Enhance Your Mozingo Bass Fishing Results Using Suspending Stickbaits

Most fishermen have been using stickbaits for instance Rapalas and Long A's since their first days of Mozingo bass fishing. Though originally designed as either a floating or sinking bait, many astute bass fisherman promptly determined a little alteration to these stickbaits provides a bait that can be as effectively fished at mid-range depths.

Once tweaked, the improved stickbaits would then either ascend more slowly or sometimes suspend at depth (if they were lucky enough to get the weight balance in-tune).

Even though the adjustment delivered an answer to the mid-range depth suspension problem, it was a temporary solution. The adjustment process was done by trial and error. Often times the jerkbait was damaged beyond repair during modification. Usually a costly venture in time and money!

Are Suspending Minnow Baits Really Different?

The answer … absolutely yes! These baits provide the bass fisherman with one of the true “multi-use” weapons present in their tackle box. Minnow Baits will perform in any Mozingo bass fishing season as along as the presentation style is modified to the environmental conditions present at that moment.

Remember that black bass are cold-blooded animals meaning to a large extent, the lake conditions mandates their metabolism. This fact is especially important during cold water periods, such as the late fall through early spring, since metabolism dictates the reaction time and eating biases of bass during these periods.

Another key factor supporting the use of minnow baits during the during cold water seasons is due to the fact that the predominant bait during this season is minnows.

Suspending stickbaits are a bait where not only the speed of retrieve can be varied, it can also be stopped for moments at a time giving sluggish fish that spare moment to react. Often times a snap cadence coupled with a long pause triggers reactions during these cold water periods when other methods falter.

Because of these characteristics, most anglers who are out on Mozingo bass fishing during the cold-water period use jerkbaits until the water slides below 40 degrees.

Here are a few tips to check out when fishing jerkbaits on Mozingo Lake:

* Use finish patterns imitating Mozingo's forage fish using more natural patterns in unstained water and brighter patterns (reds) in dirty water;
* Fish minnow baits around detached cover on main lake points and flats, lower ends of major feeder creeks and parallel to bluffs;
* Vary the retrieve of the jerkbait and make alterations depending on the reaction tendencies of the bass;
* Watch your line! Using long pauses when fishing suspended jerkbaits is sometimes like fishing plastic worms where the line only twitches when the bass inhales the jerkbait;
* Use a relatively long, light action hard-bait rod with 10 to 12 lb. monofilament line (fluorocarbon in clearer water).

Late to early season Mozingo bass fishing can be the best time of year on the water. Though you may not catch the numbers of fish you would during other seasons, this time period usually produces better quality fish and often times, a true lunker bass.

A Gift For You! ...

Mozingo bass fishing fanatic, Doc Bass (a.k.a - Jim Hickey) is a bass fisherman who both loves to fish and share never-ending news tidbits about everything to do with bass fishing. Follow Doc's insider info on bass fishing tactics and get a complimentary bass fishing tips guide and fishing journal by clicking on the live link (<== to the left!).