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Fishing is still hot for as cold as it's been these past few weeks! The action is starting to slow, but it's slowly starting to slow, so don't give up just yet. Here is what I recommend for this coming week:

Lure:
I absolutely LOVE using suspending jerkbaits! Anytime I can throw one, I pick it over any other lure in my bag. They are so versatile - you can use them like crankbaits, you can use them like top water lures, you can dead stick them... I think you get the point. It's easy to find the jerkbait bite - Find the baitfish and you'll find the bass. If you're like me and are fish finder-less (thank you Raystown docks for stealing my transducer!) start near the creek mouths and work your way out. You'll eventually run into the food. The bass should still be surprisingly shallow, but fish areas close to deeper water. I've been throwing jerkbaits that dive only to 6 ft. or less.

Rapala Xrap - Great choice anytime you need a jerkbait!

Fly:

I'm not going to lie on this one. I have been having trouble choosing flies this week. I'm a conventional bass angler first and a fly angler second - but that's changing with every passing season. So what would I suggest fly newbie's like myself throw this time of the year? Egg patterns! The trout are spawning (or have spawned) and eggs should be working great. Eggs are simple to use too, just let them do their own thing. You can even let them sit on the bottom and wait for them to be picked up. No need to worry about imitating a distressed caddis fly or a swimming nymph - just keep it simple!

Standard Egg Pattern from Orvis.com

Lure/Fly of the Week! 11/12/10

11/12/2010

Another tough choice this week, because so many things will work. I'll focus on another tactic to use, as the fish are really going to be destroying anything in their path to get ready for winter. This week is all about big bulky baits - Give the fish something fat!

Lure:

Last weeks choice - the spinnerbait - is still working just fine, but if you really want to weed out the dinks and get yourself a big old fat bass, throw a jig! If the fish are actively feeding on bait fish, throw a swim jig with a nice bulky trailer (like a swimbait or my new favorite swim jig trailer - a Rage Tail Shad). If you aren't seeing much activity from the bass, throw a jig with a creature bait or something with a lot of 'arms' (like a beaver style bait or even a tube - El Grande Tubes are a perfect match). If you decide to drag the bottom with the jig, do so very slow... painfully slow. If there's a pig in the area, it's going to eat it.

Strike Works Wood Jig is great for cutting through cover

Fly:

Fly choices dwindle as it gets colder, which can be a good thing for beginners (don't have to worry about all the hatches going on at once). There are still a few dry flies here and there, but not enough action to merit a dry fly this week (after all, we are going for what's working best). This week I have to give the fly category to the Prince Nymph. Prince Nymphs are one of my favorite nymphs to use because they always seem to work. Run the nymphs through moderate current - the deeper, the better! One of my favorite nymphing spots is an area of 3 feet of water that empties into a 6 to 8 foot pool. The big trout like to lay at the beginning of this pool and snag the nymph just as it leaves the current. Try a bead head nymph to get the fly to the bottom when in faster current.

Bead Head Prince Nymph

Lure/Fly of the Week!

11/05/2010

Don't know what to use this time of year? This segment will give you a general idea of where to start when you open your fly or tackle box.

Lure:

If I could only take 1 lure with me this week, it's going to be a spinnerbait. It's all about shad and baitfish imitation this time of the year and the fish are in a frenzy trying to eat up for winter. The flash and speed of the spinnerbait will make a fine target for any bass in the area (not to mention the occasional toothy critter). Run it along points, shallow flats, any remaining grass lines... this thing will work anywhere! Keep the colors light - try whites, silvers, chartreuses and blues.

Strike King Burner

Fly:

This was a really tough choice - there are a few good hatching still coming off the creeks. For the sake of keeping it simple, the tan/brown caddis gets the nod. What's my favorite brown or tan caddis? The Elk Hair Caddis. I find Elk hair to be one of the best materials for dry flies because it stays buoyant even after being submerged many times. The caddis bite is still on here, but may not be for long, so catch the dry fly bite while you still can! I like to run these in moderate current and let them drift into deeper slow pools. Give them a small twitch every now and then by either moving the rod tip (no less than 3 inches!) or give your line a slight pull.

Elk Hair Caddis

Cold Water Tactics

10/05/2010

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Once hunting season rolls in, it seems like everyone puts away their tackle and hits the woods. This can be a huge mistake! Some of my biggest fish have come from the cold months (not to mention you have a better shot at a toothy critter like a Pike or Muskie... and the walleye bite is at it's peak!). Here are a few things you can try to find those dormant bass:

Jigs
Jigs are an effective lure any time of the year. During the colder months, the key to catching jig fish is bottom contact and a very slow retrieve. Bass will rarely grab a jig on the fall when it's cold, so dragging the jig along the bottom is vital to getting these fish to bite. Swim jigs will also work, but keep your weights as low as possible. The lighter the weight, the slower you can reel and keep the swim jig off the bottom.

Another key to cold water jig success is color. Aquatic creatures tend to lose their vibrant colors during the cold water months. I have caught bass in mid winter that were almost completely silver! Try and use jigs that don't have a lot of flash and go for a more neutral colored jig. Black and blue, brown and white are all good choices for cold water.

The StrikeWorks Wood Jig is the perfect cold water jig

Spinnerbaits
You might be asking yourself, "Why would I use a spinnerbait if you just told me to keep it slow?" Good question! The key to cold water spinnerbait success is a stop and go retrieve. Reel the lure just enough to get the blade spinning, then stop and let the bait fall to the bottom. The fish will usually hit the lure just as you start to retrieve again, so be ready for the strike.

I like to use dual willow blades when the water is cold. I can keep the lure closer to the bottom with willow blades and this can be key to finding the fish. Keep your colors simple - white and white/blue are great colors to use.

Typical Spinnerbait choice for cold water - A Strike King Burner (Don't be burning it!)

Crankbaits
Yet another bait we usually burn across the water, but a suspending crankbait in fall and winter can be deadly. Notice the key word here - suspending. You don't want to move this bait very fast, so reel just fast enough to get the bait down and slightly wobbling, then stop. Just like the spinnerbait, the fish will likely hit the bait when you start retrieving again. I like to throw deep divers and find the fish that are hanging near the bottom.

Flukes
Besides my jig trailers, flukes are the only other soft plastic I like to throw in cold water. It's not that other plastics won't work, it's just that the fluke produces a more consistant bite. You can do all kinds of different rigging techniques with flukes, but dropshotting and dead sticking are going to be the winners in the winter! You don't want a fast, irractic action when it's cold. Keep the bait near the bottom and try giving it light twitches without much movement.

I throw 2 colors of flukes in the winter - white and gray/silver. Grays and silvers will produce more than the whites, but some days the white is the only color the fish want.

Suspending Jerkbaits
I saved my favorite and most productive technique for last... The suspending jerkbait. There's something about this little minnow that fish just cannot resist, not matter how cold it gets. This is also a good way to get pike and walleye to bite and any time you can target multiple species at once, you're bound to have a productive day!

If you're not bored while throwing a jerkbait during the cold months, you're fishing it too fast. Throw it out and let it sit for 15+ seconds ,then give it a few small jerks, reel in some slack and wait. Try and keep some slack in your line before jerking, this will allow some baits to completely turn around and trigger strikes. Patience is key - I have been known to let the bait sit for 30 seconds to a minute between jerks.

Hands down, the most productive jerkbait you can use during the cold months is a Rapala Xrap. The unique action this bait provides, matched with the dressed treble hook, can make all the difference. My favorite colors are glass ghost, olive green and silver. As far as sizes go, try and throw the smallest size your rod can handle. I like the XR08 and the XR10, but I do have a few XR06 and even some XR12's.

Rapala Xrap in Glass Ghost

Don't put your fishing gear away when the temperature drops, you could be missing some of the best fishing of the year! Not only can you catch some good fish, you'll normally have an entire lake or section of river to yourself! Just make sure you bring the camera, no one will be around to see your prize :)

-Nate

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10 Questions with Dave Wolak

09/01/2010

It's that time of the month again! No, not THAT time of the month... It's 10 Questions With Dave Wolak! We found yet another great candidate for '10 Questions With' because Dave grew up fishing in Pa. As we all know, Dave is currently eating up the competition on the professional bass circuits and it's nice to know yet another angler that is rooted from our area.

1. Have you fished in Pa before? If so, where?
I’ve fished a ton in PA....growing up I frequented Lake Wallenpaupack, Harvey’s Lake and Beltzville. I also spent a lot of time on the Susquehanna River wading for smallies and in all the small trout streams of the Poconos like the Broadhead creek, the Pocono creek and Springbrook creek.

2. What’s your favorite body of water in Pa?
Lake Wallenpaupack.....a lot of my entire style of fishing has evolved from fishing that place. I like to run and gun....and that’s what I learned to do there to win.

3. What’s your favorite time of year to fish in Pa?
Late April and May is the most wide open time of the year, but I actually enjoy November the most!

4. Are there any differences to fishing in Pa vs. other parts of the country?
One of the main differences is simply geographical. The lakes are mostly rocky mountain lakes, and generally the more south you go the more clay and sediment filled lakes you get. But I feel a bass is a bass, and it really comes to finding the most efficient way of catching them.

5. What’s your biggest fish/limit from Pa?
My biggest (6) fish limit was from Harvey’s Lake in Late October around 2000. My partner Chris Hall and I had 6 for 26 and change......I’ll never forget that day!

6. What is your favorite species to target in PA?
I like to target the smallmouth because they can be a little more elusive.

7. When the fish just aren't biting, what lure or presentation do you use to get bites?
A jig was always my favorite bait in PA....I made and used all kinds.....but I also did a lot of damage on a wacky worm.

8. How do you stay focused when what was working is now not?
Try to think about all the variables like weather, time of year, general size of the fish you are targeting and make decisions to change. Change is very important and necessary constantly in fishing....and not the Obama type of Change!

9. Besides (the fish you’re known for catching) what are some other species do you fish for?
I fished for trout a lot growing up....but I also love to fish for yellow perch to this day. Most of the PA lake are infested with perch and you can’t find a better eating fish.

10. Anything you would change about your career at this point?
There is nothing I would change about my career.....in fact I think about that all the time. Everything I have done has made me who I am today. From the trout fishing days in PA to wading the Susquehanna River with my dad as a kid, to taking my girlfriend(now wife) to compete in tournaments with me at Lake Wallenpaupack to truly see what I do to grow an appreciation for it.......it all has made me evolve......and I would not take anything back!

We wish to thank Dave for his time and wish him the best of luck! Be sure to watch for Dave on great shows like 'Classic Patterns' and also check out his website at http://www.davewolak.com

Tough bite? Try a drop shot!

08/16/2010

Honestly, this summer has been a grind for me. Since we have been experiencing temperatures in the upper 80's and 90's, the water has really warmed up. For me, that has translated into tough and often slow fishing. I have found myself using a drop shot to get bites, maybe it will work for you!

A drop shot is nothing more than a weight at the end of your line and a small hook 6"-18" above the weight. I prefer to use 8 lb braided line with a 6 lb fluorocarbon leader of about 5'. I connect the lines with a double uni knot. My hooks of choice are Gamakatsu split shot / drop shot in size 1. I use a 6'9" Kistler drop shot special spinning rod that is medium action. I pour my own cylinder style weights and find that 3/16, 1/4, 3/8 ounces will get the job done just about all the time. I connect the hook to the line with a palomar knot and be sure the hook point is facing up when you finish tying the knot. As far as bait selection, let your imagination run wild. Most often I use 3-4" straight worms but small beavers, grubs, craws, tubes, minnow style baits, leeches, will all get bites. The drop shot is often considered a deep and clear water technique but if you don't try it in other situations your missing the boat!

In lake situations, I cast it out, let it sink, then shake it on a slack line. I let the fish dictate how much I shake it. Lately, a dead stick approach has seemed to work best but I have had days when I shook it as violently as I could without lifting the weight off the bottom too much. In rivers or moving water, I cast it up current and work it back to me. Vary your weight size to the depth and current. If your constantly getting snagged, go lighter. If your not feeeling bottom, go heavier.

This technique works equally well for smallmouths and largemouths. Just a few weeks ago I landed a 5.46 smallmouth and two largemouths over 3 lbs for a nice tournament limit, all on a drop shot.

Give the drop shot a try, you'll be suprised how productive and fun it can be!

Quick Tip: Jig Tips!

08/16/2010

Here are a few things I do with my jigs as soon as I take them out of the package:

1. Clean up that weedguard: There are a few things I do to the weedguard to improve not only it's effectiveness, but to also keep it out of the way during a hookset. First, fan it out! Pull the weedguard strands away from each other and form a nice big fan running perpendicular to the hook. This will increase it's overall coverage of the hook.

Second, trim the weedguard. I like to trim it two ways. First I will trim some of the strands off completely. I usually cut 1/4 of the strands off at the base. Next, I will trim off the tops of all the remaining strands. Cut them level with the point of the hook. Both of these trims will keep the guard from getting in the way of a hookset. A few of my jigs don't even have weedguards anymore. The only time I really worry about having a weedguard is when I'm fishing around wood. Grass is going to get stuck on your jig whether you have a guard or not, especially if you're in heavy grass or your trailer is bulky.

2. Trim the skirt: Not all skirts will need trimming, but I like to have some skirts at roughly 1 inch length around the head of the jig. I will also leave some strands longer than others (especially in the back) to put a little more action in the skirt. Having those longer skirt strands will provide movement even when the jig is sitting still.

3. Add a second color skirt: I like to have a few jigs that are two very different colors. For example, one of my favorite combos is a black jig with a black skirt AND a yellow or chartreuse skirt. I keep the lighter color very thin though, usually cutting it's strands down to half or less (I have one that only has 5 or 6 light strands). A lot of jig companies are selling combo's, but it's also fun to experiment with your own color combinations.

I hope you find at least one of these tips helpful! We all know jigs are a deadly bait, but can be troublesome to new anglers. These tips should make your jig fishing a little more enjoyable!

-Nate