Bass Attack Urban Creek Bass Fishing with Underwater Shots
Last week, I visited one of my favorite urban creeks in California. It's packed with cover and loaded with largemouth bass, green sunfish, carp, catfish and other eager biters. So far, most of the bass I've caught in this creek are tiny. However, this last trip really blew me away-several decent-sized largemouth bass were caught, along with a bunch of chunky green sunfish on an assortment of lures.
I was really impressed with this section of the creek. It's relatively un-trashed, when compared to some of the upstream parts of this urban creek. The tree canopy is pretty dense, covering the surface of the water with loads of shade. There is scattered fallen logs and brush along the shore, with fast sections and slow, deep pools. It really feels like a different world from many other urban creeks I've fished. Even better, I had this section of the creek to myself. That's not to say it hadn't been fished before, as evidenced by a few stray pieces of fishing line and beer bottles.
I started out catching one nice largemouth on a Real Fish Swimbait Hard Shad model. He hit it after a long retrieve in some rapids near a spillway. Catching that fish set the pace for the day. As you can see from the above video, I ended up doing pretty well on this trip. I'm also very pleased with how the video turned out; it's definitely one of my best urban creek YouTube fishing videos so far. The music choice may not be perfect for all audiences (dubstep?) but I hope you still enjoy the fishing!
The last pool I stopped at was absolutely amazing. Landed a healthy largemouth bass on my first cast, with a dropshot Zipper worm. Next up with several more missed strikes on the same worm. Switched over to a Yo-Zuri Snap Bean and was instantly back in the action. The largemouth would chase this tiny micro crankbait, but it was the green sunfish that went wild over it. I lost track of how many of these big-mouthed greenies I landed on this ultralite crankbait, but at one point I was hooking up on every cast. I'll be posting a review series sometime soon of my favorite ultralite crankbaits and jerkbaits, with more on these wonderful micro cranks!
I also landed several fish on the usual assortment of microjigs, crappie jigs and one other lure, a hand-painted blank lure jerkbait from wLure. II don't have an airbrush, but I've still had a fun time hand painting a few blank crankbaits and jerkbaits from wLure. Catching a fish on a lure you've painted yourself is especially rewarding.
The new time change really throws off my fishing schedule, in a good way. I'll have to agree with a recent post over at UrbanFlyVentures-let's Spring Forward and stick with it, no more Fall Backs! I had been fishing for several hours but the sun didn't appear to be anywhere near ready to set. Definitely felt odd, but I'm thrilled to have a longer time to fish each day, at least until next Fall. Sounds like there will be plenty more urban creek fishing adventures to post at Hunting the River King in the near future!
So, what is a cicada? Chances are, you have heard them singing in the trees during the summer, yet not seen them up close. They are basically a large, buzzing insect with prominent wings. Upon falling in the water, they put up a tremendous disturbance, making them easy prey for largemouth bass and oversized bluegill. An obvious example of this may been here, in a YouTube clip depicting the cicada's action in the water and subsequent demise.
Jet Tackle's Crazy Bug
Cicada lures for bass are nothing new, but few topwaters on the market today really imitate a true cicada very well, in my opinion. Today I'll cover three topwater cicada lures I have; two affordable models (Jet Tackle Crazy Bug and wLure T4) with one well-known and very expensive lure, the Megabass Grand Siglett. For a comparison of the action of each of these bass lures in the water, check out the above YouTube video, shot at tiny Ford Park, in Redlands, California.
MegaBass Grand Siglett
MegaBass Grand Siglett
Design All three lures look great out the outside, with nice finishes and a variety of colors available. However, the Megabass Siglett really takes the cake when it comes to amazing design. The internal rattles create a sound supposedly tuned to match the cicada's buzzing sound, seen in this YouTube clip. The semi-translucent finish of the Siglett scores high marks with me as well, it's incredibly realistic and almost too good looking to use as a lure. It feels more at home in an insect collection! It's certainly the most photogenic of the three lures, as you can see in many of the photos. That being said, the other two from wLure and Jet Tackle both look great as well. Unless you are fishing for the most extreme, picky eaters, the different in external appearance probably won't matter much and will do more to catch anglers than fish.Interestingly, the Crazy Bug and Grand Siglett use a similar, soft, flexible plastic for the wings. The wLure T4 uses a hard plastic, different from the other two.
MegaBass Grand Siglett
wLure's T4 with Siglett in background
Action On retrieve, these lures aim to imitate the struggling, floundering and often crazy buzzing action of a cicada landing in the water. As you can see from the above video I put together, they do a very good job of this (note: first lure shown in video is Megabass, second wLure, third Jet Tackle Crazy Bug). You can twitch the lures, pop 'em, or just do a nice, slow, steady retrieve, resulting in a crazy wobble, tantalizing wobble. The Megabass Grand Siglett is certainly the loudest in the water. The internal rattles work together to really create a cacophony on the surface. The wLure lure and Jet Tackle cicada's are considerably more quiet, but still create a ruckus with their wings. One important note. To get the best performance from the Crazy Bug from Jet Tackle, you'll need to do some modifications, namely, remove the center hook and screen, and also switch the wing positions so they are facing forwards. Sounds confusing? It's really quite simple, you'll just need a small screwdriver to do this. Flipping the wings around forwards, to resemble the wLure T4 and the Megabass wings position will create the right wobble in the water; the out of box position really doesn't do enough. Do they catch fish? Sure, just wander over to YouTube and find the myriad of videos of people catching fish on the Megabass or the Tiemco Soft Shell (Australian version of the Crazy Bug/wLure T4). Unfortunately, the cooler weather over here hasn't resulted in a quality topwater bite yet, but I have had several missed strikes on these lures already. Here's the bottom line: All three lures have basically the same action. The Megabass Grand Siglett and wLure T4 are virtually identical on retrieve in the water. The Jet Tackle Crazy Bug is very closely similar, you'll just need to tweak it a little more to get the best retrieve (definitely doable).
Jet Tackle's Crazy Bug Shown with wing swapped for proper forward-facing, be sure to also unscrew the first hook eye and remove it
Price Here's where the three lures really differ. The Megabass Grand Siglett Cicada lure is incredibly expensive, selling online for roughly $20. It's also rather difficult to locate, as few US retailors carry it, even in their online inventory. eBay has been one of the best places to find the Megabass Grand Siglett. Both the wLure and the Jet Tackle cicadas are far more affordable. The wLure T4 cicada sells for $2.99 ($1.99 if you buy in bulk), with free shipping. The Jet Tackle Online Crazy Bug cicada is the best priced lure of the bunch, at only $1.59, not including shipping. You can also find Jet Tackle's lure through their eBay page.
Jet Tackle's Crazy Bug
wLure's T4
Jet Tackle's Crazy Bug
Jet Tackle's Crazy Bug
Company Info Both Jet Tackle Online and wLure have been very professional in all my inquiries and responded promptly to emails. I've been very impressed with the lure selection offered by both these fishing lure websites. They both offer incredibly good prices, great customer service and a huge selection of lures to choose from. I've received a lot of interest from anglers inquiring as to my opinion on both wLure and Jet Tackle Online's lures and hopefully, if all goes well, I'll be doing more reviews on my favorite lures from them in the near future. The key difference between these websites is product location: Jet Tackle's lures are shipped from a US location to the buyer, while wLure ships directly from China. I really like wLure's free shipping, but keep in mind that you will wait at least 3 weeks, sometimes more, to receive these lures, so order well in advance. On the other hand, Jet Tackle has a small shipping fee, but their lures arrive very quickly, roughly one week or so, standard USA shipping times, which is always appreciated.
wLure's T4 with Siglett in background
Summary While some anglers will undoubtedly only buy the most expensive Japanese lures and only settle for the Megabass Grand Siglett, I would encourage those of us who are looking for a more budget-friendly option to try out the other options for topwater cicada lures. All three of these lures will certainly catch fish, just at considerably different prices. For me, I feel much more comfortable casting a $1-$2 lure than holding my breath every time I cast a $20 lure near thick cover. If you want a lure quickly, and aren't afraid to do a little tweaking of it, go with the Jet Tackle Online cicada. If you don't mind waiting and want to save on shipping, check out the wLure T4 cicada. Finally, if you just simply must have the photogenic (and arguably still impressive in the water as well) Megabass Grand Siglett, load up eBay and start hunting!
Ever wondered what's under the surface of a dirty urban stream? Dive into the murky depths and check out my latest YouTube video, of urban creek baitfish and green sunfish. Shot it with the help of a Lewis N. Clark Waterproof Camera Case, with my Kodak Zx1 cam. It's a multi-seal waterproof bag/case with clear sides for cameras, iPhones, video cameras, etc, pretty happy to get it for cheap on Amazon. No audio in this video though, I took it out, just a load of minnows to enjoy.
Why oh why does English Springs Park, in Chino, California, not allow fishing? There is plenty of water (larger than some city park ponds that do allow the noble pastime of fishing, like Ford Park or Village Pond Park in Lake Forest, California), it's the only real fish-able body of water in the Chino community, and it sure looks like it as bass, bluegill, catfish and other finned monsters. Maybe someday the powers that be will open their minds to one of America's favorite pastimes and allow it at English Springs Park. Heck, they could even charge a fishing permit fee and make a killing off people looking to dunk a bobber & worm. Make it catch and release only, kid friendly, and fun. For now, enjoy the photos of this little urban park pond where fishing is sadly forbidden.
There's something about discovering a new spot on Google Maps, driving to it and actually finding it both fish-able and accessible that really turns up the adrenaline. I've scoured the Inland Empire for new spots to try within a reasonable driving distance and just recently came across a really amazing fishing location. Poles and fishing gear in the car, I hit the road, parked in a safe area, find a clear path with apparently public access, and headed in. After a 10 minute hike, I was on the water-and what a spot! Clear, clean water with very little trash on the bank (quite a difference from my usual urban creek fishing spots), and lots of great bank access. It's hard to describe in words just how exhilarating this is.
For those living outside of Southern California, let me throw in a little more explanation. When living in an area of high urban density, especially in the more populated regions of Riverside, San Bernardino, etc, finding even a public park to fish in can be difficult. The sheer number of people, concrete urban sprawl and amazingly restrictive land access (both public and private) is often overwhelming and leaves anglers with very few places to "discover" as a new, relatively untouched fishing spots. Thus, coming across somewhere new is a special treat, to say the least.
Back to this new spot. There's actually two ponds, with a lot of depth. Casting out with my favorite Bitsy Pond Minnow micro crankbait, I immediately had strikes. I also noticed several large bass warily stalking my lure. Perhaps their hesitance indicated that this pond received more fishing pressure than I first anticipated, perhaps not. Regardless, I worked my way around one pond, working the crankbait for a few small dink bass. Eventually, I switched to a Gary Yamamoto Micro Ika (really unique scaled-down version of the Ika soft plastic) and worked it in cover along the shore. This lure usually scores stubborn bass for me, but it was not be today. Frustrated, I tied on a zipper-style 3'' purple worm on a lightweight jighead and began working it both parallel and straight out from the shore. After two missed hits, I changed spots and immediately hooked into a healthy largemouth bass. He wasn't a beast by any measure, but I was fairly satisfied-good fight on light line, leaping acrobatics and a couple of strong drag-pulling runs, roughly 12-14''.
New spot fishing video
While it was still relatively "urban", this new spot felt like a nice change of pace from some of my usual litter-strewn concrete jungle creek fishing locales. I'll be back as the weather continues to warm up and fish begin to move more and more shallower in the pre-spawn. Tight lines!
