Soft plastic grubs (aka twister tails) are proven and versatile baits for bass, crappies, walleyes, and striper, to name a few but have been overshadowed by paddle tail swimbaits the last several years. Wired2Fish’s Kyle Peterson circles back on a classic and shares a highly effective weedless rigging method from his fishing kayak that turns ‘old school grubs’ into ‘new school’ topwater baits for shallow water bass relating to cover like grass, wood and cut banks.
TACKLE & EQUIPMENT LISTING:
- VMC Ike Approved Weedless Neko Hook, 2/0
- YUM Swim’n Grub, color: Pearl Chart Black Flake
- Old Town Topwater PDL Kayak
- Humminbird HELIX 7 CHIRP GPS Fish Finder
- 13 Fishing Envy Black 2 Spinning Rod 7’2″ Med Hvy
- 13 Fishing Prototype X 30 Spinning Reel
- Sufix 832 Braided Line Lo-Vis Green, 15lb
- Sufix Advance Fluorocarbon Line (as leader), 12lb
- Plano KVD Signature Series 3700 Tackle Bag
- Old Town Lure Angler Life Jacket
A grub is stealthy yet has the drawing power of flash and vibration, especially when worked near the surface. High-sticking an unweighted grub wakes the bait across the surface – bass show themselves by boiling on the bait, which gives the options to speed up, slow down or pause the bait to trigger the bite. Peterson stresses the importance of choosing a quality hook with dual fluorocarbon weed guards. The weed guards act as a rudder to prevent the bait from spinning while also making it weedless.
This system works excellently when bank fishing or out of a boat, but stealth is critical to prevent spooking bass in shallow water. Kyle opted for a kayak to access this off the beaten path public lake. Efficient pedal drive systems help you cover water quickly and negotiate tight spaces with ease, all while staying whisper quiet.
