By David A. Brown
Special to BassFan
Compartmentalizing might work for the psych profile, but the most consistent anglers typically are the ones exhibiting an open-minded approach. One example – finesse tactics and heavy cover.
Despite their often mutually exclusive nuance, blending finesse and heavy cover rewards versatile types with tactical options. As Bassmaster Elite Series angler John Crews points out, this is typically a response to weather (the post-frontal funk) and/or heavy fishing pressure. Either or both can turn a prime scenario into a frustration fest requiring inventive thinking.
Considering how bluebird skies and a lot of casts can send the fish into hiding, the heavy cover often ends up offering the better opportunities. Bright, still conditions not only dial back the aggression, they also increase visibility and allow fish more time to peak at those traditional baits.
“For me, a lot of the decision to use a finesse rig around heavy cover is more angler-driven,” Crews said. “At the Bassmaster Elite on Lake Guntersville, I used a Neko rig around grass to catch about half of my keepers en route to a 21st-place finish.
“This is also a good strategy for the immediate postspawn when fish are guarding fry and not chasing.”
Even in less demanding times, that laydown, dock or grass line always carries a certain level of appeal to fish and fisherman. Regardless of the “why,” it’s the “how” that often makes the difference.
Presentation Points
As Crews notes, Gamakatsu’s new Cover Neko Hook has opened up a new aspect of finesse fishing by creating a rigging method that'll allow anglers to feel more confident putting a finesse rig in places previously too daunting to try. The shiner-style, straight-eye hook features a 90-degree wire keeper to securely hold baits amid inhospitable habitat, along with a swivel that eliminates line twist, while also depriving a fish of any hook-throwing leverage.
“This hook design allows you to use a Texas rig in the middle of the worm, so you can have that Neko action, but you can throw a bait right into the middle of cover like a laydown, brush or heavy grass,” Crews said. “Also, that swivel gives you one consistent pull point.”
Pairing this innovative hook with his Missile Baits 48 worm, Crews said the Cover Neko hook was designed to be Texposed (hook point brought out through the worm with just the tip tucked back into the plastic). With this arrangement, he enjoys the ideal blend of weedless rigging with quick hook penetration.
Varying his looks, Crews also uses a dropshot for strategic presentations in the heavy stuff. Notably, he’s not using a beefy power shot (“Bubba shot”); rather, he’s going with the traditional finesse poster child and showing the fish a look they don’t often see.
Gamakatsu’s new Cover Neko Hook was designed to enable this finesse rig to navigate cover.
“I’ll Texas-rig a dropshot worm with a lighter weight and pitch it right into cover where it just floats around the edges – it doesn’t penetrate like a power shot,” Crews said. “The weight needs to be lighter or it will hang up immediately. Also, Texas-rigging the dropshot worm rather than nose-hooking it keeps it from snagging.”
Addressing another key scenario for finessing heavy cover, Crews said: “The cover Neko and dropshot are good for docks because a lot of the better ones have cover around or under them. If you’re going to be throwing baits under them, most people throw Texas rigs or jigs because they’ll come through the cover and they just don’t think to try finesse techniques.
“If you use a really light weight, a dropshot can skip a little bit and the Neko rig definitely skips.”
Crews notes that skipping requires a shorter dropshot leader – 6 inches max. Also, a worm needs sufficient thickness and surface area to dance across the water. Crews’ choice here is the 6.5-inch Missile Baits Quiver.
Tackle Talk
Since we’re not talking actual power shotting (“Bubba shotting”), Crews sticks with a 7-foot-4 medium-heavy Cashion rod that boasts plenty of power with a soft tip for precision placement and finesse action.
“I might bump up my dropshot leader size to 10- or 12-pound Sunline Sniper fluorocarbon,” Crews said of his dock finesse use.
Of course, the natural question here addresses the challenge of fighting a good-sized fish from this heavy cover while armed with spinning tackle. As Crews said, patience is key.
Tossing a Neko rig or a dropshot into a laydown may sound odd, but this atypical strategy delivers.
“Set the hook and let the rod do the work,” he said. “That’s why I like a little longer rod. That extra length helps you navigate that fish around the cover. It makes a big difference.”
It's a Drag
Western stick Ken Mah admits he’s no fan of finesse rigs, but despite his affinity for big rods and heavy line, he’s found success by marrying a more old-school, meat-and-potatoes technique with a delicate presentation.
“There are times at the north end of Clear Lake where the fish in submerged vegetation in 6-12 feet of water get so much pressure, they just shut down,” Mah said. “When this happens, I’ll throw a downsized Carolina rig.”
Mah’s rig comprises a frog rod, 60-pound Sunline FX2 braid main line, a swivel (no clacker beads) and a 15- to 17-pound monofilament leader of less than a foot. He’ll use a 1/2- to 5/8-ounce tungsten bullet weight, which pushes nicely through the grass, although he doesn’t let the rig sink far.
“I do this when my punching rig isn’t getting me what I need,” Mah said. “Ninety percent of us are throwing a Texas-rigged bait in that grass and the fish are used to seeing that.
“I don’t think a lot of people will throw that in the grass, but that bait will flutter on the short leader and the monofilament will keep it off the bottom. It’s a finessey presentation on non-finessey outfit."
A savvy technique on pretty much any grassy fishery from the Cal Delta to Florida, to TVA lakes like Guntersville, Mah’s finesse Carolina rig relies on braided main line for sensitivity, response and the ability to cut through the salad and remove an entangled fish.
“That’s why I keep that leader short – because with a traditional 20- to 30-inch leader, you may lose touch with your bait,” Mah said. “In that grass, a fish eats your bait, swims a few feet and you’re already behind – especially if it swims toward you.
“With that shorter leader, I still get that floating presentation, but I don’t lose touch. On the hook set, you want a stronger, snappier (response), rather than a traditional sweeping hook set.”
