Irresistible retrieves for topwater fishing and more.

My experience in clear northern lakes where smallies rely on pelagic forage shows that drowning-the-dog with midsized jerkbaits remains productive throughout summer and into fall. I modify throat-lipped baits like Rapala Husky Jerks by shortening and squaring the bill with wire cutters and a small file, and weighting the rear treble with lead fly-tying tape.

This imparts an action that bass haven’t seen. If they won’t come up for a topwater, or when winds churn the surface and make walking-the-dog impossible, I instead drown-the-dog using a fast snapping retrieve and my customized Husky Jerk.

Small to midsized jerkbaits cast farther with fast, 7-foot medium-action spinning outfits than on casting gear, which can be critical in ultraclear water. Larger baits require heavier-action rods, but I still prefer a stout spinning outfit that handles thinner lines better. Large spinning-reel spools take up line quickly, enabling fast retrieves. Spinning spools impart less friction on the line, meaning longer casts. I use fused or braided superlines like Berkley FireLine or Spiderwire Stealth in 10- to 20-pound test for sensitivity and solid hook-sets.

Slop Walkin’

As Orlando Wilson showed me way back when, Spooks can be deadly when worked along vegetation edges. Where cover is too thick for treble-hooked baits, other dog-walking options exist.

Hollow slop frogs like the SPRO Bronzeye Frog, Reaction Innovations’ Swamp Donkey, or Snag Proof Bobby’s Perfect Frog pivot from side to side when retrieved with a slack-line, walk-the-frog technique. Their slimmer, rear-weighted bodies improve this action. Pro angler Dean Rojas created a stir on the tournament scene last year by catching big largemouths throughout the 9-month season, on and off weedmats, using the SPRO Bronzeye Frog he helped design.

Snag-Proof Lures makes an array of weedless baits including Bobby’s Frog and the new Bleeding Frog Series. But ask Terry White, Snag-Proof’s Pro Staff Director, about his favorite bait and he’ll describe the Weed Demon. “The Demon shares the shape, weight, and line-tie placement of spook-style baits,” he says, “but in a hollow lure with an upturned double-hook for weedlessness.” White says the 3/4-ounce weight in the tail causes it to sit deeper in dense mats than most frogs, presenting a better target to bass below.

“I fish it over mats, along grasslines, even by riprap walls,” White says. “Here on the California Delta, I can cast a Water Demon way into a patch of tulies and snake it back through the thick stalks without hanging. Yet in open water, the Weed Demon typically matches my tournament partner’s catch on a Zara Spook.”

White customizes Weed Demons by melting holes on either side of the tail just ahead of the weight, and feeding a rubber skirt secured with surgical tubing through the holes. He calls it the Hula Demon. “Once you try them,” he says, “you won’t want to fish anything else.”

Go for a Walk

Physicians preach that walking improves your health. Bring along a “dog” and it can be good for your bank account, as well. At the 2003 Bassmaster Tour event on Lake Hamilton, Arkansas, all six finalists including winner Ron Shuffield counted Zara Spooks, Super Spook Jrs., or Lucky Craft Sammys among their key presentations. Peter Thliveros, who finished one place out of the final round, took home the $1,000 big bass prize with a 7-pound 9-ounce fish that fell for—you guessed it—a Zara Spook. n

*Matt Symons is an avid bass angler and freelance writer based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.