One thing I've learned watching hours of underwater videos of bass eating lures, is that little things count. Glen Lau has incredible footage of large bass taking lures (surface to bottom) of different designs, actions and presentations. Much of the footage was taken in gin clear water in Florida of some bass taking their good ol time looking at some lures or reflex stricking others, ambush style. This suggestion concerns bass that mosey up to a lure when it's good and ready.

We all know the value of finesse in fishing. Those guys out west who fish clear deep lakes sure as Hell do! Finesse baits, small diameter line with slight action imparted is what gets bit. Less is best but more of less it better.

Here's an example. Back to Glen Lau video, Homer Circle cast a 5" jerk bait and twitched it only once after a minute. He knew a five pound bass was present because Glen told him exactly were it was. A minute is a long time in human terms, but to a bass where time is way slowed down (depending on activity level) a minute seems less when it's time to eat an object that meets its extremely basic food criteria. The bait was totally unnatural in color - a bright yellow with coachdog pattern and the bass watched it for at least 15 second before slamming it! If Homer had moved the bait mopre and out of the strike zone, I doubt the fish would have been caught, even on another cast.

Finesse and shakey worms are usually soft and undulate with the least amount of rod tip action. Like the jerk bait above, less horizontal movement is best and bass who are curious watch a lure while the angler slowly builds suspense and irritates the fish into striking.

Here's and example of a simple improvement thatmakes all the difference and fallwithin the idea that little things matter. Look at the craw bait pictured.

Originally the the lure has six side legs and a fan shpaed tail. The lure's action swas sacrificed for a human's appreciation of crawfish anatomy. Bass never studied zoology and therefore care less if there's six , eight or thirteen legs! It doesn't take note of the absence of antennae, fan tail or eyes nor of unusual craw colors, but is aware of tiny motions that tickle it's lateral line.

To give the original bait the type of action I believe would improve or increase subtle action, I made the following modifications:

1. cut off the front antennae.

2. thinned the claw attachments to the body

3. cut off the fan tail

4. added silicone skirt strands

5. cut off the side legs leaving stumps for texture

The creature-bug now has far better action than the stiff bait the designers intended to impress anglers over bass. After seeing no interest in the original, I tested the modified bait in my pond. A small bass mosied up to the lure three feet down in some tree branches. I did the shakey thing once and then nothing. The legs still moved with rod tip held steady.

Within a minute (again a short time to an inactive fish), the 12" bass glided over and inhaled the bait. The sequence proved to me what Glen Lau's video showed me a long time ago - more of less and less of more can really make a difference!

Thanks for reading and (hopefully) keeping an open mind.

Frankm

I enjoyed your article, good read and very informative. Thanks for taking the trouble Frank.

Dave