lake, south of the dam. Facilities: Campsites, Boat Ramp, Fishing Dock, Swimming Beach, Nature Trail, Picnic Area, Playground, Electrical Outlets, Sanitary Dump Station, Showers and Restrooms, Drinking Water, Handicap Accessible, Group Shelter by reservation; 918-396-3170.
• Twin Points is 12 miles west on State Hwy 20. Facilities: 54 camp sites, 50 amp electrical pedistals, Boat launching, Dock, Swimming Beach, Sanitary Dump Station, Showers and Restrooms, Drinking Water, Handicap Accessible; 918-396-3170
  
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Greetings LargeMouth Bass Angler's

Greetings, fellow Largemouth Bass angler's and fishermen! My name is Tou Thao and I'm a local fishermen living in Oklahoma of the US. This blog is dedicated to all bass fishing, but mainly focusing on largemouth bass. In this forum I will be discussing on various bass fishing tips, habitats, locations throughout the four state area in the US (Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri), and products. I will mainly focus on new artificial fishing lures and experience first hand if they will work or not on different types of fishing environments. As a local fishermen, I was always intrigued by all the new fishing lures that come out every year. I tend to splurge my paychecks on new lures each week, even though I still have unopened products to try and experience. I watch a lot of fishing commercials, and always thought that if the pros can catch fish with it, so can I. Well... that's not always the case. I've had tons of bad luck with lures that I have never caught nothing with and some lures that I use regularly because they work! Now I am not saying that these lures will work and won't work, but through my experience I'm offering a critics opinion of what works and what the majority of the time won't work. If there are any comments, requests on trying a new fishing lure, or questions, please feel free to email me at two.thaoz@gmail.com. I will gladly try to help or try out anything that will help broaden the knowledge of fishing lures that work on bass. Please feel free to bookmark this blog website as it will grow in the near future. I will try and keep this blog updated on a daily basis.