Westernbass Magazine - June 2012, Page 48

Westernbass Magazine - June 2012, Page 48

doUBle G tEchNIqUE

“a good way to tell how far apart your casts should be is by how hard the fish are hitting your bait,” he continued. “if they bite it hard, then they came from a ways away and ran it down. if the bite feels like it just got heavy, then they didn’t move that far to get it. When they’re really hammerin’ it, they’re moving at least two or three feet to get it. listen to them to dictate your casting space” .

rush on it, i have good hookset power.” “For flippin’, i like a 5/0 Bass Pro Shops round bend hook or an owner Thin Wire hook, because they penetrate easy and don’t straighten out,” he continued. “ i use a shrink tube barb to preserve my baits, time, money and to get more casts in. For my weight i like a tungsten 1/4- to 1/2-oz without the insert.” Gutierrez broke down the rod, reel and line he prefers. “i use a heavy action Flippin’ Stick with a fast tip up to 7’11”, sometimes a moderate action rod is better for shock absorption and moving line without overpowering it,” he explained. “as for my reels, i use the revo Stx 6.4:1. it has the strongest drag and is light weight and comfortable. There are times i will set aside the high speed reel aside and go to a 5:1, when i need to force myself to pick a part an area.” He explained that the SideScan feature on his lowrance HdS is a tool he puts into action in early spring to locate targets that he uses throughout the season. “Because there are little to no weeds compared to summer, the early spring is a great time to look for and mark rock piles, logs, drop- offs and other shallow water structure that will be hidden by vegetation later,” he continued. “Side imaging is perfect for this.” Following this advice on the basics of targeting shallow water, double G concluded with one last tip. “don’t be afraid to go shallow; there are more fish shallow, more often than you think. it is much easier to fish shallow than to find the little nuggets out deep, which are a lot more work to locate.”

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“i like the Skinny dipper on a Scrounger Head for increased vibration, primarily a 5/0, 6/0 or 7/0 hook,” explained Gutierrez. i like a big hook when i’m texas rigging it, unless i’m not using a weight then i want a 5/0. i fish this fast, just flippin’ the tops of grass or sometimes i use a pause and sink retrieve. i keep my rod at the 10 o’clock position and when the fish

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