Jaxson's Favorite Finesse Fishing Techniques for Bass
Now you might be wondering, what exactly is 'finesse fishing'? Finesse fishing is a technique of fishing that involves light tackle (usually spinning rods) and a more subtle approach using a gentle presentation of the baits. The idea is to convince the bass that the bait is food rather than triggering a reaction strike with an aggressive approach. On this post, I'm going to show you some of my favorite finesse fishing techniques and advice on how to use them.
THE DROP SHOT RIG
A drop shot rig is a fishing set up includes a hook, a main line, a leader, and a weight. A drop shot rig is my favorite finesse set up (especially in deeper water), as it's super effective for both largemouth and smallmouth bass. I recommend the main line to be 10 pound braid with a 6-8 pound fluorocarbon leader, which is most ideal for this style of rig. Next you need a weight. A drop shot weight is designed to attach to the end of the leader which allows the rig to suspend the worm in the water column, mimicking lifelike movements of a baitfish. Now drop shot weights come in different shapes. Round ones are good for vertical fishing, especially with limited cover. A teardrop shaped weight is good for keeping your bait out of rock cracks, but also has a tapered top to come out of grass with ease as well. Finally, the pencil drop shot weight are designed for less snagging because of it's narrow profile that allows it to slip through rock cracks and other obstacles. The pencil drop shot weight gives you good depth control and sensitivity as well. However, if you want a great, all around drop shot weight for all situations, I recommend going with a tear drop shape as those are the style I use most often.
THE WACKY RIG
Now my second favorite finesse fishing set up is the wacky rig. The wacky rig is a very easy way to catch bass, but especially big bass. All you need to do is take a soft plastic worm or stick bait and pierce a hook through the middle of the bait. My go to for this set up is a soft stick bait or a Senko style bait. I recommend a circle hook for this set up and use 10-12 pound fluorocarbon line is ideal because of it's low visibility in the water which is crucial for such a subtle presentation. Most anglers, including myself, prefer lighter braid as a main line with a fluorocarbon leader to get the best of both worlds. The strength of the braid for solid hook sets and the stealth of the fluorocarbon line. One thing I also highly recommend for this set up is using an 'O' ring tool that allows you to easily and quickly install an o-ring over your soft plastic bait's body. This not only extends the life of your baits while fishing, allowing for more casts and more fishing time, but also in the presentation! It prevents tearing of the bait from inserting the hook and from casting actions, but it seems to suspend in the water column more naturally as well.
THE SHAKY HEAD
A shaky head is a fishing lure that's a ball shaped lead jig head with a soft plastic bait, usually a worm, as a trailer. It's good for finicky fish that aren't biting in clear water, especially when there's other anglers fishing in the immediate area. I recommend using a 10-12 pound fluorocarbon line tied directly to the jig head. My favorite way to work it is by casting the rig out, allowing it to drop to the bottom, and ever so slowly drag it across the bottom, occasionally hopping it. Find a productive area, make a few casts and if you don't get any bites, move on. You can use your GPS and fish finder to mark productive spots to work. A shaky head is a good go to for me when the bite is slow and you want to entice a bite fairly quickly.
THE NED RIG
A ned rig is a set up that involves a small bait, usually a really small worm or tiny creature bait on a mushroom shaped jig head with an exposed hook. This is a rig that can catch both largemouth and smallmouth bass. It's meant to be fished with a very subtle presentation in situations where bass experience a good amount of fishing pressure or the water conditions are so clear that you need to hold off your distance so as not to spook them. With this set up, you'll definitely want to use a light braid, like a 10 pound line with a fluorocarbon leader, or straight up 10-12 pound fluorocarbon line by itself. Allow the bait to fall down and gently hop the jig head off the bottom. This is certainly a finesse approach and was popularized by outdoor writer Ned Kehde, which gave it the name we're all so familiar with today.
These are my four favorite finesse fishing set ups. I've described the best way to rig them and how I've been very successful in fishing all of them! They all produce great quantities of bites and quality of fish caught in their own unique ways.
I hope this post was helpful, and if you like finesse fishing as much as I do, use these tactics to catch a monster bass!
I'll see you out there!
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