Featured Tip

Fishing Grappler Shads in Rivers

The new Grappler Shad (CD15) by Cotton Cordell is one of the most versatile lures to hit the market today. On the Mississippi River here in Minnesota I count on multiple techniques to catch walleyes for my clients and me on any given day.

In the late fall however, I rely on trolling deep rip-rap lined shorelines for taking above average walleyes. Keeping and maintaining bottom contact while you troll is a must for triggering and catching fish of all species in a river. At this time of year, speed can also play a key role in provoking fish to strike. The Grappler Shad is a lure that you can count on running true right out of the box regardless of your trolling speeds without any tuning necessary.

With this piece of mind, I have some of my best luck trolling at speeds close to 3 mph. At this pace, strikes are very explosive and exciting. Trolling at this pace on rocky terrain can definitely create havoc on your average crankbait. The Grappler Shad’s solid plastic molded body and bill results in miles and miles of worry free trolling. I have seen other lures simply fall apart in these harsh unforgiving conditions.

By STEVE DEZURIK

Steve Dezurik guides for walleyes and smallmouth bass in Minnesota. Steve also competes as a professional walleye angler in the PWT. For more information on Steve log onto www.stevedezurik.com.

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You Can Swim, But You Can't Hide - When fish are foraging on small baitfish, the new Grappler Shad does its ow...
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...
Late Fall Means Topwater Feeding Frenzy - Late fall can mean only one thing to a bass fisherman. Feeding Frenzy! Thi...
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 ...
Tricks And Tips For The YUM Tube - When you use a YUM Tube, most of the time you’ll fish it Texas rigged. Howe...
Drop-Shot a YUM Dinger For A Different Approach - While most people think of the YUM Dinger as a "weightless free-fall" bait,...
Ding 'Em Up - The YUM Dinger line of soft plastics have done more for my fishing than any...
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...
YUM Wooly Beavertail Sees Action Year-round - This is one of my favorite year-round lures. When there is a cold front wit...
"Go-To" Gonzos - In winter here in California, we find that the tournaments are scheduled ar...
Jerkbaits After the Spawn - A jerkbait can be used year-round. One of the most overlooked times is in t...
Suspending Bomber Pro 15AP Irresistible To Cold-Water Walleyes - The Bomber minnow imitator crankbait has long been known as a great jerkbai...
Finesse Crank For Post-Spawn Bass - Finesse cranking is great when the water warms and the bass are in a post-s...