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The
Lighter Side of Bassin
In
bass fishing circles you
hear about power fishing
for bass all the time, but
in the last few years the
lighter side of bassin has
started to come to light.
Just ask Big Bite Pro Jeff
Kriet about how he prefers
to catch bass? He will
choose putting a spinning
setup in his hand day in
and day out over a
baitcaster. Some
of this may be a
confidence factor, but
Jeff knows that if the
conditions are right he
can catch more fish on the
lighter side than on a
power rig. Lets take a
closer look at the lighter
side of bassin and maybe
we can put a few bass in
the boat along the way.
To start we need to talk
about the equipment before
we get to the bait and
tactics section. The basis
of the spinning system
that I use is a medium
light to medium action
spinning rod 66 to
76 rods. I
prefer a 7ft medium rod,
but the choice is really
yours. I will match this
with a proper sized
spinning reel (30 to 35
sizes) and spool this with
either 6lb or 8lb mono or
fluorocarbon line. When
finesse fishing, line size
is critical. If
the bite is tough, I will
always fish 6lb over 8lb
as long as the conditions
will let me get by with
it. I
have done this for years
and I know I will get more
bites by the end of the
day going head to head if
my partner is fishing with
8lb test and I am fishing
with 6lb test.
In cases where I am
fishing open rock areas I
will fish 6lb line either
fluorocarbon or mono. If I
am fishing around
structure or weeds I will
opt to fish the 8lb line. I
will get fewer bites
during my day of fishing
with the 8lb test line,
but I also will have a
better chance to get the
bass out of cover and to
the boat. This line choice
recommendation is my rule
of thumb. I suggest you
fish both lines and see
what you come up with.
4 Ring Worm 
One
of the first baits I
always throw when the bite
is tough is a 4 Ring
Worm. I
generally rig this texas
with a 1/16oz to1/8oz slip
sinker. This bait seems to
get bites when other baits
fail to get the bass
attention.
I can fish the ring
worm in and out of cover.
Using a texas rig
allows me to get this bait
in and out of about any
type of cover. If
I am fishing in an open
area with little or no
weeds I can also rig the
Ring Worm on a jig head.
The open hook of the jig
head will bring up my
hooking percentage, but
will limit where I can
fish the bait if the cover
is too heavy. In
this case you have to
match the presentation to
the conditions you are
fishing and rig properly.
Finesse Worm 
This
is just as the name
implies, you could say
that this is the worm that
created the Shaky Head
craze that we are all
fishing. Team this worm
with a Shaky Head and you
have one of the best going
baits on the bass trail
right now.
The Shaky Head
allows you to keep the
worm in place on a key
piece of structure and
work the bait without
moving it. Once
you get your bait against
a rock or a piece of wood
take the rod and slightly
shake the tip. This
will cause the worm to
move on the bottom while
slightly shaking creating
the trigger that will
cause the strike. The Big
Bite Finesse worm comes in
2 different sizes 4 and
6. I
will use the 4 when the
bite is tough and will go
up to the 6 when
coaxing bass to bite is
not a factor.
4 Trick Stick 
This
has fast become my go to
bait when the bass are
shut down and need to be
given a little push to get
them to bite. Rigged
texas style on a plain
hook or on a weighted
hook, this is a go to bait
when the bite is tough.
If
I am fishing sparse weeds
areas I will use an
un-weighted 3/0 worm hook
texas rigged Trick Stick. If
I am fishing in thicker
weeds I will generally use
a weighted hook, 3/0 hook
in 1/16oz to 1/8oz size.
If you go heavier it will
over power the bait and
take away all the natural
action of the bait. If
I do not have a weighted
hook and need to get my
bait down deeper, I will
use a slip sinker pegged
against the bait.
If I am fishing the
outside weedline I will
rig my Big Bite Trick Sick
on a jig head. I let
fishing conditions dictate
the jig size that I use, I
carry 1/16oz to 1/4oz with
1/8oz usually being my
first choice.
Squirrel Tail
This
is one of Big Bites
premier baits.
Jeff Kriet asked
Big Bite Baits to create
this bait a few years back
and it has fast become the
Shaky worm standard. Made
with a tail that floats,
the Squirrel Tail gives
bass an enticing different
look. When
coming up with the
Squirrel Tail Jeff wanted
a worm that would get
noticed by the bass by
having action without even
moving the bait.
The floating tail
of the Squirrel Tail gives
you that action.
Rig this on a Shaky Head
jig 1/16oz to 3/16oz, cast
it out and let it settle
to the bottom. I like to
drag this rig along the
bottom instead of hopping
the jig. By
dragging the Shaky Head I
can put more action into
the bait than by hopping
it along. As
I feel the bait get into
an area where I can dance
the bait, I stop and
gently shake the tip of
the rod to make that tail
move. Make
the most of these areas as
this is where your bites
will come. Fishing
the Squirrel Tail is what
finesse fishing is all
about.
Well, welcome to the
lighter side of bassin. I
hope you make a little
room for a few spinning
rods in your rod locker
this year. As
you can see Big Bite has
you covered when it comes
to finesse baits. When
the bite gets tough this
year see what the lighter
side of bassin is all
about. Who knows you may
just have to get rid of a
few of your baitcaster
rigs and come over to the
lighter side of bassin.
Scott
Petersen
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