Truck and trailer towing tips

Boom! Rattle, shake, bummbummppp!! Hopefully you’ve never heard those sounds coming from your truck or trailer while on the road. However, If you spend enough time traveling to and from tournament venues, you’re bound to hear those unfortunate sounds emanating from the road at some point. You’d be surprised to hear how many tournament anglers don’t have a road kit ready in case of an emergency. I’ve spent my fair share of time on the side of the road and have a few bits and pieces of information that could just save your bacon one day, possibly your tournament. http://rahfish.com/tows-boats/towing/truck-and-trailer-know-how/

Kids and Frogs, Two of a Kind

Kids and Frogs, Two of a Kind

The future of our sport depends on many factors but number one in my opinion is showing our youth the joys of fishing. Recently I took my step daughter and step son to a little local pond to try and catch some bluegill. The next time you take your kids out to fish, here are a few baits to tie on that will produce results and keep them fishing more than untangling line. 

My favorite lure to tie on for kids is a crappie jig under a slip bobber. This rig is easy for them to cast and it also produces good results. I always start with each child trying different colors and we usually develop a plan fairly quickly. Line size plays an important role when in clearer water but usually I try to go as heavy as possible. Another productive bait for children is is a float and fly. A simple fly(like a nymph or Woolley bugger) under a clear bobber can really produce great numbers. They may need a little help casting it but once it's out, an ultra-slow retrieve will bring the smaller fish out to play! My favorite bait (and usually the kids' favorite) a top water frog! That's right, a FROG! I love the River2Sea BullyWa45(smallest top water frog available) because of it ease of casting, small size and nearly snag-less design.The kids will often have so much fun casting and working the BullyWa that they won't notice that time is passing by. I just rig the BullyWa on their small spinning rods with 8-10lb monofilament. They don't need heavy rods to have fun. The icing on the cake is when the water explodes with a bass trying to engulf the frog! 

Try these baits the next time you take your kids out and I can guarantee you'll all have a blast! Fish or no fish, you can easily turn the trip into a casting contest or a fun learning day regarding working the baits. Get your River2sea baits and all other fishing needs at Coyotebait.com, Coyote Bait and Tackle.

Are you fishing with Skinny Bears...

I just received my late winter/early spring order from Skinny Bear Bass Jigs and man am I EXCITED! In this post Im going to go over some of my favorite products and ways to fish these baits, but only some(more to follow soon). I'll continue to keep you folks updated but for now let's go over a couple tried and true techniques! You can purchase them all at Coyote Bait and Tackle!(Stay tuned for special offer from Zak-Attack Fishing)

First and foremost, my favorite, The Signature Jig is a compact jig with a shortly cut silicone rubber skirt that makes the pieces of skirt stick up and come ALIVE! When rigged with a craw trailer this jig gives a great "defensive" look of a craw, especially in semi-stained to clear water. Another one of the Skinny Bear line up is the "The Grizz Broom Jig". This is a big 'ol bad boy jig with long rubber strands that I Love to flip in the California Delta! Rig this baby with a craw trailer or a good 'ol fashioned pork trailer and HANG ON! The heavy duty hooks and durable finish one these jigs will hold for the biggest fish and toughest conditions!

The bottom 'line' is, whether you're at the top of the tournament trail or just getting started in the sport, try these jigs this season. The Signature Jig is the best way to start throwing a jig or to start sizing down if you need a more compact approach. You can cast them out and drag them back in short pulls or make small jerks to bounce the jig off the bottom a few inches at time. Now if you want to break out the big guns and flip some beasts in the boat, then pick up a Grizz Broom Jig in your favorite color and go get 'em! These jigs work best flipped into weed or tule pockets and bounced a few times before pulling out and moving to the next hole. Be sure to go to Coyote Bait and Tackle to see these baits today!

Stay tuned(subscribed) for more on the Skinny Bear line up and how to fish 'em!

Lost? Turning a loss into a win!

Hello everyone! This is the maiden voyage of the Zak-Attack fishing blog.

I decided to get a few things out to you regarding turning a loss into a win. I recently took a hard hit on my first Pro-Am event as a Pro angler. Now I've fished may events as an amateur angler and thought it was about time I stepped up to the front of the boat. Well, I finished second to last place! Now, while I don't regret my decision to fish as a Pro in this event, I do realize where I went wrong. Here are the some things I took with with me from my finish, good and bad.

First, nothing drives me(us) to be better than finishing as low as I did. The key to changing that loss into a win is to really dissect your tournament and learn from EVERYTHING you did. I really learned a lot about being at the front of the boat and having to get your strategy down for the the day(or two or three days) and about knowing when to leave your plan and look for new water. Looking back, as I'm sure we've all done from to time, I knew when I should have left and made that "long run to potentially better fish".  Now the next time you're on the water, be sure to key in on the same feeling and situations that you felt before and when you "knew" you should change up your game plan.

Second, I am very happy with my bait choice and I know that had I adjusted earlier on in day two, I could have done very well. I knew that my 3.45 Kick Tail Finesse Swimbait from Skinny Bear bass jigs was the key as soon as I pulled to nice 2lb spotted bass from the 30' depth range while I slowly reeled along the bottom, bumping the rocks. I also had a great bite for quick limit fish(approximately 13+ inchers) on my 4 1/2" RoboWorm in Sexy Shad pattern when fished on a small 8" leader in 40'-50' depths. Finally my River2Sea 1/2oz. football head jig rigged with a Yamamoto Hula Grub in Baby bass color caught me my best fish on day one when fished on a steep bank with stumps in 25'.

Finally, I learned that as much as I wanted to take home the "W", I realistically hadn't put in enough pre-fishing time in order to do so and to know when to switch patterns/locations. Basically, all we can do is follow Ike's quote, "Worry about the controllables."  We can't get caught up with "who" is in the tournament or worry about weather and lake levels. All we can do is make sure our gear is in order, our strategy is firmly in place and of course, keep a 'rigid' state of flexibility.