Roosevelt, AZ - April 2009

FLW STREN

Roosevelt, AZ

April 2009

Cris Ricci and I reached Lake Roosevelt for the 1st time in 20 years, and to my surprise the lake was full to the brim. I had not seen the lake since the new dam has

LIGHT BREAKS

Magazine article:

"Folkestad fishes post-spawn females by finding deeper water near spawning areas. But to zero in on the proper depth, Mike focuses on what he calls light breaks"

Patterning post-spawn largemouths isn’t all too difficult. Basically, what happens during post-spawn is males stay to guard the fry, while the females move off to the closest deep water near the spawning areas. The males are pretty easy to catch because they’re aggressive in defense, but females can be kind of tough for a week or two while they recover from the stress of spawning.

One of the best baits for fishing fry-guarding males is a chugger-style topwater. I

Bass fishing tips; Drop shot basics

DROP SHOT 101

To drop shot successfully it is important to have the right equipment and presentation.

SETUP

A drop shot rod needs to be a medium light action, very light in weight, sensitive tip, and it must be flexible for shaking the worm, but enough backbone for setting the hook. Daiwa and I developed a few dropshot rods for this purpose. (TD-X series and Cielo Drop Shot). The silver TD-X rod with 6 lb test, and the SOL 2000 reel is a perfectly balanced outfit. The Cielo has a titanium tip that easily lets you see and feel even the lightest strikes. The Cielo works great with 4 lb test.

LINE

The line I always use is fluorocarbon 4 through 12 lb test, depending on water clarity, cover,