Top 5 Baits for Florida Bass Fishing | Tharp’s Simple Approach by @Wired2Fish - Post Details
Top 5 Baits for Florida Bass Fishing | Tharp’s Simple Approach
Keeping it simple (KISS) is how Florida-based bass pro Randall Tharp likes to operate. We sat down with Tharp to break down his top 5 rod setups and techniques for catching Florida bass in nearly all situations. Beyond discussing core tackle, Tharp talks some technique specifics that, taken together, will enhance your efficiency and fish-catching success in this land of grass. Tharp’s top 5 bass fishing setups for Florida bass: 1. Flipping and pitching setup. It’s no surprise that flipping and pitching reigns supreme in this land of dense vegetation, and it happens to be Tharp’s favorite way to catch bass. Straight braid, heavy tungsten and a big rod is the best way to penetrate the cover and extract big Florida-strain bass from dense mats of grass. 2. Topwater prop bait. An iconic lure in Florida yet surprising to some, a trebled topwater prop bait pitched into pockets excels at calling bass from a distance and triggering vicious strikes. Tharp prefers throwing it out in calm and protected areas then working it with alternating twitches and pauses. 3. Swim jigs. Swim jigs get the nod when you need to cover a lot of water and work different depth zones, all with a single bait. Swim jigs allow Tharp to cover 1- to 4-feet deep with a simple 3/8-ounce swim jig and trailer. His preferred setup (linked below) resembles a fleeing golden shiner. 4. Swimming a worm. A Texas-rigged worm with a light tungsten weight excels around lily pads or when needlefish are in the area. It’s a subtle presentation that can be fished clean through grass. Choose your weight based on the depth you’re fishing — a 3/16-ounce sinker is the best all-arounder. 5. Bladed jig. What bass lure listing is complete without a darn ChatterBait or other bladed jig option? Tharp prefers bladed jigs when targeting bass around submergent hydrilla. He has the most success with dark colors like black and blue and green pumpkin. FLIPPING SETUP • PLASTIC 1 - Zoom Brush Hog: https://wired2.fish/ZoomBrushHogs • PLASTIC 2 - Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver: https://wired2.fish/SweetBeaver1 • HOOK - VMC Ike Approved Flippin Hook, 4/0: https://wired2.fish/VMC-HD-FlippingHook • WEIGHT - ARK No Chip Tungsten No-Insert Flipping Weights: https://wired2.fish/Ark-NoChip-Tungsten-NoInsert-FlippinWeight • PEG - VMC Sinker Stops: https://wired2.fish/VMC-SinkerStop • ROD - ARK Randall Tharp Honey Badger "Okeechobee Special", 7'11" X-Hvy Casting Rod: https://wired2.fish/HoneyBadgerCastingRod • REEL - ARK Casting Reel (NOT YET AVAILABLE FOR SALE) • LINE - Sufix 131 G-Core Braid, 65-pound: https://wired2.fish/Sufix131GCoreBraid TOPWATER PROP BAIT SETUP • LURE - Rapala X-Rap Prop, Black Chrome Orange: https://wired2.fish/RapalaXRapProp • LINE (braided mainline) - Sufix 832 Braided Line, 30lb: https://wired2.fish/Sufix832Braid • LINE (leader) - Sufix Advance Monfilament, 20lb: https://wired2.fish/SufixAdvanceMono3 • HOOK (upgraded) - VMC 7547 Hybrid Treble Hook, size 6: https://wired2.fish/VMC-HybridTrebleTW • ROD - ARK Tharp Series Casting Rod, 7' MH/X Fast Hammer: https://wired2.fish/HoneyBadgerCastingRod • REEL - Shimano Chronarch 150G Casting Reel, 8.1:1: http://wired2.fish/ShimanoChronarch SWIM JIG SETUP • SWIM JIG - Greenfish Tackle Swim Jig, 3/8-ounce: https://wired2.fish/GreenfishtackleSwimJig • TRAILER - Gambler EZ Swimmer 4.25" Swimbait: https://wired2.fish/GamblerEZ-Swimmer425 • ROD - ARK Tharp Series Casting Rod 7'6" Heavy King Cobra: https://wired2.fish/HoneyBadgerCastingRod • REEL - Shimano Chronarch 150G Casting Reel, 8.1:1: http://wired2.fish/ShimanoChronarch • LINE - Sufix 131 G-Core Braid, 50-pound: https://wired2.fish/Sufix131GCoreBraid SWIMMING WORK SETUP • WORM - Zoom Magnum Ultravibe Speed Worm: http://bit.ly/ZoomMagUVSpeedWorm • HOOK - VMC HD Worm Hook: https://wired2.fish/VMC-HvyWormHook • WEIGHT - ARK Fishing No Chip Tungsten Worm Weight, 3/16-ounce: https://wired2.fish/ARKNoChipTungstenWormWeight • PEG - VMC Sinker Stops: https://wired2.fish/VMC-SinkerStop • ROD - ARK Tharp Series Casting Rod 7'6" Heavy King Cobra: https://wired2.fish/HoneyBadgerCastingRod • REEL - Shimano Chronarch 150G Casting Reel, 8.1:1: http://wired2.fish/ShimanoChronarch • LINE - Sufix 131 G-Core Braid, 50-pound: https://wired2.fish/Sufix131GCoreBraid OTHE GEAR • TACKLE STORAGE - Bass Mafia Money Bag: https://wired2.fish/BassMafiaMoneyBag • SUNGLASSES - Costa Del Mar Blackfin Pro: https://wired2.fish/BlackfinPro • FACE GUARD - Fish Monkey Performance Face Guard: https://wired2.fish/FishMonkeyFaceGuard • GLOVES Fish Monkey Gloves (all): https://wired2.fish/FishMonkeyProducts • ARK Apparel & Gear: http://wired2.fish/ARK-Apparel ► SUBSCRIBE for more AWESOME FISHING TIPS: http://wired2.fish/YTSub ► SHOP WIRED2FISH GEAR HERE: http://www.wired2fishgear.com FOLLOW US HERE AS WELL: ► http://www.wired2fish.com ► http://www.instagram.com/wired2fish_official ► http://www.facebook.com/wired2fish ► http://www.twitter.com/wired2fish
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Big predator fish like pike and musky stir angling excitement like few other fish, and although not a core focus here at Wired2fish, several staffers grew up chasing them and love a good hunt. This long-form video with Kyle Peterson overviews his musky fishing season with a focused discussion on using forward-imaging sonar (he's a Garmin LiveScope guru), his go-to lures, rod setups, and terminal tackle considerations. It all combines to help you catch these low-density and nomadic predator fish with a high success rate. *Boat and electronics links at the bottom. TACKLE • SWIMBAIT (Slide 312) - Savage Gear Sucker, 9-inch (coming soon!) • LINE - Sufix Performance Braid, 60- or 80-pound (heavier with bigger baits): https://wired2.fish/SufixPerformanceBraid • REEL - Daiwa Lexa 300 HD Casting Reel, 6.3:1: https://wired2.fish/DaiwaLexa300 • ROD - Savage Gear Battletek Musky Casting Rod, 8'6'' Extra Heavy: https://wired2.fish/BattletekMuskyRods • BUCKTAILS - https://wired2.fish/MuskyBucktails • TOPWATERS - https://wired2.fish/MuskyTopwaters • SWIMBAITS - https://wired2.fish/MuskySwimbaits • LEADER - Single Strand Nickel-Titanium Leader, 55-pound (Terminator unavailable): https://wired2.fish/TitaniumLeader • LEADER SNAPS - Stay-Lok Snaps, #4.5: https://wired2.fish/StayLokSnaps • LEADER SWIVEL - VMC BSHBSWR Welded Swivel, #4: https://wired2.fish/VMC-WeldedSwivel • SUNGLASSES - Costa Del Mar Reefton Sunglasses: https://wired2.fish/ReeftonSunglasses Electronics continue to re-write the fishing game, and perhaps no technology is transforming how we fish faster than forward-imaging (aka live sonar). Kyle details how to employ forward-imaging to target fish in "outer space" (suspended away from structure) -- the discussion covers the importance of casting distance and accuracy, bait angle of approach relative to the fish, and lure manipulation to trigger reaction strikes. BOAT SETUP • BOAT - Lund 1875 Pro-V Bass XS (Kyle's boat): https://wired2.fish/Lund1875ProV-Bass • BOAT - Lund Pro-V Musky (musky-specific, featured in the intro): https://wired2.fish/LundProV-Musky • WALK-THRU VID - Lund Pro-V Musky: https://wired2.fish/LundProV-MuskyWalkThu • MOTOR - Mercury Pro XS 250hp: http://wired2.fish/MercuryProXS Muskies are a lot like bass in that they readily and respond and eat a myriad of offerings from crankbaits, soft plastics, spinners (inline & safety pin), jerkbaits, and live bait, to name a few. For Peterson, live sonar has been transformative in helping him refine his bait selection to 3 core categories: 1) inline spinners (bucktails), 2) topwaters, and 3) performance swimbaits. He explains how and when he uses each, emphasizing the new Savage Gear Sucker, which can be worked at various depths and speeds, including being burned (most blow out) -- excellent attributes for the live imaging game. Catching muskies is hard. Period! They are low-density fish that infrequently eat yet are highly curious and can go nuts when you get things right. Modern sonar technologies allow you to break down a fishery in a day, which used to take years -- this is great for catching fish but always requires a thoughtful mindset on conservation. Always handle these top predators with care and a speedy release. ELECTRONICS • LIVE IMAGING - Garmin Panoptix LiveScope System (The Bass Tank): https://wired2.fish/PanoptixLiveScopeSystem • FISH FINDER - Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 126sv: https://wired2.fish/GarminForceTrollingMotor • TROLLING MOTOR - Garmin Force Trolling Motor: https://wired2.fish/GarminForceTrollingMotor ► SUBSCRIBE for more AWESOME FISHING TIPS: http://wired2.fish/YTSub ► SHOP WIRED2FISH GEAR HERE: http://www.wired2fishgear.com FOLLOW US HERE AS WELL: ► http://www.wired2fish.com ► http://www.instagram.com/wired2fish_official ► http://www.facebook.com/wired2fish ► http://www.twitter.com/wired2fish
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