(Editor's note: Martin dishes up a double-dose of lipless tips today. To read about his system for controlling the running depth of lipless cranks, click here to visit the Berkley Catch More Fish page.)
Unless you're a big-time manga or anime fan, the term otaku might seem foreign to you. Heck, it is foreign – Japanese, to be exact – but mainlanders versed in Tokyo-pop know it describes someone infatuated, even obsessed, with a particular character or product.
Sounds a lot like FLW Tour and Series pro Scott Martin, considering his affinity for the Spro ArukuShad75 – a bait, he said, that can do things other lipless crankbaits can't.
Most lipless crankbaits sink like a rock when you stop reeling, and lay flat on the bottom until you start cranking them in again. But according to Martin, the ArukuShad doesn't, and that allows him access to two unique techniques.
If there's ever a prime time to throw a lipless crank it's right now, so before you take to the water this weekend, take the time now to read Martin's description of these two techniques. They could help put more fish in your boat.
Bedding Bass
"The ArukuShad is my favorite lipless crankbait," Martin said. "The design, finish, and look are awesome and it has great Gamakatsu hooks. But what makes it even more special is the special weight design inside it. It's unlike any other lipless crankbait."
Like most lipless vibrating baits, it runs with a fierce vibration and loud rattle. But according to Spro's Aruku page, it's uniquely made to lock its nose on the bottom when at rest.
"That makes it stand straight up on the bottom," Martin said. "It makes it great for sight-fishing. I pitch it into the bed and it sinks down and rests nose-down with the tail pointing up. I gently jiggle it and it sits there like a bluegill trying to eat the eggs. It really works. I got onto that deal fishing for peacock bass in Florida. They can't stand it either."
Tempting Schoolies
When Martin encounters breaking fish in open water, he fires off a long cast with the ArukuShad, and many times they'll nail it. But when they aren't aggressively hitting it, he has another trick to play on them.
"I like to yo-yo it through them," he said. "It's good for schoolers that won't take a standard retrieve. I make a long cast in 6 to 8 feet of water, and let it sink to the bottom. Then I stroke it up off the bottom. And here's the important part: Feather the bait back to the bottom. You don't want slack line or tight line. Instead, you want to feed it line and feel the bait down.
"It'll try to sit upright as it sinks, and it'll wander around as it falls if you do it right. Count as it falls so you know how long it takes to hit the bottom. If it stops sooner, reel down and hook the fish that ate it on the fall.
Martin varies his ArukuShad colors, and likes the darker golds and reds in winter and early spring.
"I use heavy line for this," he added. "I like 15- to 17-pound Berkley Trilene Big Game mono. The thick mono will help slow the fall and make it wander more as it sinks.
"This technique works great at a lake like Toho, so you can bet I'll have an ArukuShad tied on when we go there (for the FLW Tour opener)."
Additional Notes
He likes the 5/8-ounce model most of the time. Spro also makes a 3/8-ounce one called the ArukuShad Jr.
He uses chrome-sided baits much of the time, but switches to gold, red, or chartreuse in stained water.
"I like chartreuse when the water has a lot of stain," he said. "Gold really works well in clear water, especially when it's cooler. I like the darker gold and reds in winter and early spring. Then for really clear water early in the season I'll use a translucent bait, especially on clear, sunny days."
Additionally, because the ArukuShad runs with a nose-down attitude, Martin said more easily comes through grass and results in fewer snags.
Notable
> Martin's father Roland helped design the ArukuShad, and the bait carries the Roland Martin signature.
> The bait is available through Spro's website, as well as through the the BassFan Store.
