Tag: Z Man Baits

Kansas Bass Youth Team Series Part 2

Day 1 of the Kansas Bass Youth Team Series on Wilson Lake, we had already 2 fish in the livewell at our first stop. As we moved to the second stop, the wind and boat traffic made it very hard to fish. So I decided to drive all the way into the back of the pocket. We pulled up to a grass point and on the first cast, Nick caught our third keeper. It was just at 15 inches, so we need to creel him to have a chance. Fished a little more in the back as another boat joined us in the little pocket. Moving out along the bluff wall, there was a little cut that Kyle missed a fish. I figured it was a bedding fish. So we backed out, and Nick threw up there and dragged it into the spot. He stop moving it, and just then his line took off. I’m not sure he had a good hookset. If you watch the video, you will see. If you have the right rod and reel, all you have to do is lean into the fish. You don’t really want to set the hook too hard because you can pull or pop the hook out of its mouth. It was a good 3.12lb largemouth. I figured we had finally caught one we wouldn’t have to creel. With 4 fish in the livewell at 10am, it was a great start.

We moved just a little more down the back, watching another boat catch a good one in front of us. As they went around us, Kyle hooked up with number 5. The next hour, we caught fish after fish. We creeled 3 of the smaller fish in the next hour. All the fish in the livewell were between 3.04 to 3.12lbs. Just then Nick set the hook. I was like “Really? Again?” It jumped and shad guts flew everywhere. It was a big smallmouth. As Nick played it, Kyle was praying that we landed the fish. Nick got the fish in the net, and it was the biggest fish at a weight of 3.14lbs. We had around 17 pounds. After talking a little to another boat with a couple of guys that I know very well, they told us to stop fishing and save some fish for the next day. Boys didn’t want to stop fishing, but they did from 11:30 am to 1:45 pm. We protected the spot from other boats. Twins would cast out deeper and take breaks. Around 1pm, Kyle said “I’m casting to the spot.” I was like ok. Just as I said “Ok,” he set the hook. Not good, because it was another 3 pound smallmouth. The first half of the field weighed in, and only had 2fish or no fish. But one team had 14.90 lbs. As the scale stopped at 17.54 lbs, we had an almost 2 1/2 pound lead. All we have to do is bring in a limit on day 2 and the championship would be ours.

Kansas BASS Youth Team Series Championship on Wilson Lake

The Kansas BASS Youth Team Series held their State Championship on Wilson Lake in Western Kansas. Wilson Lake bass fishing of both Smallmouth and Largemouth are on fire right know. It is some of the best fishing in Kansas. So, I knew it was going to take around 15lbs a day. It was a two day event. There are a lot of 3 pound bass in the lake. We went the day before so that we could go out and prefish.

On our first spot, I noticed a lot of big largemouth swimming around shallow. I had one follow my frog to the boat. I told one of the boys to throw a stickbait on him. Kyle threw a Senko right next to him, and it exploded on it. I told him not to set the hook. It swam a little bit with his bait before Kyle pulled on him and he then let it go. After seeing a couple of more fish and catching a couple of small bass, we decided to move to a prime spot we had fished a couple of weeks before. Nick right away caught a 4 pound largemouth. I started to see more fish on beds both largemouth and smallmouth. I decided to leave them alone so we could start there first thing in the morning. We fished a couple of more hours, catching just small fish. I was a little nervous about our starting spot due to the Sunflower Team Series was fishing a tournament the first day. Those guys don’t miss much, so I figured they had spotted the fish bedding to. They also had 65 boats fishing.

The first day of the tournament, the boys and I were ready to go. While we were running to the spot, I was just hoping no one was on the spot. As we came around the corner, there was no one on the spot. I was so excited. I knew the twins could catch some fish here. After about 5 casts, we moved right into the spot were I saw a good smallmouth the day before on a bed. The best thing was we knew were it was bedding, so we could stay back away from it and cast around the spot. Nick’s second cast in the area, he hooked up. I knew right away it was a good fish. After fighting it for couple of seconds, which felt like 5 minutes, we landed the first keeper. It was around 3.5 pounds. A great start. Then a couple more casts in another area I had seen a couple of fish shallow, Kyle was able to catch another keeper smallmouth. It was just 15 inches, and didn’t weigh much. We have to creel this fish. But, we had two keepers in the first 30 minutes. After another hour, I decided to go to where we saw the bigger largemouth the day before. As we left the cove, I saw the wind direction. It would be very hard to fish the spot. I decided to move us to another spot that had been good to us the last couple of years. It would be a great decision, and one of the best days on the water that the boys and I will never forget. Next blog and video the boys catch their biggest limit in a tournament.

Tackle Review: Z Man Finesse TRD

I would like to talk about one of the best baits and techniques over the last couple of years. I thought for awhile that it is maybe the only bait you needed. But, I learned that it is just another technique you need to add to your arsenal. The Ned Rig; it is an incredible bait. Some people cut stickbaits in half and use a light mushroom style jighead. I started using Z Man products. I like the Z Man Finesse TRD and Finesse Mushroomz Jig head.

The first time I fished and introduced it to my boys was a trip out to a western Kansas lake. I had only two packages of PB&J and 1/15oz. jighead. Twins were like “There’s not much to it.” We were actually pre-fishing for an upcoming tournament. It didn’t take long for the boys to fall in love with this little bait. The twins caught four smallmouth over 3 pounds and three big wipers in the 5 to 7 pound range. They wouldn’t let me fish it on the trip. They wanted the bait all to themselves. That week on four trips, we caught 300 fish. The boys tournament was cancelled due to bad weather.

But, I had an upcoming tournament on Melvern so I was ready with two spinning rods rigged with Z Man Finesse TRD PB&J and 1/15oz. Finesse Mushroomz Jig head. I had one rig with Sunline Sniper FC 7lb test and the other with Sunline Braided. I had found some fish that Thursday with the Ned rig. So, when the tournament started, I headed to my best spot. I pulled up to the spot and a couple of casts in, I caught a keeper smallmouth. The next cast, I had a good largemouth bass take my TRD off a hanging limb. After 10 more minutes, I had a limit with two over 17 inches. It was a great start.  My non-boater had moved to the bait, and he had two fish. We would go on to catch 45 fish that day with my best five being 14.97lb.

Since then we have caught a lot of fish and even one of my son’s personnel best 6.02lbs largemouth was on TRD using Powertackle SPN43-70 rod with Sunline Sniper FC 7lb. Powertackle rods are known for flipping big bass into the boat down in Texas. Their spinning rod has incredible action and feel for the Ned rig and other finesse baits. It is the only spinning rod in my boat.

The Z Man Finesse TRD comes in 22 different colors. I keep it simple, and stay with about 4 colors PB&J, The Deal, Mud Minnow and Green Pumpkin. I like to start with PB&J early in the season as it imitates a crawfish. Then when fish start keying in on baitfish, I will throw The Deal and Mud Minnow. Green Pumpkin is just a great color to imitate bluegill.

The most important part of this presentation is the size of jig you use. I use 1/15oz. most of the time. If I want to swim it or have a faster presentation, I will upgrade to 1/10oz. or even the 1/6oz. Now, if you fish from the bank or ponds, use the smallest jighead 1/20oz. and 1/15oz. This bait will catch any species.  We have caught some really big walleye on it. This is a great bait to use for kids to fish, tournament fisherman, and fun fishing. Everytime I take kids fishing for the first time, this bait is always tied on their pole. So, next time you go fishing pick up some Z Man Finesse TRD and Mushroomz Jighead and give it a try. It is an incredible bait.