Featured Tip

Ding 'Em Up

The YUM Dinger line of soft plastics have done more for my fishing than any other bait on the market. One of my favorite techniques is during the post-spawn. I rig a YUM Dinger wacky style. I do this by running the hook right through the middle without a weight. I use a spinning rod and skip the bait right under docks and overhanging trees.

There are fish suspended between 5 and 10 feet below the surface. I let the dinger free fall on slack line until it reaches the desired depth and then pick it up a couple of feet and let it fall again. The Dinger has a horizontal fall that bass absolutely love. During this time of year the bass are not very active and most of the time you won’t even feel them bite, there will just be a little extra weight on the end of the line.

I work it out from under the cover and throw it again. The 5 inch version is ideal for water that has a little bit of stain or when you want to target bigger fish. The 4 inch version is my go-to bait when it is really tough. There have been several times when the 4 inch YUM Dinger has caught tons of bass for me when no one else can get a bite. The biggest advantage for YUM Dinger is the fact that they don’t tear up after one fish. I have used other brands only to find out that they won’t hold up to this type of presentation. They either rip in half after a few casts or just one fish.

By BRAD SMITH

Brad Smith, of Van Buren, Ark., is a bass pro and guide on the Arkansas River.

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Fishing Grappler Shads in Rivers - The new Grappler Shad (CD15) by Cotton Cordell is one of the most versatile...
The Key to Using a Heddon Torpedo - Heddon Torpedoes are legendary topwater lures for a reason. These propeller...
Stay In The Zone For Suspended Bass - Suspended bass can be some of the most difficult fish to catch — simply bec...
Rogues for Multiple Species - This lure can be primarily used for striped bass but can also be used for s...
Figure Out The Cold Front Soft Bite - Sometimes I find myself on clear water after a cold front and the water tem...
A Great Spot For Spring - One of the most frequently asked questions thrown my way during spring guid...
Virtually Invisible Underwater! - Silver Thread Fluorocarbon is virtually invisible under water but has excel...
A Spoon For Any Situation - Spoons come in many different colors, sizes, and styles. You can find spoon...
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Samurai Striper - Whether it is saltwater, hybrid or white bass, there is no better time to c...
Fish Extreme When Nothing Else Works - When fishing at Beaver Lake in a 2003 BFL tournament, I had decided to try ...
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Lighten Up When You Flip - In my opinion, there is nothing more fun than using a flipping stick, 20-po...
Topwater CrawBug'n - Everyone is talking about how productive the 4" YUM CrawBug is. But I'm cat...
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"Go-To" Gonzos - In winter here in California, we find that the tournaments are scheduled ar...
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