Entry 229-5

Mark Rose on December Bass Fishing

Part 5: Fishing the Rage Tail Craw in December

Question: Everybody wants to go to Florida to fish during December and January. The weather’s warmer, and the bass bite better. Too, there’s plenty of grass to fish there. What tactic will you use in Florida this month or on any lakes anywhere that still have grass in them?

Rose: Even in Florida, you can have cold fronts come through this month. Normally, with stable weather, the bass will be holding in the open pockets. But on grass lakes, when a cold front hits, those bass will bury-up deep in that underwater grass. Anytime a cold front passes through a lake that has grass mats in it, the bass will move under the mats and concentrate there. That’s when the Rage Tail Craw is very productive. I’ll be fishing it with a 3/4 to 1-1/2-ounce Tru tungsten sinker and a No. 4/0 wide-gap or straight-shank hook. I’ll punch the mats with this Rage Tail Craw. Our first two FLW events in 2008 will be in Florida in January and February. I know that at some time during one of those tournaments, we’ll have a northern front blow through the lakes. That’s when these Rage Tail Craws are really going to pay off with bass.

Question: What colors of the Rage Tail Craws will you fish in December?

Rose: I really like the Okeechobee craw color. It originated from the Okeechobee part of Florida. But Junebug, black and blue also will be effective colors. Since Florida has tannic-colored water, darker-colored baits seem to pay off best there. I like the blue metal flake and the green metal flake Rage Tail Craws too.

Question: On what pound-test line will you fish the Rage Tail Craw?

Rose: I’ll be using 50- to 65-pound-test braided line with a big flipping stick and a heavy baitcasting reel. I’ll be flipping in really-thick mats. I’ll need that braided line to eat through the weeds. You also need the stiffer rod to get those big bass out of the grass. I’ll be fishing with a 7-foot 6-inch G. Loomis flipping stick with a Chromark reel from Shimano with green braided line. This time is when I also like my Spike-It dye. You very rarely see green-pumpkin spray dye like Spike-It makes. I spray my braided line with that green-pumpkin dye because then the line matches the vegetation. Even though I’m fishing big, heavy line because it looks like the grass where the bass are holding, the bass don’t spot or notice the line as much due to its color.

Contents:

• Part 1: Dying Shad = King Shad
• Part 2: Play Football in December
• Part 3: Warm Days Get Red Eyes
• Part 4: I’ll Bet on the Shaky-Head Worm Tactic
• Part 5: Fishing the Rage Tail Craw in December