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VOL . 37 • ISS . 12
FRESHWATER
Hoochies : Simple , Impressionistic & Deadly
Have you ever noticed that the simplest lures and presentations are often the best ? Lures that are painstakingly created to exactly match the forage gamefish feed on are often , indeed almost always , upstaged by simple impressionistic offerings .
In terms of simplistic lures there are few that are simpler than the hoochie . For folks that aren ’ t familiar with them , hoochies are nothing more than hollow plastic “ squid ”, basically a plastic skirt that can be slipped on a leader .
If you are a trout or landlocked salmon angler that has yet to try trolling with hoochies , it ’ s time for you to get started . Not only will hoochies help you catch more fish , but they also help you save money since they are significantly cheaper than a lot of other offerings .
Over the past decade hoochies have become an increasingly important part of my trout and landlocked salmon fishing arsenal .
Considering that the market is flooded with hoochies from a myriad of different manufacturers , you might be wondering which hoochies are best ? Well I don ’ t have an answer for that , as the term “ best ” is highly subjective . Let ’ s face it , hoochies are not the most complex lure in the world and I believe most any hoochie will catch fish some of the time .
Having said that , my favorite hoochies come from the folks at Silver Horde / Gold Star . If you meet when I ’ m out trolling I ’ ll generally have a rod armed with either a Silver Horde Micro Squid or an Ace Hi Fly Junior .
Micro Squid are perfect for trout , landlocked kings and ‘ kokes . The squid are 1.75 inches long . They come in a long list of standard , ultra violet and glow colors . Slip them on a double hook leader , toss a dodger
by Cal Kellogg
into the mix and you ’ re ready to fish ! An Ace Hi Fly is like a hoochie wearing a tuxedo , basically a greatly dressed up version of the old reliable plastic squid . Ace Hi Flies come with a hard bead head that boasts lifelike eyes . The skirt utilizes a hoochie , but adds to it with synthetic flash . Ace Hi Fly Juniors come either rigged or unrigged .
The flies are 2 inches long . I generally go with the unrigged version and run them off double hook leaders .
What about hoochie color ? For trout and kokanee I usually go with bright pink or orange hoochies . For kings I start out with baitfish colors . Hoochies are so economical and come in such a diverse range of colors , it doesn ’ t make sense not to have a wide range of colors represented in you tackle collection . Sometimes the fish want natural colors and at other times those crazy bright colors are deadly .
For more visit Silver Horde online at www . silverhorde . com
May 25 - June 8 , 2018
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ly small . The willingness of the bass to chase combined with their expectation of finding relatively small forage gives you solid clues as to bait selection .
Small spinnerbaits or medium size inline spinners are great choices as are both soft and hard rip baits , such as Flukes or thin profile Ima Flits . These baits do a great job of imitation baitfish and they can be fished quickly , allowing you to cover water until you find bass . Another baitfish imitation that shouldn ’ t be overlooked is a smoke / flake grub rigged on a quarter ounce darter head . These baits can be slow rolled like a small swimbait with great success .
If you think crawfish are on the menu , crankbaits , smallish jigs , tubes and Carolina rigged worms are solid picks . All these
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baits can be working along the bottom quickly , once again covering a lot of water efficiently as you seek out bass .
The place to start looking for bass is offshore of the areas where you know the bass spawned . That goes for both schooling fish and fish positioned on isolated ambush points . Submerged creek beds that cut through spawning flats and then drop into deeper water are classic areas for finding fishing setting on structure hoping to ambush .
In late spring and early summer the sky is often cloud free and the water is typically pretty clear . When you seek out lone fish looking to ambush lunch remember that the bass will be holding on structure that affords them the ability to lurk in the shade . Work the shady side of creek channels , stumps , standing trees and boulders and it won ’ t be long before you begin putting post spawn bass into the boat .
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HOW TO By Cal Kellogg continued from page 5
The Topwater Option
The post spawn period is one of the best times of the year for tossing topwater lures . The clear water that many of our lakes feature allow a bass to zero in on a topwater bait from long range and the aggressive attitude of post spawn bass often sends them rocketing to the surface from 10 or 15 feet deep .
Most anglers want to throw their topwaters at cover or structure , like a big submerged rock pile or a flooded tree . These areas will absolutely hold bass , but don ’ t ignore open water areas too . Suspended bass are often easy marks for a topwater lure worked in open water .
I remember one morning of great smallmouth fishing I had a few years ago at Scotts Flat Reservoir , working a small River2Sea popper over 50 feet of water . If I remember correctly I landed about a dozen bass from 12 inch to 3 pounds .
So , what sort of topwater lures should you be throwing ? For day in day out success , I like walking baits . There is just something about that walk the dog action that really triggers bass . Walking baits can also be fished quickly , so you can cover a bunch of ground when walking the dog .
If walkers aren ’ t working , I break out my poppers . Poppers are effective because of their versatility . They can be worked with aggressive pops or subtle pops with extended periods of rest between pops . A popper ’ s biggest advantage is the fact that you can keep it in the strike zone for long periods of time . This allows you to tease and trigger bass that are
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in a neutral mood .
Whether I ’ m using a walker or a popper , I go with the same color patterns . In general , I like baitfish colors , but even then , I like to keep things subtle . If the water is clear , I really like to employ a clear or ghost colored bait . I want to give those bass the impression of a baitfish and make the bass believe that an easy meal is about to escape !
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