Swim Jigs and Senkos - Summer Fishing The MidWest

We're fishing in a new state! Today we're breaking down Patoka Lake in Indiana. The lake is flooded with high water deep in the trees, the bass could be anywhere! With only a few hours to fish, we have to move quickly to locate the bass and develop a productive pattern to catch them. We begin by fishing offshore but quickly realize that's a big mistake.

Upon realizing the offshore bite was non-existent Matt headed shallow. He picked up a swim jig and began searching the backs of creeks. After getting his first bite and several additional followers he turned to the senko to complete his pattern. While Patoka Lake may not have an abundance of fish, the quality is excellent. Matt was able to catch a handful of really nice bass and is confident he could have caught quite a few more given another day or two on the lake.

Next Stop: Wisconsin! Matt, CC and Sierra are headed North to meet up with Tim's family as well as a few friends in search of giant smallmouth. Keep your eye out for our next video, its going to be fun! Below is a breakdown of the baits and equipment Matt used on Patoka Lake.

Electronics...

Humminbird Solix 12: http://bit.ly/2AE2YDB

Humminbird Solix 15: http://bit.ly/2Hazsej

Lakemaster Plus Digital Map Card: http://bit.ly/2Dk5Erc

Baits...

-California Swim Jig 3/8 oz (Crappie): http://bit.ly/2auXfmx

-Keitech 3.8" Fat Swimbait (Electric Shad): http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

-Yamamoto 5" Senko (Green Pumpkin Black Flake): http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

-Gamakatsu Wide Gap Superline Hook 2/0: http://bit.ly/2ac92XG

Swim Jig Combo...

Rod- Megabass Orochi XX Braillist: http://bit.ly/2OSVNwH

Reel- Shimano Chronarch MGL HG: http://bit.ly/2n8DghB

Line- 50 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 17 lb Maxima Ultragreen: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Senko Combo...

Rod- Shimano Expride has 6'10" Medium: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Shimano Aldebaran MGL 50 HG: http://bit.ly/2uQ4oH8

Line- 12 lb Assassin Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

3 Fishing Knots Everyone Should Know

Today we're tying 3 knots every fisherman needs to know. The Palomar and San Diego Jam are both great knots for attaching hooks and lures to your line. The Blood Knot is an excellent knot for attaching your main line to your leader material. We have a few tricks we do to adapt each knot to our fishing style and we're sharing those with you too!

No matter what species of fish you pursue, these are extremely helpful knots. If you're a bass fisherman, they're the only knots you'll ever need to know! Are there other knots that work well? Of course! The downside of many other knots is they're either too difficult to tie for the average angler and/or you can't tell when they're tied incorrectly.

Below is a breakdown of the different lines that we use for all of our fishing needs, as well as a link to the video explaining what each line is for.

Braid...

-Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

-Power Pro Moss Green: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

-Sufix 832: http://bit.ly/2ae93Ji

Monofilament...

-Maxima Ultragreen: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Fluorocarbon...

Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Sunline Sniper: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Shock Leader...

FC-100 System Leader Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

Video- Which Fishing Line? Braid vs Fluorocarbon vs Mono: https://youtu.be/gU1CAvfXHmU

Which Fishing Line? Braid vs Fluorocarbon vs Mono

When should you use Braid? When is fluorocarbon better than mono? What is each line for? Matt answers these questions and many more in today's in-depth look at fishing line. Even if you've made your mind up about your favorite line this video is worth a watch, some new technical lines have hit the market that are bridging the gap between line types.

This video goes in depth about all 3 fishing lines. We ignored copolymer for the sake of time as its really just an "in between" between fluorocarbon and monofilament. All of these different styles of line are important. Each one has a place and will increase your success while fishing. But use the wrong line for the wrong purpose and it will give you endless problems. This year we have the added bonus of "shock leader" which is essentially fluorocarbon that stretches like monofilament.

Because this video ran so long we did not include the portion on tying our favorite knots. We'll release a bonus video tomorrow that shows exactly how to tie a Palomar, double Palomar, San Diego Jam, Double San Diego Jam, and a Blood Knot.

Below is a break down of the different lines and types we use on a regular basis.

Braid...

-Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

-Power Pro Moss Green: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

-Sufix 832: http://bit.ly/2ae93Ji

Monofilament...

-Maxima Ultragreen: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Fluorocarbon...

Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Sunline Sniper: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Shock Leader...

FC-100 System Leader Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

Underwater Footage!! Best Creature Baits Compared!

We're headed back underwater with 7 of the most popular creature baits in bass fishing! If you've ever wondered how your lure really looks under water, this series is for you! Not all creatures are created equal, see the differences for yourself. We've rigged all the baits on a texas-rigged 1/4 oz tungsten weight with a 4/0 Offset worm hook to get a true comparison. Let's head underwater!

Texas-rigged creature baits are one of the most consistent lures in bass fishing. Every angler knows that when the bass get around cover, they can't resist a creature bait! Whether you prefer a shorter, more compact profile or a longer, slender profile, we're testing a variety of baits that will apply to you. As you watch these baits in the water focus on the details of how each bait swims and moves at various speeds so you can select the bait that will best meet your needs.

In general, we lean towards natural colors first and dark colors second. Some of our favorites are simple colors like Green Pumpkin Black Flake, Black and Blue, Junebug, and Watermelon Red. Don't get caught up with all of the colors, instead focus on choosing a natural color and a dark color that you have confidence in, and stick to one or two creatures that you feel have the best action. Below is a breakdown of the different baits we've included in the video in order of appearance.

Creature Baits...

-Zoom Brush Hog: http://bit.ly/2bnpCRx (Junebug)

-Strike King Game Hawg: http://bit.ly/2pfGxir (Watermelon Red)

-Keitech Crazy Flapper: http://bit.ly/2c3cXrp (Junebug)

-Reaction Innovations Man Bear Pig: http://bit.ly/2s51oIV (Tramp Stamp)

-Missile Baits D Stroyer: http://bit.ly/3248BXL (Super Bug)

-NetBait Mad Paca: http://bit.ly/2FNL9V5 (Junebug)

-Yamamoto Mermaid: http://bit.ly/2ODEorh (Smoke Purple Blue Watermelon)

Terminal Tackle...

-Tungsten 1/4 oz Worm Weight: http://bit.ly/2bo4NZf

-Owner 4/0 Worm Hook: http://bit.ly/2D9Pmj0

-Peg X Stopper: http://bit.ly/2bHjowk

Texas-Rig Combo...

Rod- G Loomis NRX 853C JWR: http://bit.ly/2hedqsq

Reel- Aldebaran MGL 50: http://bit.ly/2uQ4oH8

Line- 40 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 12 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Budget-Friendly Combo...

Rod- Shimano SLX 7'" Medium: http://bit.ly/2L3wppO

Reel- Shimano SLX 150 HG: http://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

Line- 40 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9