Tips

Technical Information - The Mattlures Bluegill Series

The Mattlures Bluegill is available in 4 life-like color patterns:

Male Bluegill (Top Left),

Female Bluegill (Top Right),

Red-Ear Sunfish (Bottom Right),

and Crappie (Bottom Left).

Each lure comes equipped with a 3/0 Mustad Ultra-Point Hook and an eye under the throat to rig a treble hook (recommend size 1).

Technical Notes:

Size: 5 inches, Weight: 2oz

Sink rate: 2 ft per second

Optimum Retrieving Speeds: From slow roll

to just about as fast as you can make it go!

Minimum Recommended Line Test: 15-25 lb test.

Recommended Rod Specifications: Due to the large size of bass this bait tends to catch I recommend a heavy rod made for fishing swimbaits. The 7’6" heavy big bait rod by Okuma is an excellent choice, however this is one swimbait that you can fish with a regular flipping stick, but don’t let its small size fool you. Big bass eat bluegill.

Colors

Ok, this is how I choose colors. First I look into the water and look at the bluegill. If I see a particular species than that makes my choice easier. Generally in the spring and summer they become much more colorful. The males will have their spawning colors and the females will have a little more color to them also. I usually like the male pattern at this time. For most of the year the males aren’t as colorful and the females are dull. Towards the end of summer you will se a lot of juvenile bluegill. Smaller bluegill are usually not very colorful and this is when I throw the female pattern

If I know that a particular lake has a lot of red ear or if I am sight fishing and I notice that the bass are bedding close to the red ear nests, that’s when I fish the red ear. Also if I graph a deep school of pan fish that I think are red ear with some large fish close to them, I will throw the red ear. The crappie is for when there is a lot of stunted crappie and the bass are feeding on them. If I was going to fish just one of them, I would base my choice on when and where I thought I would use the bait the most. I really think that they all can be used for any of the applications but I generally try to match the hatch.

When fishing big baits, you need the right gear. You can get away with a heavy flipping sticks when throwing most 5in baits but when it comes to 7 in and up you really need good quality heavy gear. I use and highly recommend the Okuma Guide Select big bait casting rods.

Designed specifically for the needs of West Coast big bait fishermen, the Okuma Guide Select big bait casting rods do just what they are designed to do, throw big swimbaits. As far as reels go. I recommend the Okuma Induron 400. You will need a 400 sized reel for making long casts with heavy line. A 300 size real will work well also but I prefer the 400 size because they also work well in the saltwater.

Swimbait Maintenance

Have you ever wondered how guys are getting 15-20 or more fish per soft swimbait when yours are getting torn up after only a few fish? There are a few tips that every swimbait thrower should do to get the most out oh their baits. The first thing I do when I get a new bait is to glue all the potential weak spots. Anything that protrudes out of the plastic should be reinforced with super glue. I will gently pull back the plastic away from the hook until there is a small hole just big enough to put a drop of glue into it. I will do this where the hook eye comes out of the bait and any other metal eyes that are used to add hooks. If you have problems with getting the glue all over your baits just put a drop on some cardboard and dip a tooth pick into the glue, then apply the glue with the tooth pick. It is also important to inspect your bait after every fish. Check for tears and make the necessary repairs with Mend-it before you make another cast. This will keep them from tearing any further.

Now that you have your bait reinforced and you are ready to fish it you will need to apply some lube to the bait. Most scents that will stay on the bait for a long time will make a good lube. I prefer Pro Cure and Mega-strike because they have the consistency of Vaseline. Most guys know how important it is to lube your Swimbaits because it increases your odds of hooking the fish when you get bit. The lube will also help your bait resist tears. Even if you don’t think scents and attractants will get you more bites you should still apply a generous amount of lube to your Swimbaits. If for nothing else it will prolong their life.

Another common problem with soft Swimbaits is they tend to get warped or twisted when they are not stored properly. It is usually very easy and quick to straighten them out. Soft plastic will return to its original shape if you put it in boiling water. It is not a good idea to submerge the glue on eyes in the boiling water because they could become clouded or fall off, but the rest of the bait will be fine. Dip the body of the bait in the water for about 1-3 minutes and then suspend it in cold water until the bait is completely cooled. This should bring it back to its original shape. Now maybe you will get more fish per bait.