Hyper Muscle Deep: T-Rig Cold Cranking
pan Report: Technique
Hyper Muscle Deep: T-Rig Cold Cranking
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
 |
Photo: BassFan
Shigenori Nakajima (Shegay for short) rigs up for the ‘hyper Muscle Deep’ technique prior to launch at Lake Biwa in Japan. |
(Editor’s note: This is the first of a series of articles by BassFan editor-in-chief Jon Storm that focus on the bass-fishing scene in Japan.
)
The relationship between America and Japan has been long and complicated. Through the pre- and postwar eras of the 20th century, Japan went from being an American ally, to an American enemy, to one of America’s closest world partners.
Back when I was young, other kids and I looked toward Japan with wonderment and awe. On the one hand there were the tiny transistor radios, stereo amplifiers, dirtbikes, TV shows like G-Force and Star Blazers, Walkmen and the first wave of arcade games like Space Invaders, Galaxian and Pac-Man.
On the other hand were laid-off mothers and fathers who used to work in the U.S. auto and electronics industry. There were patent fights, calls for tariffs, the death of the U.S. steel industry, and a sound disconnect between the generations and their feelings about Japan.
That was all a long time ago. Today, Mario is more recognized by children than Mickey Mouse. Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! define the 3rd-grade experience. Toyotas and Hondas are assembled in the U.S. Every family has a Nintendo or Sony video-game product of some sort. A Yamaha still isn’t a Harley, but it’s a respectable bike. And trade worries now surround China, not Japan.
The history of the bass-fishing relationship between Japan and the U.S. is somewhat the same, somewhat different. There are parallels to the larger U.S.–Japan history arc: The Japanese people adopted a U.S. passion and tradition, made it their own, and in many respects improved it. But it’s also important to remember that in the upper circles of Japanese bass fishing, the respect given to U.S. bass fishing is nothing short of profound.
Lure names like Heddon, Rapala and Cotton Cordell possess a mythic quality in Japan. The U.S. and its vast bass fisheries represent the Holy Land to Japanese bass anglers, and legends like Larry Nixon, Kevin VanDam and Rick Clunn are idols to Japanese pros.
And when bass fishing first started to peak in Japan in the early to mid-1990s, the thirst for knowledge was unquenchable, and nearly all of it was imported from the U.S. Shortly afterward, Japanese anglers began their own era of innovation and we saw the explosive growth of hook companies like Gamakatsu, Owner and Daiichi, lure manufacturers like Daiwa, Lucky Craft, Megabass and Jackall Bros., rod and reel offerings from Daiwa and Shimano, line companies like Sunline, Silver Thread and Varivas, and so much more.
At the same time, Japanese fishing techniques began to gain hold in California, and the dropshot then joined the lexicon of bass anglers across the nation. Japan was seen by many in the U.S. as the land of fishing innovation.
The result has been that U.S. anglers, in many regards, respect Japanese bass angling much in the same way the Japanese respect U.S. bass angling. The desire for bass-fishing innovation stretches back and forth across the Pacific, and anglers in both countries are the beneficiaries.
I recently had the opportunity to make my second trip to Japan – my first in 20 years. I met and fished with many top Japanese bass pros and guides. I met with rod and lure manufacturers. I interviewed Manubu Kurita, who recently tied George Perry for the all-tackle largemouth bass world record. And I spent 2 days at the Osaka tackle show – one of the largest consumer fishing shows in the world.
Over the next few months, details of the trip will be published in various stories, fishing tips and opinion pieces. But I thought a new Japanese technique called the “hyper Muscle Deep” would be a good place to start – especially since most of the U.S. is currently locked down in a cold snap, and this is a cold-weather technique.
Cranking, Jacking
I think most BassFans would agree there’s been a significant change in thought over the past several years. Conventional wisdom used to preach smaller baits, slower presentations during cold-front conditions. And that can work – just look at Cody Woods, who deadsticked a Smithwick Rogue to win the Sam Rayburn American Fishing Series last week.
But experiments and tournament results the past several years have proven the opposite approach can often be more effective, and a bigger bait fished more quickly and erratically can trigger reaction bites under the most difficult conditions.
That’s where the hyper Muscle Deep comes in. The technique refinement was developed at Lake Biwa in Japan – a large, sprawling lake filled with Florida-Northern largemouth hybrids. It’s the lake where Kurita caught his record, but it also receives intense fishing pressure. Hence the need for constant innovation.
|
Shigenori Nakajima (Shegay for short) is one of the best-known and most-respected guides on Biwa. He told BassFan that he came upon the technique largely by accident.
“At the end of October last year, I was guiding a client on Biwa when the water temperature was 55 to 60 degrees,” Shegay told BassFan through a translator. “We were fishing very deep – 40 feet in the rocks on bottom. My client suddenly started to use a crankbait with a Texas-rig. Nobody uses a crankbait that deep on Biwa, and he put a 1/2-ounce weight ahead of it, which was very unusual.”
The client caught a 5-plus-pounder on his very first cast, which Shegay considered a fluke. “I was amazed,” Shegay said.
But then the client caught a 6-pounder on his third cast, and continued to catch fish after that.
“Then I realized it wasn’t just luck – maybe there was something to it,” Shegay noted. “The first reason I think it’s effective is that fish never see a crankbait that deep. But also, it’s a way to get the fish to react in cold water. I’ve since learned that if you use a crank that deep it’s a big advantage, especially when it gets colder, like when the lake turns over and the fish aren’t very aggressive.”
Of course, no BassFan would argue that a Texas-rigged crankbait is a “new” technique. But keep in mind that it’s all about the refinements.
“I tested the rig one day in our aquarium to see how the lure actually moved with a weight on it,” Shegay said. “When it hits bottom, the lure gets very, very erratic. It’s the type of random movement that can get a reaction bite from un-aggressive fish.”
The Refinements
I fished several hours with Shegay. The fishing was slow and we had other rigs to test and demonstrate. In other words, we didn’t get a hookup on it, but I learned enough to report on the technique.
From what I discerned there are several keys to the presentation. One is the retrieve. Shegay casts as far as he can – and note that with a weight ahead of the crank, casting distance is immense. He then lets to crank sink toward bottom and reels very quickly with a 5.4:1 reel.
Each time the crank ticks bottom he snaps the rod upward. It’s not an over-the-head type of snap – more like how you’d set the hook on a flip bite. He retrieves with the rodtip pointed directly at the bait, and when the lure ticks bottom and he snaps, he moves the rod from about the 5 o’clock to the 3 o’clock position. That style of snap is what creates the random side-swipe or “jacking” action.
|
Photo: BassFan
Shegay thinks the Jackall Muscle Deep is the best crank for the technique because it’s less buoyant than other cranks. |
His crankbait is the – Jackall Muscle Deep 15+. “I guide many clients on Biwa, and in many cases, I’m testing all the different crankbaits with the technique,” he said. “Sometimes I’ll throw the Muscle Deep and my client will throw a different type of crank. I’ve found the Muscle Deep to be the best – I think because it’s less buoyant. The Texas-rig with a less-buoyant bait is what creates the erratic action. If a bait has more buoyancy, it becomes more stable.”
He throws it on a 7′4″ Jackall cranking rod with 12-pound fluorocarbon.
It’s key to use tungsten, he said, because you want to keep the weight as small and compact as possible. Otherwise you’ll dampen action. His weights are from Zappu and range from 1/32- to 1/2-ounce – dependent on target depth. He’s had success down to 40 feet with the 1/2-ounce.
He uses a conical rubber stopper made by Zappu ahead of the weight, as well as a bead (again made by Zappu) between the weight and the crank to help protect the line.
Interesting is Shegay’s report that this is a big-fish technique, and that most bass take the entire bait in their mouth – even though they’re in a non-aggressive state and won’t bite plastics.
Also noteworthy is the technique is a great way to cover water in cold conditions – more than you could ever hope to cover with a jigging spoon or worm rig – and because of the weight, the crank is in the strike zone for a very long time.
Will the technique work in summer when bass are set up on main-lake structure, but too deep to reach with a traditional 22-foot crank? He doesn’t know, since he hasn’t tried it yet. But he did say he’s anxious to hear from BassFans who decide to experiment.
Notable
> Shegay has a website (click here), although it’s in Japanese. Any English-speakers wanting to communicate with him can do so through the site, or by sending him an email, and he’ll work to get the messages translated.
WIN A FREE BASS FISHING TIPS DVD
Win A 60 Minute DVD of DETAILED tips, tactics, and SPECIFIC locations for catching more and BIGGER bass in tournaments or for fun on the Upper Chesapeake Bay Rivers like the Sassafras and Northeast, and the Potomac river, along with tactics and tips for bass on Delaware and Maryland Lakes. This DVD will sell for $14.95. retail as it has in the past, but you can get it free!
This is not the old DVD. It is remastered in HD and contains footage not seen before. It is just one in a series that will be coming out at different times throughtout they year. The tips, tactics and baits and presentaions displayed can be applied to almost any area of the country on most any lake or river, so don’t think just because it shows specific locations in the northeast that you can not apply them to your own area as you can. It has already been done! Just ask any one of the 4 thousand people who have already purchased this in the past and used it to catch trophy bass and win tournaments.
Just register at the main site and make a post or posts in the forums in the bass fishing tips section and we will pick 10 of the best posts and each person will receive the DVD and free baits that are used in the video. World Record and Trophy Bass Fishing http://delawaretrophybass.com You can see a short sample of this video at the site in the forums.
The Spring Bass Spawn Is Trophy Time!
The spawn is a highly regional event, taking place at different times during the year. In the extreme south (Florida, mostly) fish can be found spawning as early as December with late spawners starting in February. Further north (south Georgia to the Mason-Dixon), the spawn kicks off in April and goes through early June. Further north still, the spawn can start as late as June and go through late July. Regardless of when the spawn is in your area, one thing is certain: It’s your best chance at a trophy fish.
Here’s how a pro from each region tackles the spawn and wrangles big bass from their love nests.
Extreme South: Bobby Lane, Florida
The mild weather of the Sunshine State can be a boon to bassers fishing the spawn. Florida pro Bobby Lane counts on cold fronts to produce some of the best spawn-time fishing anywhere.
“We’re fortunate in Florida that the fronts don’t always make it this far South, but if they do, the times between are without a doubt the best times for an 8-plus-pound fish,” he says. “If you schedule your trip where there’s a full moon, and it’s in between cold fronts, your chances of getting a 10-pound fish are about 95 percent.
“If that’s not good enough, if you get a couple of hot days around a full moon, you’re almost guaranteed several fish over 8 pounds if you’re looking in the right areas.”
When searching for these nest-guarding lunkers, Lane starts at the north end of the lake. He reasons that the water will be clearer as the north winds whip up the south end, making it harder for both fish and anglers to see. If he’s fishing in a pocket, he fishes the sunny side first — it’s warmer.
When approaching a bedding bass, Lane makes sure three requirements are satisfied: He’s using 50- to 65-pound-test SpiderWire Ultracast braid, his bait is bulky and it’s a natural color. Using this combo, he has won thousands of dollars in tournaments and weighed in a 9-8 lunker, all in less-than-optimal spawn periods.
His final piece of advice?
“Leave your finesse stuff at the house. If you hit it right, these are great big fish moving up. You don’t need to be throwing wimpy baits or light line,” he says. “If you’re catching small fish, don’t leave that area. Go check somewhere else, but always come back to that area. They might not be there in the morning, but they’ll be there in the afternoon.”
South: Mike McClelland, Arkansas
Mike McClelland agrees that the spawning season is your best bet for nabbing those elusive lunkers, but he also says that you may have a better shot at a trophy bass before its bed time.
“I truly believe the biggest fish are the first to spawn, so in my region late March to early April is your best shot at a monster. By the time most fish are on beds, the big ones are guarding fry,” he says. “In this case, a buzzbait or a swimbait is the ticket.”
McClelland favors War Eagle’s black and blue buzzbaits and a Spro BBZ-1 soft swimbait. He sticks to the spawning areas but targets areas close to deeper water. The harder the bottom, the better. Pea gravel, big gravel or a mixture are best.
Since bass of the same size typically run together, if you’re catching small fish, that’s probably all you’re going to get. He reiterates the fact that spawning areas adjacent to deep water are lunkers’ preferred spawn-time haunts.
If you’re a night owl, McClelland says a lot of the biggest fish are caught in the nighttime hours during the spawn. If you do head out at night, take dark-colored buzzbaits and big, dark Colorado blade spinnerbaits.
North: Bill Lowen, Ohio
“Typically, when I’m looking for trophy fish, I’m looking for places where the fish can stage — especially where the big ones hang out before the spawn. These are usually secondary points, deeper banks that lead to the spawning flats. The big ones stay out a little further,” he says. “If neither of these work, look for fish that are actually on the bed.”
When working secondary points prespawn, Lowen likes moving baits such as spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, swimming jigs and crankbaits. The fish that aren’t actively spawning are feeding heavily in preparation for the spawn.
For bedding fish, Lowen goes for small-profile baits like a Gitzit tube or a finesse worm with a light weight. When bed fishing, Lowen opts for 15- to 20-pound Trilene fluorocarbon on a flipping stick. He likes to use his flipping stick year-round. He will let the mood of the spawner determine how long he tries for it.
“They’ll either run off the bed if they’re spooked or get in close to it to investigate. If their gills and fins start moving, they’re excited and will bite; you can even watch ‘em change color,” he says. “If they’re not active or are spooked the first time you try it, go back an hour or so later. You never know when she’s going to light up.”
Lowen goes on to say that lakes in his area have poor water clarity. He will get as close as he needs to investigate the fish’s mood. He’s been within a rod’s length and successfully caught big bass.
No matter where you live, the spawn is your best shot at a wall-hanger bass. Pack your patience, do your homework and watch for the shadows in the shallows. The spawn is on!
<!–
 |
Click here to JOIN BASS! |
