| WARM WEATHER FISHING AND WORM FISHING TIPS |
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| Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:59 |
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WARM WEATHER FISHING AND WORM FISHING TIPS – Oklahoma Outdoors: June 16, 2011 The summer heat wave is here, so fishing tactics have to change. Fish early and stay late in this heat. Older fishermen, like myself, have had skin cancers melted off while we watched smoke spiraling off our face and arms. Be sure to wear sunscreen, broad brim hats and fishing shirts. I wear Bass Pro Shop’s “World Wide Angler” shirts that are thin and cool. They even have air vents to let a little breeze in. Topwater lures like PRADCO Lure Company’s Smithwick Devil’s Horse, REBEL POP R, Stanley spinnerbaits and Ribbit Frog are good lures to use early and late. Don’t forget Rat-L-Traps for schooling fish. Putting your rods and reels in the back of a pickup truck is no way to treat high-dollar fishing tackle. The best way to haul rods and reels is in a bag I got at the BPS. It’s called the “Extreme Combo Caddy.” It will secure as many as eight rods up to seven feet long with reels attached. It’s made of heavy-duty water resistant material, is padded and will protect your gear. It’s listed on pg. 169 of the Spring 2011 Fishing Catalog. I keep my rods in it all the time. Currently, I am reading ROLAND MARTIN’S 101 BASS CATCHING SECRETS. I have met Roland on several occasions and he’s a fishing machine. This book tells you how and why you use different rods and lures to be a successful angler. Here’s an example from Roland’s book: The six-inch dark grape or purple worm rigged Texas-style is the most popular of all the rigs. A poll of plastic worm manufacturers revealed that of all their worms sold, nearly 40% are six-inch purple or dark grape. The second choice is six-inch black. Black is an extremely popular color during spawning season. The third most popular size and color is the six-inch blue worm. Blue seems to be a particularly good hot-weather color after the fish have spawned and moved to deeper water. Red and green colors also sell pretty well. In a recent FIELD AND STREAM article, they selected green pumpkin as the best all-around color. Local Hugo Lake anglers prefer blue and black colored plastics and white spinnerbaits with blaze orange blades. Roland prefers five or six inch worms for catching medium size bass. He catches more keepers on the six-inch worm. If he’s after trophy fish, he uses eight, nine and even 10-inch worms. Very few bass are caught on plastic worms in water cooler than 55 degrees. Plastic worms start when the water temperature reaches 60 to 65 degrees. In the book, Roland says “I prefer a 3/0 hook with a six-inch plastic worm; a 4/0 for a seven- inch worm; a 5/0 for an eight-inch worm and a 6/0 for a nine-inch worm.” For worm weights, he likes a 1/16 oz. lead for 8 to 10 pound test line. With light line in ultra-clear water, he uses a 3/8 oz. slip sinker for 30 feet of water. With heavier lines, you need heavier worm weights. In 4 to 5 foot depth of water, he uses a 1/8 oz. weight. If you’re interested in how to be a better fisherman, then buy his book. And, please use plenty of sunscreen. - L.FRY |