The Tokyo Rig, Part 1

The Tokyo Rig, Part 1

This is the first part of a series on a rig that has revolutionized bass fishing rigs. At one time it was called the leadered punch shot rig. But, now everyone calls it the Tokyo rig.  Here’s the general idea: The line from your reel attaches to a barrel swivel. Attached to the swivel is a welded O-ring. It’s not a split ring. It’s solid. It’s closed. Also attached to the O-ring is the hook. Now, over the next few weeks we’ll talk about what kind of hook we want to use. VMC has four setups with different style hooks […]

Old School Baits That Never Go Away

Old School Baits That Never Go Away

I get asked all the time for my recommendation on old school baits that still work today. There are a lot of them around, and I own several of almost every one ever made. Still, I have favorites. In no particular order, here are my top three… The Rapala Original Floating Minnow  I don’t really know how old these things are but I can say they’ve been around forever. I had one as one of the first bass fishing lures I ever owned. It caught fish back then, and it’ll catch them now. They come in a lot of sizes. […]

Swim a Worm

Swim a Worm

This time we’re going to talk about an old technique that’s not used much anymore outside of Florida. It’s pretty basic, all you do is wind a Texas rigged worm through the water instead of letting it sit, quiver, hop or drag along the bottom. I used this technique when I won the 2003 Bassmaster Classic on the Louisiana Delta. It was one of three that were critical to my success. The place to start when you want to make a swimming worm is with the weight. I go light. My lightest selection is 1/16-ounce and my heaviest is a […]