January is usually a pretty cold month, but my man and fellow Dobyns Rods teammate Paul Mueller is heating things up with a great video on the Rein CrawTube. As always Paul's videos are loaded with monster fish as well as tips and tricks on how to get the best out of your baits.
This particular video features the Reins CrawTube, a great all around bait for flipping docks and dragging rocks. I'll let Paul give your the low down...
Paul Weapons of Choice when fishing the CrawTube:
In case your one of those guys that didn't watch the whole video and only watched Paul slay a few fish, here are some details your may have missed.. as well as his Rod choices not actually covered in the video.
Ok, so it has been awhile since I posted a Dobyns Rod tip of the month.. and even longer since I posted a video from my good buddy Paul Mueller.. so why not kill two birds with one stone
In the July tip of the month Paul will walk you through his process of attacking docks with a swim jig. He not only explains his presentation but what equipment you'll need and how to set up your reel if you wan to get the job done properly.
to check out more of Paul's videos check out his Youtube page HERE, and if you want to keep up on all Dobyns Rods Tips of the Month all you need to do is "like" their Facebook page found HERE
There are some exciting things happening at Daiwa HQ, and although "Project T" is still officially on the down-low, over the next few months Team Daiwa will be teasing and tempting us with 10 web videos leading up to the official launch at ICAST 2013
If you are a stickler for punishment (like me) be sure to check out "Episode 1" and get ready for the next generation of Daiwa reel
Project T is coming! watch the right side panel for weekly "project T" videos as they become available
Episode 2: May 15th 2013.. First Sighting
Episode #3 - May 22nd 2012.. the features
Episode 4: May 29th.. USA Pro's Teaser
Episode 5: June 5th.. More Ish
Episode 6: June 11th.. Lite-weight affordable reel!
One bait that surprised me this past season is the Roumba from IMA baits. This wake/subsurface bait provides you with things that many other shallow water hard baits don't or simply cant... that includes size, stealth and some seriously crazy action.
Lets start off by talking size, although the Rumba only comes in at 3 inches in length it makes up this shortfall in it's girth (insert joke here) and it's weight (just over 1/2oz). The wide body gives this bait a great profile in the water and is one of the main characteristics behind the baits erratic action in the water.
When it comes to the baits performance, you may be surprised to hear me use the word stealth, yes it is large and it is heavy, but it fishes like a ninja and will catch fish unaware, and force them to strike. The Roumba can be fished above or below the surface but I personally prefer to keep it on top. Quick jerks or taps with the rod tip will give the Roumba a seizure, and in turn drives fish crazy.
I have heard the Roumba called a "search" bait, and I guess I can agree with that, but not in a traditional sense of the word. I don't spray cast this bait over open areas of water looking for fish, but instead use it to find fish in areas fish like to hide.. the Roumba is a "go get 'em" bait. Cast it over or around various forms of structure and watch as the fish come out of hiding to come get it, kill it, and eat it.
I love to slow crawl the Roumba over submerged timber or make it dance on the roof of a weeded. This bait has replaced the Manns Baby -1 that I previously used in these situations.
I have started to carry 4 with me on the water (3 of them you can see below) and will be adding a 5th after I watched Paul's video (see below). The Bone and BlueGill colours are a must have in your tackle bag.. this last color is a "fisherman catcher" just way to cool to pass up but does not add much that the other two havent provided. The Roumba can be purchased in a Rattling and non Rattling version, me I like the rattle, so most of mine are Rattlin' Roumbas, this adds some weight, and makes it a bit less "ninjay" (pronounces NIN JA EE, and yes I just made that word up)
Hey, If you don't want to take my word for it, check out the below video from fellow Dobyns team member Paul Mueller..
You may have noticed that I post quite a few Paul Meuller videos, every video that I can get my hands on actually.
The reason is, the dude is a flat out "stick" and makes some of the best free information and instructional videos available on the web today. If you have missed some of Pauls pervious videos be sure to click on the "HERE" or check out the Video label section on the bottom right hand side of my home page
before you do that though, spend a few minutes to watch 2 new smallmouth videos
There are some pretty talented anglers on the water today, that swear by the jerkbait, and just slay fish with them on a pretty regular basis, personally for me it is a technique that is a work in progress, a part of my continuos learning or back to school program... and you know what the best part about learning a new technique is? it's buying the school supplies, and in this case that means new Baits.. IMA Flits to be exact.
With all the jerkbaits on the market today, how did I come to this discussion you may ask?, well the answer is easy, I read reviews, watched videos and talked to fellow anglers, and the last straw was an awesome smallie video by fellow Dobyns Pro Staffer Paul Meuller, within minutes of watching the video I had placed an order for 4 Flits (2 in the 100 series and 2 in the 120 series) I then shot Paul a short message letting him know that his video just cost me some money. (and maybe some time on the sofa when my wife see the bill)
If you have yet to check out Paul's video it s on the bottom of this post, and is well worth a watch, just hide your wallet
(Ghost Tennessee Shad & Bone)
Ok, now back to the baits. it is no secret that Im a pretty big fan of IMA lures, I use their square-bills, the Skimmer, the Big Stick and the Roumba, and now you can add the Flit to that list. This sweet little jerk-bait comes equipped with all the perks you would expect from a high end jerkbait, and a few surprises.
Lets Start off with the Flit 100..
Coming in at just a hair under 4 inches in the length the Flit 100 sports a pair of sticky sharp #6 Owner hooks, and weighs in at 3/8oz... before you ask, yes the Flit is a suspending jerkbait that faces nose down when paused... thats jerkabit 101.. But unlike other baits in the same category, the Flit 100 was designed with two secret talents that really add to it' appeal
First off the wide back, square sides and narrow belly not only give the Flit it's erratic movement in the water, but it also helps to angle the baits flash downward.. this is the direction in which most predator fish will be attacking the bait, so why not exploit it?
The second secret that the Flit 100 hides is it's great raised scale pattern, and light holographic touch. You can see both of these traits in the above image. These may seem like small additions, but they really give the bait a realistic finish and when you combine that with the Flits motion in the water, no fish is safe.
(Ghost Minnow & Matte BlueGill)
The Flit 120 is really just the big brother to the 100 series. It has an additional 3/4 inches of length and of course one extra #6 Owner treble. The Flit 120 fishes deeper then it's little brother and can and will reach depths of about 6ft (rated between 3-6ft). It has the same great shape as the 100, but you do loose the raised scale pattern on the baits sides.. don't ask me why.
Even thought these two brothers have their differences they do share some family traits, we already talked about the external body shape, so lets now look at the inside. The Flit family is designed with internal triangle compartments that help to better control and bolster the sound given off by the collection of tiny ball bearings hidden inside. Not only does the triangle design keep things moving in there, but it also makes it harder for the ball bearings to jam, thus effecting the sound of the bait in the water.
(Top: Flit 120 Matte Blue Gill Bottom: Flit 100 Bone)
If your looking to add a couple jerkbaits to your arsenal, I dont think you can go wrong with the IMA Flit. This bait is designed well for a beginner (like me) and a pro alike, it is nearly impossible to fish wrong, and the slender body and tight erratic action, mean you can fish this bait all day long without wearing down your arms and back. it is available in an awesome array of 15 color and with the two sizes you should be able to fish this jerkbait in any condition. .. Dont take it from me, Im just a beginner.. take it from Paul..
I will start off by saying Im sorry, I know the quality of these pics (and video) are not good. But I was on the road and did not have my camera with me, so I had to make due with my Iphone camera.. and as you can tell Im still rocking an older model 3GS (crappy camera)
But I really wanted to share the cool new baits I came across while at my local tackle shop. The first in which is not exactly new.. The Sebile Koolie minnow has been around since 2008/2009, but Sebile baits are not exactly common in my neck of the woods, so this was the first time I was able to lay eyes on one. I was immediately blown away by the water transfer system found in the "possessed series" a High shimmer water solution moves extremely well inside the body of the bait, not only improving your casting distance but also helping give the bait is unique action and look. Speaking of which, this minnow has one of the coolest body shapes of any of the minnows I have seen on the market today, with it's Quasimoto hump back design and the flat belly, this minnow offers a very unique movement in the water.
(Koole Minnow - PZ Natural Dk. Blue Back)
The second bait I came across is a new bait to the Sebile line, the D&S Crank (pictured at the top of this page) was introduced at ICAST 2011, and took home "best in show" in the hard bait category... And if you thought the Koolie minnow was unique, I bet you have never seen anything like the D&S crank.
Look Ma' no trebles!
Thats right the D&S crank has replaced the front and back treble hooks with one floating EWG hook(or "gravity snag-less hook system") . The hook is attached the the body of the bait in a way that allows it to constantly stay in line with the the body of the bait no matter the retrieve,speed and thus lowering the risk of snags. When a fish hammers a D&S crank the gravity system helps set the hook for you by projecting upwards. This is one cool bait. But only available in a deep diver (20-28ft) it is a bait that would see little action in my arsenal, so it stayed on the store shelf.
Not only did I take the two low quality images above, but I also took a really poor quality video (hey Im honest). So here is the first video in a new series entitled "Crappy Iphone Videos"
This is short little video gives props to my all time favorite bass rod. The Dobyns 735c, a stellar rod when it comes to frog fishing, and in this video Justin also proves the point the it is also the AK47 of Jig fishing.
be sure to check out Justins site for even more cool videos.. HERE
Westernbass.com has a pretty cool video segment called "Ask Gary" it is a filmed Q&A session in which Gary Dobyns takes time to answer questions from a group of anglers that sat in on his seminar, and those who submitted questions on-line
If you cant make it to a seminar to hear Gary speak in person, be sure to check out the video segments posted on westernbass.com. They are short and sweet and in 10-15 minutes you get a recap of all of Gary's answers.
Im not much of a Jerkbait guy, but since Gary is the master, I knew it would be worth my time to watch the below video. If you want a crash course in throwing a jerkbait.. check out the below link
This is just a fun little commerical spot for Dobyns rods, kinda reminds me of a classic movie trailer. Hey in the depths of winter, this is the kind of movie I want to see.
Well Dobyns Prostaffer Paul Meuller is at it again, here is yet another quality video on a technique that has proven its worth in over the past few years. In this video Paul takes the time to show you the value of using your electronics while drop shotting.. take a peek
Like most of you guys I love to watch fishing videos, and today I was passed a video from a buddy showing some tips for Fall turn over fishing. I don't know about you, but for me the fall turn over is one of the hardest seasons to fish. In the video Paul sheds some light on some techniques to help put fish in the boat.. and he does that well, in this video.
As a Frog fisherman I learned early to make multiple casts to the same spot, but when fishing cranks and other steady retrieve baits this is often an overlooked task.. But as this video shows multiple casts to the same spot is one of the keys to being successful in the fall turn over. This is just one of the many tips Paul shares, and you get to watch him land one jumbo smallie after another.. take a peek
Be sure to check out more of Paul's videos on YouTube
