'Go To' Presentations
(sixth in a series)
by Bill Mathis

I recently asked all Classic Bass Pro Staff Members and Field Staff Members if they had to use one presentation all day long, what would it be.

This is part 6 in the series, featuring Classic Bass Pro Staff Member Joel Stokka, and Field Staff Members Brian Brown and Clay Peterson.

I asked all three: “ If you had to use one bait all day long, what would be your 'go to' bait?”

Pro Staff Member and Excel Tournament Director Joel Stokka starts us off.

“My choice may surprise many as I’ve been known to throw a frog all day. If I had just one lure to throw, it would be soft stick bait like the Northland Dip-Stick. These little gems are one of the most versatile baits anyone can throw. It can be worked in the pads, inside weed lines, skipped under docks, flats, deep coontail, milfoil pockets, rushes or pitching cattails. With the weighted hook that comes with the dip stick if can be use to cover shallow water quickly or slowly worked in heavy cover. When the fishing a tough bite, I’ve had great success lately with the split shot rig using Dip Sticks on Berkley Vanish line. If I had to go fishing with a single lure I’d stuff my pockets with Dip-Sticks and go catching!”

2006 Bassmasters Weekend Series National Qualifier Brian Brown talks about fishing a jig.

“The one bait I would use is a 1/2oz. Outkast R/T jig and Craw Chunk. Both the jig and the chunk would be some sort of brown color. I can fish this bait slow out on a break line in deep weeds, pitch mid depth weed flats and work shallow cover like docks, trees, pads, and reeds with it. I can fish it fast around the shallow cover or slow out on the deeper edges.”
 

We finish this series up with Clay Peterson who talks about how a jig works for him all season.

“Without question it would be a jig. I do not think there is a more versatile bait around for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. I can take it to a lake or a river and catch quality fish anywhere in the water column. I can also make a jig look like just about any type of forage a bass would eat from crawdads to sunfish to minnows.”

“In the Spring I like to swim it or flip and pitch it to spawning fish. I like to key on the holes of inside weedlines or docks. I can burn a swimming jig over the heads of the bass or pitch a jig on their nose.”

“During the post-spawn and into summer patterns I like to utilize a football jig or skirted flipping jig on outside weedlines and deep points and humps. If the fish are relating to heavy mats of vegetation on flats, I can flip a heavy jig into the thickest stuff I can find and get solid hookups.”

“During the fall and winter season, green vegetation is the key and fishing a jig has been a very effective way to catch the biggest fish in the area.”

The jig is a bait that I only need a few styles of to cover a vast amount of situations.

Check the Education Zone at www.classicbass.com for part 7 of this series.

Bill Mathis
classicbass.com Field Staff
Team Skeeter Member