Bass Fishing Tips

Learn why Bassmaster Elite Series pro Micah Frazier keeps a Devil’s Horse handy throughout spring and how he fishes this classic topwater lure.

If you think the Smithwick Devil’s Horse is a one-trick pony, listen to what Bassmaster Elite Series pro Micah Frazier has to say. In his view, this three-hook prop bait is a bona fide attention getter with broad bass fishing applications — particularly during the spawning season.

Effective at riling up big bass in all three stages of the spring ritual, the Devil’s Horse employs a bold, intrusive presence that quickly wears out its welcome. Far more flamboyant than a walking topwater, this bait’s drawing power and deal-closing potential is unquestionable.

Pre-spawn bass fishing approaches are pretty straightforward: Cover water and look for fish staging on docks, laydowns, rocky points, grass lines, etc. Once the spawn begins, the fish will move much shallower, and while sight fishing certainly plays a big role, it’s not the only game in town.

“In the springtime, this bait is one of the best ways to catch the big females without looking at them,” Frazier said. “A lot of times, if you can get that bait over a bed, or around a bed, a lot of times, the fish will bite it before you get up there and spook it. With a blade in the front and the back, it aggravates those big females into biting.”

Regarding locations, Frazier said, “When you’re in a spawning scenario, you want to throw that bait where you think there’s a high likelihood of there being a bed. If there’s a hole in the grass, a little protected pocket on the bank, or a laydown — just something where you think the odds are that there’s a bed.”

Heavy metal jigging lures, including spoons and blade baits are among the best lures for catching bass in cold water – IF you know the right techniques!

There is a lot of fishless water in the winter. -Frank Scalish

Sounds like a gloomy outlook, but it’s not. In fact, the opposite is true, and understanding this aspect of winter bass fishing is key to tapping into what can be some of the fastest fishing action of the year. It also explains why Scalish really likes jigging spoons and blade baits, like a Heddon Sonar, during winter.

“Fishless water is a bad thing if that’s where you’re trying to fish,” said Scalish, a legendary Ohio angler and lure painter and former nationally touring bass pro. “But where you find them, you find a bunch of them, and the fishing can be really good!”

Winter bass often relate to shad and hold tight to bottom structure, and spoons and blade baits work wonderfully for winter bass fishing because you can work that zone precisely and imitate shad that are winter chilled or even dying in the cold water.

Any time you can tie on a lure in the morning and fish it confidently all day, that’s a good thing. Make that a topwater lure that prompts violent attacks, and a good thing becomes a great thing!

Welcome to autumn.

Moderating water temperatures, an instinctive drive to “feed up” before winter and shallow congregations of shad and other forage species make bass active and prompt them to look high in the water column this time of year. Surface lures get their attention and prompt strikes all day long.

Some lures don’t get talked about much, but not because they don’t produce fish. In truth, the opposite situation sometimes prompts silence. Because certain lures catch so many fish, anglers in the know want to keep their secret a secret. That is, until such a lure goes out of production because not enough anglers knew of its magic. Then everyone starts talking about that lure, clamoring for its return, and the longer it remains gone, the louder the chatter grows.

Such is been the story of Cotton Cordell’s Tail Weighted Boy Howdy, and the buzz from fishermen all over the nation eventually grew so loud that Cotton Cordell decided to bring back this topwater classic, which has been described “the most effective do-nothing lure ever created.”

Unlike the traditional Boy Howdy, the Tail Weighted Boy Howdy has no blades. It is a pencil-style topwater lure, and tail weighting makes it stand up when not in motion.

Short version: War Eagle’s new Jiu-Jigsu is the ultimate flipping jig.

Easy to say, of course. Details back this bold assertion, though. War Eagle worked closely with pro staff to develop the Jiu-Jigsu, incorporating every detail top pros had never found in a single jig and then allowing the same pros to put prototypes through rigorous testing.

A flipping jig must winch heavyweight bass out of seriously thick stuff, so everything begins with the hook, which is a super stout Owner Zo-Wire hook. The modified Arkie-style 5/8-ounce head is powder coated for extreme durability and features a recessed eye that helps this jig crawl through dense cover without getting hung. A dozen exclusive colors of premium Hole-In-One Skirts provide the perfect amount of bulk and movement and ideal color combinations for every flipping and pitching situation.

Adding functionality, the Jiu-Jigsu features a weedguard that keeps you out of trouble but flexes just enough for unimpeded hooksets. A wire keeper, meanwhile, makes it easy to complete your offering with any type of trailer.

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