(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.)
As blueback herring have spread throughout the South, savvy anglers have innovated in order to take advantage of their proliferation. Whether you’re fishing Lake Hartwell, Lake Lanier, Smith Lake or some other blueback-infested impoundment, there’s a good chance you’re using techniques that you didn’t know existed a decade ago.
Lake Lanier expert Rob Jordan has studied the way bass deal with bluebacks extensively and has made good use of jointed hard baits to imitate these baitfish. “A herring is a very fast-swimming fish,” he said, so the key is a lure that doesn’t blow out when it’s burned and one that draws attention for a distance. Some are relatively inexpensive, like the Sebile Magic Swimmer, but there’s also a cottage industry for high-priced custom versions.
No matter which one you use, you need the right gear. For Jordan that’s a 7 1/2-foot heavy (or possibly medium-heavy) rod, with a little bit of tip to allow for long casts. He pairs it with a 7:1 or even an 8:1 gear ratio baitcasting and 20-pound fluorocarbon, or potentially even 25. The only time he drops down lower is with really small lures. He does not like braid because wind knots on the casts can cause him to lose baits, and also because he’s typically fishing clear water. No matter what gear you use, you have to be ready for battle.
“I do not want to be throwing this on gear that could potentially lend itself to breaking a fish off or anything like that,” he said. You’ll want to have stout tackle because your lake is going to show off its true potential. “Things are going down that are going to be mind-blowing.” That could be two 4-pound spots hanging from one lure, or the striper of a lifetime inhaling it. He doesn’t want the fish to jump because the large baits give them leverage to get off.
Starting in May, the herring will get up on flat points and he’ll target saddles and blow-throughs. Later in the summer, the fish will suspend over brush piles, usually at the end of long points, or among shallow standing timber. The third place he looks is in and around deep floating boat docks. He’ll utilize the shade of the docks to ascertain likely ambush points, and will never make a cast until he’s in the right position because he wants the fish to strike while it’s still in its comfort zone. When he figures out that they’re chewing around dock corners or pilings, he’ll either pause or twitch the fast-moving lure as it hits that strike zone in order to trigger a bite.
His favorite days involve some sort of surface disturbance, either a little bit of wind or some boat chop. The dead-calm slick days rarely produce as well for this technique, except early or late in the day. When he gets followers, he’ll sometimes use a follow-up bait from the “opposite end of the spectrum,” like a dropshot or a Neko Rig, but just as often when he fails to connect he’ll move on and come back later. This is a run-and-gun style, and he’ll often make as few as two to 10 casts on a single spot.
“Timing is probably the number one thing,” he explained.
If you want to get more insight into Jordan’s herring hard bait secrets, including some insight into the custom lure he plans to release this year, check out his video filmed on the water, available only by subscribing to The Bass University TV.
