Lizard Rigging Tips
When rigging lizards, hooks can make or break your day. I learned long ago that while great for compact, creature baits, EWG-style hooks are not the best choice for Texas-rigging lizards or big worms.
Instead, I use a 5/0 or 6/0 offset worm hook that provides great hook-up ratios and allows the baits to move fluidly, as designed.
Historically, my favorite lizard is the 6-inch PowerBait Power Lizard, although I'm starting to catch a lot of bass on the Havoc Boss Dog, too. But given that bass will often grab lizards and big worms in the middle – rather than inhaling the entire bait – the PowerBait formula really puts the odds in your favor. They simply hold on to the bait longer, giving you more time for a solid hookset.
In terms of color, my favorite is pumpkin with a chartreuse tail, which is based purely on nostalgia; it produced my first giant bass years ago and still works great today. But I also carry black/blue, black, green pumpkin and watermelon.
On clear water Wallum Lake in Douglas State Forest the deadly color is Watermelon/Red for the resident smallmouth population which are now tipping 4 pounds. In terms of line,I fish 10- to 15-lb. Berkley Trilene X/L in clear waters; 15- to 17- lb. for stained conditions. And in waters with double-digit bass, I'll go even heavier. I like the sensitivity you get with XL on my Shimano 2500 open face reel, I guess I am what you call old school.The fact it sinks, and the near invisibility factor.
Another cool thing about fishing Trilene X/L with lizards or big worms is it decreases the amount of tungsten or lead weight you need to use. You get some sinking factor with the line itself. That means I'll often fish lizards or big worms weightless in shallow-water (1.5- to 2 feet) situations. Plus, the Berkley PowerBait Power Lizard is pretty bulky in the body. All this adds up to long casts and easy fishability.
One of my secrets to fishing lizards is upping the speed. Rather than the typical "lift-drag" Texas rig retrieve, I'll use a twitch-twitch-reel-reel-shake and repeat. This gets the appendages really pushing water.
This season pay attention to drastic temperature swings and fish them like cold fronts in reverse. Size up and try lizards for more and bigger bass, even during difficult situations on pressured waters.
Tune in today to the Outdoor Scene Mushrooms 101 with our very special guest Ryan Bouchard. Rhode Island author and local expert on the art of harvesting and identifying the wild mushroom. E-mail waynewnri@yahoo.com now or during the live broadcast any question on the subject of the wild mushroom. Wild Turkey reports fresh and salt water fishing reports and fish kills !
Closing out the 5th grade strong ! I was super surprised today at school when I was called down to the Principals Office ! He knows my Dad since they are both FireFighters, but still.............. Turns out my teacher, some of the other staff and my friends nominated me for " Citizen of the Week" for displaying the character traits of "Citizenship" and "Kindness" smile emoticon Now, if I can just add one more certificate next to this one and bring home another Honor Roll to finish out the year, fingers crossed ! smile emoticon
Posted by Wayne G. Barber
Then he began to pity the great fish that he had hooked. He is wonderful and strange and who knows how old he is, he thought. Never have I had such a strong fish nor one who acted so strangely. Perhaps he is too wise to jump. He could ruin me by jumping or by a wild rush. But perhaps he has been hooked many times before and he knows that this is how he should make his fight. He cannot know it is only one man against him, nor that it is an old man. But what a great fish he is and what will he bring in the market if the flesh is good. He took the bait like a male and he pulls like a male and his fight has no panic in it. I wonder if he has plans or if he is just as desperate as I am? —The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
