Read Article - LIVETARGET Lures
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Read Article - LIVETARGET Lures
{ Day Lake on the David Walker {Fall/Winter Transition} By DON WIRTH Senior Writer 7:20 a.m. It’s 18 degrees as the day begins. “This morning is going to be more about survival than fishing,” he says. If you are man enough to fish in the brutal cold, take notes out of David Walker’s playbook. Big bass are willing to take the field 8:39 a.m. Walker cranks a channel bank. Photos: Don Wirth B 1 9:58 a.m. Walker hangs a good fish on a crawfish crankbait. 58 BASSMASTER November/December 2014 Bassmaster’s “Day on the Lake” series puts Elite Series pros on small lakes they’ve never seen before, then gives them seven hours to crack the code and catch bass. This month, David Walker takes the challenge. The 48-year-old Sevierville, Tenn., angler has fished B.A.S.S. events for 15 years and has qualified for the Classic nine times. Here’s what transpired on Dec. 12, 2013, when we put Walker on Lake N, a small reservoir. Here, learn how to catch bass when the calendar says late fall yet midwinter conditions prevail. » 6:30 a.m. It’s clear and a bone-chilling 18 degrees when I meet Walker at his motel. A high of 40 is forecast for later in the day. The pro is towing a Ranger 1862 center-console aluminum boat equipped with a 90-horsepower Evinrude outboard, Minn Kota trolling motor, Lowrance electronics and twin Power-Pole anchors. “What’s up with this cold weather?” Walker wonders. “Winter doesn’t officially begin for another week! It’s going to be all about survival out there today, especially if the wind kicks (Continued) up.” We head out for Lake N. Day {David Walker} on the Lake » 7:14 a.m. We arrive at Lake N’s boat ramp. A group of duck hunters has just launched their boats; water from their trailers has already frozen on the ramp. “Man, it is freakin’ brutal out here,” Walker says, shivering. We both don extreme cold-weather gear and prep the Ranger for launching. 7 HOURS LEFT » 7:20 a.m. We launch the aluminum rig, and Walker arranges his arsenal of G.Loomis rods equipped with Shimano reels while his outboard warms up. What’s his strategy for the day? “This is the first sunny day this region has had for over a week, and if the wind doesn’t blow, that could bring the fish up shallow. Wintertime fishing is different than other seasons; bass really like the sun now, plus they’re often suspending, and they can see your lure at a much greater distance when there’s good solar penetration. I’ll probably look for vertical structures like channel banks and rock bluffs early in the day; bass usually want deep water close by now. It’s so cold this morning, the upper ends of shallow tributaries and little pockets off the main lake might be iced up, but the deeper areas of the lake should have a more “They should get a little more active once the sun gets over the treeline.” constant temperature. Later on this morning, bass might move into the shallower/flatter areas of the lake to take advantage of the sunlight.” He checks his graph’s surface-temp reading. “It says 39 degrees right now, but I don’t think it’s quite that cold. East Tennessee smallmouth anglers fish the float-and-fly (a tiny hair jig below a bobber) when the water temp dips below 40 degrees. Hopefully, I won’t have to resort to that method.” » 7:35 a.m. Walker takes off on a mercifully short run to a steep bank, where he makes his first casts of the day with a Koppers LiveTarget Bait Ball jerkbait in the brown shad pattern. “These Bait Ball lures have created a sensation since they were introduced earlier this year. They feature a clear plastic body with multiple baitfish images inside, sort of like the ‘ship in a bottle’ concept. They mimic a small school of baitfish, yet in a much more compact and easy-to-fish manner than an umbrella rig.” He checks the water clarity. “Wow, the water looks really clear, even though I heard they had three inches of rain here just the other day. You definitely want clear water for jerkbaits.” » 7:40 a.m. The temp readout on Walker’s bow graph now shows 42 degrees as he continues fishing the jerkbait. “That’s a relief; any water temp with a ‘3’ in front of it is bad news as far as I’m concerned!” The front deck of his aluminum boat is slick with ice. “I’m really having to watch my footing. I definitely don’t want to fall in the lake today!” » 7:45 a.m. The surface temp readout has stabilized at 43 degrees. “That’s a heat wave compared to 39! They should get a little more active once the sun gets over the treeline.” Walker is still looking for his first strike on the channel bank. I ask him about his jerkbait retrieve cadence. “Right now I’m fishing it with two short jerks and a medium pause. I know guys who pause it long enough for them to eat a sandwich and a bag of chips, but I don’t have that luxury since I need to cover some water.” » 7:51 a.m. Walker pitches a homemade Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation required by an act of August 12, 1970: Section 3685, Title 39, United States Code. Publication Title: Bassmaster Magazine Publication Number: 0199-3291 Filing Date: September 30, 2014 Issue Frequency: Monthly from Mid-February to June, bi-monthly from July to January # of Issues Published Annually: 9 Annual Subscription Price: $25 Dues, $24 Subscription Mailing Address of Publication: PO Box 420235 Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235 Contact Person: Chris Sheppard (205) 313-0900 Mailing Address of Headquarters: 3500 Blue Lake Drive, Suite 330 Birmingham, AL 35243 Publisher: Bruce Akin Director of Publications: Dave Precht Editor: James Hall Owned and managed by: B.A.S.S. Productions, LLC 3500 Blue Lake Drive, Suite 330, Birmingham, AL 35243 Bondholders, mortgage and other security holders owning or holding one percent or more of total bonds, mortgages, or other securities. None 60 BASSMASTER November/December 2014 Extent and Nature of Circulation Actual No. Copies Avg. No. Copies Each Issue During Preceeding 12 Months of Single Issue Sept/Oct 14 Published Nearest to Filing Date A. Total No. Copies Printed ....................................... 526,189 ................................. 522,021 B. Paid and/or Requested Circulation 1. Outside-County Mail Subs ................................... 488,377 ................................ 489,088 2. In-County Subs ................................................................. 0 ..............................................0 3. Sales Through Dealers, etc. ........................................ 594 .............................................0 4. Other Classes Mailed ....................................................... 0 ..............................................0 C. Total Paid Circulation ............................................ 488,971 ................................ 489,088 D. Free Distribution by Mail ................................................... 0 ..............................................0 1. Outside County ....................................................... 26,361 .................................. 26,604 2. In-County .......................................................................... 0 ..............................................0 3. Other Classes.................................................................... 0 ..............................................0 4. Free Distribution Outside Mail.................................. 1,500 ........................................ 500 E. Total Free Distribution............................................. 27,861 ................................... 27,104 F. Total Distribution ................................................... 516,832 ................................. 516,192 G. Copies Not Distributed ............................................. 9,357 ..................................... 5,829 H. Total ...................................................................... 526,189 ................................. 522,021 I.Percent Paid and/or Request..................................... 94.6% ..................................... 94.7% Circulation black-and-blue 1/2-ounce jig with a green pumpkin Z-Man Turbo Crawz trailer at a boat dock. No takers. » 7:56 a.m. He tries the jig around a concrete retaining wall. “It drops off real quick to 17 feet here. Winter bass will suspend around these vertical walls and feed on shad.” » 8:03 a.m. Walker backs off the wall into 22 feet of water and drops a 3/4-ounce Hopkins spoon around some fish he’s spotted on the bottom. He hops the jigging spoon several times, then says, “Whatever kind of fish they are, they’re not hungry for a spoon.” A shotgun blast sounds across the lake. “At least the duck hunters are having some luck.” » 8:05 a.m. Walker switches to a watermelon craw LiveTarget HFC crankbait and retrieves it parallel to the retaining wall. “HFC stands for ‘hunt for center’; this lure has an erratic ‘hunting’ action but always swings back to true center, so it tracks exactly where you want it to. It’s an awesome crankbait in cold water. I fish all my crankbaits on 10-pound Sunline fluorocarbon.” » 8:09 a.m. He switches to the same lure in chartreuse craw. “Because we’ve still got shade on this bank I need a brighter color.” » 8:16 a.m. The water near the end of the wall is 44 degrees. Walker reverses directions and retraces his path while cranking the HFC. cranking speed down, but it’s hard to keep it consistently slow, so I’m also using a slow-speed 5.7:1 reel. The instant I feel the lure hit bottom or a hard object, I slow it way down. I’ve found bass are especially oriented to rock in cold water, but flatland lakes like this one often don’t have a lot of rock, so wood is the next best thing.” » 8:50 a.m. Walker idles a short distance uplake to a mud point. He breaks out a box of LiveTarget jerkbaits and selects one in a green shad pattern. “This color’s a (Continued) IMPROVED WITH 6 HOURS LEFT » 8:21 a.m. There’s a light breeze blowing out of the south. Walker cranks a couple of boat docks with the HFC; his reel and rod guides keep icing up. » 8:23 a.m. Walker runs the crankbait parallel to a dock and a bass grabs it but instantly gets off. “That felt like a good fish. The water may have to warm up a degree or two before you can get one to really choke it.” » 8:25 a.m. He casts the jig to the dock. “Let’s see if I can tempt that fish to bite again!” His line hangs in the dock; when he retrieves the lure, he also picks up a chartreuse spinnerbait that was wedged between two boards. “Aha, now we know what the locals are using!” » 8:30 a.m. The channel bank flattens out, causing Walker’s crankbait to dig up a wad of slimy snot grass. » 8:39 a.m. Walker opts to move straight across the lake to another steep bank; he’s sitting in 22 feet of water and casting the chartreuse craw HFC to the shoreline. I ask him how he adapts his cranking style to cold water. “I try to manually slow my NEW NEW NEW PROUDLY www.stren.com November/December 2014 BASSMASTER 61 Day {David Walker} on the Lake little brighter than that other jerkbait I was using. I need to wake these fish up.” He also ties on a homemade umbrella rig. “I hate these things! Umbrella rigs are the angling equivalent of wearing sweat pants — a sign that you’ve totally given up!” » 8:53 a.m. Walker casts the jerkbait to the point, reels it down and hangs it in some submerged cover. He breaks out a plug knocker; this hangs in the cover, as well. » 9:04 a.m. After considerable tugging, Walker pulls the object, an old tire, to the surface and retrieves his lure and plug knocker. “Look, whoever sank this tire actually cut sections out of the sidewalls to stick brush in. Talk about somebody with too much time on their hands!” » 9:12 a.m. Walker runs back to the opposite shore to fish a clay point. He probes a submerged tree at the end of the structure with the jig. 5 HOURS LEFT » 9:20 a.m. The air temp is still frigid, but the sun has finally melted the ice off the decks of Walker’s boat. He’s moved around the point to fish a series of laydowns with the jig. “I haven’t had a bite so far on any type of cover except a boat dock. Given the clarity of this water, they’re probably suspending.” » 9:25 a.m. Walker switches to a small LiveTarget shad-imitating crankbait on a spinning outfit. “Bass often feed on small baitfish in cold water, and a lure this size can usually get bites when bigger lures can’t. It’s got a super-tight wobble. This time of year, it can be more important to determine what kind of lure the fish want than to pinpoint precise locations where they might be holding, because they’re probably suspending and therefore not relating tightly to specific pieces of cover or structure.” » 9:26 a.m. Two bald eagles are perched in a dead tree on the bank Walker is fishing. “They’re probably waiting for those duck hunters to leave so they can grab a coot for lunch.” » 9:30 a.m. Walker cranks the mini-shad across another clay point. » 9:31 a.m. Walker catches a nonkeeper off the point on the mini-shad. “This fish feels like an icicle!” » 9:40 a.m. Walker moves uplake to crank a retaining wall with the chartreuse craw LiveTarget HFC. “I like this spot; it’s 7 feet deep along the wall, and I’m feeling some rock down there.” The water here is 43 degrees. » 9:41 a.m. He catches a short fish on the LiveTarget HFC. » 9:46 a.m. Walker tries the mini-shad crankbait on the retaining wall. “The water’s a little murkier up here, but you can still see the lure flash.” » 9:49 a.m. Walker proceeds farther uplake, following the retaining wall while cranking the HFC and mini-shad. The wall makes a sharp bend and the depth decreases, so he backs his boat out from shore and resumes cranking. » 9:55 a.m. Walker ties on a chartreuse root beer LiveTarget Tennessee Crank, a crawfish-profile crankbait. “I’m adjusting to a slightly lighter color pattern because this water is a little more stained than it is downlake, plus this lure is a dead ringer for a live craw.” » 9:58 a.m. Walker casts the craw imitator to the wall, winds it down, and a good fish grabs it. He works it closer to the boat and lands his first keeper of the day, a 3-pound, 2-ounce largemouth. “I felt the lure tick some brush about 8 feet down, then the fish hit it. First cast with that crankbait, too — just shows how important it is to make even seemingly minor adjustments in your lures this time of year.” » 10:03 a.m. Walker continues cranking the retaining wall. A bass taps the Tennessee Crank but doesn’t hook up. » 10:08 a.m. As Walker cranks the wall, we hear a loud cracking sound. Then, almost in slow motion, a massive tree on the bank topples over and crashes to the ground with a deafening thud! “Good grief! That’s amazing! I’ve seen trees blow over in storms, but never when it was dead calm like it is out here now!” » 10:10 a.m. Walker cranks a gravel boat ramp. “Never pass up an old boat ramp! They attract lots of minnows and craws.” » 10:14 a.m. Walker works over a pontoon boat dock with the Tennessee Crank and jig. 4 HOURS LEFT » 10:21 a.m. Walker makes a short hop uplake to a steep bank with some scattered rock. “There’s not a lot of rock in this lake, and I want to make sure I hit it when I can find it.” He grinds the Tennessee Crank around the rocks. “It’s not as deep here as it looks — only about 5 feet — but those rocks should hold crawfish.” » 10:24 a.m. Walker runs back to the retaining wall where he bagged his first keeper and works the area over thoroughly with the Tennessee Crank and the “These fish definitely aren’t stacked up. It’s a one bite here, one bite there kind of deal.” jig. “These fish definitely aren’t stacked up. It’s a one bite here, one bite there kind of deal.” » 10:43 a.m. The wall has so far failed to produce another fish. The wind has picked up, and although it’s blowing from the south, it’s bitterly cold. “Why didn’t I do this article in May?” Walker laments as he pitches the jig to some shallow stumps. » 10:50 a.m. Walker opts to try the umbrella rig; it’s rigged with several 4-inch Z-Man Diezel Minnowz, three of which have hooks in them. “Some guy in east Tennessee makes these rigs in his garage. I want Bassmaster readers to understand that I’m totally selling out by fishing this rig! I’m glad they don’t allow them in B.A.S.S. tournaments; they require absolutely no skill. You’re nothing more than a glorified rod holder when you fish it!” » 10:51 a.m. Walker flings the U-rig to the retaining wall and reels it in slowly and steadily. About halfway back to the boat, his rod bows under the weight of a big bass! His second keeper of the day is a long, lean 4-pound, 3-ounce largemouth. “That fish was suspending right out in the middle of nowhere. What’s it doing way out there, anyway? It’s crazy! You spend years trying to perfect your presentations with lures that require skill to use properly, then you pick up this stupid rig and catch a 4-pound bass on your first cast. Go figure.” » 11:15 a.m. Walker has worked his way back along the retaining wall with the U-rig, craw crank and jig without getting another bite. What’s his take on the day so far? “There are some good quality fish in this lake, but getting them to bite hasn’t been easy. Even though it’s late fall, the fish are on a midwinter pattern. The biggest surprise is how poor the jig bite has been; normally a jig is my go-to bait in water below 45 degrees. The fish seem to be very scattered, too, so I’ll keep moving around and keying on areas with deep water close by, especially places with some rock cover.” (Continued) Torture tested. angler approved. ® UP TO $100 MAIL-IN REBATE OCT 1-DEC 31 WWW.RIGIDINDUSTRIES.COM/REBATE holiday gift ideas GINEERED, AS , EN BLED SEM DESIGNE D HALO TORCH 50,000+ hour lifespan • limited lifetime Warranty www.rigidindustries.com IN T H U SA E November/December 2014 BASSMASTER 63 Day {David Walker} on the Lake 3 HOURS LEFT » 11:23 a.m. It’s “warmed up” to around 35 degrees, but the wind, now blowing out of the west, makes the air temp feel like it’s below zero. Walker makes a slow run downlake to a main-lake point. “Talk about brain freeze; you can’t stand running very far or fast in this cold!” He retrieves the U-rig across the point. » 11:25 a.m. Walker tries the jerkbait on the point without success. “Another big surprise is that I’ve had absolutely no action today on jerkbaits.” » 11:37 a.m. Walker is an extremely patient angler. He’s worked the point over from every conceivable angle with the jerkbait, trying a variety of cadences. Finally he switches to the U-rig, slow rolling it across the structure. “Compare the skill sets required to fish a jerkbait or jig vs. an umbrella rig, and you can understand why they outlawed the U-rig in B.A.S.S. competition. A chimpanzee could catch bass on this thing.” » 11:41 a.m. Walker spots a dead bass floating on the surface. “Poor thing probably froze to death! Is there a Dunkin Donuts around here? I sure could use some hot coffee.” » 11:45 a.m. Walker slow rolls the U-rig around the channel bank and concrete retaining wall he fished early in the day but hauls water. “Hear that? The bass are laughing at this thing!” » 11:55 a.m. Walker retrieves the Tennessee Crank parallel to the concrete wall. » Noon Walker dredges the craw crank around an elaborate boat dock with a covered walkway. “I’ve never done that good around fancy boat docks; the big fish like to hang around crummy old wooden docks that are falling apart.” » 12:10 p.m. Walker spots a submerged Christmas tree at the end of another dock. He pitches the jig to the cover; it comes back unscathed. “I always say a Christmas tree isn’t any good unless it’s got some tinsel on it.” » 12:15 p.m. Walker idles into a deep cove lined with boat docks. He casts the craw crank and jig to a sunken brushpile in 10 feet of water. No luck here. 2 HOURS LEFT » 12:20 p.m. Walker rakes the U-rig past a dock. “I re- ally wish you’d refrain from taking any more photos of me fishing this rig!” “The big fish hang around crummy old wooden docks that are falling apart.” 64 BASSMASTER November/December 2014 » 12:35 p.m. Walker exits the cove and runs straight across the lake to some vacant marina slips. As he idles toward the slips, he spots a submerged patch of rocks in 10 feet of water on his graph. “Whoa, that’s the kind of place that could hold a really big fish this time of year.” He backs off the rocks and casts the Tennessee Crank to the cover. » 12:41 p.m. Walker crawls the jig across the rocks. “The fish must not have gotten word that they’re supposed to be there.” » 12:47 p.m. Walker cranks a cement block retaining wall near the rockpile. No luck here, either. » 12:51 p.m. Walker runs a white 1/2-ounce Hildebrandt double-willow spinnerbait through a submerged brushpile near the wall. “I don’t fish spinnerbaits all that much, but the water looked too perfect not to try one here.” » 12:55 p.m. The jig also fails to produce a fish from the brushpile. “They are hatin’ that jig today.” » 1:01 p.m. Walker makes a short run to a channel bank that terminates in a long, flat point. “It’s deep right up against that bank, so there ought to be some fish there.” He tries the craw crank on the structure without success. » 1:04 p.m. The pro moves out to the end of the point, but his crankbait dredges up slimy grass here. The wind has switched again; now it’s blowing out of the north. He checks his watch. “I need to get something going pretty soon.” » 1:15 p.m. Walker has worked the long point over thoroughly with the craw crank and U-rig without a strike. He picks up his trolling motor, lashes down his rods and makes an achingly cold run uplake to the retaining wall where he caught his 4-pounder. “You wouldn’t think you could get that cold running up the lake in a tin boat with a 90 on it, but you’d be wrong!” He tries the craw crank along the wall but can’t score a strike. 1 HOUR LEFT » 1:22 p.m. Walker hangs a wad of fishing line with the craw crank. He clears the hooks, then tries the umbrella rig around the retaining wall. “There’s got to be another big, stupid fish around here somewhere!” » 1:25 p.m. Walker switches to the jerkbait without success. “The wind has changed direction about 16 times in the past half hour. No wonder the fish are screwed up!” » 1:29 p.m. Walker has reached the area where he caught his 4-3. He tries the U-rig here again, but apparently it’s lost its charm. » 1:31 p.m. He hangs the U-rig in some submerged brush and retrieves it. “Rats, I was hoping I’d break it off!” » 1:40 p.m. Still working over the retaining wall with the U-rig. » 1:42 p.m. Walker pauses to retie a couple of crankbaits. “It’s so cold, I hate taking my gloves off, but I’d hate it even more if a big fish broke me off because my line was abraded.” » 1:49 p.m. Walker abandons the retaining wall and runs to the extreme upper end of Lake N. The water here is murky and 43 degrees. “I’ve spent all day in clear water; with the afternoon sun hitting this murky water, they just might be moving up shallow to feed on crawfish.” He ties on a LiveTarget Square Bill Craw in the chartreuse copper craw pattern and casts it toward a culvert. “There’s a ditch lined with rocks running out from that culvert.” » 1:55 p.m. Walker roots the square crank around some rocks adjacent to the ditch, and a lunker bass plasters the lure! He hops off the front deck, works the bass closer and lip-lands his third keeper of the day, 5 pounds, 3 ounces. “Check out this fish; it’s about a yard long! It was on some rocks lining the side of the ditch. Looks like runoff from that big rain they had here the other day is washing in through this culvert and staining the water.” » 2:03 p.m. Walker casts the square bill to the center of the ditch, retrieves it a foot and gets another strike; this fish comes unbuttoned. “Aww, man, that felt like a good one.” » 2:06 p.m. Walker tries the Tennessee Crank around the ditch. » 2:09 p.m. Walker catches his fourth keeper, 1 pound, 8 ounces, off the side of the ditch on the Tennessee Crank. “I’ve got just enough time left to catch a 9-pounder!” » 2:13 p.m. Walker tries the jig around the rocks. 10:51 a.m. Walker He detects a tap, swings and misses. “What do you know, I finally got a bite on the jig! Too bad my time bags a 4-pound, 3-ounce bass on his first cast is up.” with an u mbrella rig. » 2:20 p.m. Back to the boat ramp. Walker has managed to mine some gold from frigid Lake N, boating four bass with a total weight of 14 pounds even. 2 The Day In Perspective “This is one of the coldest days I’ve ever fished,” Walker told Bassmaster. “It actually feels colder now than when we started, due to the wind. Even though it’s technically still fall, bass were on classic midwinter patterns, either suspending in open water or holding around submerged rocks. The fish ignored jigs and jerkbaits, two lure styles that should have worked well in these conditions; three of my four fish came on crankbaits. Notice that my biggest fish, that 5-3, hit later on in the day, after that murky water in the upper end had been exposed to sunlight for a while. If I were to fish this lake tomorrow under these same conditions, I’d definitely spend more time cranking and less time jigging and jerking. And, yeah, I’d probably have to break out that stupid umbrella rig again!” Where And When David Walker Caught His Keeper Bass 1 3 pounds, 2 ounces; submerged brushpile; chartreuse root beer Koppers LiveTarget Tennessee crankbait; 9:58 a.m. 4 pounds, 3 ounces; open water off retaining wall; homemade umbrella rig with Z-Man Diezel Minnowz swimbaits; 10:51 a.m. 5 pounds, 3 ounces; submerged rocks near ditch; chartreuse copper craw Koppers LiveTarget Square Bill Craw crankbait; 1:55 p.m. 1 pound, 8 ounces; same place as No. 3; same lure as No. 1; 2:09 p.m. TOTAL: 14 POUNDS 2 3 4 1:55 p.m. Walker’s biggest bass of the day, a beautiful 5-pound, 3-ounce largemouth, ate a LiveTarget square bill crankbait around some submerged rocks. November/December 2014 3 BASSMASTER 65