There is a laundry list of techniques for catching big bass…and let’s face it, to consistently be successful, todays anglers need to be well versed in all of them. Football head jigs, big worms, and flipping and pitching have longstanding reputations as go-to lures and techniques for bigun’s. For anglers who compete at the tournament level, this can mean the difference between cashing a check or just donating to your buddies.
When bass bury themselves under thick mats of vegetation or tightly woven pads and won’t respond to a frog bait dragged across the top, “Punching†is the only way to get them out. PowerTeam’s Bully Grass Devil was specifically designed for this type of fishing. Its slender “v†grooved body and tight action allows the Bully Grass Devil to slide through the thickest cover with ease. Its important to skin hook the bait.(shown above) Once it gets through, the 4 1/2†streamline profile and elongated appendages of the Bully Grass Devil is hard for bass to resist. It looks like a crawfish buffet in Lousiana.
Punching is actually a very simple technique. Just find some thick mats of vegetation or pads, Texas-rig a Bully Grass Devil with the proper amount of weight for the cover you’re fishing and start pitchin’ into the mats. Remember, there are specific weights that work better for punching and this is all about heavy duty power fishing…no wimpy sticks allowed.Once the Bully Grass Devil gets through, strip some line off the reel until the bait hits the bottom, shake it a couple times and then “yo-yo†it beneath the surface of the mat a few times. Sometimes the bass will pluck it off the bottom and other times they’ll snatch it at the top stroke of the “yo-yo†motion. Keep dissecting the mats and you’ll know when you find the “sweet spot†or where the bass are positioned in the grass.
Having a solid hook set and the proper gear for Punchin’ is an absolute must to be successful with this technique. The Power Team Lures Bully Grass Devil rigged on a 5/0 superline hook like a Reaction Innovations BMF, a Mustad Grip Pin or a Lazer Trokar flipping hook topped with a pegged ¾ to 2oz tungsten weight will get the bass on the end of your line. A 7 ½ to 8 ft. heavy action flippin’ rod and a powerful casting reel spooled with 50-65lb braid (with the drag cranked all the way down) will get them out. Braid also helps detect the lightest of bites.
Many anglers know about the rewards of Punchin’ the thick stuff. Not only can it be exciting but highly profitable, as well. The rush of rippin’ big bass through pounds of salad is unmatched and the feel of the bite can be arm breaking. Big bass have been known to knock slack in the line on the fall.For those of you who haven’t tried punching mats yet, get yourself a heavy rod, a couple bags of Bully Grass Devils, from Power Team Lures, and start cashing in on this awesome technique…but be for warned, it’s extremely addicting!
Take a look at this video to see the BGD in action.
To purchase the Bully Grass Devil go to Tackle Warehouse.
Visit the Power Team Lures website for more on the Bully Grass Devil and other Power Team Lures.
