By Andrew Ragas

At this time last season, I spilled the beans by publicizing my secret baits that caught the most fish for me. Now that my 2014 fishing season has concluded, we glance back at the dominating baits and presentations that screamed success for big fish.

At any given time, I keep up to 10 rods rigged and ready near my boat’s front deck. A diversified lure selection like this will not only help make you a more versatile angler, but allow you to catch more fish. Prime patterns and favorite lures can be revisited each year, especially as the environment and behaviors of smallmouth bass dictate their locations and influence their feeding habits. Each year a few annual constants remain, but new discoveries and techniques succeed in the underwater world below me.

As any observant and scientific-minded angler can conclude, the success you have with your favorite lures and technique-specific methods depends on conditions, locations, and environments. On the lakes and rivers you fished throughout 2014, what were some of your favorite and most productive methods to catch big fish throughout the year?

Here’s mine….. in no particular order.

J Spec Suspending Jerkbait

Travado Suspending Jerkbait

Dynamic Lures J-Spec and Travado

The Dynamic Lures J-Spec is the Ultimate 3 inch jerkbait. Retailing at $7.95 (Jspec) and $8.95 (Travado), these unique suspending jerkbaits produce an erratic action that triggers aggressive bites. With great suspending action the J-Spec is a great choice to use when targeting smallmouth bass in the shallows. The J Spec suspending jerkbait rivals the best suspending hard baits on the market today.

Meanwhile, the Dyamic Lures Travado is a short lip jerkbait that suits best for shallow to mid depth presentations. With an average diving depth of 3 to 5 feet, it casts like a bullet at 3/8 oz with medium heavy action casting gear with 10 and 12 lb. copolymers. I’ve been using the Travado in spring and fall in colder water temperatures as a search bait to find where the feeding wolfpacks of smallmouths are located and aggressive power fishing techniques must be employed.

I fish suspending jerkbaits about 50% of the time and always have at least a few different types tied onto my rods year-round. My favorites are Ghost Fish, Holo Gold, and Chartreuse Shad. In 2014, Dynamic Lures products caught some of my largest smallmouths of the year, as large as 21 inches. [ watch video]

Rapala Cranking Rap

I am a power fishing fanatic. Just like it did in 2013, Rapala’s Cranking Rap accounted for my largest bass of the season, again measuring up to 21 inches. It excelled in early spring during the prespawn stage, early summer during the post spawn stage, mid-summer along major feeding shelves, and in early fall as crayfish presence was still prevalent. Under most circumstances I use a crankbait to search out cover and structure, looking for a reaction bite yet at the same time covering water in search for actively feeding fish. I don’t fish them slowly as one normally would with a fiberglass rod and a lower gear ratio reel. Rather, I power my way to ferocious strikes with speed and power.

Bandit 100 Series Crankbait

Much downsized in comparison to my more preferred Crankin Rap, the much lighter and smaller Bandit 100 fished with medium heavy spinning gear became a favorite go-to presentation for me in late summer and early fall. The key with working downsized crankbaits with spinning gear is to have a looser drag, and fish with limp 8 lb monofilaments. When I’m dialed in with the crankbait feed I like to keep a few rods rigged and ready, and most of the time this bite will take place in depths of 10 feet or less. While the Bandit 100 didn’t catch any monsters, many quality size smallmouths came to the net with this productive alternative approach.

Strike King Coffee Tube rigged with Freedom Tackle Corp. Zodiac Jig

Tube jigs work in all types of smallmouth water, but certain tubes work better than others. I fish tubes best with 1/16, 1/8 and 1/4oz tube jig inserts and if dealing with heavy cover and rocks I will Texas rig them with weighted worm hooks. I was turned to the Strike King Coffee Tubes for the first time in spring 2013 and continued using them well into 2014 as I acquired several bags in bulk. In 2014 they caught fish throughout the season and fared best when targeting spawning fish, conditioned fish, and during my deep water pursuits of mid summer. One particular rig that worked to perfection with the coffee tube was the Freedom Lures Zodiac Jig. Utilizing an interchangeable hook system, the hybrid zodiac jig weighing at 1/4 oz. allows the bait to swing freely, thus create action. The unique design and profile of this particular rig allows for a weedless and snag-proof presentation. When hooked, smallmouths are not able to use this tube jig as leverage when trying to shake free, thus more fish are landed. No other specific bait or rigging combination accounted for more smallmouth bass in 2014 than this one. My favorite colors: Magic Goby / Crazy Craw. [ watch video]

Stankx Bait Company Flukez

I use soft jerkbaits for less aggressive fish, mainly for finesse and sight fishing on shallow flats, and especially in early spring when smallmouths grow conditioned to hard suspending baits. Soft jerkbaits in the “fluke” style rigged weedless and weightless are my favorites during these unique situations. I also like to fish them deeper with Carolina rigs and while drift fishing, as well as jigging for suspenders I find on my Lowrance HDS units in open water and off mid-lake structure. The best soft jerkbait I put to use in a variety of situations this year was the 4 inch Stankx Bait Company Flukez. This season’s favorite color was the Diablo, and fared best for stained or murky water fishing. For carolina rigging, I fish them exclusively with a Lazer Trokar HD 2/0 Worm Hook, and in weightless presentations a Lazer Trokar 2/0 Magworm . [ watch video]

Stankx Bait Company Damzel

Ribbed paddle tail swimbaits rigged with open exposed minnow head style jigs are the new kids on the block in 2014, and a technique I’ve enjoyed using a lot during late summer on Rainy Lake, Ontario and early fall in Northern Wisconsin. Modeled off of today’s modern paddle tail swimbaits, the 3.5 inch ribbed Damzel by Stankx Bait Company has changed the way serious smallmouth anglers will be fishing for years to come. Rig either baits with an 1/8 oz. Northland or Matzuo minnow head and let the swimming retrieve and lively paddle tail do all the heavy lifting for you. Add continuous rips and jerks into each retrieve to trigger strikes from both active, and well conditioned smallmouths.

GNUGEN Lures Live Minnow

I use soft jerkbaits rigged on Carolina Rig a lot in mid-summer and fall when smallmouths are deep. It’s a simple, but more complex tactic I’ve learned from observing Great Lakes and other big water smallmouth anglers over the years. In recent years I’ve been able to apply it successfully to my deep, clear, inland waters of Northern Wisconsin. In 2014, the GNUGEN Lures Live Minnow became one of my favorites for its durability, lively action, and ability to represent the smelt and ciscoes populated in my lakes. The Carolina rigged fluke is a virtually weedless presentation that maximizes BOTH the coverage of water and expanded strike zones. With anywhere from a 1/8oz to 1/2 oz egg sinker or Lindy No-Snag weight running along main line, separated by a bearing swivel with 18 to 24 inches of 12 lb. fluorocarbon connecting you to the hook, a suspending fluke has never looked more realistic in the eyes of big smallmouth. Rigged weedless on a 2/0 Eagle Claw TroKar HD worm hook, the 4″ GNUGEN Live Minnow received big bites from smallmouths this summer and fall.

Freedom Tackle Live Action Spinnerbait

Spinnerbaits work everywhere but fish best for smallmouths when covering water, powering through wind, and searching for big bites. Throughout the year, I was able to locate feeding wolfpacks of smallmouths with the Freedom Tackle Live Action Spinnerbait. Using a hybrid head design along with a free swinging hook release system, the Freedom spinnerbait allows me to quickly burn through the water column, and gives smallmouths the speed and flash they’re often looking for. In silver shad pattern, fish up to 21 inches were caught.

Rapala X-Rap Pop

Topwaters and surface baits, longtime bass fishing staples at night, are popular for smallmouths. They are hard to beat when surface activity is prevalent, the lakes are heating up from the sunlight above, and insect hatches take place. When either of these conditions are in play, topwaters often get eaten quickly, and generate vicious strikes. One particular surface lure I enjoyed fishing with is the new Rapala X-Rap Pop. In 2014, one single X-Rap Pop accounted for over 300 smallmouths, with several large ones from June through September, and lasted the entire season!

Now tell me, what were yours?