Late Fall and Early Winter Bass Fishing with a Range of SEBILE Hard Baits
There are so many Sebile lures which one may use for bass fishing. Too many for us to cover them all in this article. Nevertheless, we'll try to give you as many timely tips for as wide a range of Sebile lures as space permits in this issue. So until we run out of room to keep writing, let's start running down a range of Sebile lures for late fall and early winter, starting with a few fantastic topwater choices.
Topwater Time
Above all, fall is topwater time. The first and last two hours of daylight are always the golden moments for topwater action, although overcast conditions can extend topwater activity any time. Starting in mid-September however, and through the peak of the fall feeding frenzy, which tends to be mid-October many places, topwater action can last all day long even under cloudless, sunny skies. Through late October in many regions in the USA, topwater fishing can get better and better with each passing day. Even when they miss your lure, topwater is still pretty intense! You just don't get your pulse pounding like that when you miss a hit on a soft bait, a spinnerbait, jig, or crankbait. Topwater is the ultimate thrill.
Bonga Minnow Family of Chunky Topwater Morsels
The Bonga Minnow is possibly the best Sebile topwater that you've never heard of for bass fishing. The problem is there's such a high demand for this nifty walking bait on the saltwater side that Sebile can't make Bonga Minnows fast enough to satisfy the saltwater market. So there's no inventory currently available to promote for freshwater. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try one. They work great for bass. The 72 size is short, chunky, and exactly the topwater profile that's well-known to capture the attention of smallmouth bass in particular. For some unexplainable reason, smallies are known to favor such a compact, chunky topwater bait profile walking across the surface in moderately deep, clear water. The 72's best fished and the most fun with light tackle, say 6-8 lb test.
Bonga Minnow 72 is just the shape and compact size of topwater for which smallies are known to have an attraction.
For their bigger cousins, the largemouth, look into the Bonga Minnow 95. It's a great length (about 3.7 inches) and just so chunky. It really makes a tempting mouthful on medium to medium-heavy topwater tackle. Just walk the dog with it.
Size comparison of Bonga Minnow 95 (recommended for largemouth) and Bonga Minnow 72 (recommended for light tackling smallies).
Just to give a little secret away, the big Bonga Minnow 125 is one of Patrick Sebile's very best baits with which to target trophy largemouth. So if you know where a behemoth bass is hanging about, it may be time to tempt her with a Bonga Minnow 125! It may look large and hard to work, but truth is that only the smallest of rod movements are needed to activate it's side to side walking action. It really doesn’t tire you like some others big topwaters, is easy to cast and its shape is easily engulfed by big bass, so few fish are lost when used with heavy tackle.
Size comparison of Bonga Minnow 95 (left) and Bonga Minnow 125 (right) for trophies.
Slim Stick Family of Svelte Topwater Twisters
The Slim Stick's as thin and curvy as the Bonga Minnow is short and fat. The slender yet sturdy and distinctly styled Slim Stick comes in three sizes to cover every situation. All three sizes walk the dog with ease and precision. It just depends how big of a fish you desire to catch!
The Slim Stick 98 (bottom) is the size suited for most conditions. The 118 (center) is a little bigger to attract a better size of fish. The Slim Stick 138 (top) is a big bait to appeal to big bass.
At first glance, you might think (mistakenly) that the curved body is not very aerodynamic. Nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed, the Slim Stick is a super long distance casting champion!
They are so expertly balanced that even on the end of a long cast, it usually only takes one rod tip bounce to start a walking cadence and an instant rhythm of fluid zigzag motion skating across the surface. You can slow way down or speed up the walking steps with very little rod tip movement and without losing the side-to-side cadence at any speed. It takes virtually nothing in terms of rod action to keep the Slim Stick performing perfectly in its precise side-stepping fashion. So remember to use very short, easy rod movements. That's one of the key points for how to work many Sebile baits - with short, easy rod tip movements.
Along with its walking action, the Slim Stick has a big tungsten bead that hits a partition wall inside and makes a singular loud knocking, almost popping noise. The 98's knock seems loudest since its smaller body is just not going to churn up the same volume of water commotion as the other sizes. So you really hear the 98's click the loudest. The 98 will click its way across the surface in a slippery, squiggly action unlike anything you may have seen or heard before, knocking itself silly with each zig or zag. This noise almost sounds like it's being made by a dish-faced popper, but without a popper's big splash or spit. The 118's knock or "pop" is also noticeable. The more powerful 138 drowns out the sound of its internal knocker by how much turmoil its large body makes agitating the water. If big bass are what you crave, the Slim Stick 138 is for you.
Lipless Flatt Shad Shines at the End of Topwater Time
They say all good things must end, and autumn topwater action is one of them. Fear not however, since as water temperatures plummet past the point when bait and bass won't bust the surface any longer, that signals the start for when lipless Flatt Shads truly shine! As bass and bait start to descend deeper in anticipation of wintry weather, they may often fluctuate in terms of what water level they occupy throughout the day, and the sinking Flatt Shad can be worked at any water level where the bass are found, from shallow to deep.
Pat Sebile with smallmouth (above) and largemouth (below) caught in mid-November on Flatt Shad 66 SK lipless.
Note that during this time of changing water temperature, bass may react to or be triggered more by irregular lure actions, so a constant whipping retrieve, a lift-and-fall or rapidly ripping and then pausing the Flatt Shad may trigger more reaction strikes in cooling water versus a straight, steady retrieve.
Best of all, as bass descend imminently deeper with every passing week, the Flatt Shad family is one of the few hardbaits that can continue to be effective (be vertically jigged) at depths of 20, 30 or even down to 40+ feet using thin diameter braided line with the Flatt Shad 66 XH or big 96 SK.
In all, there are five Flatt Shad models of paramount interest to bass anglers:
1) 66 SK: First, the Flatt Shad 66 SK weighs 1/2 oz and you can consider it as the customary or usual size and weight of lipless crankbait. But that's only the beginning!
2) 77 SK: Next, there's the 77 SK which can be considered similar to the 66 SK, just bigger in body size and weight (3/4 oz). The 77 SK appeals to a little better size of bass.
3) 96 SK: For the very biggest of bass, the 96 SK is practically palm-sized and weighs a whopping 2 ounces.
Handy comparison of 66, 77 and 96 body sizes from left to right.
4) 66 XH: Has the small body size of the 66 SK but extra heavy - 3/4 oz - for deep water angling.
5) 77 SU: A shallow suspending model at its best in thick grass or dense brush areas where shallow bait and bass concentrate in the backs of creeks in late autumn.
Unibody Magic Swimmers with Lips (Acast Minnows)
Take a look at any Acast Minnow. You'll see they have the same bodies and realistic baitfish profiles as the Magic Swimmer. The difference is the three-piece Magic Swimmer has no lip whereas the one-piece Acast Minnow has a lip to create an irresistible jerkbait action. Also, the Magic Swimmer is world-famous whereas the Acast Minnow is not yet.
From top down: Magic Swimmer 95 and Acast Minnow 95 ML. Magic Swimmer 125 and Acast Minnow 125 SL. Magic Swimmer 165 and Acast Minnow 165 MR.
The Acast Minnow comes in sizes suited for light tackle or smaller fish (95), ordinary fishing situations (125) and big bass on heavy tackle (165). If you have a favorite Magic Swimmer size, try that size Acast Minnow jerkbait as well.
The Acast Minnow family is designed to be able to cast one an incredibly long distance. The flat sides are designed to move or stir a lot of water beside the bait, creating turbulences to attract fish from a further distance, whether you work one fast or slow. Think of the kind of flat stick you get to stir a gallon of house paint - that's the basic idea with the Acast's flat sides - to stir a lot of water.
Several good Acast Minnow models to try include:
- 95 SL and 125 SL. When you see their broad sides flashing, you'll realize just how much water those sides are stirring. Both the 95 SL and 125 SL run 3-4 feet deep. Both have lifelike darting action when jerked. One dependable tactic is to jerk them without pausing too long. They will rise - but not very quickly - if you pause too long. Mainly keep jerking and moving them to excite fish into striking. I have heard form anglers who wrapped solder wire on the hooks and make them suspend, and do well in cold water with them. The main difference between the two 95 SL and 125 SL is the body length and therefore the size of fish they tend to attract, and the tackle used. Like the Magic Swimmer 95, the Acast 95 is suited for smallmouth, spotted bass or small largemouth with relatively lighter tackle. The Acast 125, like the Magic Swimmer 125, is suited for decent-sized largemouth and medium-heavy tackle.
- 95 ML and 125 ML. The 95 ML reaches depths to 6 feet or more, and suspends there. The 125 ML dives to 8 or more feet, and suspends. They're at their best when you pause one for a spell, a ploy that shines from late late fall through early spring when the water temperature is still cold and fish key off the long pauses that are so deadly with the 95 ML and 125 ML.
- 165 MR. To selectively target trophy bass in deep water, the 165 MR dives 10-14 feet deep and has the same realistic baitfish profile and body size as the Magic Swimmer 165.
There are infinite variations that make fishing jerkbaits like the Acast Minnows a true art. With all models, when you jerk your rod, they dart to one side, then the other side. Jerking, sweeping, twitching or ripping as you start turning the handle. Jerking, sweeping, twitching, or ripping as you stop turning the handle. Reeling steadily, and for how long? At what speed? And always the pause...for how brief or long? There are no stock answers to any of these questions, but slower speeds, longer pauses and softer rod movements usually coincide with progressively colder water temps in autumn and early winter. Make no mistake, the correct dart or jerk sequence needs to be discovered and done just right, but that is only the attraction. With jerkbaits, the hit is almost always gotten on the pause. It's a game of using the bait's built-in wiggle and the sudden darting jerk of the rod tip to excite and attract, then using the pause to get the strike. Recall the adage, "He who hesitates is lost." That applies perfectly to the mighty Acast Minnow!
Alas, friends, that's all we have space for in this issue. We hope we've interested you in a new Sebile hard bait or two to try this fall and early winter.
Specifications of Featured Models
| Model | Length | Weight | Running Depth | Type |
| Bonga Minnow 72 | 2.8" (72mm) | 3/8 oz (10g) | Surface | Compact, chunky topwater. Walking. Smallmouth magnet. |
| Bonga Minnow 95 | 3.7" (95mm) | 3/4 oz (21g) | Surface | Compact, chunky topwater. Walking. Ideal for largemouth. |
| Bonga Minnow 125 | 5" (125mm) | 2 oz (55g) | Surface | Compact, chunky topwater. Walking. For trophy bass. |
| Slim Stick 98 | 3-7/8" (98mm) | 3/8 oz (10.6g) | Surface | Slender Topwater. Walking. Suited for most conditions. |
| Slim Stick 118 | 4-5/8" (118mm) | 5/8 oz (17.2g) | Surface | Slender Topwater. Walking, Attractive to a better grade of bass. |
| Slim Stick 138 | 5-1/2" (138mm) | 1 oz (26.6g) | Surface | Slender Topwater. Walking. Appeals to big bass. |
| Flatt Shad 66 SK | 2-5/8" (66 mm) | 1/2 oz (14 g) | 3-6' | Sinking. Vertical fish down to 20-30 feet effectively. |
| Flatt Shad 77 SK | 3" (77 mm) | 3/4 oz (21 g) | 0-2' | Sinking. Vertical fish down to 20-30 feet effectively. |
| Flatt Shad 96 SK | 4" (96 mm) | 1-3/8 oz (40 g) | 5-10' | Sinking. Vertical fish down to 30-40+ feet effectively. For big bass. |
| Flatt Shad 77 SU | 3" (77 mm) | 1/2 oz (15 g) | 4-8' | Suspending. Non-sinking. Great to rip through thick grass and brush. |
| Flatt Shad 66 XH | 2-5/8" (66 mm) | 3/4 oz (14 g) | 4-8' | Extra Heavy Sinking. Vertical fish down to 30-50 feet effectively. |
| Acast Minnow 95 SL | 3-2/3" (95mm) | 1/3 oz (8.7g) | 2-4' | Short Lip. Shallow Diver. Slow Floating. Relatively wide, flashing, water-stirring action. |
| Acast Minnow 125 SL | 5" (125mm) | 3/4 oz (20.2g) | 3-4' | Short Lip. Shallow Diver. Floating. Relatively wide, flashing, water-stirring action. |
| Acast Minnow 95 ML SU | 3-2/3" (95mm) | 1/3 oz (8.7g) | 4-6' | Medium Lip. Medium Diver. Suspending. Relatively tight wiggle. Classic jerk and suspended pause. |
| Acast Minnow 125 ML SU | 5" (125mm) | 3/4 oz (20.2g) | 5-8' | Medium Lip. Medium-Deep Diver. Suspending. Relatively tight wiggle. Classic jerk and suspended pause. |
| Acast Minnow 165 MR | 6-1/2" (165mm) | 2 oz (56g) | 10-14' | Deep Diver. Maintains its depth as you jerk, twitch or rip it down deep. For trophy bass. |
For pricing and availability of SEBILE lures, please visit http://www.BassdozerStore.com.
Thank you for your business. May your next fishing trip be your best ever!
Regards,
Russ
