BassBlaster

Spawn-time bass baits and gear special BassBlaster!

By (mostly Jay)

Posted on May 5, 2017

Gitcha spawn on bass-heads! May be that time where you are or not, but either way this guide to spawn bassin’ stuff is just what Dr. Largen Incharge prescribed for YOU personally. Cuz YOU are a diehard bass-head.

Plus these baits ain’t just for a-searchin’ and a-flippin’ spawners, so take a look and gitcha Tackle Warehouse itch scratched!

Sendin’ this today cuz when you read this I should be lippin’ giant smallies on the Niagara River. Woo-hoo! Hope you can get on some this weekend….

Btw stole that spawner pic from this TickTackle Bassin’ bed-fishin’ vid….

Search ’em up!

Used to be, talk about the spawn was all about bed-fishin’. Not no mo. Now guys’ll mix that up with topwater or maybe even fish on top all day if it’s too dirty to see beds. Plus every fish in the lake doesn’t spawn at the same time so you’re gonna have some pre-s and post-s around too.

1. Frowgs

Poppin’-style frowgs seem to be gettin’ more love these days than the non-poppin’ ones, I think because they’re more versatile, sometimes can be easier to walk and don’t move as far forward on each pull. Here’s a few you need to know about:

BOOYAH Poppin Pad Crasher

The BOOYAH Poppin Pad Crasher is one that’s pretty dang popular. Lots o’ colors, but you could just fish Jason Christie’s favorite/never take it off color, “sunburn:”

Terminator Popping Frog

The Terminator Popping Frog is a walkin’ machine — Tackle Warehouse calls it “almost-automatic walking action.” Check it in the color bluegill, a dang good color for firin’ up beddin’ basses because they sure don’t like bluegills anywhere near beds:

Oops that’s a different Terminator Frog (lol), here you go:

Elitist Ott DeFoe runs you through it:

SPRO Bronzeye Poppin’ Frog

Not sure what can be said about this except: it’s a dang Bronzeye! Here’s Dean Rojas talkin’ ’bout it wearin’ some strangely cool-looking alien sunglasses:

Don’t forget the new Bronzeye Spit Shad with the vertical legs…and you can fish pop frogs during the SHAD spawn too.

2. Other topwaters

Yo-Zuri 3DB Series Pencil and Prop

You like walking or pulling? Either way Yo-Zuri’s got you covered with the 3DB Pencil and Prop (both below in “bluegill”). A different rattling noise, wave-motion rib action, and sick finishes — plus the Prop’s polycarbonate prop — are different to the fishes, usually a good thing.

Elitist Brandon Card talkin’ the Prop:

Bill Lewis StutterStep

Remember: This bait — a totally new type of topwater — came out last summer. So fish have NEVER SEEN IT IN THE SPRING BEFORE.

The ‘Step’s namesake action means it can be worked in a small area…like over a bed. Bill Lewis “el jefe” Wes Higgins shows you that and other actions in this good, quick vid:

BOOYAH Prank

Okay. You’re lookin’ at this Prank, a Pop-R with a lip on it, and you’re like: Huh? Here’s the deal: No bait gets released from a big bait company without putting it through the grinder first: many prototypes, all kinds of pro testing and feedback, etc. Same deal for the Prank…meaning it ain’t no gimmick.

But it is a new type of bait…although a certain fisherman known for Pop-Rs has been fishing one for years. Spend you a couple minutes watching this dang good vid and see where you’re at:

Rapala Skitter V

Really dig that “glass ghost” color…. If you want a walking bait that’s fun to fish, easy to fish, and can walk AND glide great, gitcha 1 or 3 of these Skitter Vs. Did I say fun? I’m a big Spook Jr fan — this is about the same size and for me this bait has “it” as well. Bernie Schultz with a quick overview:

Megastrike Cavitron Buzzbait

If you gotta get you a buzz in the morning — not talkin’ Red Bull — lots of buzzbaits to choose from for sure. One that catches ’em is the Cavitron. That wire bend means the bait runs a little deeper, and the 4 holes in the blade mean less turning resistance and a different sound (listen to it here) while somehow enabling a slower retrieve if you want one.

Flip ’em out!

How many flip baits are there — a million? Two million?

Hahaha! Here’s a fact Jack: The best fishermen have the fewest flip baits. I mean USE the fewest. A guy might carry a metric ton of baits in his boat, but if he knows what he’s doing will only use a few of ’em. First you gotta find your faves so….

Strike King Coffee Tube

Tubes work, and for more than just Lake Erie smallies. Tubes got the hollow. They got the enticing tentacles. And they’re a different look from the zillions of Beaver-like baits thrown around now.

The no-nonsense Coffee Tube comes in 3″ for the smalls and 4.5″ for the larges. Called a Coffee Tube cuz it wakes ’em up! (Not really but….)

YUM Vibra King Tube

The Vibra King Tube is different take on a tube. Yep it’s hollow with tentacles, but it has ringworm-like ribs and sick colors like these, which are (clockwise from L) snot rocket, ghillie suit, summer gill and camo:

Strike King Rage Bug

The Rage Bug‘s being cited by many derby high-finishers and they’re not all Strike King pro staff so…. Guess those waving Rage claws make mama bass feel like this:

Crawfish are red a lot so I’m gonna try “Delta red” this year:

Senko-like baits

Gotta have ’em. We all know that. Two good ones that last longer are the YUM Dinger and the Strike King Ocho.

> The Dinger might be the best “just like a Senko” alternative — some peeps actually like it better.

> The Ocho comes in 4 sizes (4, 5, 6 and 7″), and is “ocho” because it has 8 sides which help it do the shimmy. Love the “blue craw” color:

F-F-F-Fool ’em!

[That line inspired by the old-school Def Leppard tune “Foolin.” #rawk]

Everyone flips beds. It works, all good. BUT you don’t have to flip to catch bed-fish. Here’s a couple things to think about:

Swimbaits

Yep, swimbaits. Shaw Grigsby — maybe the best sight-fisherman ever — is now sight-fishing with the 3.75″ Strike King Rage Swimmer. Here’s his baits from the Chickamauga, TN Open:

What you need to know about that: Shaw is doing it. He knows something…. #Shawknows

So does FLWer Matt Arey. His swimbait o’ choice is the Lunkerhunt Fetch. Says, “Its lifelike action is subtle enough to convince those big females to commit even when their thoughts are consumed with spawning. It can be rigged with a belly-weighted hook or with no weight depending on the depth fish are spawning. But 0-5′ is its most effective range….”

Don’t think the Fetch is available at retail yet, but here’s a sneaky peek:

Dropshot

Power-shottin’, Bubba-shottin’, donkey-shottin’, panda-shottin’ — whatever you wanna call it, it’s heavy-tackle dropshottin’ up shallow for the bigs…but that doesn’t mean you need big baits to get ’em. Here’s a couple good’uns:

> The Strike King Dream Shot is the love-child of Zona and KVD — which would be weird to think about til you realize we’re talkin’ ’bout a bass bait, then it makes sense…I think. Anyhow, like any good dropshot bait it has great action without you doing much to it. Comes in regular (4″) and Mag sizes (5″). It’s poison on bedders:

Worm

Gotta shout out the YUM Genie worm. Different than other worms, plus it has that wavy tail. Imagine that on a bed….

Gear it up!

You got your baits, but you need the rest. Like I’ve said several times, I 100% believe that rod and line are SUPER KEY for getting a hook in the fish and getting the fish in the boat. You might be like “duh,” but think about:

1. Everyone has a different hookset (form, speed, strength).

2. Zillions of rod length/action combinations.

3. Lots of different line types and different “strechinesses.”

Now combine all those factors and you get many permutations. Super-important to find the right combination of stuff for you.

Git you a stick!

Denali AttaX Rods

Big fan of Denali rods. Light, sensitive, good, Winn Grips (the best, imo) and — get this — the AttaX cost just $120 at TW! (7′ MH is money.)

Here’s Kriet on ’em:

Kistler Magnesium 2 Rods

Kistler also is a big fave of mine. When my daughter busted my Mag 2 in the truck, I almost cried man! (Took her a couple hours to get up the courage to tell me….) More $$ than the Denalis — up to you whether the spendier graphite and other stuff is worth it, but can tell you for sure that the Mag 2s are great.

Here’s Trey Kistler talkin’ at ya about ’em — with his melodious voice (it is mellow, Trey! all good…):

Line ’em up!

Yo-Zuri Top Knot Fluorocarbon Mainline

If your top knot ain’t this cool…

…you can still get it right with Yo-Zuri’s Top Knot 100% Fluorocarbon Mainline — “engineered to maintain its transparent properties” among other qualities:

Sunline Defier and Super Natural mono lines

Yep, MONO. Sunline has sick lines of all types, but hey — if you’re fishing topwater and don’t want to use braid for skittish spawners, then you gotta use monos. And today’s monos (some of ’em) are significantly better, like these two: Super Natural “regular” mono and the co-polymer Defier, which has less water absorption and lasts longer than normal monos:

Btw here’s Johnny Crews on line care (vid).

Seaguar Flippin’ Braid and Fluoro

Seaguar also makes killer lines, including the new Rippin’ Mono — yep, a new mono — which I can’t wait to fish. Really digging what Seaguar and a few other companies are doing with technique-specific lines. In the past, lines have been all about “types” and “properties” but that’s changing.

Check Seaguar’s Flippin’ Braid and Flippin’ Fluoro, both co-designed with flippin’ Jedi master Denny-Wan Brauernobi. Denny knows more about flippin’ then maybe every Elite fisherman combined — seriously — so I’m assumin’ these lines are the deal.

The Fluoro has great impact and knot strength plus lots of abrasion-resistance and hardly any stretch, and the Braid has the same except no stretch and is black right outta the box (no marker needed).

S-S-S-Spoolin’

Lew’s Mach II Speed Spool

When you’re at the store drooling over the Lew’s Team Pro Magnesium Speed Spool and reality kicks in, look over at the new Lew’s Mach II Speed Spool — half the price, dang good like all the Lew’s stuff and has some BassBlaster neon green on there:

Okuma Helios LP

Okuma has stepped up their game in the last year or so, and one example of it is the Helios LP. Take a look:

For some reason that looks like a muscle car to me — reminds me of the green Dodge Challenger I wanna get and put largie stripes on the side…. Anyhow, the reel is only 6.3 oz of sexy style, and reel weight does make a difference in my opinion.

Dontcha ferget…

…all this-here stuff:

Atlas Jack Plate

The Atlas is the #1-selling jack plate of all time, and you need one when you’re fishing shallow because:

Can raise the motor up to protect the lower unit
Can plane off in shallower water (shorter idles)
Idle with the boat “flatter” when graphing = better side-imaging picture

That’s why KVD has one (vid). The Atlas allows 6″ of vertical motor adjustments, and is the #1-selling jack plate of all time, I believe.

T-H Marine Eliminator Nut and G-Force Handle

Mess with your trolling motor much? Yep! That’s why the G-Force Handle and Eliminator Nut are money for serious bass-heads. Gonna let Randall Tharp walk you through ’em in 60 seconds, all it takes:

BUFF UV Buffs

Ya can’t be a stylin’ bass-head without a BUFF mang! Not to mention the sun-blocking we all need. Did you know there’s like a dozen ways to wear the original BUFF? Check it (vid). Here’s Ott rockin’ his:

Also check out the new BUFF UV Arm Sleeves (not on TW yet), ‘specially if you’re “sunsitive.”

YOLOTek PowerStick

Serious bass-heads know: Gotta get it on camera or it never happened. No better way to do that I’m aware of than the YOLOTek PowerStick…which keeps selling out at Tackle Warehouse so git one quick. Deal is, gets power from the nav light port, and then all you do is this:

Don’t get no easier than that! Works with GoPro and similar POV cams too….

Jay Kumar is the guy who created BassFan.com, co-hosted Loudmouth Bass with Zona, was a B.A.S.S. senior writer and a whole lot more in bassin’. Jay Kumar’s BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup of the best in bassin’, and is the #2 daily read on any given day in the wide world o’ bass.

Click here to see all the ways to get the BassBlaster, including by text!

See the shweet new BassBlaster apparel right here!