Wake 'em Up Fishing Article

Wake ‘Em Up

When pre-spawn bass cruise ultra-shallow water, bass pro Jordan Paullo swells the surface with a big-bladed BOOYAH Blade spinnerbait and expects explosive results. The bite occurs when the water gets between 52 and 58 degrees, Paullo has found; however, there must be a general warming trend within the lake, causing bass to move up and get ready to spawn.

Paullo uses a 3/4-ounce BOOYAH Blade, which he rigs with a single No. 7 gold Colorado blade. He noted that the head shape, weight placement and wire diameter of a BOOYAH Blade are ideal for this technique, and that all are important for keeping the bait from rolling when it’s swam quickly at the surface.

After a long cast, he begins reeling immediately, holding his rod high to keep the spinnerbait right on top. The big blade kicks out a broad swell, and bass cruising the flats prior to the spawn can’t resist it. “The strikes are absolutely vicious,” Paullo said. “When they hit it, they are hooked.”

Paullo likes flat water and sunny skies best for waking spinnerbaits. The sunshine is extra important if the water temperature is at the cool end of the effective range. He also prefers water that is at least somewhat stained. When conditions are right for the surface BOOYAH Blade bite, Paullo will have only one rod out of his locker. He has enough confidence in this tactic – confidence gained through seeing this work all over the nation – that he’ll gladly throw it all day. “Beyond being extremely effective, it’s just a really fun way to catch bass,” Paullo said.

When Paullo wants to wake a spinnerbait, he looks in backwater areas for buck brush and various shoreline grasses bass would spawn around. “The fish will be cover-oriented, but they won’t necessarily be on cover. They may be cruising flats that have cover on them,” he said.

Paullo also will look for signs of baitfish moving on flats. If the baitfish is close to the areas where the bass will spawn, he knows he is in the right neighborhood.

Long casts are important because the fish are apt to be spooky in very shallow water. For broad flats peppered with buck brush or other cover, Paullo makes long casts in every direction. For grassy edges that have narrower bands of shallow water along them, he’ll hold the boat fairly close to the grass and make parallel casts.

The bait has to stay on the top, Paullo stressed. Otherwise the technique becomes no different than any other spinnerbait presentation. To keep his BOOYAH Blade on top, Paullo fishes the big spinnerbait with a 7-foot heavy action rod and matches it with a high-speed reel. He spools up with 20-pound-test Silver Thread. Paulo makes few alterations in his bait or his presentation when he wakes a spinnerbait. He just keeps casting and winding and waits for the explosions. The only change he’ll make is to add a 3-inch YUM Chunk to his offering, which is simply to change the profile a bit.

This article is provided by Lurenet.com and is used with permission. jB0405.