Photo by Shot Time Productions
CONTENTS PG.3
3 STEPS TO SURFACE BAIT SUCCESS
PG.5
EVOLUTION OF TOPWATER
Following these 3 simple steps every time you get on the water with a topwater bait will make your cast to catch ratio go way up!
The brand new GrassBurner from Evolution Baits is one of the most unique topwater baits to hit the market in a long time. Find out why it’s turning heads and catching tons of fish all around the country. FISHHOUND BREAKDOWN:
PG.7
EVOLUTION GRASSBURNER
We breakdown the Evolution Baits GrassBurner, a unique new topwater that combines the best elements of a buzzbait, crankbait and skirted jig.
PG.9
WHEN, WHERE AND HOW TO THROW WHICH TOPWATER Find out the best times, places and techniques for throwing multiple topwater baits, including walking, poppers, moving baits and hollow bodies. TEAM LUCKY PROFILES:
PG.11
SOCIAL FEEDS TO FOLLOW Find out who LTB’s social media movers and shakers are this month and who you need to be following online.
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THREE STEPS TO
SURFACE BAIT SUCCESS Written by Fishhound Staff
Welcome to Fishhound Magazine’s TOPWATER ISSUE!! If you’re a Bass or Bass XL subscriber, your Lucky Tackle Box is full of amazing surface baits that cover the spectrum from poppers to walking baits, moving baits to hollow bodies. We’re all about helping you become a better angler, so let’s breakdown some steps to improve your topwater success:
Photo by Shot Time Productions
Step 1 – Long, Accurate Casts When you’re fishing a topwater, the element of surprise is vitally important to getting those bone-jarring blowups that keep us up at night. Covering water with long casts, past your intended target, to ensure that you don’t spoke out the fish is a major key to success. This allows the bait to creep up on them, like a frog, small rodent or snake would. If there’s a low-hanging tree, put your bait underneath it, as far back as you can. You’re going to get hung up from time-to-time, but the more you practice getting to those hard to reach places, the more fish you will catch. Guaranteed!
Photo by Shot Time Productions
Step 2 – The Right Retrieve Most anglers, especially those without a lot of experience, retrieve every lure the same way – they throw it out and reel it back in. Though there is a time and place for a steady, straight retrieve, it’s important to mix it up and see what type of cadence the fish like the best. Speed up your bait, slow it down, longer pauses, different rod movement. There are a ton of ways to change up your retrieve to make it more appealing. When you first get on the water and start tossing around that topwater bait, try to intentionally use a different retrieve with each cast. Once you get a blowup or catch a fish, make a mental note as to which retrieve you were using and duplicate that. You may need to change it at different times of the day, as the fish become more or less active.
Photo by Shot Time Productions
Step 3 – Wait…Before You Set the Hook Undoubtedly, one of the most difficult parts of topwater fishing is having the self-control to not rip that rod right when you see the blowup. It’s really hard. Adrenaline is pumping, a monster bass just caused a whirlpool the size of a pickup truck on the surface, but you have to wait. You have to wait until that fish takes the bait down and really has it in her mouth. Most of the time, a simple pause or a one, one-thousand count is sufficient, but there are times when fish “short-strike” or miss the bait entirely on the first attempt and then come back and grab it a second time. If you pull the bait or set the hook too early, you miss that opportunity at a second strike.
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Photo by Shot Time Productions
BREAKING DOWN THE COOLEST NEW BAIT ON THE MARKET
THE EVOLUTION OF TOPWATER by Andrew Schadegg
Every so often a new bait comes along that you instantly know is going to be a huge success. Not just because it looks amazing, with a paintjob akin to a 1950’s hot rod, but because it has all the components of a bait that will be really good at what it was designed to do. Catch fish. Enter, Stage Right: The GrassBurner from Evolution Baits. Burning up the West Coast A couple years ago on the California Delta, there was a “buzz” about a new, custommade topwater that was catching fish all over the river. An inline buzzbait that had a
unique profile that many Delta Rats tried to keep secret as long as they could. It didn’t manage to stay too far under the radar, as pictures and fish catches started popping up on Facebook and Instagram en masse. Eventually, the demand outweighed the supply and the GrassBurner creator Brad Kowalski, couldn’t keep up with the unending orders. He partnered with Evolution Baits and they are now available to the broader market via direct sales and Tackle Warehouse. Lucky Tackle Box subscribers are some of the first to get this incredible bait in their hands and they’re going to flip when they get it on the water. Best Parts of Multiple Lures For the average angler, a bait that retails for $24.99 is not something that is in the budget. However, as Evolution Baits and Bassmaster Elite Series pro, Mark Daniels Jr. explains, the GrassBurner is no ordinary topwater bait. “It combines the best parts of three different lures. A traditional buzzbait with the front blade that gurgles across the water, a crankbait-style, baitfish-like body that has a detailed paint job, and a classic skirt like a swim jig or spinnerbait.” In addition, it improves on a traditional buzzbait by allowing for more hookups. Instead of a single hook, that can be susceptible to many missed blowups (that anyone who has fished a buzzbait has experienced), the GrassBurner has two treble hooks. One on the top of the body and one trailing behind within the skirt. “The hookup ratio is incredible with this bait,” says Daniels. “Fish that come up and roll on a buzzbait, rarely get in the boat. With the GrassBurner, you’ll hook fish in the side, in the head, on the tail, similar to a crankbait or jerkbait. Way more fish in the boat!” Better Castability and Versatility With a streamlined and balanced design, the GrassBurner casts really well. You can put this bait into tight pockets, under docks and in areas that are harder to reach with a regular buzzbait. Easily fished over submerged grassbeds, along weedlines, around hard cover and in open water, it will bounce off of dock pilings or deflect off of hard cover, triggering violent strikes. It’s incredibly effective during the shad spawn, for schooling fish, or during the summer low light conditions. In regards to summer fishing, Daniels’ advises to not put it down right away after the sun comes up. “Follow the shade pockets. Throw the GrassBurner into those areas that are not getting the direct sunlight and you can keep that summer topwater bite going well into the morning. It’s a really fun bait and it’s extremely effective.”
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FISHHOUND BREAKDOWN:
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Walking Baits The Jenko Fishing Flea Bag 110 walking bait was one of the killer topwater lures included in the LTB Bass Box. Walking baits are a slender, cigar-shaped, floating plug that cast a mile and with the right rod technique, can shimmy back-and-forth across the water and present an enticing meal for a passing bass. When: Year-round, but fantastic early spring through the late fall. Really effective in the summer early in the morning or evening, cloudy days, or when you see schooling fish. Where: Open water. Work it over the top of submerged grass beds, next to docks, along structure or anywhere you see balls of baitfish flickering or fish busting the surface. How: Cast the bait out with pound monofilament or 50-65 15-20 pound braided line. Leave some slack in your line, before giving your rod small pops or jerks to allow the bait to walk back and forth across the water. Vary your cadence, pausing for intermittent periods of time.
WHEN, W AND H TO TH
Hollow Body Baits This category includes everything from frogs, rats, hollow body bluegill or sunfish, and products like the innovative Flip In The Bird which was included in
WHI
TOPW
the LTB Bass XL Box. Bass are opportunistic feeders, so
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anything that falls out of a tree or scurries off the shoreline is immediately on the menu for a waiting lunker. When: Spring through fall, but a fantastic summertime bait. Where: Weed canopies, heavy cover and along shade pockets or edges. Anywhere near an ambush point. How: Heavy 65-80 pound braided line and a stout rod with a fast tip. Getting bass hooked and pulled out of the cover is the key to this technique. Work it right over the top of the thick stuff, walking it back and forth. When a bass sucks it down, pause just a second to allow the fish to turn and get it fully in her mouth before a sharp, solid hookset.
Poppers Keeping your bait in the strike zone can be difficult with topwater techniques, but that’s where popping style topwater lures shine. With a cupped mouth and profile that tends to be smaller, it is the perfect choice for mimicking small baitfish flickering on the surface. The LTB Bass XL subscribers got the Castaic BD Series Popper as well as the soft bodied Z-Man Pop ShadZ, that was in all Bass boxes this month. When: Spring through fall. They excel during long, hot summer days when bass don’t want to chase bait as far. Where: Open water. When bass are missing moving topwater baits or you need a slower presentation. Shade pockets, ets, under docks or overhanging trees.
WHERE HOW HROW
Excellent around schooling baitfish. How: Use 12-15 pound monofilament or 30-50 pound braided line. Give the bait small, downward “pops” with your rod tip. Mix up the pauses and speed of retrieve.
ICH
WATER
drew Schadegg
Moving Baits As far as action goes, fast-moving topwater baits take the cake. There is nothing more exciting than running a buzzbait over the surface just after daybreak and seeing a massive explosion as a bass brings it down. LTB Bass
subscribers got two fantastic moving topwater baits, including the Evolution Baits GrassBurner and the Bruiser Baits Kickin’ Frog.
When: Year-round. Excels in spring through fall. Where: Along weed lines, sparse tules/reeds, along structure and docks, riprap and shade pockets. How: Throw on 17-20 pound monofilament or 5065 pound braided line. Typically a medium heavy rod, similar to what you would throw a spinnerbait with is a good choice. A steady retrieve is normally the best bet and make sure to let them take the bait completely underwater before setting the hook.
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SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT
6 SOCIAL FEEDS YOU NEED TO FOLLOW! by Fishhound Staff
Since it was founded, Lucky Tackle Box has been partnering with some of the biggest and best social media influencers in the fishing industry. The game is changing and anglers around the world are using their online platforms to post amazing pictures, talk about new products and discuss all things fishing. Whether it’s anglers catching giant bass in Florida, walleye in Wisconsin or a flycaught Rainbow from a river in Idaho, each month the Fishhound Magazine will be introducing you to the best of the best Instagram pages and YouTube channels that you should already be following and if you’re not, you better start!
Noah Pescitelli
Justin Nowak
Age: 19 From: Buford, GA How did you get into fishing? I started pond fishing when I was 11 years old with my grandpa. Fun Facts: Started my business at 15. I’m an Angler at SCAD. I built one of the largest fishing social media pages. My Dad’s allergic to fish but still goes fishing with me. I took home a top 3 championship finish my freshman year at college
Age: 21 From: Apex, NC How did you get into fishing? My Dad took my brothers and I fishing a lot lot whether it was a day trip to the lake or on vacation in the mountains or at the beach. Fun Facts: I love to Bass fish! I love to saltwater fish (even more)! I Shark fish, A LOT! I eat way too much Cook Out. I FREAKING LOVE LUCKY TACKLE BOX
Follow Noah on Social Media! @Kickin_Their_Bass_Tv
Follow Justin on Social Media! @justin_n_fishin
/SouthernFishingAddiction
Dylan Grubb
Zack Buckley
Age: 20 From: Oxford, MI How did you get into fishing? My dad is one of the main reasons I started fishing Fun Facts: Personal Best Largemouth Bass is 5.7lbs. Hometown: Oxford, Michigan. Favorite Lures: Jerkbaits, Avocado Tubes, and Crank Baits. Favorite Lakes: Lake Orion, LakeVille, Lake Oakland. Species I fish: Large/smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Muskie and Walleye.
Age: 16 From: Chicago, IL How did you get into fishing? I caught a giant bass at my Grandma’s lake & became obsessed! Fun Facts: I started Buck’s Custom Lures at age 15. I enjoy social media & run 8 accounts. I used to ride my bike 5 or 6 miles to fish before I got my drivers license. I’m considering becoming a doctor. My goal is to catch a bass in every state.
Follow Dylan on Social Media! @extreme.outdoorsmen
Follow Zack on Social Media!
David White
Walker Wilson
Age: 28 From: Chatsworth, CA How did you get into fishing? My dad and uncle got me into fishing when I was a kid. Fun Facts: I love to fish but don’t eat them. I love bass and trout. I am a very determined person. I usually tend to stick to certain companies and brands when it comes to fishing. I’m the founder of the team/community Hooked On Lips.
Age: 18 From: Keller, TX How did you get into fishing? It’s been passed down through generations. Fun Facts: I started my high school fishing team. I’ve lived in Texas my whole life. I enjoy Hunting. I’m attending the University of Arkansas in the fall of 2017. I started making videos in the summer of 2012.
Follow David on Social Media! @hookedonlips
Follow Walker on Social Media! @walkerwilson13 @walker_wfish
@bucksbassfishing
@buckscustomlure
FOLLOW US: @LuckyTackleBox
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