It’s easy to forget about grubs in a tackle world filled with paddle tail swimbaits, Ned rigs, and other swimming plastics, but that’s a mistake. Wired2fish’s Nick Dumke takes us on a grub fishing adventure for smallmouth bass, demonstrating the effectiveness of grubs in clear water. This video focuses on when and how to fish grubs for smallmouth bass but is equally valid for largemouth and spotted bass wherever clear water abounds.
TACKLE USED (retail links)
- GRUB – Berkley PowerBait Power Grub, 4-inch: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- JIG HEAD – BKK Silent Chaser Round Head, 1/8-ounce: Buy at FishUSA
- ROD – Abu Garcia Pro Series Spinning Rod, Avena 7’4″ Medium: Buy at Bass Pro Shops, Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- REEL – Abu Garcia REVO SX SP30 Spinning Reel: Buy at Bass Pro Shops, Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- LINE – Berkley Jordan Lee X9 Braided Line Flame Green, 8-pound: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- LINE – Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon, 8-pound: Buy at Bass Pro Shops, Buy at Tackle Warehouse
Dumke details the versatility of the grub. While perhaps not as realistic to the human eye as a minnow-imitating swimbait, a grub comes to life with slight motion. Dumke discusses a grub’s unique ability to resemble a range of forage and trick visually discerning bass into biting with its gently undulating tail action.
Dumke highlights the importance of rigging a grub correctly to mimic natural fish food, which can be the game-changer between a successful and unsuccessful day of fishing. He demonstrates the importance of perfect threading on a jig head to ensure a natural presentation. Get it right, and a grub comes to life with a natural side-to-side rocking motion.
While a range of jig heads work, Dumke favors a classic round ball head, which careens its way through cover such as rock and wood with minimal hang-ups. A longer medium power spinning rod equipped with a 3000-size reel offers a smoother drag and increases your casting distance, an essential element in clear water.
