Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3721 Sept 28- Oct 12 | Page 23

VOL . 37 • ISS . 21

slender soft bait anytime he wants to cash a tournament paycheck or simply catch fall bass for fun . “ I really like the Money Maker for largemouths and smallies this time of year ,” he says . “ Bass are in transition mode between the seasons and I can fish the bait in a lot of different situations and depths .” Palaniuk focuses on prime lies with easy access to deeper water . “ I generally concentrate my fall efforts around any cover that has a good , quick transition from shallow to deep water ,” he says . “ Having deep water close by is extremely important . Palaniuk predominantly drop shots the Money Maker wacky style on a 1 / 0 hook , varying leader length depending on the situation . “ But I also throw it on a wacky jig head , shaky head and even Neko rigged ,” he adds . He typically relies on spinning gear , given the presentation ’ s finesse nature . “ I use 8-pound NanoFil mainline with a 6- , 8- or 10-pound leader of Berkley 100 % Fluoro , depending on the cover ,” he says .

Suggs ’ One-Two Punch Scott Suggs offers thoughts on hard and soft lures . “ Berkley ’ s new Dredger is my top fall crankbait ,” he says . “ It casts a mile , fishes effortlessly , and reliably reaches its target depth .” The tight-wiggling , 2¼-inch bait comes in different models allowing anglers to effectively fish depths from nine to more than 25 feet . Once he pinpoints a pod of bass over a shale bed or other rocky bottom on a ditch swing or creek mouth , Suggs deploys Dredgers with three different dive curves to pluck as many fish from the spot as possible . “ In 12 feet of water , for example , I thump bottom with the 14.5 version first ,” he says . “ After catching a few bass , if the bite slows , I tie on the 17.5 option ,

to really stir up the bottom and follow the contours . Then I follow up with a shallower bait like the 10.5 to check for suspended bass before moving on .” Often , Suggs also experiments with different crankbait colors before pulling the plug on a fish-producing area . “ Shad patterns are great in fall ,” he says . “ But when bass quit biting , I also try chartreuse with a black back or a crawfish pattern .” Suggs also firmly believes in matching the predominant forage . Toward that end , he religiously checks caught bass for signs of what they ’ re eating . “ People look at me like I ’ m crazy , but I can tell if bass are on shad or crawfish by smelling their mouths ,” he offers . “ Other telltale signs include red lips from pinning crayfish against the bottom , and either crayfish antennas or shad tails sticking out of the throat .” On the soft bait side , Suggs says the 4-inch Havoc Rocket Craw is an all-around favorite . “ It ’ s so versatile , you can fish it on a vibrating jig , on the back of a swim jig , football jig or flipping jig , and even by itself ,” he says . “ It has a lot of action and is a great choice anytime I need something that can be fished on a steady retrieve .”

Lucas ’ s Utility Players Justin Lucas leans on versatile lures in autumn . “ My favorites are Berkley ’ s PowerBait Chigger Craw and Pitbull ,” he says . Armed with high-action pincers and jiggling legs , the Chigger Craw excels in a variety of applications . “ You can flip grass , rocks and wood — wherever the bass are , you can fish them with this bait ,” he says , explaining that his go-to setup is Texas rigged on a 4 / 0 Berkley Fusion19 EWG hook , pegged to a ¼- to 1½-ounce weight , depending on depth , cover and conditions .

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This smallmouth couldn ’ t pass up a well presented Chigger Craw . Photo courtesy of JAY KLINE .

On the crankbait side , the Pitbull tops Lucas ’ list because of its utility and relatively diminutive size . “ Bass key on smaller baitfish in fall , so a small crank works great ,” he says . Of the three Pitbull size offerings , he prefers the 2-inch model 3.5 , which swims down two to five feet and produces a unique hunting action . “ I fish the Pitbull along outside grass edges and around laydowns and docks ,” he says . “ A slow , steady retrieve is usually best , spiced up with a couple of rodtip twitches here and there to keep it erratic .” Ott ’ s Thoughts Soft-spoken yet hard-fishing Ott DeFoe throws a variety of soft baits in the fall , depending on the conditions at hand and mood of the bass . When asked to choose just one , however , he doesn ’ t hesitate . “ The PowerBait Crazy Legs Chigger Craw ,” he says , explaining that the 4-inch craw-andcreature cross features all the action of the regular Chigger Craw , plus the wild

gyrations of antenna-like “ crazy legs .” “ I can throw it in so many different places , and fish it so many different ways ,” he says . “ It ’ s perfect as a trailer on standard , football and articulated jig heads . You can also fish it by itself , gliding and pitching .” Top colors include variations of green pumpkin , including patterns with a bluish shade . “ I always keep orange dye in the boat to touch up the tips of the claws ,” he adds . One of DeFoe ’ s favorite riggings for the bait is Texas rigged on a 4 / 0 wide-gap hook , pegged to a 3 / 8- to ½-ounce sinker . “ It works on a Carolina setup , too ,” he says . “ Whether you ’ re flipping brush or grass in two feet of water or dragging a jig over deep rocks , the Crazy Legs Chigger Craw is deadly whenever bass are actively feeding ,” he says , offering yet another bit of hard-won wisdom to help you catch more bass this fall .

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A SMALL FISHING BOAT Sacramento , CA ( 916 ) 737-2628

SALINAS VALLEY MARINE Salinas , CA ( 831 ) 443-1616

INLAND MARINE Antioch , CA ( 925 ) 757-1714

CHICO POWER EQUIPMENT Chico , CA ( 530 ) 893-3030

COOS BAY MARINE Coos Bay , OR ( 541 ) 888-2535

POWER SPORTS MARINE Portland , OR ( 503 ) 206-7490