Going Vertical for Nigthtime Spotted Bass

Spotted Bay Bass are one of the most commonly targeted fish in Southern California. Their habitat is mainly limited to the bays and harbors and creates a great fishery for kayak, float tube and shorebound anglers.
They are also active at night, making them a great fish to target any time one has the chance to fish.
As a transplanted Midwestern fisherman, I have had great success catching Spotted Bass applying techniques learned while targeting other species. One of my favorite is vertical jigging at night. In this article I hope to explain the technique in detail and hopefully help you increase your catches of after dark Spotties.
Tube and kayak fisherman are limited in mobility and can't run and gun like boat fisherman can. Tube and kayaks are much more stealthy however, and this presentation rewards those who don't spook Spotties holding tight to cover.
Vertical jigging is a common technique used to target Walleye in flowing water in the Midwest. Walleye are a structure oriented fish that has a tendency to hang near the bottom and favors areas with current flow. (sound familiar to you Spottie fisherman?)
My lure of choice is a relatively heavy skirted jig. I like 3/4 to 1 ounce football-style heads. The heavy head helps me maintain contact with the lure and not only detect bites, but also irregularities and structure on the bottom. At night, Spotted Bass seem to hold especially tight to rocks, ledges and other bits of structure. They also tend to be on deeper structure at night. The heavy jig ensures that the line will remain nearly vertical in any current flow also. The football head shape is also important, the line tie is near the top of the jighead so it presents a natural profile when jigged vertically. It also does not roll over on its side when the jig is on the bottom. As we will see, these are important aspects to the technique.
I like to add a trailer that "wiggles" with little or no added movement. Bulky plastic worms, slugs and craw-type trailers fit this description. Obviously, I am a big fan of the Salty Claws. The general "retrieve" is to flip the jig/trailer out a short distance (slightly farther than the water depth) and let the jig swim down on a taut line, paying attention for strikes occurring on the drop. Once the jig makes contact, I jiggle it on the bottom and then rest it. After a cycle or two of the jiggle/pause, I lift the jig off the bottom and lower it back on a tight line.
Experiment with the speed and distance of the lift, but generally I lift it (rather than "snap" it up) two to three feet off the bottom. Lowering the jig back to the bottom, rather that simply dropping it on a slack line, allows you to monitor for soft bites (which can be especially hard to detect in the darkness) as will the slow the fall of the bait. You want to basically make a heavy jig sink like a light jig.

I use the tidal flow to move my tube or kayak along the structure I am fishing. I especially like to target long docks that parallel the direction of the current flow. I normally try to slow my drift so I am moving with, but slower than, the flow. I will also fish when moving against the current to start a new drift, but it is easier to maintain boat/kayak/float tube control while drifting.
At night, don't be afraid to rework an area this way. Spotties seem to tend to congregate more after dark and it is common to get two or more fish along one dock this way.
This presentation is also great for harbor Sand Bass in the deeper structure, just step up the jig weight if needed.

Catch, Photo and Release Spotted Bass Contest.

The rules for this tournament are pretty simple:

Contest is two days, Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th.

Spotted Bay Bass must be measured laying on a flat surface with the measuring device clearly visable.
Please make sure the fish makes it back into the water ASAP. We can zoom in on your photos to verify measurements, so please take a minimum
amount of time to take the photo.

Fish are awarded points based on length.
14"- 5 points
15"- 7 points
16"- 9 points
17"- 10 points
18"- 14points
Fish caught on Mountain Man Tackle lures are awarded a bonus point.

You must place an item (to be announced on Friday and Saturday nights) in the photo with the fish to insure it was caught during the contest period.

Prizes will be in the form of Mountain Man Tackle credit. Prizes will be awarded for most points on each of the two days.

Ordering information.
This is our most frequently asked question so here is the answer.
At this point, we do not yet have a e-commerce type website (with a "cart") but hope to in the future.
If you like a bait or lure, send an email to dave@mountainmantackle.com with a quick description and what size you would like. I then send you a PayPal invoice within 12 hours with the cost and completion date of your order. Orders are shipped via US Mail and are normally in your hands within 10 days.
I hand make all the baits to order and sometimes the item photographed has been sold. I can reproduce them according to "recipes" that I write when I create the lure. Since each item is unique, they can be customized to your exact request
or you can let us create a one-off custom for you based off of basic color and weight specs.


Yes, the ordering process is different. Mountain Man Tackle is different.

Price list
All prices include CA Sales Tax, if applicable.

Soft Plastics
4" Salty Claws $6.50 per 6 pack
Awesome claw flapping, swimbait type action on a jighead, T-rig or as a jig trailer.

5" Tinsel Tail Slugs $3.50 per 3 pack
Softer than usual plastic gives it great action when rigged on a jighead or T-rig.
Flashabou® inserts in tails for extra flash.

5 1/2" Sparklebutt worm $3.50 per 5 pack
Flashabou® tails for extra flash. Also creates an air pocket, the worm tail floats up.

5 1/2" Creeper sinking worm $3.50 per 5 pack
Heavily salted worms sink quickly with a irresistible wiggle.

All prices are for custom color baits.
Other custom requests (sinking baits, harder/softer baits, etc.) are welcome.

Jigs
All Rounder weedless jigs. 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, and 5/8 ounce
$6 each.
Super versatile head shape!
Recessed line tie allows it to slip through dense cover, stand-up design reduces snags in rocks.
2X strong Mustad Ultra Point hook to pull fish from the nastiest hideouts.
Also available with screwlock trailer keeper. (Add $0.50)

Footballhead weedless jigs. 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4 and 1 ounce
$6 each
The choice in rocky and sandy situations!
Head shape hangs up less in rocks, hook remains pointed up.
Mustad Ultra Point hook with flat 60 degree eye for better hooksets.
Also available with screwlock trailer keeper. (Add $0.50)

Prices are for custom colors.
Owner hooks are available on request.

Spinnerbaits
Hidden weight spinnerbaits. 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4 and 1 ounce
$11 each
Hidden weight style head, nearly 50% of the weight is under the skirt.
Maintains a smaller profile, a great way to fish deep or slow with a smaller presentation.
Mustad Ultra Point extended shank hooks to nail short biters. Alhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifso includes a free Mustad trailer hook.
You choose the blades and skirt colors.

Heavy duty spinnerbaits. 1 1/2, 2 and 2 1/2 ounce
$14 each
Beefy 6/0 to 7/0 saltwater hooks.
Extra heavy 0.051" stainless steel wire.
100+ strand skirts, you select the custom colors.


Shipping and handling
Is included in all prices!

Photos on our website: www.mountainmantackle.com
Or on Facebook