| You may wonder, could this be a new form of | | | | halfway through the spinnerbait's free fall to the |
| "extreme" fishing sport which requires shoulder | | | | next branch or log. I have found that that twitch |
| pads and a crash helmet? Does it require casting | | | | or jerk is enough to provoke even the least |
| while teetering off a skateboard? In a word -- no. | | | | aggressive bass to take a whack at a spinnerbait |
| However, for many it may be a style of fishing | | | | presented in this manner. In cases where the |
| that is very unfamiliar, and in some cases may | | | | cover proves to be ultra heavy, there is a slight |
| even seem outlandish. The basis of full contact | | | | modification that can be made to the spinnerbait |
| fishing lies in the fact that instead of fishing in and | | | | to make it a little easier to free it from snags. By |
| around cover and structure -- you fish right on it. | | | | taking a page out of trout anglers book of tricks, |
| For all intents and purposes the cover becomes | | | | flattening the barb on the spinnerbait hook will in |
| part of the overall presentation. | | | | many cases save you from having to break off, |
| Immediately one might assume this falls under the | | | | or head into the cover to free a snagged bait, |
| category of a "fishing fad", but the truth is, it has | | | | and spooking fish away. One might say, "but |
| been a secret of many top pros for years. It | | | | won't that just about guarantee half the fish I |
| works in heavily-fished tournament waters and in | | | | catch will throw the hook? Not so, as many of |
| other pressured "high population" areas where | | | | the angler versus fish battles in full contact fishing |
| bank beaters pound away at the same fish day | | | | last about ten to fifteen seconds. It's intense. If a |
| after day. If you discipline yourself to learn how | | | | fish isn't pulled free of the heavy stuff in that |
| to do it, this just may be the underlying secret to | | | | time chances are, it's not coming out and there's |
| your success in popular lakes. | | | | very little one can do about it. One more point |
| The true beauty of this kind of fishing is that not | | | | about the spinnerbait. If fish happen to be on the |
| only is it challenging, but also nine out of ten times | | | | warpath, feeding on anything that moves, don't |
| it is something that the fish have never seen | | | | hesitate to speed up this technique so it is almost |
| before, and surprisingly enough, full contact fishng | | | | a "branch hopping" type retrieve. Also, be sure to |
| won't cost you a dime! | | | | keep the presentation going once the bait is out |
| No new equipment is needed. Perhaps the most | | | | of the cover. Many fish have followed and struck |
| appealing point of all is that unlike many other | | | | spinnerbaits that you continue to retrieve well |
| "new" techniques available, you do not need to | | | | clear of the cover. Sometimes, they make their |
| buy anything to enjoy full contact fishing. In this | | | | move out in the clear when the bait can no longer |
| day of hunded dollar rods and reels, and top baits | | | | escape into the cover. |
| going for tens and twenties of dollars, chances | | | | Gitzits rock the dock. One more great bait for |
| are that the average bass angler already has all | | | | this style of fishing is the Gitzit, or tube style bait. |
| the tools needed to be a highly effective full | | | | I call these baits "dock hounds" because they are |
| contact angler. Jig and pigs, Colorado blade style | | | | exactly that - my number one choice for probing |
| spinnerbaits, tube style baits, a variety of soft | | | | in, around and on docks. With medium spinning |
| plastic crayfish and spider grubs, as well as some | | | | tackle, a good working knowledge of the |
| crankbaits can be used in this discipline. Usually, | | | | "skipping" cast, and a good eye for productive |
| experience and an anglers attuned eye will | | | | docks, an angler can really clean up with Gitzits in |
| determine what's the best bait to throw when full | | | | full dock contact. In this case, the more support |
| contact fishing. | | | | beams, pylons, and in water steps or ramps |
| Indeed, the sky's the limit for bait selection. This is | | | | available, so much the better. Usually, these |
| one of the few styles of fishing where one's | | | | feature-rich docks hold fish, and all the intircacies |
| imagination can come into play. Just envision what | | | | of them also make these kinds of docks a blast |
| the lure might look like while passing in, around, | | | | to fish with a tube bait. For this application, I |
| and on cover. If you imagine it might look good, | | | | prefer the tube bait that bares its own |
| give it a try. Figure out how to make it work in | | | | namesake, the original Gitzit, because of the |
| full contact with cover. So, figure out how to use | | | | rugged way they are constructed as well as a |
| what you've already got in your own tacklebox, | | | | near infinite color and size selection. My favorite |
| but for purposes of demonstration and instruction | | | | way to rig these baits for this application, is |
| I will list my favorite baits below. | | | | Texas style, with a 1/0 to 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG |
| Soft plastic spider grubs or crayfish. I feel one of | | | | hook with either a very small bullet weight or an |
| the most effective yet ignored baits to throw in | | | | internal clip-on type weight like the ones produced |
| a case like this is a soft plastic crawfish or skirted | | | | by Eagle Claw. As far as the actual presentation |
| double tail spider jig on a jig head that stands | | | | goes, this is where an anglers imagination can be |
| upright. These can be purchased either | | | | unleashed because each presentation can be a |
| pre-assembled already on a jig head or the bait | | | | unique challenge in and of itself. There are no set |
| and the jig head can be purchased separately. I | | | | guidelines for fishing in this manner, but I will list a |
| prefer to opt for the latter and select individual | | | | few of the more popular methods. As I |
| components. For the actual soft plastic jig I have | | | | mentioned before, steps and ramps can be very |
| found great success with Berkley's 3-inch "power" | | | | productive when full contact fishing. With that in |
| spider jig, in either black or pumpkinseed. For the | | | | mind, when one sees steps leading down into |
| stand up style of head I have found that the | | | | water, like those commonly found on swimming |
| "Football Head" from Bass Pro Shops has been | | | | and free floating recreational docks, do not |
| more than effective. Number one, this football | | | | hesitate to let your bait "walk down the steps" |
| head has a nearly 90 degree straight up resting | | | | into the water. While doing this, keep a sharp eye |
| point when it lands on cover. Number two, it has | | | | out for ambush strikes as the bait progresses to |
| proven itself nearly snag proof if used correctly. | | | | deeper and deeper steps. If you can see that the |
| Rigging is very easy; simply thread on the soft | | | | steps you are fishing come to an end just under |
| plastic as you would for any other type of fishing. | | | | the water, with the bait on the last step, |
| Now you're ready for your first lesson in full | | | | s-l-o-w-l-y inch the lure off the step into free fall. |
| contact fishing. Remember that any type of | | | | Many ambush strikes have come from fish that |
| cover that you know holds fish will do, but the | | | | were positioned under the dock, that were |
| secret is to find the cover that holds fish and will | | | | waiting for prey to be silhouetted by the sunlight. |
| make for a good bait presentation. It is this | | | | One more quick and easy way to probe docks |
| reason that I like to fish large expanses of | | | | for active fish is to fire a bait as far back into |
| laydown logs, fallen trees with plenty of big limbs, | | | | structure as possible, and with a moderately slow |
| as well as sprawling, feature-rich dock structure. | | | | but steady retrieve, swim a bait back to the |
| Position the boat as close as you feel the fish will | | | | boat, using the rod tip to steer the Gitzit left, righ, |
| allow without spooking, and provided there is no | | | | up and down into direct contact with everything in |
| back seat angler, get the nose of the boat | | | | its path. This is a great way to probe structure |
| pointed directly at the structure you wish to fish. | | | | for fish when pre-fishing for a tournament or |
| Now, the cast can be made with either a pitching | | | | scouting out new spots. It is a great deal faster |
| or flipping method, or if you happen to be very | | | | than the other techniques mentioned above. |
| accurate with side-arm or back-hand type casts, | | | | Dock etiquette. Before closing, I feel it should be |
| these can be used as well. Once delivered, after | | | | noted that while many of the techniques |
| some practice you should be able to virtually | | | | mentioned above require the use of docks as well |
| "steer" the lure through the cover. At this point, | | | | as other man made structure, there is one thing |
| find a shallow trunk or branch, cast past it, bring | | | | all these pieces of structure have in common - |
| the lure closer and try to "land" it so that the lure | | | | they don't belong to us. And chances are they do |
| "sits" on it. If you have achieved this, you should | | | | belong to someone else, With that said, I beg you |
| have a spider jig sitting on a log or branch, with | | | | keep this in mind when fishing them. Use common |
| some deeper water dropping off on either side. | | | | sense and common courtesy. If a cast looks like |
| Here's where the beauty of this type of fishing | | | | it may hang up on someone's dock, or boat |
| comes in attempt to "walk" it off the branch and | | | | ropes, or may damage and deface their dock or |
| allow a free fall to the next piece of structure. | | | | other property in any way, please, as much as |
| Repeat this, as often as the cover will allow, | | | | you think it may yield fish, don't make the cast. |
| attempting to "stepping stone" your bait through | | | | Especially if it looks like your bait may wind up |
| the nasty stuff. Chances are most fish will hit it a | | | | stuck on the surface of the dock. I don't' think |
| second or two after it begins free falling. If fish | | | | we want any lake front home owner in the |
| are more aggressive, they may even come up to | | | | hospital receiving a tetanus shot because they |
| pluck it off the cover. This phenomenon only | | | | didn't notice the 2/0 worm hook that wound up in |
| occurs when fish are truly aggressively feeding. | | | | their foot, near the swim ladder. Let's remember |
| Each and every cast is a lesson in lure control, | | | | how unpopular bass fisherman already can be with |
| and will make a better presenter out of all you! | | | | people who live on lakes. Between early morning |
| That's another wonderful advantage of this kind | | | | tournament noise, excessively loud and fast |
| of fishing is, even on the off days when no fish | | | | boats, and blatant disrespect for lake front |
| are caught. | | | | structure, we need to make it a point to maintain |
| Spinnerbaits. The next presentation I like to use | | | | a degree of professional and personal courtesy. I |
| when full contact fishing is the spinnerbait. I prefer | | | | like to think that this point goes without saying. |
| to match a lighter weight spinnerbait with a larger | | | | Now, with my impromptu public service |
| Colorado style blade. This combination allows for a | | | | announcement out of the way... |
| good, straight, slow free fall, very similar to slow | | | | As unorthodox as this article may sound, I ask |
| rolling. Because it moves more slowly, the | | | | that you at least give it a shot the next time you |
| spinnerbait offers a little easier control over the | | | | hit the water. It certainly is an extremely |
| lure than the spider jig, but for all intents and | | | | rewarding method of presentation as well as a |
| purposes the presentation is the same. One slight | | | | very challenging and effective one, and certainly |
| variation I like to add is a small twitch or jerk | | | | worth the extra effort. |