Brand New Must-Have Swimbait – The Cull Shad

Brand New Must-Have Swimbait – The Cull Shad

    Over the past few months, the Berkley Cull Shad soft swimbait has gotten a lot of buzz. Even before it was introduced, a lot of guys at the pro level were experiencing some big catches on it and the cat got out of the bag early. (Pre-order Now Available.) First, the basics. It comes in two sizes. There’s a 6-inch model for when bass are feeding on smaller forage like little shad, herring and juvenile perch. There’s also the Big Mama, an 8-incher for when they’re eating gizzard shad, big shiners, trout, hitch and other larger bait. Both […]

The Ultimate Spinnerbait Series – Retrieves and Tackle

The Ultimate Spinnerbait Series – Retrieves and Tackle

In the first part of my Ultimate Spinnerbait Series, I outlined when and where I use different kinds of spinnerbaits. It’s one of the greatest categories of lures ever made, but if you don’t dial in the proper retrieve, having the right blade style, color and other components really doesn’t matter. The good news: with three basic retrieves, you can maximize your effectiveness. I tailor them to the different zones of the water column – top, middle and bottom – and by thinking of it that way, you can really improve your game. For the top of the water column, […]

Now’s the Time for a Buzzbait or a Walkin’ Stick

Now’s the Time for a Buzzbait or a Walkin’ Stick

At this point it’s postspawn or early summer almost everywhere. That’s important because fish are totally controlled by their environment. They’re slow when the water’s cold and they’re active when it’s warm. The water’s warm right now, and that means they’re active. They need to eat.  When they’re active and feeding heavily there are lots of ways to catch them. One of the best — big fish and explosive action — is on top. And, there’s not a better pair of topwater plugs to do that with than a buzzbait or a walkin’ stick. The reason I picked these two […]