Here is a tip for all of us average anglers from Derek Hudnall.
Hudnall is focusing on spawning bass. Initially, he missed numerous bass after setting the hook. Seemingly, the fish weren’t getting a solid bite on his weightless, wacky-rigged, Missile Baits The 48 worm.
“They’d take the bait, I’d feel it, then set the hook and they’d come off,” he said.
Hudnall had the worm rigged on a Gamakatsu G-Finesse Stinger Hook, size 1.
Hudnall discovered the bass were simply picking up his intruding bait and moving it off the bed. He surmised the hook was too large for the fish to grasp and get into their mouths.
Problem solved by changing his hook to a size 2, which he did on Friday.
“The slightly smaller size really made the difference,” he said.
And there you have it. How a subtle change in hook size can make the difference for finicky bedding bass.