WesternBass.com :: Ask Gary Dobyns Question Archive

Q I have tendonitis from pitching on the weekends and painting during the week. I have been looking at your 765 and 766 for the Delta and Clear Lake and am curious to know which you'd recommend to pitch 3/8-3/4oz jigs/worms in heavy cover and in deeper water. Also I'm sure you've had a bout or two with tendonitis is there anything you can recommend to help speed up the healing time?

A Tendonitis in your elbow? Dude, I'm almost an expert on this. I battled in my elbow for over two years. I finally had surgery, not arthroscopic, but a five-inch scar on my elbow. I took shots to be able to fish for two years. I had probably 15-20 shots of cortisone to keep me going. Some people will tell you that you can't have more than 1 or 2 shots. I had two different doctors and they didn't think it mattered about how many I received. They were more concerned about controlling the pain. How bad was it? I couldn't pick up a can of diet Pepsi.

First thing, over 90% of the time it will heal itself over time. You need to try to avoid whatever you're doing that aggravates it. Unfortunately with fishing, everything aggravates it. There is a tendonitis band that you wear over your elbow and it really helps. There are a lot of these bands and I tried many. The best one had a clear, 2"x2" air bubble that helped control tension and keep the band on the exact point. I don't remember the name but it's the only one that I've ever seen with the air bubble in it. If it persists for more than a year, you may be in trouble. The surgery is very successful but I'll tell you it hurts like hell. It's amazing how much a little stinking tendon can hurt but since you have tendonitis, I don't have to tell you. I laughed at a guy that had tendonitis a year or so before I got it. I called him a wuss and said there was no way an elbow could hurt that bad. BOY WAS I WRONG! Good luck with your tendonitis.

As far as rod choice, my 766 Flip is the best balanced, lightest feeling flippin' stick that I've ever had my hands on. I'm currently not shipping to dealers as I am fixing a few problems. If you're a regular on westernbass, I'm sure you know the story. We are honoring the warranty on everything and trying to take the high road. All the rods at the dealers have been flex tested hard and "shouldn't" be a problem.

Thanks for the question.

Aug 15, 2008

Q When setting up your motor on your jack plate, is it better to have it raised as far up as possible without your water pressure getting to low or as far low so you get more bow lift?

A Good question. I love a hydraulic plate. You can fine tune it much easier than a manual plate. With a manual plate, you kind of need to set it for all around conditions. I'm going to answer this as if you're running a hydraulic plate.

The reason that I like the hydraulic is in flat water or slight chop I can run the plate higher and get everything possible out of the boat setup. When I get into rough water and my prop starts jumping out of the water or "zinging" between the wave troughs, I can run my plate all the way down and get a much better bite in the water. This really helps your handling and is much better on your motor and prop shaft.

When fishing in the Delta in extremely shallow water for a long way, I can simply run my plate all the way to the top, jump on the throttle and as the boat comes on the plane, I run my plate back down to my "running height".

Now, back to your question on water pressure and setup. Normally there is a sweet spot in the setup. I watch my water pressure very carefully and my GPS speed. At some point, you're going to pick up, pick up, stabilize and then start losing on your speed. I will usually take that stabilizing height that I just found and drop it back a quarter to a half inch in height. This is assuming that my water pressure hasn't changed thru my height adjustments. It really shouldn't change much as the prop should be hooking up and lifting the bow higher and higher. Please note that you can easily over-trim your boat. I've found that most of the time I'm running at about 3/4 trim. I have a lot more trim and bow lift available to me but the boat catches more air and slows down. The boats that you see running at full trim and throwing a high rooster tail are not running at their best. I hope this makes sense. It's kind of hard to explain and put into words. Good luck with your boat.

Aug 10, 2008

Q We are thinking of a vacation in say mid to late March on Clear Lake, CA and were wondering which end of the lake to fish. We have never fished in CA. What do you think?

A Dang, another question that I'm late in answering. I'm going to answer it for next March.

March is such a major transition month on Clear Lake. The south end of the lake is deeper and has a lot of structure. If we haven't had a warming trend, you may want to fish this end of the lake with jigs and jerkbaits. Most of the time in March, I'd tell you that my favorite place to fish on the lake is the north end. The north end is very shallow. The fish tend to really school up as they move to the shallows and when you find them, you have found a wad of them. March is a big fish month on the north end of Clear Lake. I don't mean that you're going to catch a 6 lb. or 8 lb. fish but you're liable to catch twenty fish that are 6 lbs. or better.

Some favorite baits would be Lucky Craft Staycee 90 or Pointer 100 or 128s depending on where you are and the depth of the water. Also, almost any kind of swimbait that you can think of can put some big fish in the boat. The main forage fish in the lake are shad and hitch. On the north end of the lake, the hitch population takes a pretty good beating in March and April. There are tons of hitch in the lake ranging from 6" to 10". Of course, there are smaller and larger hitch.

A planned vacation at the right time on Clear Lake will rival the Mexican fisheries. I hope you get a chance to come to Clear Lake next spring. If you're interested the lake does have a good guide on it named Bob Myskey. Bob could turn you onto some big fish locations and patterns. I hope you make it next March.

Aug 6, 2008

Q In the delta there are a lot of conditions to consider I think more so than in a lake. A fisherman has to consider the tide, wind, sunny skies, water temp, current direction, and so on. Sometimes it can get overwhelming. Just to take the stress out of locating fishing what are some summer patterns that are more common to look for? Is there a type of structure that holds more quality fish than others? Is there a specific time within the tide table to look for these types of structure? What types of bait work best in the structure?

A Wow, tough question. You narrowed it down to summer and that makes it a lot easier for me. Over the years, I've learned that in the summer I can catch them pretty well on a frog in very low water fishing grass patches. I like the isolated ones much more than just a bank of grass or moss. I like the isolated patches to be in a place where they catch a lot of current. For me, it seems like the best tide is the bottom of the outgoing.

When the water is up, I usually do much better flippin' the grass or punching. I still like a lot of isolated grass patches. It just kind of gives me a target that I can really key on. There are plenty of fish on grass lined banks and I do fish those, also.

You're right. The Delta has a lot of things for you to consider. To be really good on the Delta, you need to fish it a lot. You'll learn that the fish are more active during certain phases of the tide. You'll learn what areas are holding fish and you'll know exactly when to be there. The Delta is probably my favorite fishery. If I don't fish it a lot, it frustrates the crap out of me just like it sounds like it does to you. When you don't fish it a lot you have good days and bad days. I fished it yesterday as I write this and I had a bad day. I caught about 10 fish, maybe four 3-pounders. This was fishing all day. The cool thing is there is a lot of water and a lot of fish in the Delta. I wish I could have gone back today and had another try at them again. Good luck. I hope you catch one of those Delta pigs.

Aug 4, 2008

Q I fished my first pro am at Clear Lake for the Stren as a co angler.I also fish team tournaments with a friend of mine. I don't have a boat because I just bought my first house and I can only fish one circuit in 08. My partner doesn't make the time to pre fish two to three times before a tournament. It puts all the pressure on me and that’s fine, I can hang. Would it be better for me to start fishing the FLW Stren as a co angler or still fish future pro in 08?

A Well, as you can see, I'm behind on my questions. I wonder what your decision was. I would hope you would fish both if at all possible. The reason is when fishing the Future Pro you're fishing your fish, you have to make all the decisions and that is by far the toughest part of tournament fishing. A tournament is a tournament as far as decisions and changing patterns goes. I think this will help you more than anything as you work up the levels. I mean this in a positive way. I started fishing team tournaments and worked my way up.

As far as a co-angler, here you get to see how a pro or, hopefully, a more experienced angler, makes decisions, handles the pressure and you may even learn a new technique. I think this can be a very good learning process and can actually jump you years ahead as a tournament fisherman. It does not help you make decisions on the water. Those are up to the pro. You may also see the mistakes that he makes and/or think about what you would have done differently. Please don't tell the pro what you "think" he is doing wrong. This happens a lot and believe me it's frustrating. You'll usually be told you should be running your own boat. When you constantly feel that you can make better decisions, it is time to step up.

I answered this question a little differently. I know you said that you don't have a boat. Hopefully, this economy isn't clubbing you and you'll be a boat owner one of these days soon. Also, before I ever bought a bass boat, I wore out the ponds, sloughs and smaller lakes with a 12' aluminum. It's all about getting on the water. Good luck.

Jul 31, 2008

Q As a long time admirer I'd like to know when on Lake Shasta fishing for spots, how does one change a pattern that covers 0-20 ft. dropshotting and catching lots of 6in. to say 1 1/2 pound fish and get into better quality? in relationship to tourney fishing, if i had a 8-10 lb bag by 9:30am, what would I change to get my kickers?

A There are a few ways to look at fishing Shasta in tournaments. One way is to try to locate a better school of quality fish. This may be by fishing deeper, fishing humps or island tops off shore which does tend to produce better fish or by trying to fish reaction baits, especially spinnerbaits.

Another way would fall into your scenario of having a decent limit and looking for "a" big bite. This scenario would fit the bill for a swimbait. You're really swinging for the fence because you've got a solid limit. You might get a lot more than just "a" big bite. You might get several or even a limit. Some of the baits that I'd recommend would be a Huddleston trout, an Osprey tournament talon and the Shutter shad. The Shutter shad is a much smaller bait that will catch not only big ones but better than average quality. I like throwing these baits over long points or very steep walls. Shasta is not really known as a trophy spotted bass fishery but it certainly is one. I wish I was able to spend more time there, especially in the winter and spring.

Jul 26, 2008

Q This is not a question, but Gary if you actually get the opportunity to do these seminars please try to put them on DVD. It won't be possible for me to attend, I live in Washington, D.C., but I'd love to see you do techniques class on the Delta or Clear Lake. Especially your views on fishing tidal water, fishing in grass, swimbaits, frogs, and flipping. All those things would be applicable to the Potomac River and the waters of the Upper Chesapeake Bay, of course we don't have 9 to 20 pound bass, but I think it would be great to get you prospective on those topics and anything else related to bass fishing.

A Thanks, Ed. We do have a lot of +9 lb. fish in the north state but not too many over 13 or 14 lbs. If I ever get a chance to do some formal classes (something that I'd really like to do) we would definitely put them on DVDs. I have some great ideas with the class and I've talked to some very good anglers about making the thing a success. It just always seems to get pushed back for another project. One day I'll surprise everyone and actually do some classes. With the Delta and Clear Lake here in the north state, we've got some very good anglers that could not only pick the fisheries apart but, also, we could have a lot of fun doing it (only a little bit of trash talk between us). Thanks for the message. Hope you catch a BIG one on your next trip.

Jul 8, 2008

Q My Bass Cat is listed for sale and I, (like you not so long ago) have decided to come back to the Ranger family. I want a Z-21 and have found several that are 2007/ with Yamaha or Mercury (250's) that are Pro-Staff boats and pretty good deals. The only down side is they are on the other side of the country so I posted on the NCBF for any Pro-Staff guy's ready to get a 2008 sometime soon to drop me a line. One reply said to contact you, apparently you don't just fish but put people in boats as well

A Yes, you're right I did leave Ranger back in 1999 for a year and that sure seems like forever ago. I do hook a lot of guys up with boats. It's something that I just enjoy. I don't make a dime on it. Once I hook the buyer and seller up, I'm out of it. If I can help just let me know what you're looking for. I know this message is a little old and you've probably already bought your boat. Just keep me in mind for the next time or for any of your buddies. I can't guarantee that I can find you a boat but I usually know where there are a few good ones floating around. It is a buyer's market much more than a seller's right now. I think that holds the same with everything. Hope you catch a big one on your next trip!

Jun 15, 2008

Q Gary, What's your favorite type of top water bait? Spooks, poppers, frogs? And what is your favorite lake to fish top water on?

A I have three topwater baits that I throw a lot. I throw several others, of course, but let's talk about three. Frogs. I love to throw frogs. I have caught frog fish on Lake Mead, Shasta, Oroville, the Delta, Clear Lake and many more places. I use it as an open water bait more so than bait fishing on top of the mats. River2Sea's and SnagProof's new bleeding series are my favorites. My best frog place? Dang, dude that's hard. I have won on the Delta and Clear Lake. That's a tough choice. Did I also say that I won on Lake Shasta catching them on floating debris pockets? The second would be a super spook. I love this bait and I throw it everywhere I go. It has a different action than the sammy. It's much less erratic. It's a confidence deal with me. I catch them on the sammy but I tend to like the spook a little better. It works everywhere. The last is actually a bit of a secret to many anglers. It's the Lucky Craft gun fish. This bait actually spits a little and walks side to side like a spook. The guys that throw this bait keep it very quiet. It is a go-to bait for me almost everywhere. It has a unique action and the fish are not conditioned to it. The bait is made in two sizes. Both are awesome. I tend to throw the gun fish 95 a little more. Sorry guys. I know this probably didn't make a few of you very happy. I've got to give up a few secrets on these questions. I tried to muddy the water by naming three. If I'd only named one it would have been the gun fish. This bait's money.

Jun 12, 2008

Q Hello Gary, I keep reading alot about swim baits and how they catch large bass. It sounds like when you are fishing swim baits that you don't catch alot of bass, but the ones you do catch are big ones.Do you throw them very much and how successful are they for you? What time of the year do they work the best. Which brand of swim bait would you use, the size, and color pattern for fishing on Oroville or Shasta? Thanks.

A I do fish a lot of swimbaits. I've never caught as many big fish consistently since I started using them. I also have had more 100+ place finishes since I've been hooked with the swimbait bug. I'm not alone in this. Now, to explain that a little. Swimbaits catch big fish, period. They catch big fish more consistently than any bait that has ever come along. Swimbait fishing is almost an addiction. There are lots of great baits out there. For Shasta and Oroville, I think three baits stand out the most, Huddleston trout, Ospreys and a hard bait made by Lucky Craft. In the Huddleston, my favorite ROF's (rate of fall) are the 5 and 12. My favorite is the eight-inch bait but that six-inch catches a lot of fish and sure is a cool looking bait. It is one of the best baits that has ever been made. The Osprey has always been a great shallow water swimbait for me. There are lots of guys who count them down and fish them but, for me, I usually fish it shallow. I've caught numerous big fish on these baits. In the last year, they've come out with the six-inch tournament talon. The bait is unbelievable. It's very durable and one that I've always got with me. I haven't really talked about colors in either of these baits but it's usually something trout or ghost trout colored. The last is the Lucky Craft hard bait. This new trout bait had a short production run and had some difficulties. It's coming back strong. I've been one of the guys lucky enough to do some testing. I would like to keep on testing and keep them out of the stores but that's not Lucky Craft's goal. The bait looks as much like a trout as a trout. Stand by, it probably won't be much longer before this bait is back in all the shops. The cool thing about this one is it doesn't tear up. Speaking of tearing up, that Mend-It glue flat works on your soft plastic baits. All soft plastic baits. Good luck with your swimbait fishing. It's really frustrating when they're following, slapping at the bait, rolling with the bait but not eating the bait. Sometimes, we just seem to have those days but the days they are eating it sure make up for it. The last part of your question was about time of year. It's a year-round bait. If I had to pick the worst time of year, it would be the summer. I love the winter and early spring but I know that many fishermen's favorite time of year is post-spawn. These baits are going to continue to get better and better. I sure wish they weren't so expensive. Good luck on your next swimbait trip.

Jun 10, 2008

Q What types of boats are allowed to fish tournaments? Lets say if somebody had a ski boat rigged with a trolling motor and live wells and other goods, would this work? I know they would be looked at like they were an alien space craft that had just landed, but for some this type of boat is all they have. For California tournaments does either of the two fishermen have to be a pro? Can Both of them be amateures?

A There are always boat restrictions in every circuit. The restrictions are always length and horsepower ratings. The make and model and type of boat is not an issue. You have to have a functioning livewell and meet the safety requirements. These are the only restrictions. Both anglers can be amateurs in any team event. That's how we all got started. Good luck fishing.

May 13, 2008

Q Is it really true about a new Lucky Craft color and are they going to do it? A friend of mine got to look at a sample that the Lucky Craft rep had. He wasn't all that impressed until he took it out into the sunlight. In the store, it just didn't look very impressive, not enough color. But in the sunlight, he said it was awesome and will buy the first dozen that hits any store.

A First off, I think I'm going to shoot the Lucky Craft rep (kidding, of course). This color is very special. Under artificial light in the store, it is so-so. This came from the Lucky Craft rep. I called and asked him before I answered this. I can tell you that in the sunlight this color is AWESOME. The thing that is really strange is that in the water, it looks even more different and BETTER. It's funny. I've had so many questions about this new color. What is it? Is it a clear water color? The answer is yes, it is a clear water color. The best clear water color right now is ghost minnow. This color is awesome and has always been a top seller. I think there is a need for a more transparent clear water color. I really believe THIS IS IT. I believe they're going to try to have this color at I-CAST. I've caught a lot of fish on it already. The biggest decision is what baits are they going to put this color on. I'll keep everyone posted.

May 6, 2008

Q I have a question on the 250HO E-TEC. I just rode in my friend's Z520 with a 250HO on the Columbia here in Washington. The boat was running 76 mph on GPS turning 5600 rpm with a Raker 25" prop. I am very interested in this setup. My question is I'm running a Ranger 521 with a 250 Mercury XS with a 27" Tempest. I'm running 74 mph but I'm turning 5900 rpm. I'm running a bigger prop turning it faster but going 2 mph slower. I know nothing about the Evinrudes and my friend just wants to go fast and doesn't understand a 25" prop vs. a 35" prop so he is no help. What gives? I'm very interested in this setup.

A Well, that's a really easy one. When Evinrude designed this engine they needed to make a much stronger lower unit. In doing so, they changed the gear ratio which enables you to run smaller props and still generate a lot of speed. The 25" Raker is a great prop for that setup but most of us are turning a 24" Raker instead. It gives you a much faster hole shot, seems to accelerate a lot faster and overall, it's a better prop for this setup. It's just gear ratios. If I can help set you up with a dealer, let me know.

Apr 28, 2008

Q I'm looking for a late model Ranger or Triton. A friend of mine said you hooked him up with a seller last year. He said you always know where some boats are. I hate to pay new boat price when I can save $10,000 or more.

A I do usually know where there are a bunch of boats for sale. I know of about a half dozen right now including two of my own. I also know of a steal on a '03 522. You are in luck because the used boat market right now kind of sucks. I know I can hook you up. Please do not contact me at Ask Gary but at my personal address dobynsga@comcast.net. Have a great day!

Apr 7, 2008

Q Just wanted to get your take on Buying used boats. I will be in the market in about two or three months. I wanted to start doing some home work on this. A friend of mine told me he had talked to you in the past about the same thing, and you were more than helpful. My price range will be around 20k to 25k. I'm very open to any ideas or suggestions. This will be my first bass boat, and I will be taking my son who is 3 years old out in this boat. Knowing that you had kids would you ever consider a single counsel boat, or is that plain dumb. Another question is how important w-would you rank having good electronics. I do plan on fishing some tournaments, maybe about 8-10 a year. What size boat? is bigger better? What year would you say? 2000 or newer? And I know what motor you will say EVINRUDE of course! How do you feel about Mercury?

A First off, I just got this message as I never open them before I get to them. I hope you purchased your boat and all is well. These are great questions that I'm going to answer anyway.

I like 20' boats as they handle the bigger water and it will give you plenty of room for your kids and their friends. 18' boats are great. I ran a lot of them. I like 20' boats a lot better and they're also a lot easier to re-sell. This is provided of course that you have the parking room for them.

I like single console boats for fishing. The cool thing is with a 20' boat you have plenty of room for a second console. I will never forget my kid always laying in the floor to stay out of the wind on the cold days. Heck, I was jealous. Even with a console, that was a lot better place to be.

On electronics, I have become a huge fan of the new Humminbirds. Johnson Outdoors has really turned that product line around. They are rapidly taking over. I also think MinnKota trolling motors are the best way to go. I feel that they are just superior products. The good thing about these is you can always put them on later. I wouldn't make the decision not to buy a boat based on something like this.

Of course I like Evinrude motors. I run them and never have any problems. If you're a Mercury fan, they are also awesome engines. They made some good upgrades with the ProXS series. Prior to purchasing a used boat, I think it would be wise to spend $100 or so and have a dealer give the engine a once over and do a readout on the hours and the hour history. This can tell you a lot on how the boat was run and taken care of. I hope by now that you've made your purchase. I still do hook up lots of buyers. If I can help, please shoot me an e-mail through www.westernbass.com with a pm. Please do not do it under Ask Gary. I may not see it for a year with the backlog of questions and the way I open them first come, first answered.

Thanks for the great question.

Apr 1, 2008

Q I hear we have a real winner in Armando Luzuriaga, I hear he's one of the best there is in the entire world, I have attended mostly all of his seminars, he does a wonderful job teaching the people that are really interested in learning how to fish....not just fish but F I S H.. I have personally seen him in action in the Delta, Clear Lake, Anderson, there is no stopping him.....So tell me Gary what do you know about Mando that I don't other than being a great fisherman. I caught his radio broadcast as well as his tv appearance...I was in Clear Lake when he won the bass boat a few years back as well.

A Armando is one of the best fishermen that I've ever fished with. He enjoys teaching people almost as much as he likes to fish. Sometimes he's a little quiet and I'll pick on him. He is quick witted and I usually pay the price. He is also one of my very valuable pro staff members for Dobyns Rods. His e-mail address is frogdog67@yahoo.com . Give him a yell. Say something mean to him from me. Thanks for the question.

Mar 29, 2008

Q I have heard you speak about the new Zillion reels by Daiwa so I picked up one of the 7.1:1 version.The reel is definitely smooth but with a load on it I hear a high pitched humming sound on the retrieve. I wonder if this is normal for this reel or if I have a defective one. I have not purchased the 6.3:1 to try it out to see if the sound is inherent with the higher speed 7.1:1 version. I look forward to your thoughts.

A Sorry, it sounds like you got a bad one. I still believe the Zillion is the best casting reel that I've ever used. Please send it in for repair. Daiwa will take care of you. I haven't heard of this but that's what good customer service is for. Sorry for your problems. If I can help, please let me know.

Mar 24, 2008

Q I’ve tried everywhere to find Picasso Shaky Heads. I can not find them on any web site or tackle shop. Can you advise?

A I'm sure there are a lot of other sites but I just came from the Bassmasters Classic with the www.tacklewarehouse.com boys. They have an excellent site. Look under the Picasso Shake Down. They are the best that I've used. Thanks.

Mar 19, 2008

Q Does braided line affect bass on the Delta?

A Good question. If at all possible, I use PowerPro on the Delta. Most of my rods I rig with PowerPro. Sometimes, when you get into those really clear situations with a senko or a worm, I think you will get more bites with mono or fluorocarbon. With the weed growth, the water has been a lot clearer the last few years. The weeds really filter the water out. We have had some of the weeds being killed out in areas and we may start seeing a little dingier water again. If so, I'm all for braid. Braid cuts through the grass, has no stretch and you have a lot more control over your fish. I like it.

Mar 15, 2008

Q When fishing Lake Oroville do you just go threw fish to get your best limit or do you change tactics to up size?

A It's much easier to fish reaction baits for better quality in Oroville. The other way is to have a good school of fish located and then maybe you do catch them all on worms and jigs. I have had some great number days that I've culled to good limits but many times you'll catch a lot of the same size fish in one area. You have to be prepared to move around on Oroville. If you get into a bunch of schooly size smaller fish, you have to get out of there. The next school may all be two-pounders. The old sayings of "Bigger baits for bigger fish" and "Reaction baits for bigger fish" are probably never more true than on Oroville. I hope Oroville gets better soon because fishing has been really tough lately. Good luck.

Mar 13, 2008

Q In the cold months, what baits drive the fish nuts and where are they at?

A I'm going to say that the cold months are December - February. It's cold, their metabolism has slowed down and nothing totally drives them nuts. At times, a slow worked jerkbait will pay big dividends but, day in and day out, I would say one of several colors of RoboWorms and a couple of different colors of Yamamoto hula grubs on a football head would be your best choices. My colors are usually browns or purples at that time of year. A great place to look for them is longer major points with deep water close. The good thing is they school a lot this time of year so when you find them, you've got them. March is usually a lot more fun. They are moving, it's pre-spawn and the bite is hot. See you on the water.

Mar 10, 2008

Q I told my partner that I felt confortable and could catch more bass in the delta than I probably could in a lake like Millerton and he says it is a proven fact that that's not true, that the lakes would be better to catch more fish. I think he's wrong.

A That is a very tough question. On many of our spotted bass lakes you can catch 100 fish per day. Most of the time in the summer, you can do the same at Clear Lake. I would have to give the nod to the lakes for numbers. There are still a lot of variables here. It's an entirely different question when it comes to quality. Most of the time, the Delta will beat the lakes. Still thinking on this, I've never run around on the Delta throwing light line and a dropshot. Like I said, this is a very tough question. Call it a tie. You both lose and I'll take two diet Pepsi. That's my way of walking a line that I don't know which way to step over. Good luck fishing.

Mar 7, 2008

Q How do I go about checking these Dobyns Rods out to buy one?

A We have dealers scattered all over the place. We're adding dealers every day. We also sell through several online shops. You can check the rods out at www.dobynsrods.com. We are going to be making website changes. Thanks for your question.

Mar 5, 2008

Q I have been bass fishing for around 25 years and fish tournaments competitively and I am wondering how do I go about getting sponsors in my area? What do I need to do to find sponsors? Any tips?

A That's a tough question. Sponsorships aren't what a lot of fishermen think they are. Many guys think they do well in a tournament or two and you get sponsors crawling all over you paying you a bunch of cash. This simply never happens. If you're going to do it on your fishing, you had better be KVD. Another way is to have salesmanship which means working shows and moving product. Even then, many times you'll need an angler to open the door for you to even get your foot in. There are many anglers looking for a few sponsor slots. It is a tough game. Don't let me discourage you. There are new guys getting sponsors every day. I just want you to know it is a tough deal. Good luck.

Mar 3, 2008

Q What does the skirt represent on spinner baits and jigs? Also a football head jighead, whats it supposed to be? Part of the bait or the lake bottom? I’m speaking of uncoated lead including bullet weights. Should I paint them to look like the plastic I’m using or leave them lead “silver” uncoated? Or to look like the “earth”?

A I like to paint my jigheads for a color match. I use powder paint. It seems to be the best. A jighead has a lot of lead showing and I just think it looks more natural. It probably doesn't matter as much but it's a confidence booster for me. I like my weights painted also which is not a problem when I'm using Tru-Tungsten weights. I don't use hardly any lead worm weights any longer but with lead, I still like my bullet weights to be painted to match the bait color. It's still confidence. I've caught a lot of fish on plain lead weights. I don't paint dartheads most of the time. It's a small amount of weight and, heck, I lose them so fast anyway. As far as the skirt material on jigs, it's just to add bulk that makes a body to imitate a crawdad. The material also moves in the water and provides an "action". On spinnerbaits, you get a lot of movement out of the skirt material and there are lots of different ideas on what that skirt material is supposed to represent. It could be a fish chasing minnows (the minnows being the blades). It could also be just another bait fish with the blades. It could also be all one big bait fish and I'm sure there are other ideas. A spinnerbait is a reaction bait. The bait is moving along. They have to make a decision on whether they want to get it or not. The bulk of the skirt draws most of the strikes, however, those spotted bass are really good at grabbing blades. Either way, it's a great bait. Good luck fishing.

Feb 28, 2008

Q I heard at the East/West Championship that in some of the matches the anglers didn't like each other. How was it between you and your match?

A The problem is FLW wanted to build a big hype of East vs. West. A few anglers have way too big a mouth and start running it before they engage their brains. I really only know of one match up that was not good. Another didn't turn out well because both anglers caught them good so there was some resentment there. Unfortunately, the western guys made a much bigger deal out of this than the eastern guys. I'm lucky enough to know many of the eastern guys as well. They are great fishermen just like the group that represented the west. The east worked together better than the west did. We did have a few more egos there.

As far as my match up, it was very good. I never looked at it like I had to beat Kevin Bishop. I wasn't doing a very good job of beating the fish. I'm actually rooting for Kevin as he was the angler that beat me. He actually was pretty funny and told of walking into a tackle shop and there was a huge picture of me on my rod banner. He said it was pretty intimidating. With our match up, I was about twice his size, maybe a little more, and they played up the David and Goliath pretty well. He walked onstage swinging a sling. It was funny. I'm rooting for the west of course but if an eastern guy wins it, I hope it's Kevin. I'll be at the next one and I'll fish better.

Feb 11, 2008

Q What the hell is wrong with Oroville? We have two good years and now its back to 9 pounds to win. Will it get better in the spring?

A That's a million dollar question. I agree. Something isn't right with Oroville. For your info, I spoke with Fish and Game and they checked the lake out this fall. Their report was we had some low water fungus on some of our fish, not a big deal. If you will check back on the forum, we had pretty lengthy discussions and Fish and Game participated. I hope the better fish start showing up in the spring like they did two years ago. We know the weights will go up in the spring as always but I want to see some of those five and six pound spotted bass showing up regularly like they were. All we can do is wait and see. I will say this is the worst fall fishing year that we've had since spotted bass have been introduced. I hope the spring gets a heck of a lot better than this fall was. Thanks.

Feb 5, 2008

Q What is your favorite jerk bait? What are your favorite two colors? Be honest please.

A Honest always. This is the easiest question that I'll ever answer. Staycee 90 in ghost minnow or chartreuse shad. These are two can't miss baits that I throw by far more than everything else put together. However, I am working a couple of new colors for Lucky Craft. Stay tuned.

Feb 1, 2008

Q Okay whats up with Shasta and spinnerbait fish? I move away from Redding 8 years ago and used to fish mostly spinnerbaits. Now I finally get to move home and spinnerbait fishing sucks. I watched you win the West Coast Bass Classic on Shasta tossing a blade in the Pitt River. Can you still catch there on spinnerbaits?

A You're right. Spinnerbait fishing just isn't like it used to be on Shasta. That was my go-to bait year round and I got to win a lot of tournaments on it. Now, you can catch blade fish but it's been awhile since I caught big ones and a spinnerbait has been a player in a tournament. A couple of years ago I did have one event that was good with a spinnerbait. It was spring and we had dirty water. The old days of just running down rock walls catching 3 and 4 pounders on a spinnerbait just don't happen anymore. Look at my tournament finishes the last several years. They sure aren't eating a spinnerbait like they used to. Swimbaits rule now at Shasta. I'm sure we will still have good spinnerbait fishing once in a while but those good ol' days of catching 100+ a day, and good ones, I think are gone. If you get it figured out otherwise, be sure and let me know. I still look for that spinnerbait bite and those good ol' days. Glad you're back home.

Jan 29, 2008

Q Hi Gary, What does the skirt represent on spinner baits and jigs? Also for example a football head jighead, what does it supposed to be? Part of the bait “animal” or the lake bottom? I’m speaking of uncoated lead including bullet weights. Should I paint them to look like the plastic I’m using or leave them lead “silver” uncoated?

A The skirt on a spinnerbait and a jig pulses and gives it a life-like action whether it be bait fish on a spinnerbait or crawdad on a jig. You can actually replace your skirt on a spinnerbait with a tiny fluke or small bass assassin, and on your jig, you can replace it with Yamamoto super grub or a number of different crawdad baits.

Do you need to paint your heads? This is a total confidence thing. I always paint my jigheads, mostly brown. As far as my worm weights or dartheads, many times I don't. I prefer having them painted. I just lose so many dartheads that sometimes I don't paint them. I think if they're painted it just blends in more naturally with the bait and it looks better. Therefore, I have more confidence that I'm going to get more bites on it. If you're using tungsten, all of Tru-Tungsten's weights are painted and they will not chip off. If I'm throwing a bait colored, hologram shad Robo worm, I don't care if my darthead is the natural lead color. It just blends in. Nothing beats confidence when you're fishing. I like my baits to look as natural as possible because I believe that I will get more bites. I hope this helps a little and that I haven't gotten you totally confused. Thanks. Hope you catch a big one on your next trip.

Jan 25, 2008

Q Hey Gary, I know you've won a bunch of boats, my question is how do you split the boat with your winning partner? Do you sell the boat/certificate and split the money? Also, do you have to pay taxes on the value of the boat? If so, about what percentage do you have to pay? I appreciate your answer, although I haven't won a boat yet, my partners and I have won a couple of Police Olympics tournaments. I met you at the one at Folsom a couple of years ago. Thanks in advance.

A I've never had this problem as the only time I won a team TOC, they were giving away two boats to the winners. We each got one. That was pretty cool in the old days. Friends of mine have had this problem many times. In most cases, they simply sold the boat and split the money. Two buddies of mine and one of them wanted it. He simply cashed out his partner. You will have to pay taxes on your prize boat. You will be 1099'd at full retail value. This is not a big deal. There is a simple tax form that you fill out for the retail value and what you sold the boat at and there is an adjustment. This is very simple and not something to worry about. Its easy to sell a boat and take care of the taxes. The hardest part is winning the dang thing. I hope you have this problem very soon. Thanks.

Jan 22, 2008

Q Gary what rod would you recommend for drop shot at clear lake?

A Well, I'm glad its been awhile since you asked this question. I now have Dobyns Rods up and running. For Clear Lake, I personally fish a 702C which is a 7', 2-power casting rod. That's my favorite Clear Lake drop shot rod. If you're looking for spinning, I would probably say a 702SF or a 702SXF. These are 7', 2-power spinning rods with either a fast or extra-fast action. This is personal preference. I personally like the SXF better but many anglers prefer the fast action, or SF, for drop shotting. I do have them in a 1-power or a 3-power, also. If you had asked about Shasta or Oroville, I would have said a 701 but I think a 1-power is too light for Clear Lake.

Jan 16, 2008

Q If you are getting a lot of follows right up to the boat on LC pointers, how do you adjust to make them commit. Is it maybe the size, color, or retreive?

A Well, Tom, you hit it with size, color and retrieve. I think retrieve is the main one of the three. Change your retrieves; faster, slower, more erratic and see what happens. Maybe a deeper diving bait like the Staycee 90 will work better than your Pointer. Maybe a more subtly colored bait like ghost minnow, or maybe it's just the opposite and you need something bright. In truth, sometimes you never do find a retrieve or color that they will eat and not follow. Most of the time you can figure out how to catch them but I will forever remember a tournament on Shasta where I had a large school of big smallies that would follow the baits and never commit. A fellow angler, Gary O., was on the same exact fish doing the same exact thing and he never figured out how to catch them either. We both struggled through this event because we were on winning fish and could never figure out how to catch them. That was probably fifteen years ago and it still bugs me to this day. Most of the time, I think you can change size, color or retrieve and catch them. But that one tournament I will never forget when I couldn't catch them. Sometimes the fish win and this sucks. I think you'll agree. Good luck on your next trip.

Jan 8, 2008

Q When is the right time to throw braid in the delta or clear lake,also can I rip in deep water with braid? Will it sink faster than mono?

A I personally don't rip with braided line. I do fish a ton of PowerPro but I just don't use it for jerkbaits. Some people do. It is reaction bait fishing and you can get away with the smaller pound tests of braid. As far as cranking and getting your baits to the deeper depths, www.tackletour.com actually did a study with the different lines of mono and braid. The thing that was really weird was the 30lb. test braid actually tested out to get the baits to run the deepest. I don't understand how this happen. Why didn't 20lb. test run deeper than 30lb. and so on? They did a complete test on this and I'm sure it's archived on their website.

Anyway, I've gotten away from your question. I just don't rip with braid. Good luck fishing!

Jan 4, 2008

Q I fish Shasta and am wondering the best way to rig Basstrix swimbaits?

A I find the best way to rig the Basstrix or Money Minnow style swimbaits is with a Revenge Lures head. Ray from Revenge has designed the most awesome swimbait head that I've ever seen. The best way to rig it is to put a small drop of crazy glue on the front of the swimbait and gluing it to the Revenge head. This works very, very well and looks totally awesome. I'm not sure on the availability of the Revenge heads. I know that Ray has them and is selling them to the shops. My favorite sizes are usually between a 1/4- and 1/2-oz. Good luck at Shasta!

Jan 2, 2008

Q Heard you were back with Lucky Craft. What happened, you get tired of buying Staycees? I know the answer to that. Are you going to help with some new lures? That is the word on the streets, or should I say lakes.

A Yes, I am back with Lucky Craft. I'm very happy to be back and, yes, Jim, I'm tired of buying Staycees. The Staycee 90 has always been my number one jerkbait and I've always said so. The truth is I am going to try to work on some new colors and bait ideas for Lucky Craft. I'm very excited about this opportunity. As for Lucky Craft, a bait to look for in the future is their new real skin trout bait. It will be available soon. You will not believe it. Thanks for the question, Jim. See you at the shows soon.

Dec 17, 2007

Q I'm looking for the best livewell additive. Do they work? Who makes the best one?

A That is a great question. I believe one product stands out above all others and that is PLEASE RELEASE ME. It's made by Sure-Life Laboratories. To the best of my knowledge, they are the oldest. Please Release Me calms your catch, replaces slime coats and helps heal hook wounds. This product really helps with bleeding or deep-hooked bass. I know a few anglers that actually put Please Release Me directly onto the bleeding area in powder form and swear this saves their fish, even very bad bleeders. I think it is by far the best product to help save your catch. Please check out their website, www.sure-life.com.

Thanks for the question.

Dec 10, 2007

Q I am going to be at Oroville around the middle of March. Can you give me any suggestions on what to do to get some quality bass??

I was at the question and answer session at the show in San Mateo last week and really enjoyed your input as well as all the other Pros. I was reminded of my youth when you talked about your youth and eating everything you caught. I spent my youth in a small Nothern Ca town and would fish the little creeks with my Dad, (a willow or maple branch and a piece of mono was my rig), never had a store bought pole until I moved away from home. Catch and release now.

A Gosh, Bob, I get so many questions and I just answer them in the order that I get them. Therefore, I'm a long ways behind but, heck, March is coming up in a couple of months.

March is a great month on Oroville. Great spinnerbait and jerkbait month. It's probably the best time of year for a swimbait and the other bait on that lake that always seems to get better bites at that time of the year is a senko. Color doesn't seem to be a big deal. I throw a lot of green pumpkin myself. Jig fishing is also very popular in March but I think I can get better bites on reaction baits.

Speaking of the ISE roundtable questions, I had a good time with this also. It sounds like you were a lot like me. We kept what we caught and flat didn't know any better. Thanks to tournament fishing, that has opened all of our eyes about catch and release. Hope you have a great day.

Dec 6, 2007

Q I am excited to hear your new line of rods will be released soon. I, have become a big fan of your fishing, and try to emulate your ripping style. Unfortunately, my technique is a work in progress. I am waiting to buy one of your Extreme rods, but I need some guidance. First, I have a G Loomis IMX 843 which I use for worms, and a G Loomis CBR 845 for ripping. I would like to purchase one of your rods for either spinner baits or top water. Which rod would you recommend? Or would you suggest using my IMX 843 for top water or another type of bait, and buy your rod for worms? I feel, I don’t always get a good recommendation from my local tackle stores. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

A You have two great rods in the 843 and CBR 845. When I was with Loomis those were two of my favorites. I'm glad you asked about spinnerbait and topwater rods. That is a very easy question. I'm making a 733C and a 734C that are awesome for both of these techniques. They are two of my most versatile rods. I use them more than anything else. They are great carolina rig rods and senko rods. I throw almost all of my topwaters on them. I also throw all of my Basstrix and Money minnow baits on them. Even though they're not a first choice for a jig rod, I fish a lot of jigs on them when I'm going with someone else and I want to keep my rod count down. Both of these rods are just very versatile.

Thanks for asking. Have a great day

Dec 6, 2007

Q I was wondering about fishing line. What would be the best ,and what weight would I use for a senko, in water with a lot of branches? These lakes I fish are shallow. Any good advice will help, pretty new to the game.

A That's a good question. Larger lines will slow the fall of a senko, therefore, changing its action. You said your lakes are shallow with a lot of cover. Unless, they are extremely clear, I would use PowerPro in 30lb. or higher line test rating. If the water is very clear, try CXX P-Line in 12lb.-15lb. test. I like 12lb. better myself. I think you get more action but you did mention shallow so it probably isn't a big deal. You never asked about hooks but be sure and use a hook that is stout enough to be able to pull the fish from cover. I recommend a superline EWG Gamakatsu hook. Sounds like a great place to fish. Shallow water with lots of branches sounds like a challenge. Good luck.

Nov 30, 2007

Q Can you recommend a good swim bait for Oroville? Color, type and size. I'd appreciate it.

A The best swimbait on Oroville is the Basstrix or Money minnow. The baits are very similar but I like the Money minnow better. I like the action better and it's also a more durable bait. You can catch a lot more fish on one bait than you can on a Basstrix. The Money minnow is also much easier to find than the Basstrix. Oroville Outdoors is the biggest Basstrix supplier but they are usually out, also. As far as size and colors, 6" and smaller baits are the best at Oroville. I like the more transparent colors like hologram shad. Good luck fishing.

Nov 24, 2007

Q Are you going to retire from tournament fishing now? When are you going to come to Don Pedro and throw swimbaits?

A I'll never retire from tournament fishing. What the heck else would I do for competition? I'm getting a little old and a lot fat and that fits right in with tournament fishing. Heck, look at Dee Thomas and he's still going strong. Sorry, Dee! I owed you that one.

As far as when am I coming to Pedro? Pretty darn soon. I have this fellow named Bub Tosh that threw out the recent challenge of who was going to beat who at Clear Lake. Don't ask me how Bub came up with this but on Ultimate Bass radio, he made the challenge and the loser had to wax something. He was thinking the butt area. Well, he lost and I let him off the hook so he owes me BIG time. Bub is one of the best at catching big bass out of Pedro on swimbaits. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a trophy fish. I guarantee that you'll have a great time with Bub. The guy is not only a great fisherman but he should be doing stand up comedy in Hollywood. Anyone seeing Bub, ask him about his wax job. Good luck fishing. I'll be sure and stop by to see you Jigs.

Nov 20, 2007

Q Gary, I have tackle everywhere my garage is full and so is my boat. How does a guy make sure he is organized and know where to find that right lure at the right time? How can you keep track of all the stuff?

A You have got to be a prankster that has seen my tackle organization. It basically doesn't exist. I have a very large garage with cabinets, uppers and lowers, and pegboard everywhere and my tackle area looks like a tornado has been in there for a few hours. Who in the heck wants to clean up a garage when they can go fishing? I've got a great idea for you. Why don't we hire some other tackle junkies and have them clean up both yours and mine and make them a heck of a deal? I wish I was more organized but I'd rather go fishing. By the way, this question made my wife's day.

Nov 14, 2007

Q I just went through a nightmare with my insurance company. Is one company better than another? I need to get my boat fixed and you once recommended a fiberglass shop. Can I get that number?

A There is a difference between insurance companies, both in what they cover and their customer service. I would recommend that you give Gayla a call at Sawyer and Cooke. The number is 800-655-2814. They take awesome care of their customers and their claims.

As far as where to take your boat for fiberglass repairs, take it to Bragg's Marine in Anderson, CA. Bob is the best in the business and a really, really nice guy. Once you work with him I promise you and all of your buddies will never go anywhere else. Bob's number is 530-244-2545.

I hope things work out well for you.

Oct 25, 2007