The use of forward-facing sonar continues to evolve as more anglers utilize this technology. It's more than just a deep-water approach that shines in the winter months anymore, and bass anglers are finding that it works just about anywhere and at any time of the year. The situations and uses for fishing with this new tech continue to evolve every year.
Reigning Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year Matt Becker used his electronics to perfection last year to claim that title and has continued tearing up the pro-level events this season. Right now, as the bass in many places are spawning or already done, Becker has tied up three main rigs for different scenarios he sees on his screens.
Targeting Singles with a Neko Rig
After the spawn and into the summer months, Becker begins to look for isolated cover with his electronics and single fish relating to the cover. He can see this on his forward-facing sonar and says that a Neko Rig is one of the best ways to target these fish.
"I'm looking for fish related to cover and structure," he said. "It could be a stump, brushpile, dock post, or even fish you can see that are still spawning. "This is usually more of a single-fish approach, but you may see two there. It won't typically be bigger groups or schools of fish around isolated cover."
The new Yamamoto Sensei worm is one of Becker's favorite Neko Rig baits. He rigs it on a #2 TroKar 137 Finesse Hook and inserts a nail weight into the bait's head.
"I always start with a 1/16-ounce nail weight," he said. "If I'm fishing a little deeper, say deeper than 10 feet, I'll go up to a 3/32-ounce."
Becker said the worm's design helps it get great action as the bait falls and he works it back to the boat. "It's a little bigger than a standard Senko in length and much softer," he said. "They use neutrally buoyant plastic that will sink very slowly, which gives it an excellent action on a Neko Rig. It flutters and almost vibrates, which is all because of the worm design and plastic used."
Ledges and Other Offshore Fishing Spots
Another way Becker utilizes his forward-facing sonar is to look for ledges, drop-offs, and brushpiles. A drop-shot is one of his best rigs for fishing these areas.
Many worms work for a drop-shot, but the Yamamoto Pro Senko is one of his go-to's. "I rig it weedless with a 2/O TroKar TK180, which is a light wire finesse worm hook so that I can fish it right in cover," he said. "I like to start with a ¼-ounce weight but will go up to a 3/8 at times depending on the structure I'm fishing and how deep it is."
Becker is a fan of the Pro Senko on a drop-shot because of its thinner design. "It's a lot thinner than a regular Senko, and the bait comes to a point at the end," he shared. "This gives it an excellent tail shake on a drop-shot rig. It's great for targeting individual pieces of cover and structure you see on your sonar, even if you don't see the fish first."
Bait Chasers
If Becker sees schools, baitfish, and bass nearby, he says it is hard to beat a jighead minnow. It works throughout the year; his favorite is a standard ball head with a Yamamoto Scope Shad.
"Obviously, you have to have the Scope Shad rigged up, and for me, this is going to be when I'm seeing groups of fish around bait and not just single fish," he said. "I use a bunch of different tungsten ball heads, and the ones with a 2/O hook fit the Scope Shad perfectly. Depending on how deep the fish are, I use 1/8, ¼, and 3/8-ounce."
Becker likes the design of the Scope Shad for getting the right rolling action and adds a little trick to make it have even more action. "I tied the ball head with a loop not because it helps get more rolling action and movement when you are shaking your rod," he said. "The bait already has a great rolling movement, and if you look at it head-on, it's triangular and almost looks like the hull of a bass boat. This gives it the good side-to-side movement you want."
Depending on what he sees on his electronics, Matt Becker has three different rigs that will cover any situation. For targeting individual fish, specific pieces of cover, or when he sees schools of bass around baitfish, a Neko Rig, drop-shot, and jighead minnow allow him to be efficient with his forward-facing sonar.
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