Make this fall your most successful fishing season yet with this simple tip (Issue 293)

PRESENTED BY: Sunline

New Powder Paints from CS Coatings and Do-it Molds

Do-It Molds and CS Coatings have teamed up once again to deliver exciting new options for custom tackle makers, introducing two stunning powder paint colors – Perch and Cotton Candy. This collaboration brings together Do-It’s expertise in high-quality tackle molds and CS Coatings’ industry-leading powder paint technology, offering anglers the ability to enhance their creations with vibrant, durable finishes. Whether you’re mimicking the natural hues of a perch or adding a pop of color with the playful cotton candy shade, these new colors are designed to give your custom tackle an edge on the water and help you stand out in the world of tackle crafting.

BOT Archives

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Pangrac’s Rod Choices For Finesse Rigs

When it comes to finesse rigs, spinning rods are usually required to get the job done. However, many spinning rods on the market either don’t have enough backbone to land big fish or are too stiff or heavy. Bassmaster Opens pro and Bass Talk Live host Matt Pangrac has two different rods he reaches for when throwing finesse rigs, and it all depends on whether he is fishing open water or heavier cover when deciding which one to choose. See a short video on his favorite finesse fishing setup here. When fishing around vertical and horizontal structure such as dock posts, cross braces, or brush piles, he reaches for a 7-foot 4-inch medium heavy power Denali Lithium Pro spinning rod. He prefers this rod during heavy cover situations because it has enough backbone to pull the fish out of the heavy cover while still having enough sensitivity to feel the most subtle bites. The longer length also allows for longer casts when fishing deep heavy structure and better handling when dealing with bigger fish by the boat. The moderate fast action tip on this rod allows for the rod to load up well when setting the hook and prevents the angler from pulling the hook out of the fish’s mouth when they fight. When fishing more open water finesse situations like when he is using his forward-facing sonar, Pangrac reaches for a 7-foot medium power Denali Android drop shot spinning rod paired with a Denali Fission Pro 2000 spinning reel. This rod has a fast tip which allows for working the bait effectively, and the shorter length makes it easier for making short accurate pitches which is crucial when trying to hit the fish directly on the head when locating them with forward-facing sonar. Many rods on the market will be super strong in backbone, but they often sacrifice sensitivity and will often be too stiff. The Android Series rods have the perfect balance of sensitivity and backbone paired with the perfect amount of forgiveness in the rod tip allowing for small movements in the lure and for the rod to load up well before setting the hook. Small movements in the lure are crucial when finesse fishing or “dinking and dunking” as Pangrac likes to call it! Too stiff of a rod tip will often result in working the lure too fast giving it little action whatsoever, but with a soft tip, an angler can twitch finesse baits like drop shots, neko rigs, and jig head/minnow combinations effectively giving it the action that it needs to entice the fish to bite. Just as if twitching a lure on a semi-slack line allows for more action, it’s the same concept when twitching a lure with a softer rod tip.

Try these two finesse setups next time you’re out on the water

Born out of necessity for deceiving some of the most finicky bass in the world, the Duo Realis Bayruf Seek 85S FW Under Walker delivers a wobble-slide motion that anglers can adapt to fish behavior by varying speed and rod tip action. Ideal for shallow water and long casts, the lipless design of the Bayruf Seek 85S triggers the predatory instincts of fish by unexpectedly changing directions as you twitch and jerk it through the water column. Offering a killer shimmy action on the descent, the Duo Realis Bayruf Seek 85S FW Under Walker is a great tool for capitalizing on tricky bites in a variety of water depths. Check out the full selection here.

PRESENTED BY: Gamakatsu

Ready to up your game with chatterbaits? John Crews shares his expert tips on using chatterbaits to catch fall bass in this exclusive video from Bass Resource. You’ll learn the best chatterbait colors and setups for different conditions, how to trigger more strikes with erratic retrieves, and why chatterbaits are a top choice for both largemouth and smallmouth bass. Watch Now and make this fall your most successful fishing season yet! Check out the full video here.

PRESENTED BY: Denali

Anthony Gagliardi

Photo Courtesy Of Major League Fishing

Major League Fishing professional Anthony Gagliardi’s sponsors include Suzuki, Falcon Boats, MillerTech Batteries, Batson Enterprises and Rainshadow Rod Blanks, Garmin, Blackfish Gear, Lake Murray Country, Costa, and Gamma just to name a few.

AFTCO Breakwater Gloves

Fall Fishing can bring some of the best fishing of the entire season, but with that great fishing comes the need to stay comfortable in cold and wet fall weather. No matter what your choice of species or tackle is, having warm hands is the key to a successful day. While big, bulky waterproof gloves can keep your hands warm, they often make it challenging to operate baitcast or spinning tackle. On the other hand, thin gloves offer dexterity but fail to keep your hands warm and dry. AFTCO has solved that challenge with the new Breakwater gloves, and they will make your fall fishing drier and warmer. The Breakwater waterproof fishing gloves are made with a 100% waterproof membrane to keep water out and comfort locked in. They are soft to the touch on the outside and very comfortable from a 4-way stretch fabric construction. This gives your hands the ability to move and easily operate spinning or baitcast reels. These gloves allow you to feather your baitcast reel to make any cast or finesse spin the lightest line on a spinning reel. The palms and insides of the fingers have a tacky finish that provides extraordinary grip on any surface in the wettest of conditions. While soft and flexible on the outside, the construction inside the Breakwater glove features a 100% waterproof membrane to ensure your hands stay dry, no matter how much it rains or storms. Effective use of electronics when fishing or boating has never been more important, and the Breakwater gloves optimize your efficiency with your electronics in bad weather with touch screen compatible fingertips on the thumbs and index fingers of each glove. No more having to take your gloves off to make an electronics adjustment or send a text on your phone. The Breakwater gloves have arrived just in time for fall and winter fishing and are available in three sizes: medium, large, and x-large. AFTCO angler Mark Zona tested these gloves last fall and winter and was impressed by the performance he found with the Breakwater gloves in cold and wet weather. “If my hands get cold in harsh conditions, I’m done. After testing the Breakwater gloves, being cold or wet is zero concern. Two words—warm and dry!!!”, said Mark Zona.

PRESENTED BY: AFTCO

Hand Jug Lining With Lawyer

When he isn’t chasing bass around the country on the Bass Pro Tour, Jeremy Lawyer is likely on the water or in the woods somewhere in the Midwest. One of Jeremy’s favorite off season pasttimes is hand jug lining for catfish. Check out what he has to say about his setup. “I’ll admit when Gamakatsu sent me the New Kraken Outbarb Circle my first thought was…… “why would it matter which side the barbs on?” Well they’ve convinced me it does! After using them first hand jug lining the past few months really raised my eyebrows. In the palm of my hand the similarities were the same with every Gamakatsu hook….. black nickle coating, a great diameter, and super sharp! Then paying attention to our catch ratio I really took notice to how fewer lost fish we had! (You can always tell because they slime your main drop line up around your hook drop line.) Now with any jug line set up there’s definitely opportunity for lost fish with the issue of slack tension and multiple fish on the same line as well sometimes causing the slack to magnify tremendously at times. Right out of the gate I noticed that if we hooked up, 95% of the time we owned em! I noticed that removing the hook from a catfish took a different pressure point/rotation than a traditional hook and it was always towards the hook hole. So with the out barb design if there is a slack line issue it’s actually protected from the barb itself and with the smooth side always pulling into the fish from self inflicted pressure from the fish it makes perfect sense why out catch ratio went up! If you’ve struggled with lost fish with your traditional hook styles than take a look at the “Kraken”……. My opinion has always been, there’s nothing worse than doing anything in the outdoors and going through the effort to only be let down by your equipment!”

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Issue #293

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