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Give your back a break, get some Crocs

I do not fish many tournaments, but when I have, especially two- to three-day tournaments, I have always ended up with pain in my back from standing all day. About two years ago, after hearing from my kids how much they love their Crocs, I decided to research and see if there was anything out there that a man could wear without looking too goofy. I eventually found the Crocs "Islander." It has a leather top with laces, and I don't embarrass my children when I wear them. The Islander is more of a warm weather shoe, but Crocs also has an "All Terrain," which is similar but does not have the holes, so it can be used in cold and wet weather.

Most importantly, I no longer am in pain at the end of a long day standing. The cushion they give you is unbelievable. I guarantee if you try them, you'll love them.

Mathew Meyer, Hendersonville, Tenn.

Squid: the other, other white meat

The lowly squid: I've cut it into ribbons, frogs, crawdads, fish, and I even tried turtle shapes. It's cheaper than pork chunks and I've caught largemouth and smallmouth bass, catfish, crappie, bluegill, saugeye, carp and two big turtles. Squid makes a great trailer, and you can be as creative as you want with an Exacto knife. Plus, you can always eat the squid if you don't catch anything!

Bob Zambuto, Columbus, Ohio

Give that old bobber a second chance

Sometimes when fishing with a jig, Carolina rig or Texas rig, it is difficult to see your line, resulting in missed fish. To help me see any sudden movements in my line, I put a slip bobber on the line. Since there is no bobber-stopper, it has no impact on the action of the bottom bumping baits, but gives me a very visible target on which to focus. It has resulted in me landing a lot of fish that I likely would not have detected.

James Thomas, Nashville, Tenn.

Give your crankbaits some grub

I like using the 100 Series Bandit crankbaits, but there are times when I want a wider wobble. Here is a cheap fix: Attach a 1-inch grub to the center trailing hook on the crankbait. The lure continues to work as designed but the addition of the grub gives the appearance of a larger bait with more motion. I prefer using a white grub but have used other colors with success, also. I have been using this method since the early 80s and at times this little touch draws strikes when the lure itself won't.

A tip for fishing Senkos (stickbaits) in murky or dirty water: Add a small glass worm rattle to the blunt end and fish it wacky rigged. This has increased my hookups. I like the Christmas tree and red shad with gold flake colors the best — at least that's what works for me.

Buel Hughes, Lewisville, N.C.

All that glitters

On hard baits I like to use my wife's clear coat nail polish that has glitter (the glitter comes in several colors). It is a good way to make older dull baits look new again. The sparkle from the polish gives it a fish scale appearance.

Nathan Alexander, Bigelow, Ark.

Trailer hook-ups

This tip rocks for those who use stickbaits or 6-inch-plus lizards or worms on jigheads.

The idea hit me after missing countless smallies using Senko-type lures with an offset worm hook and 6-inch lizards fished on a jighead. I got lots of hits but had a very low hookup rate. I had a bunch of octopus-style hooks in a box from my walleye fishing and decided to rig up a trailer hook to up my catch rate (I guessed the fish were grabbing the tail of the bait instead of the head). Mono doesn't work because it is too stiff and would restrict the motion of the bait too much. Braid, however, works great; it has no memory and is very limp. I tie a small piece of braid to the hook, then measure how far back on the bait I want the hook to be and tie the other end to the hook, forming a loop. I then attach the trailer hook to the jig's hook or to the offset worm hook (same manner that the assist hooks are attached to the newer jigging spoons) and then insert the trailer hook into the back of the soft plastic. The most important part of building the rig is to leave a bit of slack in the braid so that the rig does not stop the plastic's natural motion.

After this modification, my catch rate increased dramatically. On the jig/lizard combo I would say about half of my fish were caught on the trailer hook. The octopus hooks also come in a ton of colors, so you can either match the hook color to the bait, or go with a contrasting color to give the bait a different look. This has really worked well for me, and I think it would also work well for others.

Chris Dorn, Belleville, Wis.

Dress up your swimbait

I use a Bass Pro Shops soft body swimbait that is equipped with one large treble hook toward the middle of the lure body. I've found that if I add a red or white feather to the hook, this gives the bait much more flash and attraction, especially after the bass have become somewhat accustomed to the lure. I know this trick has worked for years on topwater lures, but that little extra has also added more fish-catching appeal to these big bass appetizers.

Don Stephens, Fortson, Ga.

A good freebie

Everybody calls me "Mr. Cheap" because I am always looking for a bargain. A tip on the cheap side is to take a coat hanger and cut different lengths with a wire cutter. Experiment with different lengths to insert into the tail of a stickworm for that special backward fall. This beats the heck out of buying those special weights or using nails that are much harder to trim.

Mike Jessup, King, N.C.

Where are your knots landing?

This might seem very basic, but it's very important when tying on a crankbait: Make sure the knot you tie doesn't slide into the part of the split ring that has the two points. It can weaken the knot, or actually nick it. I always tie my knot with the split at 90 degrees to the eye, and keep checking it. If you would rather not bother, you could just buy those oval split rings.

Jerry L. Rusk, Gallipolis, Ohio

I pre-tie my Carolina rigs and leaders, coil them up and slide them into plastic coin pouches used by coin collectors. The pouches are about 2-inches-by-2-inches and cost about 10 cents apiece. They are clear and have a small flap you can slide in to hold them in place. They don't take up much room, are easy to see and won't tangle. You can tie the rigs with or without the swivel. No need to take time to tie up on the water.

Duke Petri, Hillsboro, Ore.

Not following the rules can pay off I've been driving my friends nuts with a bait I've been using for about three years now that produces for me no matter what. I believe it's the presentation I'm using as much as the bait. You see, I run it backwards from the manufacturer's intended design. When I looked at it originally in the bait shop, I never even thought of running it as intended. I could see the presentation I wanted within the design, just in the opposite direction. I believe its success may have something to do with this technique because I've seen others use it and not catch a thing. My tip is to think outside the box and try anything, even if the bait wasn't designed that way. If it looks good in action and is different enough, I think it will catch fish — big fish! It has for me. Mike McKeen, Oakham, Mass.

Bargain livewell

Here's a tip that my wife and I used to win the 1998 Crappie Classic on Lake Hartwell. I've never seen anyone else use it, and it works incredibly well. We didn't have a livewell in our boat and used a 100-quart Coleman cooler. The surface water temperature was 87 degrees.

How to keep your fish alive when surface temps are hot: Purchase a 750-gpm bilge pump, 20 feet of flex hose, 26 feet of electrical wire and two alligator clips. Attach the electrical wire to the bilge pump and then attach the two alligator clips. Next, attach the flex hose to the bilge pump and about every 12 inches secure the wire to the hose with electrical tape to within about 6 feet of the alligator clips.

Now, whenever you want to change the water in your livewell for fresh cool water, just drop the bilge pump into the lake (you can weight it to make it fall more quickly), attach the alligator clips to any 12-volt battery and put the discharge end of the hose into your livewell. Your fish will now enjoy cool fresh oxygenated water from about 17 feet below the surface. It only takes a couple of minutes and works fantastic!

Life member Jim Missel, Penfield, N.Y.

A clean start

Always wash your hands immediately prior to touching lures, poles or line when you get ready to fish. My dad taught me this when I was 4 years old; I'm 67 now and still wash all human scent off my hands immediately prior to fishing. I routinely carry the 1-inch-by-2-inch soap bars — the kind you get in motels. Ivory soap bars work best for me.

I introduced my dad to another elderly and savvy fisherman I met back in the 1970s who was about the same age as my father. He, too, would not touch any tackle in his box without first washing his hands. When my dad saw him washing his hands on a fishing trip we took together, he looked at me and smiled, and I've never forgotten the incident.

Bob Cantin, Fairview, Texas

More leaders for more fish

Carolina rigging is one of my favorite types of fishing. This trick could help you load your boat; it even works on tough biting fish because of a fish's instinct.

Take a three-ring swivel and tie an 8- to 12-inch leader on one side and make the second leader 18 to 22 inches. Next, rig a 3/4-ounce weight with a bead to protect the knot. I prefer using a centipede (green pumpkin or natural color) on the 8- to 12-inch leader and a Zoom Super Fluke (green pumpkin) on the 18- to 22-inch leader.

Steven Martin, Burlington, N.C.

New life for old wallets

If you want to take a couple of spinnerbaits with you for an hour or two of fishing, but don't want to take a whole tacklebox full of them, use one of your old wallets instead. I prefer one with two of three compartments to put cash into, where I could put maybe two spinnerbaits in each one. Because the wallet is small, you can easily carry it in your pocket — just like you would if you were using it for its original purpose.

Will Stevens, Hattiesburg, Miss.

Don't be a slacker

Sometimes the most basic tips help catch bass. I was fishing with a friend and noticed after he set the hook he would always lower the rod tip and allow a little slack in his line. I saw him lose a few fish. I told him to keep his line tight at all costs. Even if you don't get a good hook set, you still have a good chance of getting the fish to the boat.

Dave Wortmann, Whitmore Lake, Mich.

Get your tubes stinky

I do a lot of tube fishing, especially in the spring. A friend and I were at our favorite lake fishing the standard 4-inch tube, but I was outfishing him 4-to-1. Finally he asked why. We had the same color and size, and were fishing in the same area. I let him in on my secret. I take my wife's cotton balls that she uses to clean the nail polish off her nails, break them up into little pieces, dip them into fish scent, and put them in the tube. This leaves a scent trail in the water when the tube is jigged. I recently purchased a bucket of Gulp Alive; I can't wait to use their attractant this spring.

Greg "Jake" Jacobsen, Clark, N.J.

Peg your weight for better feel

My tip/modification has to do with fishing soft plastics. With all the new styles of weighted hooks out, there's a quick and easy way to get a similar effect even if you haven't got any of these hooks. I noticed when fishing thicker cover that my bullet weight slides up the line and tends to get my bait to hang up a little more often. By taking a wooden toothpick and breaking the tip off inside your bullet weight you can keep that weight from sliding (it will stay right on top of your bait like many of these hook designs), and it gives you a little better feel of the bait in many situations.

Frank Stone III, Cape Coral, Fla.

Get your cork clean

Cleaning dirty (really dirty) cork handles on your fishing rod, expensive or otherwise: This has been a savior of mine for many, many years and it does no damage to the cork whatsoever. The savior? Brillo or Ajax pads — your choice as they both work equally well. First, dampen the pad and cork. Rub with enough pressure to clean off the residue. Rinse with clean water. If not happy with the first attempt, give it another go. Sometimes it does take several "cleanings" due to excessive dirt, grime, whatever. But it will get clean! When you're done, the cork will have that new look along with being clean. Of course, if it's all beat up, the pad won't save you there.

John Ballerino, Deltona, Fla.

Keep that wacky worm alive

I have a tip for fishing Senkos wacky worm style. I have had many Senkos ripped off with the first fish, especially smallmouth. To help keep the Senko on the hook longer, I tie a rubber band around the middle of the body where you would normally hook it. You then put the hook through the rubber band and the Senko, which seems to keep it fishable a lot longer.

Josh Fallin, Salem, Ore.

Salvage an old favorite

I lost the tail section from a jointed jitterbug and hated to throw the front section away. After some thought I opened the eye screw on the front section and rigged it with an offset worm hook (3/0) and a 10-inch Culprit worm. I painted the head section black and used a black Culprit. This thing drives bass crazy at night.

Chris Treeman, Salina, Okla.

Keep on your toes and don't give up

Everyone has a great place to fish that produces enough to ease out a brag or two. When this occurs, others can pick up on your little secret and get there before you do! So it happens... you arrive only to see someone fishing your chosen spot(s) and quite possibly with your type of lure. Guess who shared that bit of information? Normal reaction: Go home. But, no... let's try another approach. Your spots do hold fish, and before moving to the next one, most fishermen don't offer an alternative for old Mr. Bigmouth to consider. Become innovative when "following the leader" by using a different technique, namely presentation. Cast your plug as usual, but don't retrieve immediately... take a break. Just this change in the normal pattern will entice sufficient strikes to keep you smiling. Let the others shake 'em; you rake 'em.

W. Jack Bostrom, Raleigh, N.C.

Cut your worm some slack

One of the mistakes I see a lot of anglers make is not allowing some slack in their line when pitching. You often hear the advice to keep your line tight to feel for bites on the drop. But this affects the drop of your bait when you're trying to stay tight to an object such as a dock piling or weed edge. As the bait drops, the tight line will cause the bait to arc toward the angler and away from the object. The deeper the water, the greater the effect.

I like to use what I call "controlled slack." When my bait hits the water, I begin to strip line off the reel. I keep a close eye on how much slack I allow as I peel: I want to keep a slight belly in the line. Not loose, but slightly slack. This allows my bait to fall straight down alongside the object I'm fishing. An added side benefit is that most drop baits will have increased action on the fall with the added slack. You will get more takes.

Keeping light tension will transmit any bites very well. Plus, keeping an eye on the amount of slack will keep you watching your line for movement; that is key on the light takes you probably won't feel anyway.

You need to believe there are many takes you never feel. I've watched bass in clear water inhale and then spit out my bait, while there seemed no signal at all on even a tight line. You can up your odds on those a couple of ways:

First, try fluorocarbon line. Contrary to many claims, most fluoro stretches as much as comparable mono. But fluoro has greater density than other lines; that's why it sinks. That also means you feel bites better than mono, as objects with greater density transmit vibration better.

Second, learn to "weigh" line. After your bait touches down, lightly increase the tension with the rod tip. You're feeling for resistance, which means something has made contact with the bait. Resistance that stays still is an object, like wood or a weed. But done carefully, that light tension will cause a bass that's taken the bait to reposition itself. With time you'll feel that movement; you now have the bass, but he doesn't know it yet — until you drive the hook home, of course.

This technique excels on deep weed walls in the summer. With practice, you'll be putting your bait in front of bass others can't.

Ken Budnick, Garden City, Mich.

Add a grub to spinnerbaits to keep 'em coming

One of my go-to baits is always going to be a spinnerbait. We all know they are very good in windy conditions, but when the wind dies down and I'm not getting bites anymore, one thing I like to do is tip the spinnerbait with a curly tail grub that matches the color of the spinnerbait — and the bites keep on coming.

Matthew Dillon, Tipp City, Ohio

Be different under pressure

On lakes with lots of pressure your worm has to have a little different descent than all the others. One way to do this is to place a small finishing nail in the tail end of your worm. It will give it a little different descent in the water with your worm falling away from your boat rather than toward it or straight down. This also allows you to slide them under docks and floats.

Jake VanDerGeest, Racine, Wis.

A cheap tip

A simple & CHEAP wacky rig: Use a twist tie from a bread sack. They can be double wrapped and you can use them several times. They can be bought in rolls and come in different colors. A small wire tie or zip tie also works well, and they also come in different colors.

Murphy Pair, Prairie Grove, Ark.

Texas rig variation

Take a 5-inch stickworm and put a small nail in the tail end of it. Then rig your pole for Texas rigging with a 4/0 sized hook and no sinker on the top. Throw it out and slowly work it back in. When you pull the worm up it will fall backwards down to where it was instead of the weighted side going down first. This action makes the lure look a lot like a crawfish, especially when you use a Forked Dinger, and big bass love it.

Jake Gray, Crystal, Minn.

A better way to drop shot

I found out you can really increase your drop shot success by using a jig. The jig simply becomes your weight on the bottom of the line. You still have a worm or tube a few feet above it, but with this rig you can get bit on either bait. I usually use a reasonably heavy jig. The worm and the jig are usually around the same color.

Zach Kern, Bedford, Ind.

Pokin' around

I was pre-fishing for a tournament once upon a time and found big bass loaded up under some duck blinds. The only problem was I couldn't get to them, until I came up with the new fishing method I call Pokin'.

The blinds I was fishing were in about 6 feet of water and there was about 2 feet of branches, matted weeds, and other debris around the outside of the duck blinds. If I could find a little pocket or opening I could get a jig to fall to the bottom and yo-yo it, and would catch some real hawgs. The only problem was that there weren't many openings. I found that if I reel the jig all the way to the top rod guide and gently poke it into the debris, I can feel it break through. Then I release the spool and gently pull my rod back out, and start the yo-yo — unless a fish has already taken the bait, which in many cases has happened.

Now you have a whole new set of problems with a 7-pounder on the other end of your line buried in the thick stuff. You'd be surprised how many times that big fish will bust right up through the little hole you poked through with that jig. Sometimes you have to reel them up to the underside of the brush and shove your arm down there but it's a real rush when you feel a big 'un down there.

Mike Wallis, Hallsville, Mo.

When I fish long docks I look for ones that have some type of vegetation growing on the shady side with a "lane" between the vegetation and the dock. I use a 1-ounce white spinnerbait with a willow blade and a Colorado blade, make a long cast to the shoreline and reel the spinnerbait down this lane next to the dock. A bass will ambush the spinnerbait as it passes by.

Ron Caponigro, Bensalem, Pa.

Are you red-y?

There are a lot of people throwing the Fish Head Spin in our area. I have found that I can catch more fish on this lure just by coloring the gill area and eyes red. This is proven to catch fish behind other boats and fishing partners who came up empty. I rig them with Fluke Jr.'s and dip the tails. Glue around the head helps to keep the soft plastic on the lure.

Matt Brown, Canton, Ga.

Drop shot solution for stained water

The way I rig up my drop shot when fishing in stained water is kind of a reverse to the old ball-and-chain Carolina rig. First, tie on a hook like you normally would for this technique. Next, thread on your weight. Follow the weight up with a glass bead or brass disc. Finally, use a Carolina keeper to secure the rig. Using the keeper allows you to easily change your fishing depth by sliding it up and down the line.

This rigging allows me to fish a drop shot in a little dirtier water and produces the clicking noise of a Carolina rig.

Robert Cooper, Madison, Ind.

Wear your shades

This tip will keep you fishing longer, which in turn should yield more fish. Anytime I fish, no matter what time of day, where I am, what type of fishing I am doing or what type of conditions I am fishing in, I always wear eye protection. Typically I use polarized sunglasses but I keep a pair of clear lens glasses in my tackle bag for early morning or late night fishing. The idea, of course, is for that one time a hook comes flying at you from being hung up on something in the water, a bad cast from a co-angler or any other relatively odd happenstance. Protect your eyes and fish a lifetime.

Mark Smith, Forest Hill, Md.

Stuck like glue

I began bass fishing heavily two years ago and I just learned last year how to stop my shaky head worm from falling off the weighted hook. I was watching a fishing show when one of the guys said he uses Super Glue to keep the worm on the rig. It made perfect sense. So I went out that night and set a few up for the next day, because I was afraid the smell of the glue would scare away the fish and I wanted them to dry.

The glue worked great and the worm never fell off once. The funny thing is, after a while (about three fish later on the same worm), the worm ripped in half and I had to glue a new worm on when I was on the boat. I was nervous about the smell but I did it anyway, and on the first cast I landed one. Later that day I did it again, and I landed another one three casts later. Through the rest of the year this seemed to happen more often than not. I actually think bass are attracted to the Super Glue!

Derek Mercure, Springfield, Mass.

Hey, mister! ... twister twin tail

I fish a lot of spinnerbaits here in northern Wisconsin and elsewhere. I make numerous modifications based on season, depth, water color, etc. One of my favorite and easiest modifications is when I need to present a large bait slowly, e.g. to tick the top of weeds or slow roll near the bottom. I simply add an older style Mister Twister Twin Tail to a 3/8- or 1/2-ounce bait as a trailer. The body is not bulky — more like a worm body — so the bait falls at nearly a normal rate. The twin tails provide stability and a larger profile, especially when fishing over fish. For slow rolling near the bottom I usually use a large, single Colorado blade; while fishing over the weeds I'll normally employ a tandem willow.

The Twin Tail is so effective, I often have my grandchildren or first-timers fish it without a skirt, usually on a 1/4-ounce spinnerbait. They catch all kinds of fish, including bass and northern pike. I carry white, yellow, chartreuse and black colors.

Nick Vento, Crivitz, Wis.

Save your deep-hooked bass

So you catch a big one, you look into the fish's mouth and all you can see of your lure is the lead head. Don't kill that fish!

Many times all you have to do is cut your line off, leaving a few inches of line outside the mouth, and put the fish into your livewell. After about 15 to 20 minutes the bass' throat will relax and most of the time the fish will release the hook. Look in your livewell and you'll see your lead sitting on the bottom and your fish doing fine.

You just avoided the dreaded dead fish penalty and won the tournament!

This works about 80 percent of the time. I am still not really 100 percent sure why this happens but I think it has a lot to do with the darkness of a closed livewell and that many times when a fish swallows a bait the hook never really sets, so if not moved around by hand the hook and lead can be regurgitated.

Mark Byrne, Lacey, Wash.

I want my lure back!

Try this for efficiency: There are a lot of lure retrievers out there, most of which slide down your line but can't get your lure out of a tree or paint your house. To the end of an aluminum 6-foot to 12-foot extendable paint roller extension pole, clamp three 10-inch pieces of small link chain at 12 o'clock, 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock with a hose clamp; total cost around $18. Stretch the pole to the length needed, whether for underwater or in a tree, and retrieve the errant lure by hooking the chains into the lure's hooks. The pole, when contracted, is easily storable in a rod locker, and when contracted can also be used as a boat hook. Of course, this is all done right after you make the missus happy by painting the house.

Gene Enders, Harrison, Ohio

Customizing your hooks

I have not had much luck finding weighted EWG hooks that match my preferred hook size and weight. What I have done is take my favorite EWG hook and wrap lead strips (Storm brand with adhesive backing) to the hook shank. I wrap the lead strip in an overlapping fashion, covering about half the strip width with each wrap — just like putting rod wrap around your rod handle. This allows me to create various hook size and weight combinations. This is especially useful when rigging many of the new swimbaits that require very large hooks — most of which are not weighted! Another benefit is cost; you can make a lot of hooks for not a lot of money.

Andy Brode, Mooresville, N.C.

Keep your worms alive, and your wife happy

Has your wife been hollering at you because she found your carton of night crawlers in the refrigerator again? Mine did nearly all the time, and when I came home from a long day of fishing she would be at the door to greet me with a trashcan. I didn't understand why she would get all upset; I mean, night crawlers are full of protein, right?

Well, after getting tired of having my live bait die either due to the hot weather or from going to the trash, I began to look for a way to keep my bait alive. I rummaged through the garage looking for something to put them in, without the use of refrigeration. I decided to use a small 5-quart personal cooler. These coolers sell for about $12.99 on Coleman's Web site, but you can find them nearly anywhere. What is great about this is that you can keep your bait inside and alive, and it is completely portable.

Materials needed:

Step 1: Fill the cooler with dirt to about 1 or 2 inches from the top. Do not compact the dirt. The amount of dirt may differ depending on the lid's thickness.

Step 2: Dump your night crawlers into the cooler, allowing them to burrow into the fresh dirt. Sprinkle some water across the top — just enough to keep the dirt moist, but not enough to make your cooler muddy.

Step 3: Add a spoon to help in finding your bait. During especially warm months toss a couple of ice cubes in the cooler; this will keep the dirt cool for your bait.

Step 4: Label your new worm habitat "LIVE BAIT" to keep people from reaching inside for a cold one.

Step 5: Place your favorite decals on it to make it your own.

Jeremy Harris, Santa Ana, Calif.

A wacky solution

Here's my modification to the classic wacky rigged Senko: Buy some small spinners, clevises and red beads. Tie a red 2/0 Octopus hook on a foot-long piece of 20-pound fluorocarbon leader, add the spinners and beads, and tie a small swivel onto the end. Tie the swivel to the end of your fishing line. When you cast this combination it sinks slower than a regular rig, plus the spinner adds flash and vibration. The same when you work it back to the boat. When the hook gets dull, cut the point off and save the pieces for a rainy day to re-rig.

Bob Wilson, Ballston Lake, N.Y.

Make your baits bleed

I carry black and red Sharpies in the boat. If my partner is catching them on a bleeding bait or a firetiger bait, I can quickly alter my bait to "bleed" or I can alter a different color with a Sharpie.

Brian Good, Middlesboro, Ky.

Add some finesse to your spinnerbait

One of my fishing buddies would take a large willowleaf spinnerbait and attach a 6-inch finesse worm as a trailer. He would cast it and let it sink for about four seconds, then jerk the rod up and retrieve it very quickly for about 4 feet, then let it sink and do it again. I've used trailers before and caught bass but that day with the finesse worm he was using, he caught a lot more bass than me and every one was a lot bigger, too. I didn't try it that day but I wish I would have.

Doug Rodgers, Salisbury, N.C.

Try tube jigging This is my method of setting up a tube jig. It's great for fishing open water, or at least not particularly snaggy conditions, and works for both smallies and largemouth bass. Step 1: Start with a quality 1/4-ounce football head jig with roughly a 2/0 hook. I use custom poured jigs on a 2/0 Mustad Ultra Point red hook. Step 2: Line up where the hook eye will stick out of the tube. Step 3: Insert the hook into the spot where you'd like the hook eye to poke out. Step 4: Run the tube down the jig just like you would a Texas rig.

Step 1 Step 3 Step 5 Step 7

Step 2 Step 4 Step 6 Step 8

Step 5: Gently pull the head of the tube over the football.

Step 6: Tear the tube so that the tentacles lay flat and the tube is straight on the jig.

Step 7: Use pliers to bend the hook open a little bit more.

Step 8: Go fish.

The reasons I rig this way are:
1. I don't need to re-tie every time I replace tubes.
2. The jig being completely inside the tube reduces hang ups (not as snaggy).
3. The football head makes the tube stand hook-point-up to reduce snags and increase the likelihood of hooking the bass in the roof of the mouth (reduce throwing the hook).
4. Bending the hook out a bit increases hookups because the tube is so thick and can blow the fish's mouth open on the hook set.
5. It looks more natural with jig inside tube.

Chad T. Keogh, Black Creek, British Columbia

The Bungee Jumper Rig

Jeff Coble (Weekend Series champion) stated recently, "Before, I had the desire but not the means. And now, I have the means but not the desire," when asked why he wouldn't go pro.

As much as I dream of standing on the Classic stage someday, I am realistic enough to know that the chances are so remote that I have a better chance of breaking Mr. Perry's record.

So, I send you this letter revealing my real and only claim to fame. Only two people in this world have seen me use this rig (both family members who would not let the secret out).

The rig works best with Zoom Trick Worms (I've tried everything under the sun).

1. Take a crappie ball head jig, in 1/8- or 1/4-ounce weights, and snip the bend of the hook out (pearl white with black eyes works best, and make sure to snip the line tie eye off as well).

2. Bite the tip of the worm head off about 1/8 inch.

4. Holding the worm by its midsection and with the weight hanging down, thread a 4/0 Owner offset hook from the tail end, downward toward the head. When you're done, the tail will be up, and the jighead will be hanging down.

This rig is deadly on laid over Kissimmee grass where it provides shade and a natural canopy. The bait slides in and out easier than a Sweet Beaver on a 1-ounce Penetrator weight, and because the fish pick it up by the head first, the weight plays no role in turning the fish off.

The day I came in fifth on Kissimmee, I was fishing in 20-mph winds on Toho just outside of the South Port ramp, as well as a grassbed up toward the north end. I also used this tactic on Harris two years ago to catch spawning bass off of lily pad roots, much like several pros did in March in the Elite Series tournament.

Allow the bait to go all the way to the bottom, then raise the line enough to take the slack out and hold the worm upright. After a couple of seconds, shake it like a shaky head (makes tail shiver like mad); if nothing, raise quickly up and down three times and hold against the bottom of the weed canopy (that usually spells the end for any bass watching it).

Fluorocarbon in 20-pound test works best, but #65 braid also works in stained water.

Joe Pepper, Bradenton, Fla.

Splash your buzzbait

My tip is for a buzzbait. Some pros say to reel it in at a consistent speed. I found that in stained water or around heavy cover, when reeling it in, giving it a fast twitch to make it loud and splash more. It gets the fish's attention better than just reeling it in at the same speed.

John Tix, Hastings, Minn.

Confidence builders

Here are a couple of my confidence builders.

Pimp your buzzbait

As avid bass fishermen, we all know to crimp the rivet/keeper behind the blade of our buzzbait to the wire to help impart that magical squeak. Some guys even attach them to their car antennas to aid in the tuning process. I came up with a way to impart squeak by the second cast and avoid having people stare at you and your buzzbait "pimped" ride.

I noticed that the rivet head on most buzzbaits is convex, or rounded, and that when new only a very small percentage of the face touches the blade. That's why the antenna trick works so well; it wears the blade to match the rivet head. I figured I'd cut out that process by using the same needlenose pliers I crimped the rivet to the wire with to flatten out the rivet head. Be sure to flatten it so it is square to the blade and, ta-da: instant squeak!

I must warn you that it does seem to speed up the wear process on the blade somewhat, but the benefits of extra squeak, without the goofy looks from other drivers, seems worth it to me.

Race E. Smith, Jacksonville, Ark.

Cardinal rule

I had a spinnerbait and when its skirt became dry and brittle, I didn't have any other skirts to replace it. So I started looking around and I found some cardinal feathers on the ground. I glued the feathers on the spinnerbait and caught a pretty good bass on the first cast. I thought the cardinal feathers might work because they were red.

Johnny Schwartz, Seymour, Mo.

Toothpicks aren't just for teeth

I always keep a few toothpicks in my tacklebox. When using a bullet weight with my Texas rigged Senko, the tip of a toothpick can be wedged into the front of the weight to keep it from moving about on the line. Toothpicks work best because the water will make the wood swell, thus further securing the weight in place.

Dan Lamont, Milford, Mass.

Make a chattering fluke

With the ChatterBait craze, this is a cool one. Take a smaller ChatterBait (such as a Chatter Frog) and remove the skirt. Then attach a Zoom Fluke or other similar bait and you have a chattering Fluke. Almost a swimbait, but smaller and with different action and sound/vibration. Smallmouth devour this setup.

Any soft plastic can be added. Just experiment with actions and speeds.

Jesse Heinecke, New Richmond, Wis.

Make your tubes work harder

Although tube baits are generally used on the bottom of lakes and rivers, these new ways of fishing them may put more fish in your boat.

Topwater: Take a smoke purple Venom tube and hook it on a 2/0 Owner wide gap hook rigged worm style with the eyelet inside the bait. I use 10-pound-test P-Line fluorocarbon. Glue the bait to the line where it protrudes out of the bait. Bring the hook barb through the bait. I use this on open water and shore riprap; it can also be used over weedbeds. Play this rig like you would a Pop-R/Chug Bug. Pull it, let it sink, then pull it back to the top. You can also just cast it out and let it sink; this works well on suspended largemouth and smallmouth bass. Yamamoto pearl white tubes work well, too.

Crankbait: Take a regular 1/8-ounce tube jig and smash it flat from top to bottom. This can be done with a heavy pair of pliers. This will make the bait run straight like a crankbait. With practice you can make them run at any depth. With a little patience, you can use tube baits from top to bottom. I have finished Angler of the Year in my club five times out of the past 10 years, and fishing tube baits from top to bottom has been a major part of my success. So when someone says I fish only tube baits, I just laugh and say, "Yeah, right!"

Larry Craig, Elizabeth, Pa.

Nifty trick for drop shotting

I have a good tip for those who fish a drop shot rig. Place a rubber bobber stop above and below the hook. It allows an angler to adjust the depth without retying, and it also holds the hook out horizontally.

Jon Christopherson, Burnsville, Minn.

Make your livewell more livable

When fishing in tournaments in the heat of summer, your livewell water temps can be high and stress fish. To help, freeze a 2-liter plastic Coke bottle a few nights before the tournament. Place this in your livewell to keep the water cooler and the fish less stressed. Be sure to take the labels off, as they could clog your aerator pumps.

This next tip is the best I have seen in a long time. My friend who drop shots a lot showed this to me. When using a drop shot and hooking your hook on your rod guide, your line from the hook to the weight is left to dangle. This is a mess waiting to happen, should it be mixed in with other rods in a rod locker or on a boat deck. Instead, take the remaining line with the weight and wrap it around the rod blank. This rotating motion should be perpendicular to the rod blank itself. You should have the line wrapped around the rod blank and the weight resting against the blank when the line is all wound up. This technique also applies to using a "lure keeper" that is sometimes found on rods, just above the top reel seat/cork handle.

If you're really good, you can get the weight spinning with one twist of your wrist. This one motion sends the weight spinning around the rod blank, using centrifugal motion. (As the line gets shorter from wrapping around the blank, it actually makes the weight speed up, not slow down. This is why one twist to get the weight going is all you need.)

Also, use a small ball bearing swivel — no snap — about 4 to 6 feet up your line from the drop shot hook. This will help prevent a lot of line twist. For even better feel, connect braid as your main line to the swivel, and then fluorocarbon as your leader where your drop shot weight and hook connect. This will provide even more sensitivity (braid), without as much line twist (fluoro & mono), and the least amount of visual line the fish see (fluoro tippet).

Scott Ellman, Lake Wylie, S.C.

Run deep, bend the hook and untangle your rods

Get color coordinated

This tip is for what color to use at different times. Use gold for cloudy days in clear water; silver for bright, clear days; chartreuse for cloudy or sunny days in murky water; and black and white for sunny days in stained water.

Joe Gawle, Lockport, Ill.

Custom color your braid

I love fishing braid! I have fished braid so much that even the best fluorocarbons feel like fishing with a rubber band. I love the sensitivity I get with braid. I especially like fishing deep diving crankbaits with braid. I'll use 20-pound test that has the approximate diameter of 6-pound mono. I like to be able to rip the cranks out of the grass, and the grass comes off easier. With fluorocarbon, I have to rip it so hard to get the grass to come off, and a long cast still won't come clean.

My trick I wanted to share is something I've never heard anyone talk about. I like to color the end of my line, at least five feet. Yes, I've seen people do that, but I take it one step further. I use many different colors. There are many different colors of stained water in my area. I can almost camouflage my line to the water clarity. A lot of water has a green tint to it. I have many different shades of green permanent markers to use. I can make my line almost disappear. I use brown in muddy water. I've seen people do this before, but they always use black. In most cases, black will make your line stand out like a sore thumb. The key is matching the color of your line to the water color. If your line is new, it is harder to match these colors. Once you have fished with your line a little bit it will usually turn lighter in color, and then is when you can really match the line color to the water, vegetation or surrounding cover.

Finding the right marker is the biggest challenge. It has to be permanent, and it has to have a big felt tip. Sharpie makes permanent markers in a variety of colors, but the small tip does not cover the line very well. On big markers, I will cut a little slit in the felt to help get complete coverage on my line with fewer strokes. It is very hard to find green and brown in big permanent markers, but it is worth the effort to find them. I wish a line company would make markers especially for coloring your braid. If they could also add some attracting scent to it — man, oh man, would this work!

Shane Smith, Martinsville, Mo.

Dumb luck Senko tip

Most people fish a Senko by throwing it out and simply letting the lure fall. While this will catch a bunch of fish, I think most fishermen miss out on many of the other ways to fish this lure. As with most things in my life, I found this tip by dumb luck.

I was fishing a grassbed and threw my lure too far back into the matted stuff. As I was popping the rod tip and reeling (almost like fishing a topwater lure) I noticed that if fished at the right cadence the Senko would slide from left to right, then right to left.

I started playing with the speed of the retrieve, as I was not getting bit anyway, and out of nowhere a 4-pound bass smacked the lure on the top. I was so shocked I almost forgot to set the hook. After boating three more in an hour I made this one of my primary lures for fishing over grass.

The idea is to throw the lure over grass that is matted to about 1 foot from the water surface. Then hold the rod tip high and pop the lure on a slack line and keep reeling. With a little practice, you can get the right speed and it will dart side to side and spit some water. It is very deadly over the grass — try it and you will see.

Paul Patrick, Fort Worth, Texas

Put a rat to work

The "Rat Pac" is a nickname given to my dad and I on our hometown lake by the other anglers. We have been tournament fishing together for almost 20 years now. A little white mouse has been a part of this 20-year domination. Trophies, money and even a new 18-foot bass boat — a $4 rubber mouse has helped us win thousands of dollars.

The lake is set up perfect for rat fishing. We have flat pads (which is my favorite), moss, duckweed, brush and even open water. A lot of fishermen fish a rat or frog but I think our success is due to watching the other fishermen. We have refined rat fishing to a science. Rain or shine, hot or cool, early and late, we make it work. The secret to how we fish our rat is how everyone else is not.

My dad will throw a rat right out of the package. Me, I'm a little different. I will add a rattle and also remove the factory weight. I think it makes the rat roll over cover with more noise from the rattle and less water movement. Seeing a missed blow up and throwing back to the same spot, knowing the fish is there with that final explosion, then fighting it across 30 feet of the messiest mass of junk has got to be the biggest rush in my weekend warrior days.

We will start fishing a rat as early as May and until October. In Ohio, that is early. The hottest part of the day, when the dragonflies are out, is our best time on flat pads. We head for moss on a cloudy day and duckweed in the rain. Open water is anytime in between. This is not our only bait or technique, but it is our go-to bait. Anyone not rat fishing or froggin' is missing a great time.

Jim Wallace, Ada, Ohio

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