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How Deep Will You Go
Photo and story by Travis Perret What is the deepest you will fish for bass? Many fishermen won’t fish water deeper than, 20 or 30 feet. FLW professional Robbie Dodson wants you to rethink that question. He has been known to catch fish in 80 to 100 feet of water. He has won tournaments catching fish off trees that are 100 feet deep. His secret is to be very, very patient.
If you haven’t heard of Dodson you might think he is a little crazy for fishing in water that deep. However, his tournament stats and wins speak for themselves. He is not the flashiest fisherman on the circuit or the loudest, but he is one of the best. You just don’t know it yet.
Dodson has won 15 boats during his fishing career. That stat alone should impress you but there’s more. He has won three (what are now known as) Rayovac tournaments in 2008, 2011, and 2012. In six years on the FLW circuit he has averaged $53,000 a year in winnings. He has three Forrest Wood Cup Appearances with a 10th place finish in 2013 and a 14th place finish in 2011.
If you ever see Dodson on the water you might not know he is a professional fisherman. In the age of logos plastered on every square inch of a 23 foot wrapped boat and Power Poles awkwardly protruding from the back, Dodson goes unnoticed in his white unwrapped no Power Pole Ranger. Dodson is on the water to impress you with his fishing skills.
Patience and persistency is what has made Dodson a solid fisherman. When the days turn cold and the water temperature drops into the 40s, you’ll see Dodson in his Ranger putting fish in his live well when others are not. He is pulling these fish from some of the deepest water a bass fisherman will ever be in. The secret is finding the right tree and being patient.
Dodson’s lure is not actually dropping to 100 feet. The bases of the trees are rooted 100 feet down but they top out in about 30 feet. He is fishing the tops of the trees but believes the fish are coming out of those deep trees when they see his Luck-E-Strike jerkbait.
Some of Dodson’s fishing spots have been handed down from his father, Robert “Quinn” Dodson and those underwater wooded locations have produced year after year. Dodson recounts, “I remember fishing timber with my dad and he would throw a jerkbait out there, crank it a few times, set the pole down and pour some coffee. He would then drink the cup of coffee, pour a refill, pick up his rod, reel in the slack and make a little flick. The fish would smash it.”
What Dodson and his dad figured out over the years is that if you reeled your bait in too fast, the fish would follow it and never strike the bait. However, if you let it rest and did not move it, the fish would actually sit and stare at it. After 60 seconds or more, a very slight twitch would cause them to strike it.
Dodson says, “ If you jerk the bait, it pulls it too far from them. So you just want to make the bait roll a little on its side. For some reason this causes them to hit it.”
One important factor to remember is when you have a jerkbait sitting in the water for long periods, it is important to have the right tackle. Dodson recommends Maxima Ultragreen monofilament line in 10-pound test. Maxima monofilament will allow the bait to sit in one place in the water column. It won’t cause the bait to sink or rise.
Dodson also recommends Luck-E-Strike jerkbaits. He says, ”They are the best overall jerkbait on the market. The cast ability of a Luck-E-Strike jerkbait is so much better than the old school jerkbaits. The new colors and finishes catch more fish. And they are more affordable than many of the other jerkbaits on the market.”
So, when the water temps are cold like they are now in so many areas of the country, ask yourself this question: “How deep will you go?” Look for those deep trees and once you find one that produces fish, make sure to way point it and year after year you’ll have yourself a spot that can win those winter tournaments.
Bass Fishing High Water in Fla.
Florida has had a ton of rain going into the 2015 season… what do bass do when the water is up?
Keep up with JT on his Facebook page.
FLIR Announces New Raymarine Dragonfly® Fishfinder Products
Expanded Dragonfly product range for fishermen includes the world’s first fishfinder below $200 to use wide-spectrum CHIRP sonar technology
WILSONVILLE, OR – January 8, 2015 – FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) – Dedicated to advancing sonar technology for fishermen, FLIR Systems is introducing seven new models that form the next generation of Raymarine’s Dragonfly product line at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The new Dragonfly range offers anglers advanced CHIRP sonar vision, superior color displays, and wireless mobile device integration. The new Dragonfly range begins with the 4.3” Dragonfly 4 DV, the world’s first recreational CHIRP sonar under $200. The Dragonfly 4 DV and the entire Dragonfly range use wide-spectrum CHIRP DownVision™ sonar technology to give anglers photo-like images of fish and underwater objects. Unlike conventional sonars that transmit a single frequency with each pulse, Dragonfly’s CHIRP sonar pulses across a wide spectrum of sonar frequencies simultaneously. This wide spectrum pulse produces much higher-resolution and life-like sonar images. Dragonfly’s CHIRP DownVision™ technology also surpasses ordinary imaging sonars with superior deep water performance to 600ft (180m) and reliable high speed bottom tracking. And with its unique all-weather bright display, Dragonfly provides high fidelity images under blazing sun or driving rain.
Anglers looking to step up to enhanced fish identification can choose the 4.3” Dragonfly 4 DVS or the 5” Dragonfly 5 DVS. The “DVS” models feature CHIRP DownVision™ plus a second conventional CHIRP sonar channel, optimized for locating fish targets. Moving up from the DVS models are the Dragonfly 4 PRO and Dragonfly 5 PRO. Dragonfly PRO models combine CHIRP DownVision™ and conventional CHIRP sonar with a fast 10Hz GPS for staying on course and internal Wi-Fi for streaming to mobile devices.
In addition to the Dragonfly 4 and 5 models, the new Wi-Fish™ sonar for mobile devices joins the Dragonfly range. Built on the Dragonfly sonar platform, Wi-Fish™ is a black box wireless sonar designed to work exclusively with smartphones and tablets, letting fisherman access CHIRP DownVision™ from anywhere on board. Using Raymarine’s Wi-Fish™ mobile app, fishermen can view, pause, and rewind sonar imagery, making it easy to record their favorite fishing spots and share with friends online.
“The first Dragonfly launched in 2013 was a breakthrough that let fisherman see the underwater world with incredible fidelity” said Grégoire Outters, Vice President and General Manager of FLIR Maritime. “Now with the expanded and more attractively priced Dragonfly range, we are making our high performance CHIRP DownVisonTM sonar technology within reach of every fishermen and boater.”
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The new Dragonfly product line consists of 7 new models to meet the needs of each individual angler:
GPS equipped Dragonfly modes support Navionics charts, C-MAP by Jeppesen, and Raymarine LightHouse charts. Dragonfly models are also available bundled with C-MAP Essentials or Navionics Gold maps on microSD.
With pricing starting at a very attractive $199 USD, the new Dragonfly family brings true wide-spectrum CHIRP technology in reach of every fisherman. The new Dragonfly line will be unveiled at CES 2015 (booth location 35414) and the Toronto boat show (booth location G-346).The new range will be available in the first quarter of 2015.
For more information, please visit www.raymarine.com/dragonfly
About FLIR Systems
FLIR Systems, Inc. is a world leader in the design, manufacture, and marketing of sensor systems that enhance perception and awareness. FLIR’s advanced systems and components are used for a wide variety of thermal imaging, situational awareness, and security applications, including airborne and ground-based surveillance, condition monitoring, navigation, recreation, research and development, manufacturing process control, search and rescue, drug interdiction, transportation safety, border and maritime patrol, environmental monitoring, and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) threat detection. For more information, visit FLIR’s web site at www.FLIR.com.
About Raymarine:
Raymarine, a world leader in marine electronics, develops and manufactures the most comprehensive range of electronic equipment for the recreational boating and light commercial marine markets. Designed for high performance and ease of use, the award-winning products are available through a global network of dealers and distributors.
The Raymarine product lines include radar, autopilots, GPS, instruments, fishfinders, communications, and integrated systems. Raymarine is a division of FLIR Systems, a world leader in thermal imaging. For more information about Raymarine please go to www.raymarine.com.
Crews joins Sunline
Photo courtesy of B.A.S.S., Gary Tramontina
Sunline America is pleased to announce that John Crews has joined their Pro Fishing Team for 2015. John is an accomplished professional angler with a proven track record for success. John competes on the Bassmaster Elite Series and is currently the 19th ranked angler in the in the Bassfan World Rankings. John joins one of the most decorated pro staffs in professional bass fishing with Sunline America.
“John brings a unique perspective and skill set as a professional angler and fishing industry insider. He will make a great addition to our staff and we look forward to having him on our team for 2015,” Nobuyuki Kajio, President of Sunline America.
FLW Pro Mike Neal Joins Big Bite Baits
Big Bite Baits announces that Michael Neal joins their Pro Angler Team for 2015. Michael is a recent college graduate and proprietor of Dayton Boat Dock in addition to fishing the FLW Tour and Bassmaster Opens. At his young age, he has a strong understanding of pro angling and the fishing industry. Michael finished the 2014 FLW Tour ranked 7th in the Angler of the Year points and has accumulated four top 10 finishes in the past two years along with two FLW Cup appearances. He joins Jeff Kriet, Russ Lane and Dean Rojas on the Big Bite Team.
Scott Montgomery, VP Big Bite Baits says “Michael has had an impressive start to his pro career and is very professional in all his actions on and off of the water. He is a great fit to our team and we look forward to being a part of his continued growth in 2015”.
“Big Bite is the most versatile plastics company right now. They make winning baits that catch bass from shallow water to deep off shore structure. I look forward to working with them on new baits and colors to continue that versatility,” says Michael Neal.