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	Umbrella Rigs - Bill Carson, BoatUS Pro Staff Maitaining Your Tackle - Capt. Butch Rickey What's in a Hook? Say What? Rig Terminology - Lee McClellan Building the Perfect Tacklebox Care and Repair of Fishing Lures Bass Jigs - Jack Phillips Basic Lures You Can Make 3 Bass Rigs You Really Ought to Know - Roger  Lee Brown

Umbrella Rigs
by Bill Carson, BoatUS ANGLER Pro Staff

A little about umbrella rigs and how to use them.....first of all there are laws in some states (like Tennessee ) that quantify the number of hooks on "an array of baits" and most urigs are either 3 arm or 4 arm. A 3 arm rig can have either 4 baits or 7 baits and a 4 arm rig can have either  5 baits or 9 baits. Which number of baits is up to angler discretion.

In Tennessee I use umbrella rigs but I remove all of the hooks except on the middle bait and I make the leader going to the middle bait a little longer than the other leaders. Most of the time I use 45 lb. leaders in the 5" variety for all leaders except the middle where I use a 9" or 12" leader. Since this one trails behind the "school" of bait it is the one getting most of the bites.

The colors that seem to work the best are white and chartreuse for trailers and the sky is the limit on baits. I do use a lot of Captain Mack's jigs and rigs which can be found at a number of retail dealers or on the internet at captmacks.com, stripertackle.net or fishingpharmacy.com to name a few. Tsunamis, flukes, bass magic and a whole array of swim baits will all nwork. The single most important must have item to purchase before all of the other stuff is a urig retriever and is carried by all of the suppliers listed above.

Of course it is virtually impossible to use the umbrella rigs with out a good sonar and cartography combination unit and this is why I choose the Lowrance HDS unit with Navionics maps. The safety contour option is a great tool for targeting the fish at this time of year since they are "pointed up" or on the points. Try crossing or "clipping" the points where the shallow water drops off into the deeper water. These fish will be constantly hanging in 15-30 feet of water this time of year and this method of "clipping points" will produce some big numbers. When you locate fish on a point you can many times catch more than one fish on the same point by making turns and revisiting the point from differing angles of approach. Some times the fish will hang on walls of rock ledges such as those that exist in Lakes Cumberland and Cherokee. I have had 100+ fish days a number of times on both of these lakes as well as in rivers below Kentucky and Barkley dams.

Umbrella rigs are a great way not only to locate fish but a great and productive way to catch fish. For some short videos and more information check out www.nothinbutfish.com.

Some of the best fishing and boating times of the year are before us and please let me remind you of the importance of having up to date insurance coverage for your boat prior to hitting the waterways. I use

BoatUS ANGLER because they provide some of the best coverage not only on the water but when the boat is on the trailer too.

Maintaining Your Tackle: Fun or Frustration?
by Capt. Butch Rickey, Barhopp'R Charters
and BoatUS Ask The Experts contributor

I can still remember my first spinning reels. They were an old Quick and a French made Centura. They were given to me by an old couple who were friends of my parents when we lived on Captiva Island . The reels were in bad need of repair. I, about age 11, set out to make them work again. Thus was born my love affair with tackle in general, and tinkering with it in particular. As it turned out, it was mostly a matter of removing sand and dirt, tightening loose parts, and lubricating moving parts. That still holds true today.

Maintaining your own tackle today can be lots of fun. But today's tackle is far advanced from the tackle of the 40's and 50's that I cut my teeth on.

Spinning reels have line layering and wrapping systems on long-cast spools, velvet smooth and sophisticated drag systems, free-line systems (Bait-Runners), infinite anti-reverse systems, quick-fire bail systems, trigger bait/line release systems, inner-rotor bails, and on and on. The baitcasters of today are just as advanced with features like magnetic spool controls, variable braking systems, flipping switches, infinite anti-reverse systems, line layers level-wind systems, and bearings and shims everywhere.

Baitcasters are much more susceptible to loss of performance (casting distance) from improper lubrication and maintenance, or marginal parts because the spool actually revolves to feed line during the cast. When properly functioning they offer superior drag systems, smoother operation, and superior casting distance with all but the smallest baits. The laws of physics are responsible for longer casts, that is, an object in motion tends to stay in motion. They also offer superior casting control, in my opinion.

Spinning reels, although refined to new heights recently by Shimano's Dyna-Balance System and twist reducing line roller, still have one bugaboo that's a function of design -- they still twist line, and they always will. Casting distance is superior with small baits like whitebaits or small artificials because there's no spool inertia that has to be overcome as with the baitcaster. That advantage soon disappears with increasing bait weights.

Another obvious advantage of the spinner is casting into the wind. Even the best of us will backlash a baitcaster into the wind occasionally. Of course, I've seen lots of my clients have real problems casting down a serious breeze. The line keeps peeling off the spool after the bait has hit the water. The resulting first few wraps are stacked very loosely, and the whole mess likes to jump off the spool in one twisted lump on the next cast.

With the sophistication of today's tackle has come an increase in the number of parts it takes to build a reel, and a decrease in their size. Typically, there are a host of small mechanical parts, bearings, springs, shims, shafts, etc, in a reel that can be difficult to handle just because of their size. On first examination by the inexperienced, the function of many of these parts is not immediately apparent either. In fact, some of these systems are quite complicated, and best left to the experts. Of course, even the experts sometimes have trouble remembering the placement of parts, because they don't work on the same reels every day.

Having said all this, repairing and maintaining you own tackle can be fun and give you a great sense of accomplishment, as well as save you money. For a fishing guide like myself, this is doubly true. Someone is always dropping tackle into the water, banging it against the boat, or sitting or stepping on something. Things get broken!

If you're on the water a lot, learning to maintain and repair your own tackle would serve you well. A word of caution, though - if you're not mechanically inclined to begin with, you may wind up doing more harm than good. If you are so inclined, and like to tinker, this is for you.

Presuming you are now still interested in doing your own thing, you will need to set up a little shop. You work area can be as simple as your kitchen table or as nice as your garage workbench. The main thing is that it's kept neat and clean. I suggest the first thing you do before ever turning the first screw, is lay down a large white towel or cloth of some kind. This will absorb cleaners and oils, but more importantly, give you a good contrasting surface to lay parts on. Sometime small parts, particularly tiny springs, just disappear before your very eyes, and the reel won't work without that part.

You also will need a cleaning tank - it doesn't have to be large, you're only working on reel parts. I use a cold sterilization tank from a dental office. It's about 12 x 6 x 4 inches and has a self-draining tray that lifts out of the cleaning solution when you open the lid. This is just the first of many dental tools I'll discuss that are perfect for tackle maintenance chores. So get to know your dentist - ask him or her if you can have some of the discards, they'll still work for you.

As for cleaning solutions, the best is plain ole' garden variety kerosene, which is readily available, and cheap. I keep a large plastic container around from which I top off or refill my cleaning tank. You also may want to have other solvents around like CRC Marine Degreaser, but kerosene will cut all but the toughest stuff. Be careful with the degreaser, as it will melt some plastics.

Another item that will serve you well is a plastic egg storage container. Our refrigerator had a two tier container which was not being used. I scarfed it for my reel repair business. Those little egg cups are perfect for keeping parts separated by the system it belongs to, thus avoiding confusion later. Sometimes small screws, springs and things that look alike at first glance, in fact, aren't.

Your supply of lubricants is very important. One of the most important elements of reel performance is using the proper lubricants. You will need a gear lube like Penn's Blue Grease or equivalent, drag grease, which is not the same as gear lube, light oil for bearings and other lube points, and sometimes special lubricants like Shimano's TBM Grease, and drag grease that is used on many, but not all drag systems. A word of caution here: not all reels use lubricated drag systems. If you grease a dry system, you will render it ineffective, so pay attention to this. Make sure you have a supply of the lubricants on hand before you ever crack the reel open. Also make sure you've got plenty of clean rags on hand - you'll need them.

Now, to the tools. Throw away your crescent wrench and kitchen pliers. Those two tools, in the wrong hands, can damage more parts than anything else I can think of. Another tool that inflicts a great deal of damage is the screwdriver. Too many people just don't pay attention, or don't realize that there is a proper screwdriver for every job. If the tip of the screwdriver you're about to unscrew that pretty gold plated screw on your Stradic with doesn't fit into the screw head like a glove, nice and snug, don't use it. Find the one that does. If you don't, you're going to wind up damaging the screw. If it's a stubborn screw, salt water aged and full of corrosion, you may wind up having to drill it out. The lesson here is.....use the proper tool for the job.

Tools you already own will probably serve you well. All you need is a set of small sockets and small end wrenches. You'll also need a small file, a small hammer, pliers, wire-bending pliers, magnifying glass, small flashlight, inspection mirror, and tweezers.

Now it's time to see your dentist. He can give (or sell) you an inspection mirror, fine tweezers, hemostats, and a myriad of scraping, shaping and spreading tools designed to do who-knows-what. They sure are great for working on reels. You'll find something that's great for reaching into places you can't get your chubby little fingers to place a part, hook a spring, or spread grease where you can't reach. If he offers it, take it. You'll find some use for it. Also, don't forget some fine steel wool and emery paper.

I use an antique dental work stand with one drawer. The drawer is large enough to hold all my tools and lubricants, except spray cans. On top I keep my cleaning tank, egg container, and spray cans. On the bottom shelf I keep clean rags. The stand has roller feet and easily goes where I want it, right next to my work surface. When I sit down to do a reel, I have everything I need right at my fingertips.

Let's take down a spinning reel for a routine D and C. If it's a front drag model, which are superior to rear drags, the first step is to remove the spool. The drag system is in the spool. This should be your first area of attention if it is anything less than silky smooth at all settings. Refer to your owners' manual for proper lubrication.

The next step is usually to remove the handle. It's probably a folding one of some variety and removing it should be simple. Lay it and the related parts in the egg container. To further disassemble many of today's spinners any further it is first necessary to remove the rotor housing. This will allow access into the reel body through the side plate. This is usually accomplished by first removing a locking screw, then the rotor nut from over the spool shaft. If your reel is a rear drag model, you may first have to open the side plate and disconnect the spool shaft from the rest of the drag mechanism. Once the spool shaft is removed, you can remove the rotor. Note: Some of the newest reels have a left handed thread on the rotor nut.

Now, if you haven't already done so, you can remove the side plate. You will now have the internals revealed and have access to the rotor bearing on most reels. On many reels, you may have to remove the anti-reverse mechanism before you can remove the rotor bearing for replacement or lubrication. Study it carefully. Study the owners' manual exploded parts view carefully. When you feel confident that you understand what everything does, proceed. Same for the insides. Reel make, design, and features will dictate what you will find inside. You may or may not encounter a level-wind mechanism, anti-reverse mechanisms, free-spool mechanisms, as well as the main gear drive and spool actuator mechanism. If you're feeling a great deal of anxiety at this point, you may want to stop here, and put Humpty Dumpty back together again for your reel service man. If not, keep going. Just be patient and careful. Note the location of shims, springs, and such. Make sure you understand where it goes and what it does after you have it clean and ready for installation and lubing.

Wash each part carefully. If you're confident, you may want to put the whole ball of wax in your tank and let it soak overnight. If not, you may want to wash each part individually and return it to the egg container so you don't get things mixed up. You may want to remove the kerosene film from some parts before applying the prescribed lubricant. You can do this with spray degreaser. Pay careful attention to the recommended lubricant in the owner's manual. Don't put grease where oil belongs, and don't overdo it. Too much can be as bad as too little.

You may find sealed ball bearings, some requiring oil, some requiring grease. Greasing sealed ball bearings often confounds people. There's a simple way to do it, but it's messy. Put a blob of grease in the palm of your left hand. Now take the bearing and press it into and drag it through the grease in your hand. After a couple of times you should notice new grease coming out of the sealed side of the bearing facing you. Ahead of it will usually be the old grease remaining after you cleaned it. Just keep pressing the bearing into your palm until you can see that only fresh grease is coming through. It's ready to install. Of course, new grease is not a cure for a rough bearing. If it's rough or noisy, replace it.

The reassembly process should be the exact opposite of the take-down. Remember to pay close attention to the order of things done. The last step is to spray the reel with a good quality protectant. I recommend Corrosion Block. It's expensive, but worth it.

Now, function test the reel. Check every feature on the reel to make sure it works properly. You don't want to find out when you get on the water that your anti-reverse doesn't work or that your drag is jerky. When you're finished, you should have a reel that feels and works as good as new, sometimes better. If all this sounds like too much hassle, I'd be happy to service your reel for you. I guarantee 24-hour turn around on full take-down and service, not repairs. Visit my website www.Barhoppr.com for details.

If you take your reel down and can't get it back together properly, consider this story. I have a good friend here in Sarasota who owns a copier repair business. He amazes me with his ability to fix one of the most complicated devices ever contrived by humanity....the copier. I mean, they're complicated. He can often fix them without parts, using little tricks he's learned over the years. But, to this day, he cannot take a rear-drag Shimano reel apart and have it ever work properly again. For some reason the whole concept seems to be beyond him. It just doesn't figure.

What's in a Hook?
by Waldo "Double Treble" Tejera, online contributor to Islamorada Sport Fishing

Have you ever stepped into a fishing tackle aisle in a store and found yourself confused or amazed at the variety of hooks available today?  Well if you have don't feel too bad because in reality its hard to really know or be familiar with every hook available out there today.  What you need to know is what hooks are useful to the types of fishing we do here in the Keys.  So then let's look at the basics and unravel the mystery. 

First we must understand the makings of a typical fishing hook.  Hooks are principally classified into sizes. Hook sizes are from 1/0 (smallest) to over 12/0 (largest).  When a hook size is stated without the /0 it is smaller than a 1/0 shook.  These hooks become smaller as the number increases.  These small hooks are used for catching bait and other small fish. Most hooks have an eye where fishing line attaches to and a straight section called the shank leading up to the curved point.  At the point there may be a barb intended to keep the hook stuck in the fish's mouth or wherever it sinks in to.  Some hooks have no barbs to aid in quick release without harming the fish.  Some fishermen intentionally remove these barbs when barbless hooks aren't available.  The hook point may be rounded or knife edge or even curved inside.  Hooks are made of forged steel, stainless steel, nickel, and some other metallic materials.  They're usually colored bronzed (brown), chromed or silver, red, black, or grayish.  Differences in eye styles, shank lengths, gap sizes, barbs, point, and color are what we must focus on to determine which hook we need.

Hook eyes can be straight, tapered, or needled.  Most hook eyes are straight.  Some hook eyes are easier to open to allow joining two hooks for rigging long baits such as ballyhoo.  Tapered hooks are useful in aiding a hook embed itself easier in a fish's mouth especially when fishing with dead or live natural baits.  These hooks are also used when snelling is preferred where a special high strength knot is needed.  Needled eyes are usually found in large, big game hooks where the eye is drilled in and not formed by bending the hook wire.  This prevents the eye from opening under heavy stress as is encountered with very heavy fish.  Some hook eyes include a split ring which is useful in live baiting where you want the hook to move freely.  For most purposes straight eyed hooks are fine.

Shank length is an important factor in choosing a hook.  If you will be live baiting or using any type of natural bait where a fish will have time to observe your offering, a small shank is indicated.  Small shanks will allow you to embed the hook into cut bait and will also allow a live bait to swim freely. Short shanks are stealthier and will be less noticeable to fish. When fishing for toothy fish such as mackerel and barracuda, long shank hooks are useful if no wire will be used.  A long shank will give you a measure of protection on break offs from these fish.  It will also allow you to tie your line directly to a hook without wire thus improving your strike numbers.  For larger toothed predators you might want to attach two hooks together or a short shanked hook with a wire leader. 

Lighter hooks are generally better for live baiting.  Thinner wire hooks weigh less and thus allow a live baitfish to swim freely.  By the same token light wire hooks are easier bent by large fish.  So ideally a high strength, light wire hook is excellent for live baiting.  Heavier hooks with thicker wire can be used for trolling or for larger species.

Gap size is extremely important in selecting your hooks.  Gap size should correlate with what type of fish you are targeting.  For larger fish you'll need a larger gap; smaller gaps for smaller fish.  If a fish with a big lip bites on your bait but your hook's gap is smaller than its lip, you'll lose the fish because the hook will slip out of its mouth.  A good rule is to match the hook gap to bait size. 

Barbs and hook points are generally similar in most hooks.  As stated before barbless hooks are useful in quick release of fish.  Hook points should, of course, be sharp.  Some hook points are knife-edged to improve penetration into the fish's mouth.  Laser sharp hooks have specially sharpened and extra strong hook points that will not bend or become dull.  Hooks can be offset or straight pointed.  Offset hooks are slightly bent at the curve where the barb is.  This prevents a hook from coming out of a fish's mouth before embedding itself. For live-baiting and dead-baiting offset hooks are generally better. Straight hooks are better for trolling where streamlining is important.  These straight hook points are exposed and trolled baits swim more naturally.  Circle hooks have inward points useful in preventing gut hooked fish.  These hooks are especially good for bottom fishing where a fish will have the time to inhale the whole bait.  When using these hooks you must allow a fish to hook itself and avoid setting it.  Some live baiters also use these hooks for fishing catch and release species such as Tarpon and Sailfish.  When a fish swallows a circle hook, its inward point will allow the hook to slip out of its stomach and it will only attach itself in the fish's mouth.

Hook color, though perhaps not as important, is another variable we must consider.  Most hooks are silver or chromed.  Because they shine when under sunlight, they are more visible.  If your bait is silver as a pilchard or ballyhoo, silver hooks are generally fine.  Darker colored hooks are less visible under water.  They do not reflect light and are perceived as stealthier.  Many live baiters used short shanked, brown colored or coffee colored hooks for this reason.  There are now red hooks in the market which are supposed to simulate a bleeding baitfish.  Many stainless steel hooks are black and thus are not as visible.  Stainless steel hooks while stronger and non-rusting, become a problem if lodged into the mouth of fish to be released.  Steel hooks will rust out in time and will allow a fish to continue living if released with a hook in its mouth. 

So now which hook to use?  In general smaller hooks will generate more strikes. Use 1/0 to 3/0 short shanked hooks for whole live baitfish such as pilchards and sardines.  For trolled baits used long shank hooks size 4/0 to 6/0.  For big bottom fish try circle hooks in sizes 3/0 to 5/0.  When using cut bait use small short shank hooks size 1/0 to 3/0.  For live baiting use light wire, dark colored short shanked hooks.  When using live shrimp it's generally better to use 1/0 to 2/0 hooks through the horn.  When using dead shrimp use long shank hooks and thread the hook through the shrimp.

Treble hooks are special three-pointed hooks useful in live baiting.  These hooks will attach themselves a lot easier to a fish's mouth.  When a fish strikes a live bait it may be so quick that it may miss a normal hook's single point; not so with a treble.  They are often found in plugs for these reasons.   Some fishermen frown on using trebles because they claim they are less sporting.  Well I guess you can see by me boat's name that I don't fall into that group.

Hopefully next time you walk into that fishing tackle aisle, you'll be prepared to make a quick hook selection for you fishing plans.

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Say What? Rig Terminology
by Lee McClellan, Associate Editor Kentucky Afield magazine

Terms such as "Texas-rigged worm," "Carolina-rigged lizard" or "wacky rig" are part of a bass angler's everyday lexicon. But to a beginner, the experienced anglers might as well be speaking Chinese.

The Texas rig is probably the most popular fish-catching innovation in the evolution of bass fishing. The term stems from Nick Crème and Crème Manufacturing, the company given credit for inventing the plastic fishing worm. Crème created a double-hooked plastic worm with a straight tail. He tied the hooks to a leader, and then added a couple of red beads and a propeller out front. People called it the "tourist rig" because it was so easy to catch bass with it.

The rig worked great in open water, but snagged logs easily. Crème introduced an improved version of this rig in 1964. He replaced the propeller with a slip sinker and a bead, and the double hook with one large hook. Crème imbedded the hook point into the worm to make it weedless. He called this the Texas rig.

The basic design hasn't changed much since.

The Texas rig shines for bass around stumps, submerged trees and in weeds, because the hook is nearly snagless and the sinker punches through the cover. A medium to medium-heavy rod with a stiff tip is needed to drive the hook point through the worm and get the fish out of heavy cover.

A Carolina rig is an evolution of the Texas rig. It employs a ½- to 1-ounce egg or bullet-shaped slip sinker slid onto the main line from the reel, followed by two red glass beads. Brass is the preferred material for the weight. Brass makes a better clicking sound than lead when it contacts the glass on the retrieve.

The main line is tied to a barrel swivel. An 18- to 36-inch leader of monofilament or fluorocarbon line goes on the other loop of the swivel. The leader material is usually a lighter pound test than the main line, such as a 17-pound test main line with a 12-pound leader. A wide-gap offset worm hook goes on the business end.

This rig is versatile because it presents soft plastic worms, jerkbaits, lizards, creature baits and even live bait to hungry bass. The heavy weight of the rig allows the angler to follow contours of the bottom while covering water quickly. The Carolina rig is highly effective for fishing large mud flats, channel drops, ledges, sandbars and submerged humps. It is the go-to bait for many bass anglers fishing deep water, especially in summer and early fall.

You can also toss a Carolina rig onto a brush-covered flat or in the middle of a large weed bed. The heavy sinker on the front of the rig punches through the weeds and brush down to the bottom with the soft plastic bait hovering just above it. This method works wonders for bass on Kentucky Lake.

The wacky rig is a departure from both the Texas and Carolina rig. Several theories abound on the origin of the wacky rig, but one of the most often cited involves two novice anglers bass fishing one of the large reservoirs in Texas. They didn't know how to thread a plastic worm onto a hook properly, so they impaled the middle of their Crème Scoundrel worms and let the ends dangle. The worms hung on the hook like a clown's frown.

The pair threw their worms over weed beds and caught large bass after large bass. When they returned to the dock, a couple of onlookers asked how they did. The two anglers opened their livewells and showed off some huge bass. The onlookers asked what they caught them on and the anglers held up their funny-looking worm rigs.

After some mighty guffaws, one of the onlookers exclaimed that it was the wackiest looking rig they'd ever seen. This was the birth of the wacky rig.

The wacky rig is great for fishing docks and up and under overhanging or flooded trees because you can skip it across the water. The undulating action of the worm drives a bass hanging under a dock or in a flooded tree crazy.

Soft plastic jerkbaits such as the Senko work great for this technique. They also draw strikes fished over weed beds or stumps by pulling the worm up and allowing it to flutter back down.

Don't let terminology stand in the way of learning to fish for bass. Get out this summer and toss one of these rigs in a lake near your home. You'll soon become addicted.

-- Lee McClellan
McClellan is an award-winning associate editor for Kentucky Afield magazine, the official publication of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. He is a life-long hunter and angler, with a passion for smallmouth bass fishing.

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Building the Perfect Tackle Box

Walk the aisles of tackle at a sporting goods store and it's easy to get overwhelmed by what's on the shelves. But it doesn't have to be this way. You don't have to have a tackle box so large it could double as luggage.

As an angler, no matter what the skill level, you need to simply ask yourself 'what do I need to catch the fish I'm going after?'  This eliminates a lot of unneeded stuff from the start, and then you can fine-tune your choices.

Think of the species you fish for and then think of your tackle box as a toolbox. Just as there are basic tools needed for nearly any job, so are there basic lures and terminal tackle needed for your favorite fish. Pick lures, baits and terminal tackle that will allow you to fish from water's top to bottom and you should be on the right track.

Just as a good mechanic can accomplish nearly any task with the basic tools, so can the angler catch fish with the basic baits. Know the essentials and master them, then worry about over-loading your tackle box with specialty lures and baits.  Besides, experience says that when all is said and done, you will be returning to the basic baits much more often, and much sooner than you first realize.

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Care and Repair of Fishing Lures

from the Make Your Own Fishing Lures website - There is still the problem of taking care of and maintaining repair of fishing lures so that they are always in good condition after they are made. This requires some effort and time but is usually easy for the angler who makes his own lures.

Since he made them and put them together, he also knows how to take them apart and repair them. He also has the hand tools and fishing lure parts necessary for such work.

Fishing lures in general do not require much care when storing them in a home or shop. The best idea is to put them into cabinet drawers or individual boxes so that they can be found easily and can be kept dry.

In humid climates or near the seashore it is important not to expose the metal parts to the air; otherwise, hooks will rust and other metals will corrode. Fishing lures which have feathers or hair should be kept in air-tight containers so that moths and other insects or small animals will not get to them. This also applies to new fishing lures which haven't yet been used. Click Here to Read More on Care & Repair of Fishing Lures

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Bass Jigs
by Jack Phillips

Jigs are one of the oldest artificial baits used in angling. The earliest examples used a weighted hooks with animal hairs or bird feathers tied to them. The jigs used today are still just that simple, but come in a wide variety of styles. By adding an assortment of jigs to your tackle box will make you a much more versatile and consistently productive bass angler.

Jigs can be broken down into two general categories; those that are designed for light-line use, for smallmouth and finesse largemouth bass fishing; and those designed for the heavier line and largemouth bass in and around cover.

The light-line jigs are a lot less bulky than their larger cousins. The hooks are also a lot smaller. Relatively snag-free conditions are fished with these jigs, allowing the use of spinning outfits with 6 to 10 pound (2.7 to 4.5 kg) lines. Click Here to Read More on Bass Jigs

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Basic Lures You Can Make for Freshwater Fishing

from the Make Your Own Fishing Lures website - No one is sure who made the first fishing lures for freshwater fishing. The fishing lure known as a "plug" had its origins in the distant past. The modern wooden fishing plug had its beginnings around 1900, and in the following years several companies started to manufacture these fishing lures for black bass.

Later they made larger and stronger fishing plugs for pike, muskellunge, and salmon. Plugs are now widely used in freshwater fishing, as a look at any fishing tackle store showcase or counter will reveal.

Today there are many different types, sizes, shapes, and colors of freshwater fishing plugs on the market. The angler who wants to make his own plugs can duplicate many of the more popular models. However, there are a few basic types, and the construction of these will be covered in this page.

To make plugs you will need wood which can be cut into small blocks and then shaped to the size and form you require. The best all-round wood for making freshwater fishing plugs is cedar. Straight-grained white cedar is excellent since it is light, strong, and easy to work. It also stands up better in the water than most woods. Red cedar can also be used instead of the white variety. Other woods which can be used for making plugs are basswood and birch.

Most of these woods can be obtained at a lumber yard in large blocks or round logs. They can then be sawed with a circular saw or hand saw into convenient small blocks about 6 in. long and about 4 in. square.

The fastest way to shape wooden plugs is with a lathe. With a wood-turning lathe or even a metal-turning lathe, for that matter, you can shape the plugs quickly and uniformly in fairly large quantities. If you already have such a lathe, so much the better. When turning down plugs with a lathe, mount one of the wooden blocks between the centers. Click Here to Read More on Making Basic Lures

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Three Bass Rigs Your Really Ought to Know
by "The Bass Coach" Roger Lee Brown

Many of today's anglers all to often seem to have the enthusiasm to get themselves all psyched' up for that big day of fishing the following day only to find themselves coming in at the end of the day with only one or two bass caught. They will spend the day, usually casting, re-rigging, running, loosing lures, etc., but most of all getting frustrated because the fish aren't cooperating. "Sound Familiar?" I, surly know this feeling and I'm sure that any angler reading this article has had the same feeling at some point and time. Now, don't feel bad if this does happen to you because you are definitely not alone, there are probably millions of other anglers out there that this same problem happens to! But, there are a few "Tricks of the Trade" that you can use to help remedy this problem..... at least it works for me and many of my former bass angling students and charter clients that I have taught in the past.

I found that on certain days when the bass don't seem to cooperate, I usually will put my action baits away and pull out the "Last Resort Rigs" which are the:

1. TEXAS RIG
2. CAROLINA RIG
3. FLOATING RIG

These three rigs are probably the most successful patterns for catching bass (Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass) that a angler can use just about "Anywhere and at Anytime." Now, some anglers may ask; "Why would I use all three of these rigs?" and the answer is really quite simple. It's like using tools of the trade! A carpenter wouldn't use a hammer to back out a screw, nor would he or she use a screw driver to pound nails (Well, at least most of them wouldn't!....smile!....). The same goes with bass fishing, an angler should have the right Tools-of-the-Trade to do a specific job!

First, let's talk about the TEXAS RIG. This rig was the first "Plastic Bait" rig that was used by most of the anglers when the sport of bass fishing really got started over 25 years ago! It is a simple rig to set up, and has produced more bass catches than any other artificial baits ever used, even today!

To rig a Texas Rig you will need line, a hook and a sinker.......That's It! First, you put your sinker (usually a "bullet shaped slip sinker") onto the line with the smaller point of the weight going on first or "facing up." Then tie your hook (usually a off-set worm hook) to the end of the line after you put on the weight. Now you are ready for your plastic baits (I always refer to artificial baits because I haven't used live bait in many years) to be put on the hook.

This type of rig (Texas Rig) can be fished (or presented) just about anywhere you will find bass, it has certain advantages and disadvantages over the other two rigs that we will talk about, and I will give a few examples after we rig up the Carolina Rig and the Floating Rig.

So next, let's rig the CAROLINA RIG .... With this rig you'll need line (main reel line), a barrel swivel, about 6' of leader line, a weight, glass or brass bead or rattle chamber, and a hook. I know this seems like a lot of stuff, but the results are incredible!

First, take your "Leader Line" (usually the same line that is on your reel already, but I would suggest at least a 2 lb. test lesser than your main line in case of a break-off..... Most of the time by using a lighter leader line, when it breaks it will break off at the leader line thus saving the other hardware on the rig) and tie one end of it to one end of the barrel swivel and then put it aside for a moment. Then, take your main line from your reel and first put on the weight (usually anywhere from a 1/2 oz. up to a 1 oz. bullet or egg sinker). Next, after the weight is on your main line, follow it with a rattle (rattle chamber, glass or brass bead) and then tie the end of the main line to the other end of the barrel swivel that you just put aside. After you tie to the swivel, tie your hook at the other end of the leader line giving you a 2' to a 4' leader. Now, we're ready for the bait!

Next, let's rig the FLOATING RIG! This "Floating Rig" can and will produce bass sometimes when all else fails...... It's quite simple to rig and the results can be devastating! You will need a SMALL Barrel Swivel and a Hook for this rig. First, take about 3' off of your main line for a leader line. Tie one end of your leader line to one end of the barrel swivel, then tie the other end of the barrel swivel to the main reel line. With this rig you leave off the weight!.... NO WEIGHT!!!!!..... Then finally, you tie the hook (preferably a "Light Wire" worm hook) with only allowing about a 1' leader for the leader line. The reason for no weight and a light wire hook is to allow as much buoyancy as possible. This rig is designed mostly for Floating Worms and buoyant plastic artificial baits.

Now, let's say that you were to fish around "Rip-Rap" (Rock Areas) around dams levees etc. You probable wouldn't use a Texas Rig unless you put the lightest weight possible on it to keep it from getting it wedged in the rocks. Nor would you use a Carolina Rig because the heavier weight (1/2 oz. to 1.oz.) would most likely get hung up. So, the rig that makes the most sense would be the "Floating Rig." This rig will allow a slow presentation over the rock areas and the bass that may be around the rocks will come up after it. Also, this kind of rig is used better around branches, Lilly pads, thick surface vegetation etc.

Now, let's say that we are working a "Downward" slope from about 3' depth to a 20' depth. The most sensible rig to use would be to use the Carolina Rig because it will stay in contact with the bottom contour and the deeper you work it, giving it line from your reel you can get a better "Bottom Presentation." A Texas Rig can be used for this also but the deeper you go with it the more it will lift off of the bottom.

Let's say that you were going to work some pockets around a Bull Rush field. To accurately cast into the pockets a Texas Rig would be the most preferred because with the weight of it you can make accurate casts. A Floating Rig would also be recommended for this type of area as well.

Thick sloppy grass and vegetation areas, all three would work, but the Carolina Rig has produced some quality bass in areas like this over the other two rigs. Don't worry about getting weeds on the Carolina Rig! Just give it a try and clean the weeds off of the rig and keep casting into these thick areas and "Hold On!"

These rigs can be used anywhere and just about under any circumstances. Remember this; most Bass Tournaments ever fished have paid out more money fishing these rigs than any other types of artificial baits ever used! So if you're not using all three of these rigs, I promise, the results can be devastating! Just give them a try!

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