Many expert bass anglers specialize in certain lures. For Hector Parjus of Lynchburg, his pet lure for warm-weather river smallmouths is a crankbait. The most fascinating aspect of how Hector uses crankbaits is that he relies on a different brand or model for every warm-season situation/ structure/cover (warm season being defined as from early spring through late fall). While other anglers change lure types based on the season, water clarity or water temperature, Parjus merely changes crankbaits. Here are four of his favorite game plans.
• The “speed up and quiet down” game plan. For clear water, Parjus relies on a Cordell Big O. This lure excels, he said, at being able to be retrieved quickly and at moving in a realistic fashion.
• The “slow down and make racket” game plan. For muddy water, Parjus opts for wide, wobbling crankbaits, such as the flat-sided models with rattles inside.
• A spooky fish game plan. Tone down the color; go from bright or chrome to natural crayfish/baby bass colors, such as those of the Cordell Big O. Also, try a wood lure, such as the class Bagley balsa baits. Don’t use lures with rattles.
• The “when nothing seems to be working” game plan. Experiment, Hector urges. By far, his favorite crankbait is the Cordell Big O series. But he also will employ the Bandit 100 series (in shad, chrome and firetiger), and the Bagley Kill’R B series. Don’t become wedded to a lure if the bite is slow.
Last, many crankbaits come with less than stellar hooks. Parjus often replaces the factory hooks with Gamakatsu trebles. Be careful not to deploy such a large substitute that the lure’s action is negatively affected. Hector pairs his crankbaits with a 6 1/2-foot medium-action rod and a 5:1 Team Daiwa reel and Power Pro 4/15 line.
DUANE RICHARDS: TWO-WAY-BASSING TIPS
Virginia features a number of lakes that host both largemouths and smallmouths, among them Moomaw, Philpott, Claytor and Smith Mountain. Duane Richards regularly plies the waters of Smith Mountain and offers these tips for fishing in water with both types of black bass. I asked the Roanoke resident if anglers can chase after both black bass at the same time.
“To some degree yes, to some degree no,” he replied. “For example, on Smith Mountain Lake, many of the smallmouths will locate in the dam area. Fishermen can still catch them in other places, such as the upper Roanoke River side and in the creek arms, but most of the time when I want smallmouths, I head for the lower lake.
“Of course, fishermen can also catch largemouths in these areas. But whereas largemouths live all over the lake, people will generally be only able to consistently find smallmouths in those areas. I also find that smallmouths have a tendency to school later in the spring and summer, and they often school in deeper water. The same can’t be said for largemouths.”
Richards added that throughout the year, largemouths are typically much easier to find -- and entice -- than brown bass. If anglers check out enough points, coves, creek channels and secondary points, they often will locate bucketmouths. Regarding patterns, Richards possesses three favorites.
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