Catching Cruisers

One of the unwritten rules of bass fishing is that if you see a bass (not a spawning bass) swimming along, forget him. He won't bite. He has something else on his mind, he's not interested, he'll see you.

That's bunk, says California pro Skeet Reese.

Like many West Coast bass fishermen, Reese had to learn how to catch clear- water bass that are chronically spooked. Some of these fish are cruisers, just meandering along.

So how did he learn how to fool these fish? "If you cast to enough of them, you start figuring out ways to catch them," he says.

Which Ones?

At times Reese has seen cruising bass 50 feet away, kicked the trolling motor on high and gone after them. But "there's no telling exactly which ones you can catch," he says.

"If they're swimming away from you, you have the best odds." He also says that the faster a bass is swimming, the more likely it can be caught, but "if you see fish cruising over deep water, the odds of catching them are a little slimmer."

Finally, he says that post-spawn cruisers can be more susceptible to being fooled.

Hunting

Catching cruisers is "hunting," Reese notes. "You're stalking them. Pay attention." For example, "if you're working a bank and see a fish coming, move away and let him go by." Then go after him.

Make a long cast, he says. "Get the bait as far out in front as you can. You don't want the fish seeing the bait as it hits the water."

Similarly, because the bass are near the surface -- meaning near to you -- "presentation is very important. Weightless baits tend to be better."

Variety of Techniques

Reese uses a variety of lures and rigs depending on what he thinks will work best. He says that much of the time he deadsticks a Zoom Fluke, but he also uses: Lucky Craft Pointer minnows (stickbaits/jerkbaits); Lucky Craft Sammys (walking-type topwater fished slowly); Zoom finesse worms; and even dropshot rigs ("shake the worm when you drop it in front of them," he says).

The use of moving baits should be reserved for those like Reese who have the experience and confidence to use them in this situation. And again, most of the time Reese deadsticks a Fluke -- literally deadsticks. "Don't twitch it or move it," he says. "Throw it out and let it fall. If you twitch it, the fish will swim away."

Rod, reel and line size varies by lure. Typically he uses 12-14 pound line for Flukes, 8-12 pound line for jerkbaits and 17-pound line for topwaters.

You Will Miss Fish

This is not a high-percentage type of fishing, but it could win you a tournament or two if you master it -- and if you can control your reflexes. Because of the visual nature of this fishing, "you get excited and you do miss fish," Reese says.

Try to bury that excitement until you see the gills flare or feel a tick on the line, he says. "Then they have it."

Sort of. Even then, "you still miss a lot of fish," he says.