Post by Adam Brister on Mar 7, 2008 11:00:00 GMT -6
The Plastic Grub
The Gear:
Rod: 6'6" Medium or Medium-Heavy spinning rod
Reel: 2000 or 2500 sized spinning reel
Line: 8 lb. Monofilament
In these days of $20+ Japanese hard-baits and specialized techniques, it is easy to forget about the lures you learned to fish with in favor of the latest, greatest baits to hit the tournament trail. But revisiting yesterday’s lures can pay big dividends in the right situation.
The plastic curly-tail grub is one such lure that will produce fish for you in situations when bigger, louder baits won’t. Many anglers think of it as a finesse lure, and in some regards, it is. But by using the grub in a slightly more aggressive approach, it can be used to cover water more quickly, and therefore more efficiently.
In smallmouth country, the grub is a staple in most fishermen’s tackle boxes. It not only catches bass, but many other species that inhabit the same clear waters. It is available in a dazzling array of colors, sizes and styles, and can be paired with an equally dazzling array or colors, sizes and styles of leadheads. My preferences are pretty basic in both areas: I like a 4 inch green pumpkin Yum Muy Grub on a 1/8 oz. Gamakatsu Round jig head with a 1/0 hook. In any case, I keep the colors pretty natural. For imitating crawfish, smallies’ favorite food, it is hard to beat green, brown and smoke hues. If the fish are feeding on baitfish, silver, white or pearl are more effective. As in any clear-water fishing technique, it is important to "match the hatch." On the other hand, chartreuse is a favorite smallmouth color in any lure, and I’ve caught many of them on a chartreuse grub.
The aggressive approach that I referred to earlier is something I refer to as "power-finesse." Yes, it sounds like an oxymoron, but the principle is to use finesse-type baits in a power-fishing style. Other examples of this include swimming a 1/8 or 1/4 oz. finesse jig such as a Strike King Bitsy Bug, or burning an inline spinner over a flat like a full size spinnerbait.
I’ve learned to fish a grub much the same way I would a crankbait. In fact, I often fish a grub when I have been catching fish on a crank, but the bite turns off. The crankbait picks off the most aggressive fish, and the grub will catch the ones who are less aggressive, or have been spooked by the commotion you created when you caught the other fish. I like a strong hookset, and this is why I also prefer a medium-heavy rod. A stout 1/0 hook takes some pressure to puncture a smallmouth’s mouth, and a 6'6" medium-heavy rod allows for a quick, solid hookset. However, most trout-style spinning setups will do just fine for this little bait.
Grub fishing for me begins at ice-off. At this time of the year, in April where I live, the bass begin to start feeding and fattening up in preparation for the spawn. I will use a 4 inch green pumpkin grub on a 3/8 oz. head to fish deeper water on the ends of points and flats near the northwest shore of the lake. I will "slow-roll" the grub along the bottom, letting it bump into rocks and structure, mimicking a crawfish. This pattern often produces some of the biggest bass of the year. As waters warm and the fish move shallower, I follow their movements and switch to a 1/4 oz. head, and eventually a 1/8 oz. I will put the boat over the deep end of a point and cast shallow, allowing the grub to follow the contour of the bottom as I retrieve it. If I know the area is holding fish, I will fan cast to allow the lure to thoroughly cover the water. When fish begin spawning, the grub is a great lure for fishing flats and covering water fast. If I am bed-fishing, I will often cast a grub to cover open water in between beds. I usually use a 1/4 oz. head and a slightly faster retrieve. During postspawn and summer, I will follow the fish back into deeper water by fishing toward the ends of points. Smallmouths relate to flats all year long, though, so it’s important not to rule out shallow water entirely as the weather warms. The bass return to the flats daily to feed, and you will see many cruisers this time of year. These are frustrating fish to catch, but a grub cast of ahead of them that intercepts their path is one of the best ways to do so. In the fall, the majority of bass will move shallow again, or at least spend more time there during the course of a day, and once again covering the flats with a grub becomes a deadly technique.
Sometimes I may get fish that follow my grub to the boat, or short-strike it. This situation may require a follow-up lure such a weightless finesse worm tossed back to the location of the strike, but many times changing to a 2 or 3 inch grub will be enough to get them to take the bait.
One of the best things about fishing a grub is it doesn’t take specialized equipment to do it. An inexpensive spinning combo with 8 lb. line, a pack 1/4 oz. jigheads and some Mister Twister grubs will do the job. It is a great lure to use when teaching younger or inexperienced anglers to fish, no matter what species you are targeting. It will usually catch fish, and the casting and reeling will keep them more focused than sitting and watching a bobber. But don’t forget that it’s a proven tournament-winner, and can put some weight in your livewell on a tough day.
Read this and my other articles at AdamBrister.com!
The Gear:
Rod: 6'6" Medium or Medium-Heavy spinning rod
Reel: 2000 or 2500 sized spinning reel
Line: 8 lb. Monofilament
In these days of $20+ Japanese hard-baits and specialized techniques, it is easy to forget about the lures you learned to fish with in favor of the latest, greatest baits to hit the tournament trail. But revisiting yesterday’s lures can pay big dividends in the right situation.
The plastic curly-tail grub is one such lure that will produce fish for you in situations when bigger, louder baits won’t. Many anglers think of it as a finesse lure, and in some regards, it is. But by using the grub in a slightly more aggressive approach, it can be used to cover water more quickly, and therefore more efficiently.
In smallmouth country, the grub is a staple in most fishermen’s tackle boxes. It not only catches bass, but many other species that inhabit the same clear waters. It is available in a dazzling array of colors, sizes and styles, and can be paired with an equally dazzling array or colors, sizes and styles of leadheads. My preferences are pretty basic in both areas: I like a 4 inch green pumpkin Yum Muy Grub on a 1/8 oz. Gamakatsu Round jig head with a 1/0 hook. In any case, I keep the colors pretty natural. For imitating crawfish, smallies’ favorite food, it is hard to beat green, brown and smoke hues. If the fish are feeding on baitfish, silver, white or pearl are more effective. As in any clear-water fishing technique, it is important to "match the hatch." On the other hand, chartreuse is a favorite smallmouth color in any lure, and I’ve caught many of them on a chartreuse grub.
The aggressive approach that I referred to earlier is something I refer to as "power-finesse." Yes, it sounds like an oxymoron, but the principle is to use finesse-type baits in a power-fishing style. Other examples of this include swimming a 1/8 or 1/4 oz. finesse jig such as a Strike King Bitsy Bug, or burning an inline spinner over a flat like a full size spinnerbait.
I’ve learned to fish a grub much the same way I would a crankbait. In fact, I often fish a grub when I have been catching fish on a crank, but the bite turns off. The crankbait picks off the most aggressive fish, and the grub will catch the ones who are less aggressive, or have been spooked by the commotion you created when you caught the other fish. I like a strong hookset, and this is why I also prefer a medium-heavy rod. A stout 1/0 hook takes some pressure to puncture a smallmouth’s mouth, and a 6'6" medium-heavy rod allows for a quick, solid hookset. However, most trout-style spinning setups will do just fine for this little bait.
Grub fishing for me begins at ice-off. At this time of the year, in April where I live, the bass begin to start feeding and fattening up in preparation for the spawn. I will use a 4 inch green pumpkin grub on a 3/8 oz. head to fish deeper water on the ends of points and flats near the northwest shore of the lake. I will "slow-roll" the grub along the bottom, letting it bump into rocks and structure, mimicking a crawfish. This pattern often produces some of the biggest bass of the year. As waters warm and the fish move shallower, I follow their movements and switch to a 1/4 oz. head, and eventually a 1/8 oz. I will put the boat over the deep end of a point and cast shallow, allowing the grub to follow the contour of the bottom as I retrieve it. If I know the area is holding fish, I will fan cast to allow the lure to thoroughly cover the water. When fish begin spawning, the grub is a great lure for fishing flats and covering water fast. If I am bed-fishing, I will often cast a grub to cover open water in between beds. I usually use a 1/4 oz. head and a slightly faster retrieve. During postspawn and summer, I will follow the fish back into deeper water by fishing toward the ends of points. Smallmouths relate to flats all year long, though, so it’s important not to rule out shallow water entirely as the weather warms. The bass return to the flats daily to feed, and you will see many cruisers this time of year. These are frustrating fish to catch, but a grub cast of ahead of them that intercepts their path is one of the best ways to do so. In the fall, the majority of bass will move shallow again, or at least spend more time there during the course of a day, and once again covering the flats with a grub becomes a deadly technique.
Sometimes I may get fish that follow my grub to the boat, or short-strike it. This situation may require a follow-up lure such a weightless finesse worm tossed back to the location of the strike, but many times changing to a 2 or 3 inch grub will be enough to get them to take the bait.
One of the best things about fishing a grub is it doesn’t take specialized equipment to do it. An inexpensive spinning combo with 8 lb. line, a pack 1/4 oz. jigheads and some Mister Twister grubs will do the job. It is a great lure to use when teaching younger or inexperienced anglers to fish, no matter what species you are targeting. It will usually catch fish, and the casting and reeling will keep them more focused than sitting and watching a bobber. But don’t forget that it’s a proven tournament-winner, and can put some weight in your livewell on a tough day.
Read this and my other articles at AdamBrister.com!