(Editor's note: The following is the latest installment in a series of fishing tips presented by The Bass University. Check back each Friday for a new tip.)
Reigning Bassmaster Classic champion Ott DeFoe has modified and tinkered with lures since he was a teenager, knowing that “if it adds one fish to your day, it adds up to a very big difference in the end.”
It’s rare that he fishes a lure straight out of the package. “Those little tweaks can make a big difference,” he said. That’s especially true in highly-pressured regions like east Tennessee, where he grew up and later achieved his greatest moment as a pro. He keeps all sorts of spinnerbait blades, dipping dyes and adhesives in his boat, as well as a massive bag of Sharpies. “If they’re in the truck, they’re not going to do me any good.” He’ll quickly change out the back blade on a spinnerbait with a different shape or finish, including painted blades, and often that’s the difference between an empty livewell and a trip to the winner’s circle.
Those simple tools allow him to trim skirts on jigs and spinnerbaits, alter colors and impact fall rates. Whether it’s adding a trailer hook to his spinnerbait (“You’re crazy if you’re not throwing that”) or totally rebuilding it for specific conditions, he never considers it a waste of time.
His attention to detail is particularly apparent when it comes to hard baits. Even on lures that come from the factory with quality trebles, he almost always replaces them with VMC Hybrid Trebles. This is one place where he doesn’t use a tool. “I only use my thumb,” he said, noting that split ring pliers actually require more time and effort.
During his Classic victory, seven of his weigh-in fish came on a Storm Arashi Vibe – four on the first day, two on the second day and a key 4-pounder on day 3. As is his custom, the bait was heavily modified. First, he added short-shank, wide-gap VMC trebles, which pin the fish closer to the bait and reduce their leverage. Instead of the No. 4s that come standard, he can upgrade to No. 2. Then he pulled out that magic bag of markers. “It may look like something an art director may have,” he laughed, but it’s actually one of his most heavily used accessories. He used a black Sharpie to accentuate the crawdad marks on the sides and back and then red and orange over the gold to affect the flash.
“I wanted the bait to show up well, but I also didn’t want a really, really red bait because we were dealing with a lot of sunny conditions,” he said.
While he takes his time getting the markings right, he’s not super obsessive about it. You don’t have to be perfect, he explained. “You’re not trying to trick something that has a really big brain.” In fact, he believes that when the different colors of markers smear together, that actually makes things look more natural
If you want to learn some of the other secrets to DeFoe's lure modifications, including his distinct preferences in super glue packaging and composition, and how many he buys at a time, check out his full video, available only by subscribing to The Bass University TV.
