One of the biggest misconceptions in angling is that those bright sunny days will either drive fish deep, or into cover. While often true, rules don’t apply to all fish, as a matter of fact, probably not even half. When you think you have things figured out, they will always throw a curveball. Some of my best fishing days in recent memory have come on the days where the sweat evaporates before it leaves your pores. The days when three layers of sunscreen just doesn’t cut it.It happens to all of us. A new lure comes out and it looks amazing. It has a beautiful finish, the action is tight and the price is right. We buy a couple of them and they sit in their plastic home with hundreds of other lures that will never be used. For years, grubs have been a popular bait among anglers; they’re simple and effective. But since the days of chrome finishes and flashy designs, we anglers seem to forget that what worked when we were kids will still work today. We get caught up in the hype of new baits and forget about the past. May rolls around once a year and the grub aisles decimate in anticipation for walleye season. June, like its counterpart, also comes once a year; yet the grub aisles remain in tact while the senkos and chatterbaits begin flying from the shelves. I don’t mind.  For
the past couple of years I have grown to enjoy the grub,
as a matter of fact, I’d say I love it. There are few
lures as versatile as the grub that can catch fish and
so many situations. Bass love them, and for years I have
been reaping the benefits! Colour: Colour is a touchy subject for fisherman, some think it doesn’t matter at all, yet some feel that colour is everything. I fall in between. There are a few key things to focus on when selecting colours. What are the fish feeding on? On most lakes in Ontario, perch are present and where perch are present, they are generally on the lower end of the food chain. This means you can select yellows, greens and oranges. These colours are great for mimicking perch. On a lake where smelt or shiners are the primary diet, switch to an all white or smoke colour. If you fish warm, weedy lakes, try imitating a leech by using a black grub. Fly fishermen had it right when they began “matching the hatch.”  Size: Again, they say to match the hatch, although it’s a lot easier said than done, and its often not possible to know the exact size of the bait you are trying to mimic so here are some things to keep in mind. During cold water seasons, the fish are less likely to smash at big baits. So, keep it simple with a small 3 inch grub and go bigger as the season progresses and the water warms. There is another reason for doing this; Fish grow, and so does the bait that they consume. Supersize your bait as the season goes on, it’s not uncommon to see five inch shiners at the surface by early fall. Equipment: I fish my grubs on a medium action 7’2 Shimano Crucial, extra fast tipped spinning rod paired with a 2500 Shimano Stradic spinning reel and 8lbs XPS Fluorocarbon line. The rod provides great castability with a soft enough tip to provide the sensitivity needed when fishing slowly. Presentation: There are many ways to fish a grub, and all of them will work! Drift jigging is a very common presentation and a great way to cover water! Drift with the wind and work your grub with a 1/2oz or 3/8oz ballhead jig along the bottom, hopping it every few seconds. This will cover lots of water and pick off any of the more active fish in the area. This is a great way to present the grub over deeper structure like shoals and breaks in 15 or more feet of water. Once you’ve found fish, throw out a marker buoy and probe that spot. Cast and drag the bait along the bottom, the same way you would drag a tube. You’ll be surprised how effective dragging really can be! Owner/Operator, Sir Catch-A-Lot Pro Guiding ( http://sircatchalot.piczo.com ) Back to Front Page of Magazine
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