GEAR GUARANTEES
Fishing guide tackle secrets for a successful day on the water
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A collection of the author’s confidence lures#2 CONFIDENCE LURES
If you’re a multispecies angler, you know how often you stumble on non-target fish when you’re looking for something else. Sometimes, the fun play is to spend a little time hammering those pesky smallmouth when the walleye aren’t cooperating. That’s why I lean toward multispecies baits—soft-plastic swimbaits, tube jigs and grubs can all pull bass, pike, walleye and trout out of the same stretch of water.
I also make sure to bring a few reliable crankbaits that can run shallow or dig deep, depending on the retrieve speed (also see “Boss baits” on page TK). Spinners and other bladed baits, on the other hand, are essential for covering stained water and windy points, while rattle baits can wake up fish when the bite gets slow and they need a trigger.
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As for colour choices, don’t overthink it. I always have something that matches natural prey, such as the shad, perch or gobies, depending on the waterbody. I also keep wildcards handy for stained or low-light conditions, including lures in firetiger, chartreuse or white. Before changing colours, first try tweaking your retrieve speed and rod angle. With confidence lures, you can get two or three different actions out of the same bait.
Carry spools of line to replace damaged leaders#3 BACK-UP LINE & LEADERS
Nothing frustrates an experienced angler more than losing a solid fish to a bad knot or nicked leader. Still, plenty of good anglers leave the dock with no spare line because they don’t expect to break off. Pro guides know better. Things happen fast when you fish different structures and species, with the integrity of your line constantly threatened by rocks, trees, zebra mussels, sharp teeth and other hazards.
I bring fresh spools of fluorocarbon leader material in various pound-tests so I can pivot from stealthy panfish rigs to heavy muskie leaders if that’s what the day calls for. I always immediately replace damaged leaders, and keep a pre-tied supply of proven rigs—drop shots, slip bobbers, worm harnesses, and heavy-test set-ups—so I’m not tying complicated connections in rough water or low light.
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