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