Ponds, Lakes, and Rivers are receiving
more and more pressure as each year goes by, not just from weekend
anglers, but tournament fishing as well. If you apply some new
tactics with these Spider Grubs, you can be more productive in your
recreational and tournament fishing alike. Surprisingly, this deadly
soft plastic bait is not a staple in everyone's tackle box, but in
many other states, it is a long time favorite lure when the going
gets tough. Several companies make Spider grubs, but I prefer the
ones made by "Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits" the best. The grubs come
in a variety of colors and sizes, from two to five inches long. They
are absolutely deadly on spring largemouth and smallmouth bass
alike. Most anglers like to use them on jig heads, and this is an
extremely effective method, but I also like to rig them Texas style.
The grub resembles a darting crawfish depending on how you fish it.
It is the most effective in clear water, but produces bass in
stained and muddy water also. The lure is compact like a jig and
pig, as versatile as a worm, can be fished vertically or
horizontally, fast or slow. You can pitch it, flip it, swim it, hop
it, or drag it on the bottom.
Here are some of the ways I like to fish
it in Delaware and Maryland waters, and elsewhere throughout the
country, that really produce bass well. Search Tool When
searching for bass, you want to try to cover the water quickly. The
Spider grub is a great search tool when you're looking for bass that
are feeding on crawfish around scattered weeds, and rocks on shallow
flats like the Susquehanna, or similar shallow areas. You can fish
it faster than a jig, cover the water quickly, and trigger more
reaction strikes. The earth tone colors are easy to match with the
forage and blend in well with the
surroundings. This is critical in
clear water, when the bass rely more on sight. Sometimes I like to
fish it fast, with an erratic, jerk bait type motion. The lure is
always moving, but on or near the bottom. When I fish the open flats
with scattered grass, I rig it on a light jig head, or if the cover
is thicker, I rig it Texas style. I found that I land more fish If
the hook is exposed, and if it becomes hooked on weeds occasionally,
I jerk it free, sometimes causing a reaction strike. I like to use
1/8 ounce or 1/4 ounce jig heads, depending on the depth of the
water, wind, currents, or how hard it is to keep on the bottom. I
also prefer to fish them on a 61/2 to 7 foot spinning rod with a
medium action soft tip, in graphite. Using 6-8 pound test Stren
line. Sometimes you can go to 10 pound line, depending on the cover.
The light line gives the bait more action, and is less likely to
hang up in the weeds. I have used these successfully on the grass
flats all over. Working it the right way takes some practice.
You want the lure to
scoot along in short bursts, on or near the bottom, without making
excessive hops. Don't pull it too hard, or you will lose contact
with the bottom. Keep the rod low to the water, and on the side of
the boat so the wind doesn't bow the line, and ruin the action of
the bait. Keep contact with the bait at all times, because many of
the strikes will feel mushy or heavy like it is on grass, but most
of the time when I set the hook, it is a bass. If it is just weeds,
it pulls free and sometimes triggers a strike. Different Techniques
Swimming the Grub - Sometimes I swim the grub like a jerk bait.
Once in a tournament the bass were ignoring the jerk bait, so I
switched to the spider grub, and fished it erratically over the
weeds, stopping it occasionally. This triggered the strikes that I
needed to win. 15 pounds of bass slammed the spider grub while
ignoring the other jerk baits and crank baits that were being worked
in the same area. Dragging the Grub- Sometimes when I am fishing on a
long, sandy, gravel point, I use a stand up jig head and just pull
it slowly on the bottom. I work it very slow, and maintain contact
with the bottom all the time.
Also, I Carolina-Rig
the bait, and when I feel it hit rocks or heavy cover, I start
shaking the line, and this cause strikes to occur much of the time.
This has been working reel well in lakes in Delaware, Maryland, New
Jersey, and Pennsylvania, but I have used it with success all over
the country. Suspended Fish - Frequently after a cold-front moves
through, bass will suspend over some structure. When this occurs,
You can rig it Texas style, on a very light weight, or with no
weight at all, and let it float down to the bottom. When conditions
are tough, this works wonders at times by keeping the bait in front
of the fish longer. I have even tried Drop-shotting this bait
with success. There are more prone to strike the bait with this
method, over a bait that moves quickly by them. When you are
searching for fish, and the going gets tough, this is the bait to
try. I like to use a good spinning rod, such as G.Loomis or St.Croix,
and a good reel like a Shimano or Daiwa. Sensitivity is very
important, and a combination such as this improves your chances of
catching them when they strike. This technique has worked well in
clear lakes all over the Midwest, and in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and
New Jersey. I caught a lot of nice bass using these methods at Table
Rock Lake in Missouri, also. Whether it is spring, summer, fall, or
winter, this is a bait for all seasons.
Bass Tackle
Article - Spider Grubs