Entry 52-5

Mike Wurm's Defensive Fishing

How To Clean Up On Clear Lake

Editor's Note: Mike Wurm of Hot Springs Arkansas, began fishing professionally in 1992. Currently ranked sixth in the world by bassfan.com and one of the nation's leading pro fishermen, Wurm has been a part of Strike King's Pro Fishing Team for six years.

Question: Mike, let's pretend you have had terrible days of practice. You haven't been finding or catching any bass on this California Lake. So, what are you going to do on the first day of the tournament? The month is March, and the bass should be in a prespawn mode.

Wurm: The only two types of cover that bass have on Clear Lake are boat docks and reeds. The bass are either going to be in the tulle's or boat docks, or they are going to be holding loose to the tulle's or boat docks. My first plan will be to fish the 4-inch worm around the boat docks. I'll put the worm on clear, 8-pound-test line, use a jig head, and allow the worm to follow the bottom. Then I'll simply shake the jig head causing the tail to twitch but the bait not to move. This little worm is very easy for the bass to see, and because it's not trying to run away, it's easy for them to eat. If a bass spots this worm, they are going to bite it.

Now, the real trick to catching bass on this tactic is to not set the hook when you see the line twitch. Wait until the bass either pulls the line forward or to the right before you set the hook. If this fails, I use a Carolina rig with either a lizard or centipede and fish in front of the tulles. I then will cast the Carolina rig toward the tulles and let it hit right next to the weeds. Next I'll drag and stop the Carolina rig until it's about 10 feet from the reeds. Although the bass are not bedding, they'll be cruising close to the reeds looking for a place to bed.

Another lure that can produce in California is a big swim bait. This is a rubber fish-looking bait that you simply cast out and reel. The lure looks like a baitfish swimming. This lure is 6 to 10 inches long, it is made of soft plastic, and just swims as you slowly reel it back. If that doesn't work, I will go back to the boat docks and start fishing Strike King's Wild Shiner. I will crank the bait down, let it sit for about 20 seconds, then move it again and let it sit for another 10 seconds. One of those tactics is bound to make bass bite. Using the tactics I have described, even on a bad day I generally can catch fish not only on clear lakes in California but on almost any lake we fish.




 

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