I'm pretty much willing to bet that nearly every angler reading this article, at one point or another, has heard the cliche "Bigger baits catch bigger fish." But does this hold in every situation? As a Long Island angler, I seriously doubt it! Time to face facts, bigger isn't always better. So with that in mind, we ask ourselves, what are we left with? Answer: finesse fishing!
Finesse, a word that many long-time traditionalist bass anglers cringe at the sound of, has revolutionized the way many anglers approach bass fishing. Lighter lines, lighter lures, and lighter rod setups have taken the market by storm. And as we speak, new products are added to the already massive lineup. Interestingly enough, many of the new-wave finesse lures that are being bought up by the zillions have been on the market just as long, if not longer, like their larger counterparts. In many cases, they are the same lures that anglers have been using and trusting, just in a smaller size.
For example, the Rapala floating minnow, which was in existence well before the Allies took Normandy, has been catching fish for decades. It has been produced in sizes ranging from just over an inch to the well-known magnum muskie plugs for over a century. So what? Big water anglers stuck to the largest plugs, bass anglers bought up the mid-sized baits, and the only anglers that would give the first five sizes even so much as a passing glance were those in seek of crappie or pickerel.
Flash ahead to the present day. On a recent trip to the ridiculously over-pressured waters of Lower Massapequa Reservoir, I managed to chalk up seven bass weighing between one to two and a half pounds on the smallest size of floating "rap" available. Is this extraordinary? Not really. It's offering the fish what they want. So with that said, it undoubtedly bears the question, how do I go about "getting finessed"?
Unquestionably, the first step is to look at what rods, reels, and baits you are using and are comfortable with, then begin your "evaluation process." The most simple form of throwing a bit of finesse into your fishing arsenal is to buy smaller, lighter versions of the same items you use now. While this may end their quest for finesse, others take this technique to a whole new extreme. For the rest of this article, I'll attempt to cover some of the finer points of finesse and how, with practicality, add it into your cache of styles that you use to get more bass in the boat.
Contrary to popular belief, finesse is not just smaller lures. Everything is smaller, including the rod and reel. Finesse rods and reels are not confused with "dinky" or "wimpy" rods simply because of their lighter, more flimsy appearance. Armies of rod manufacturers have turned a portion of their rod production facilities over to the manufacturing and perfection of the finesse-style rods, and every bit of quality goes into them as their stouter counterparts. Depending on how "finesse" you want your presentation to be, the actions can range from medium-light down to the absurdly supple ultra-ultra light. Of course, these rods are spinning, and some of the models feature a "Tennessee spinning" style handle. This grip, previously used by crappie fishermen, puts the reel in direct contact with the padded handle for a lighter, more sensitive feel and allows a "blank through" construction.
How should you go about selecting the perfect finesse rod for your application? You must first ask yourself exactly what you want to do with this setup? Pitching light tube-style baits and finesse-style crankbaiting would require entirely different setups. Usually, selection depends on preference, style, and the "comfort factor." For a first rod, a generic medium-light or light-action spinning rod will typically give you the feel for the new finesse-type setups in the future and allow you to decide whether or not you would like to pursue this style of fishing further. Also, in the future, you could use this rod as a judge of other rods, whether or not lighter or heavier action is for your new technique.
Of course, you could have the most extraordinary rod on the face of mother earth, but what's a rod without the reel? Finesse reels are usually one of two things. They are either A: The most miniature version of a "regular" bassin' reel available, or B: An ultra-light or panfish-type spinning reel. These reels fall into the "micro" category.
Granted, many anglers would take one look at these "mini's" and immediately assume that any proclaimed bass fisherman using it was a complete moron, but there is hope! Many smaller versions of existing reels will do the job relatively efficiently. Quantum, Daiwa, and Abu Garcia make smaller versions of their more popular reels, which would generally go unnoticed by bass anglers. These reels are designed specifically to hold the lighter lines associated with finesse fishing and give a bass angler more "meat" on the reel, if for nothing else than a comfort and confidence factor. Selection of these reels should be made the same way as traditionally sized reels, considering the anti-reverse, ball bearings, and overall style; as such, they have just as great of an effect on finesse fishing as they do any other style.
With rod and reel selected, it is time to make the mind-numbing "what line to use" decision, which has become too familiar in the product-flooded bassin' market. Line weight for most finesse presentations should be somewhere between 4- and 10-pound tests, with most of the applications easily handled by the more popular 8- and 10-ten pound varieties.
A quick word of advice: Fluoro! In an age where there are more like compositions than there are flavors of designer coffees, fluorocarbon lines reign supreme. Why not braid? After all, it is super sensitive. The only reason braid is not used here is because braid floats. And the floating line in a light lure presentation will obliterate the lure's action. Another factor is that while fluoro blends and disappears underwater, the braid will remain completely visible and effectively kill any attempt at making the bait look natural. Pick your brand, pick your style (super thin styles are very effective here), but a 4- to 10-pound test is a hard deal to beat.
With set up in hand, the obvious question here is lure selection. Since its popularity in the last few years, there are more lures, lure types, and rigs that fit the finesse description than I can ever hope to cover in one article, therefore I'll list my favorite few. You can set about your task by reading, watching, and asking.
Long Island's chosen son, the Gitzit, can be rigged as one of the most deadly finesse baits known to man or fish. A wide gap hook, like Gamakatsu's standard wide gap worm hook in 1/0 or 2/0, will work exceptionally well in this application, with the larger gap accommodating the bulky body of the famed tube bait. To this, add an internal clip-type weight, like the one produced by Eagle Claw, in 1/32-ounce to 1/8-ounce, depending on the depth of the presentation and the way fish are taking the bait. With this rig assembled, you are now in possession of one of the most popular finesse rigs on the planet, as well as a great Long Island rig. Fish this in and out of just about any cover you can get a boat near, and pay close attention to line movement. In many cases, strikes will be extremely subtle!
Make note. If the bass develops an extreme case of lockjaw, it is possible to fish one of these lures completely weightless. While this "live lining" technique takes considerable practice to master, it is very deadly on super pressured waters. Make another note; just about any soft plastic can be "live lined" in this fashion, with lizards and wide tail style worms making the top of my list.
The presentation I usually use consists of pitching the bait as close to shore as possible, making as little entry noise as possible, and s-l-o-w-l-y, dragging it over laydowns or whatever cover is present. With a good pair of polarized fishing sunglasses, you can watch the bait travel through the cover. Here's the key: when the bait is resting on a laydown, s-l-o-w-l-y drag it off and allow it to free-fall as long as possible, then at the bottom of the descent, give several delicate but sharp, pulse-like rod jerks to give the appearance of a swimming bait. Ninety-nine percent of the strikes will come right as the first twitch is applied, and the other will come while the bait is in free fall. Strike detection is not even an issue when fishing this rig. When a bass takes the bait, it usually feels something similar to snagging the bumper of a passing semi-truck. Half the challenge of fishing this rig is trying to yank a poorly dispositioned bass on an 8-pound test line from laydowns and all sorts of other "nasty stuff"! While this presentation will take a little practice and a metric ton of patience, the reward is well worth the effort!
My final tidbit concerns using my pet lure, the time-honored spinnerbait. Now immediately, you might say, exactly how can a spinnerbait be "finessed" in the world? Answer: plenty of modifications! The base lure I usually start with is the Bass Pro Shops, "Crappie Spin." The top colors to start with are chartreuse, white, and blue & white.
The first step to constructing a finesse bassin' weapon is to change the stock size 1.5 Colorado blade to a silver or gold 1.5 Indiana-style blade. The Indiana-style blade provides the necessary balance between the sound and buoyancy of a Colorado blade with the speed and fishabilty of a willow leaf. The next step is to trim back the skirt about a quarter of an inch to give the bait a smaller profile. To this, add a Zoom Split Tail Trailer, but some trimming may be in order due to the smaller size of the lure. Trim it so the trailer's body covers the hook shank without bunching. Also, some tail trimming may be in order. Trim enough of the tail, so it protrudes from the skirt about an inch and a half to two and a half inches, depending on how aggressive the bass are biting that day.
While on the subject of trimming, to add to this rig's "bass appeal," with a sharp razor blade, cut each of the two tentacles in two lengthwise to make four thinner tentacles. This can be considered a secret weapon for those lockjaw days.
As far as the color, match it to the color of the skirt. I know Zoom makes trailer colors in all the skirt colors available on the mini spin. Another way to set this unique little offering apart from the rest is to experiment with various "dip dyes." Adding a highlight color to the trailer can mean the difference between a good day and a day where you refer to every piece of fishing equipment you own as "that #@%&! piece of garbage". For starters, adding a chartreuse tip to the white bait can turn on finicky smallmouth in a big hurry.
With that said, I hope that this insight into the world of finesse fishing will at least pique your interest enough to give it a try the next time you hit the water.
Catch you on the water...
