TODAY'S COLA catch was not too short of 8 pounds.

UPDATED, 4 p.m. Tuesday–Anybody can make a lucky cast, and I admit to those all the time. But following up on the theme of yesterday’s cola 4.8 Flick-Shake performance, we put the little worm back on display and the oily little shaker came through again. The result, this one at an even 7 pounds, 8 ounces.

While the world of bass lures, colors, scents and configurations is fraught with contradictions, sometimes it’s still okay to hang on to what works. That’s the way I think about the cola-colored Flick-Shakes (but also watermelon pepper) in the 4.8-size because they just get more bites.

Of course, this puzzles Jackall’s Curt Arakawa. He sees the sales numbers and the 5.8-inch size clearly outsells them all. Worse than that (on the stat sheet), the cola color doesn’t move nearly so well (which probably explains why when I order five or 10 bags at a crack, they’re always in stock).

I admit, “cola” is an nondescript color. It’s an opaque red/chocolate that might remind you of the old Delongs or perhaps the Little Brownie from FlutterCraft. But over the last three years, that color (along with Jackall’s ugly watermelon-pepper) works all over the water clarity spectrum.

VIOLET SHAD and Dark Thunder Silver come in 5.8, but the cola 4.8 is king around here.

And yet, if sales of the brand new Violet Shad (morning pink without the blue) and Dark Thunder Silver, (a smoke-sparkle worm with a darker smoke sparkle side, plus green and black flake) are good enough, those could also become available in the gets-bit-even-better 4.8-inch size. I know that’s what I’m hoping for.

But, the real secret of the little baits comes as a result of lower sales in the 4.8′s. Yeah, the worms you buy from the “older,” slower-moving inventory actually work better! It wasn’t the intent of the manufacturer, but if you check out a bag of 4.8′s on the peg, they probably are wet with fish-attractant oil. Compare that to the 5.8′s that are dry in the bag.

What has happened, according to Curt, is the scent oil has leached out of the worms in storage so the packaged baits end up slithering around–and that’s what we look for.

Around here, we found out how potent that ”live fish” oil was by accident. When occasionally we’d pull other worms out of trays and put them in the empty 4.8 Flick-Shake bags, instantly, these all worked better: BPS, homemade, pick-a-brand.

So now, needless to say, we don’t throw the bags away.

EASY TO FISH at 6.7 ounces...

When Scott Sweet called me earlier in the summer, he had the idea we might get out on the water and take a look at the new baitcasting line-up from Lew’s. However, since Bassfan.com had just done an interview with Lynn Reeves, the man who purchased the name from the Childre family, I wanted to do more than just repeat what I had heard.

Fortunately, by the time I had returned from the ICAST trade show, where everyone is touting something, I already knew that the Lew’s baitcasters had the goods.

FOR THOSE WHO DROP-SHOT with baitcasting, like Scott Sweet, the Lew's was a great fit.

As a member of the Lew’s field staff, it was obvious what appealed to Scott. Living up in the Castaic/Pyramid/Piru triangle area, he saw the silky smooth casting as fitting his method of drop-shotting or tossing other light weights. But as soon as I handled the reels (since I use spinning tackle for the finesse worm methods) I knew the Lew’s was going to make a huge difference in fishing topwaters as well.

So, before I set out to write about them, I spent a couple of trips throwing Ricos (the original, not the heavier Rio) and I watched my over-runs disappear and my distance really stretch out. And this with a full-sized Lew’s reel, compared with a smaller model from a well-respected competitor.

TOSSING a light chugger was way easier for me with the Speed Spool.

Of course, when I say full-sized, I’m talking about the dimensions generally found today. As Reeves noted when I spoke with him, the original Speed Spool, though teardrop shaped, was actually larger than the round reels of the day. If re-introduced sometime in the future (hint, hint) look for a smaller version to hit the shelves one day. However, for those familiar with the Lew’s tradition, they have kept the paddle-style grips.

For now, you really have to strongly consider the Lew’s among the latest reel offerings, no matter what you’ve used in the past. I base that on seven weeks of hard work I’ve given it, as well as what we’re hearing from the national pro staff.

As for the steps of reel development, one can only sit back and admire the way Reeves’ long years of association with the tech people in Korea (while with Bass Pro Shops), have led to an understanding of delivering exactly what the Lew’s brand wants in a product.

LEWS' has options.

And that goes for the current models with 5.4:1, 6.4:1 and 7.1:1, all weighing less than 7 ounces. True, I can’t tell you how they will endure 12 and 24 months down the road, but there is so much pride in the Lew’s name among the principles of the resurrected brand, I will be stunned if they don’t keep the ball (bearings) rolling.

And further, you can get excellent performance in any model, from the base priced version to the Look-out-KVD-here-I-Come edition–and that’s a definite plus.

So, Scott, thanks for the heads-up.

I try a lot of stuff. I spend more for scissors every year than my wife. I try and take care of them, but I lose stuff when I’m fishing (many witnesses can attest) so I end up just grabbing what I can reach. It might be a nail clipper or a diagonal cutter, and some make a better cut than others. But, you know, it’s never quite as easy as the old days, where we used our teeth to cut the mono.

But I got a tip on a product that you might want to look at. It’s little, like a large nail clipper, but it compresses and opens like certain pliers. However, the blades are 420 stainless, so they are both hard and sharp. Yet, for a “throw and go” personality like me, the best part is, it has a built-in tether.

The thing is called the SNIP, built by Boomerang Tool Company (so “it comes back to you,” get it?) but it’s not a novelty item. The so-called “leash” is of a proprientory design, that can attach right where you usually rig–or in my case–it attaches to my belt where I won’t leave it somewhere. And the thing cuts clean–the blades really have close tolerances.

Anyway, braid keeps becoming a bigger part of bass fishing; there’s just no getting around it. So,  if you’re looking for something that won’t get away from you in the heat of battle (with or without an LED light) the Snip is a real tool. You know, for real fishermen.

SENKOS TO DARTHEADS, the Excel 703 works

PRICE UPDATE…CHECK IT OUT: I think there are probably three key things to consider when choosing a spinning rod–and I’m not ashamed to say that one of those is price. So before I go on, I was first influenced to look at the Lamiglas Bass Excel series because I knew the brand and I liked the price (ON SPECIAL $109, retail).

Hey, a rod can only do so much despite the many claims in a game that began with the words, “You need a rod to cross their eyes when you set the hook.”  We’ve come a long way since that theory, so I still  needed a rod for a range of dart heads to Senkos, with those various options inbetween. For that reason, I chose the XL 703 (actually, I bought two.)

This model is rated for 8 to 15-pound test (think mono breaking strength) but I never go past 10-pound test in nylon or fluoro leader, though I use braid ever more often. I set the drag to accommodate the lowest breaking point in my line (or line and leader) so I can get a good hook-set but still not use more force than is really needed.

A COMFORTABLE GRIP (& note the hook holder)

The Excel 703 has a moderately fast taper rod, so it handles both the force of the hook-set and also and the attendant surges of the fish. That really matters when you downsize your line in clear water, but gives you some security if you fish heavier line and run into even bigger bites.

THAT LITTLE HUMP relieves muscles in your hand over a full day.

Components also matter. The Excels keep the Fuji standard, but with the added wrinkle of an Aero Comfort Grip. Not a new concept, (like the sculpted cork that Daiwa may have introduced years ago) this “hump” in the handle gives you more than a straight, thin diameter shaft to grip. Whether you split your fingers two and two (around the the reel foot) or use a one-three method, it’s just easier on your hand if you fish all day.

Balance is the other feature. Everything is lighter today, but what really matters is the rod/reel balance. By taking out as much weight as they could behind the reel seat, then it doesn’t matter if you have an 11-ounce reel, it still fulcrums at the foregrip.  But if you go with something couple of ounces lighter, as with my Pfluegers, you really sense that strike detection out in front of you.

As for the hook holder behind the reel, it’s perfect for those wayward drop-shot sinkers, and frankly, I like the bright copper finish. In a haystack of black or blue shafts on the deck, I know right what I’m looking at.

So, if you’re looking for a rod, I wouldn’t get too caught up in the ”name game,” whether brand or pro staff. These Excels do a good job. And I always remember that tough pronouncement from the guys in the building trades: “A poor workman blames his tools.”

THE EGO S2 SLIDER NET in action...

Hey, a net’s a net, right? Doesn’t matter if you’re dipping that 5-, 6-, or 8-pounder from the local pond on a fun trip, or fishing for a big prize, when you desperately need that lightly hooked 1 3/4-pounder in the boat on the last day of the U.S. Open?

Well, maybe there’s a little difference. And ever since I first saw the EGO S2 Slider from Adventure Products (one I saw and voted for in the New Product Showcase at ICAST) I knew this one was a step-up in nets.

Just this past weekend, fishing with guide Gabe Bolivar, I got a chance for a hands on field test. I was so sure this comfortable, slick sliding and retracting handle net was going to perform, I told Gabe to leave his at home. Furthermore, when I handed it over, the first thing he said was, “This feels different.”

Feels different. Works different. Yes all landing nets do the same thing–provide you a longer arm and means of capturing a hooked fish.

A BETTER BUTTON, makes the EGO superior

But it’s been my experience that with any net that goes from short to extended, there is a tenuous moment when your partner yells, “Net!” You pull it out and go to extend it, and you fight to push that metal button or buttons in so you can slide the handle out. And then you scramble find the right holes for the net to lock in place.

Sure, the guy who owns the net knows exactly how his works. And yet I’ve found the buttons don’t compress or the holes line-up the same on any two models–especially in that critical moment.

Until now. When you push the contoured “button” on the medium EGO Slider, the shaft slips out from its 29-inch stow length and makes any one of five stops all the way out to 60 inches and there is no guessing if the peg is in the hole. 

NOTE THE BETTER GRIP...

I’ve heard the complaint that it’s heavy. I presume that’s a concern regarding netting one’s own fish. My recommendation for guys a whole lot younger than me: get some 20-pound dumbells and work-out.

The EGO Slider is balanced.  It’s available with a Teflon coated mesh that’s easy in the water and on the fish, and I think with a 21-inch diameter ring, you’ll have a tough time missing a fish. But if you want something else, you can get the rubberized mesh or the standard nylon if you choose.

All I can say is, the last thing Gabe said to me on the matter was, “I need to get me one of these.”

INVISIBLE HARDWARE...

In a perfect world (with murky, shallow water) I would be busting limbs with 20-pound hi-viz line, a half-ounce spinnerbait and loving it. Unfortunately, most of my fishing is clear at the other end of the spectrum, trying to generate as many bites as possible from crystal water and a lot deeper than I’d prefer.

Depending on your definition or the range of parameters you choose to include, finesse fishing, even with bigger baits, is what we do in SoCal. Naturally, then, I look for things that might help the finesse cause, and a couple have caught my eye. One, I’ve mentioned before is the InvisaSwivel by Aquateko, and another are the B2 Stealth Bullits from RedBuoy.

When I first saw the Invisaswivel, it looked ideal for fluke fishing in clear water. Although I prefer the 12- and 25-pound models, even the larger 35-pound size was not that obtrusive and it offered a tiny bit of added casting weight–but with neutral buoyancy. However, I also see more guys using braid and a fluro leader, with no swivel or a very small SPRO, and it didn’t seem to impede their catching.

THE DIFFERENCE: 1/8-ounce lead (left), 1/8-ounce Stealth Bullit (right)

But the new clear sinkers (admittedly, not very fast sinking for their size) also offer some possibilities. After all, how do we know the reason we’re not getting bites could be our hardware, when we never had clear sinkers or swivels to compare them to? That’s why, it seems pretty logical to me that the best use of these might actually be together.

Still, we’re a tough market out here. The West prides itself on being innovative, but by the same token, we tend to follow certain trends. For example, I’m sure we’d be much more interested in these new products if we learned that Rick and Kyle Grover or some other of the top teams were using them at Diamond Valley. 

Which further got me to thinking; no reason to wait. For example, when that algae/snot moss starts to grow in the middle of spring, wouldn’t it be great to have some unobtrusive hardware that didn’t bury itself in the stuff? Although a Carolina rig came to mind, what about a Texas rig and a smooth bodied floating worm?

Hey, I don’t know how these new finesse products might factor in. But I’m pretty sure some very sharp anglers are going to find a use–and when they do, they probably won’t be telling anyone.

Click on to enlarge...

While I bet  I’m a few waypoints shy on some of the local lakes, with time on the water, I can make up some of that ground. On the other hand, what if I was forced to test totally new waters–against local talent–as a new touring pro? Wouldn’t it be great to have a tool that could speed up the learning curve?

Certainly, knowledge is power. And in the bass fishing game, knowledge is often a paycheck. That’s why a new product introduced by GPS Lake Maps (with former Bassmaster Classic champion Tommy Martin and his tech/business partner Bobby Feazel) sounded like such a great idea for those testing the water on the national scene.

Said Martin, “What we have is an electronic chip–that complements the Navionics chip–that shows channels, river channels and road beds, and is extremely accurate.” More than that, he says, “The chips also have the bridges (on those road beds) with the waypoints, so they are easy for fishermen to find.”

Having this kind of information rapidly shrinks a big lake, taking away some of that homefield advantage from the locals. Easily downloadable, with the GPS Lake Maps (which don’t show contours) you get specific features, such as the  precise location of pond dams and rare lily pad fields.

Martin made it clear, this software is not a replacement for existing products: “We’re not trying to duplicate what they have done.” And Already the company has 22 out-of-state-maps, with more on the way. Martin and Feazel hope to have a library of 75 by the time they are done. One thing Tommy did admit is that reservoirs built before 1940 will not be included since the data is just not available.

However, GPS Lake Maps are available for both Lowrance and Humminbird equipment, typically for $39.95.

And while many of you serious guys saw the possibilities, you should know you are in good company. Sebile actually won ‘best of show’ awards in the Australian, European and U.S. fishing trade shows with the product. Some things just feel right.

I know many of you are pretty particular on what hooks you use, but at least let me offer up what the company had to say about its own hook/weight packs:

“The ultra-sharp, ultra-strong hooks at the heart of the Soft Weight System are made to the highest precision standards with durable, corrosion-resistant finish for fresh or saltwater. Sizes include 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0 and 6/0 with matching Soft Weight sizes….

Model Size Line Test Soft Weights
Soft Weight System 1/0 1/0 ≤ 20 lb ≤1/64 oz / 0.4g each
Soft Weight System 2/0 2/0 ≤ 25 lb ≤1/64 oz / 0.4g each
Soft Weight System 3/0 3/0 ≤ 30 lb ≤1/48 oz / 0.7g each
Soft Weight System 4/0 4/0 ≤ 40 lb ≤1/48 oz / 0.7g each
Soft Weight System 5/0 5/0 ≤ 50 lb ≤1/32 oz / 1g each
Soft Weight System 6/0 6/0 ≤ 60 lb ≤1/32 oz / 1g each”

According to Sebile, “The Soft Weights feature a Tungsten gum rubber style construction so that they can be easily added, repositioned on the hook shank or removed to make on-the-water adjustments to fishing conditions. The weights are reusable and made of environmentally friendly material.”

And I can tell you from my experience that with an easy “untwist” they will come back over the hook barb without a lot of trouble.

I think it’s safe to say, they can do a few things quite well. Not merely adding weight, but used in combination they can hit a pretty precise fall rate. Furthermore, where you put them on the hook shank will allow you to change the attitude of the sinking bait from nose down (bluegill ‘zoning’ a bass nest) to various horizontal descent means, or back-weighted, in that semi-backward, struggling baitfish look.

I’ll leave that up to you, but it’s nice to have a tool with these capabilities.

That’s why I think the little something Patrick Sebile has come up will fit in with the bass fishermen who rely on small things to make a difference. In this case, Sebile’s Soft Weight System, which lets you add or subtract weight to your hook with such applications as flukes, soft swimbaits or the myriad of Senko look-alikes.

For the purposes of getting the bait to “keel” right, especially on a steady retrieve, weighted hooks are pretty common, most that are fixed to the hook, but some that may slide somewhat on the shank with swimbaits, tubes or lizards, for example.

But as we all know, unless you penetrate the plastic body with the eye of the hook (a trick in itself) with a lot of applications, you have to push the weight through the plastic, not just the hook. While not fatal, it does stress, stretch or even tear the plastic, which typically cuts down on the number of bites you can get from a single bait.

Still, we learn to live with such shortcomings, especially if we’re getting bit with some regularity.

But having the ability to alter the lure weight–and not stretch the plastic–seems like a good fit for those irregularly weighted sorta-Senkos. Most just don’t have the same specific gravity of the original Yamamoto, and yet, when you can match the fall rate or sink behavior, bass will bite the darn things.

The tungsten soft weights from Sebile don’t go on the hook until you’ve pierced the plastic head and are about ready to imbed the point back into the lure body. At that point, you can slip on one or two or heck, half a dozen of the heavy, but flexible weights and pretty much get the sink rate you want. And with the speed of fall, you also get a similar tail wobble.

In any event, it’s a pretty simple idea that means you don’t have to change hook size or diameter to get the weight you want.

Pretty clever.

And thus the curse: one size no longer fits all.

Now we are seeing some specialized rods that handle smaller baits, but hold up under all the stresses. Such is the case with the new stick from Lamiglas that was specially designed by noted angler Bill Siemantel. The new Lamiglas XL 735C retails for around 150 bucks, but key is it is specifically built for the many styles of 6-inch swimbaits–notably the BBZ line, but any of similar weight.

As more anglers have entered into the swimbait world, as has been the case with virtually every other reaction bait, “big” has a following, but “smaller” is what sells to the wider audience. According to Bill, though, this rod will also do well “to use frog fishing or even pitching your favorite jig around cover.”

If you want to read more about the new stick and the thoughts of the designer, tune in to his site right here.