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Approaching Laydowns with the ima SquareBill
When Bill Lowen and the ima engineers developed the shallow-diving Square Bill crankbait to be the ultimate heavy cover grinder, they made it as snag-free as any lure with two sticky-sharp trebles can be. As a result of its unique design, it comes through rock, wood and vegetation as well as any other lure in its class. No crankbait is completely snag-proof, though, so Lowen knows that maximizing your presentations with the Square Bill requires not just the right tools but also the right approach.
Growing up fishing the Ohio River, Lowen learned that heavily-pressured bass will commit to a single laydown and watch countless baits go by before striking. Sometimes it just takes a slightly different angle, an additional bump of the cover or the ability to penetrate the furthest branches in order to elicit strikes. If you snag your lure and go in after it, though, you might as well pack up and leave. Accordingly, he executes a careful game plan to avoid disturbing any piece of likely bass-holding cover.
 Hitting a laydown from every angle possible is key to Lowen’s success. |
 Pack it up and move on if you get hung up on one of these branches from the get go. |
“I look at it differently than a lot of guys,” he said. “If I know the fish are out at the tips of the laydowns, maybe in the 5 to 8 foot range, then I’ll turn to the Pinjack or the Beast Hunter, but if I’m not sure where they are I go right for the throat. I like to cast that Square Bill as aggressively as I can.”
“I want to ‘worm’ that bait through the laydown,” he continued. “That allows me to use heavier line, usually 15 or 20 pound test. The bait won’t get to its maximum depth but you’ll be able to free it more often without losing out on any strikes.”
As he approaches a given tree, he starts to think like a billiards hustler, looking for angles more than anything else. He wants to maximize the number of productive casts, which involves understanding the layout of the various limbs. “More angles equals more strikes,” he said. “I look at which way the big limbs are going and try to bring the Square Bill with them. It’s important not only to get a clean retrieve, but once you hook a big fish you want to know that you can get him out of there.”
This bass came off of a tree stump
He said that the bill design and diving angle of the Square Bill prevent it from getting snagged if you “worm” it properly. “When it comes into contact with a branch or a limb, don’t keep winding,” he advised. “You want to guide it and drive it through. I keep my rod angle moving at all times. If it’s deeper, I’ll put my tip down to keep it in contact and in the strike zone.”
That’s another advantage of the Square Bill over its peers: You can try to grind it to a pulp, but its heavy duty components won’t let you break it or alter its course. Those are common occurrences with traditional balsa baits, which suffer under the stress of repeated high-speed collisions with cover. Most plastic plugs, on the other hand, don’t back up out of cover as well. The Square Bill is the best of both worlds. “It’s just as buoyant as any balsa bait,” Lowen said. “If you don’t get it snugged up to the branch, it backs right up and pops up like a cork. It’s truly the best combination of both worlds, buoyancy and durability.”
 An ima Barred Black Back Chartruese squarebill works all across the country |
 ima Squarebills go everywhere with Pro Angler Bill Lowen |
Luke Clausen Pro Tip
FLW Tour Pro Luke Clausen shares a few tips that will help you be a better Chatterbait fisherman
Alton Jones signs with Blue Water LED
Lawrenceburg, KY– Blue Water LED, the industry leader in marine lighting solutions has announced the addition of 2008 Bassmaster Classic champ and veteran Elite Series Pro Alton Jones to their National Pro Staff.
Jones has been using Blue Water lights for the past seven or eight years, and it was that experience that laid the foundation for the partnership. About it, Jones says, “I’ve gotten to know the good folks at Blue Water pretty well over the last several years. Sometimes, when you have a great personal relationship with someone, it can turn into a good business opportunity and this is a perfect example. I look forward to really helping grow the Blue Water brand and to showing anglers all across the country how proper lighting can be a huge benefit to their fishing.”
Although the LED lighting certainly adds style and personality to his rig, Jones also thinks that the LEDs provide a critical role in his tournament preparation and efficiency, saying “I spend long hours working on tackle, and trying to get that stuff done in the dark can strain eyes and take forever. My LED rod locker and compartment lighting makes working in the dark as easy as doing it in broad daylight. I’ve also fell in love with the Cyber Systems Light Bars I have installed on the rear of my truck. That thing really lights up a boat ramp, making it easier to load and unload my boat.”
Blue Water Co-owners Jeff Hillard and Mike Daleo are also excited about the addition of Jones, saying “We feel extremely fortunate to have added Alton to the Blue Water team. He is a great human being in addition to being a great angler and spokesman for the sport. We are very excited to have him introducing our products to anglers everywhere and are confident that this is a relationship that will be very beneficial for everyone.”
Blue Water LED is a faith based, American company dedicated to creating complete LED lighting solutions for all marine, automotive, and recreational applications. Their dedication to customer service sets the standard for the industry, and they offer hundreds of lighting packages starting at $15.99. For more information about Blue Water LED, or to order a lighting system, go to www.bluewaterled.com.
Get Some Discounted Kandi
Here is your chance to purchase Bass Kandi Bait’s Speed Bug for only $1.99, normally $4.19. This is a one-day only sale and no other coupon codes can be used.
If you’ve never tried Bass Kandi Baits here is your chance at a very low price. Go to www.basskandi.com to pick your color and place your order. The sale is for one day only or while supplies last.
The Speed Bug comes in 3.75-inches or 5-inches. It is made with life like, super soft, durable plastic and infused with crushed salt. Both sizes come in a variety of colors to match what works best on your home lake.
The 3.75-inch Speed Bug is great as a swim jig trailer or as the perfect flipping bait, due to its slim design, for thick mats. The 5-inch Speed Bug can add extra bulk to your jig, but really shines when Texas rigged and flipped into brush piles and laydowns.
Bass Kandi Baits is Louisiana’s best-kept secret. They have over 100 tournament wins. These baits are some of the best on the market and word is spreading fast. They are made right here in the U.S.A. and are some of the softest plastics available but at affordable prices.
With this one-day sale they are even more affordable. Here is your chance to give them a try. Offer is only good Thursday May 29, 2014 from 7:00am to 7:00 am Friday the 30th on www.basskandi.com.