NEXT LEVEL BASSING: Ditch the skirt and hookup a trailer

It doesn’t matter if they gurgle, clack, plop or buzz – it’s undeniable that these old-school washing machine-style baits flat out catch bass. But summer conditions require a different approach when water temperatures soar and bass get finicky. Ditch the bulky skirt this season and match the hatch for some explosive fishing.

The buzzer had just come on to the plane, slowly spluttering on the surface when an absolute behemoth of a bass swirled on it. “Did you see that?” I barked at my boat partner while trying to keep my nerve and maintain the slowest retrieve possible to keep it in the zone. The anticipation kept growing until the bait was back at the boat ready for the next cast, signaling another missed bass. It was the third non-committal bass of the morning but the best bite I’d gotten resulted only in a demolished skirt. The bass were firmly stuck in a post-spawn funk and the bulky 3/8oz single blade wasn’t doing the trick.