There is something unique to bass season. It’s not necessarily just the size of the fish or the ferocious fight that ensues when one is hooked.
It has to do with the lures and artificial worms used to land largemouth and smallmouth bass. Specifically, it’s in the name.
What other season can you cast in confidence, or with a straight face, with a “Swamp Donkey,” “Zoom Fluke” or a “Chigger Craw” tied to the end of your line? Just one – bass season.
Goofy names aside, artificial lures and worms are the preferred tackle for bass, and the sky is the limit when it comes to shapes, colors, sizes and names.
Joe Lasecki, owner of Nimrod Haven Sporting Goods in Hanover Township, said he has been selling bass tackle since the beginning of April. His current top sellers are the Smallie Beaver – a flat plastic lure, and Flirt Worms, both made by Reaction Innovations; and Salty Spiders made by Cabin Creek.
All together, the items represent 40 to 50 percent of Lasecki’s bass lure sales for the year.
At JS Sporting Goods in Wilkes-Barre Township, the names are just as bizarre and the sales are just as brisk. Co-owner Paul Scavone said his top sellers are the Wally Diver made by Cotton Cordell, silver and black Rapalas, and 5-inch Senko worms in watermelon or purple flake.
“For us, bass season sales are right up there with trout season,” said Scavone. “It begins in the spring and goes right through to the fall.”
With such a large variety of lures and worms to choose from, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the choices. Lasecki said anglers can choose with confidence if they remember one simple rule.
“It’s all in the color. If you’re confused about what to buy, stick with items that are green pumpkin, watermelon, black and blue fleck and pumpkinseed,” he said. “That covers your basic `what’s in the water that looks like it should be there.'”
Other popular items in Lasecki’s shop include the X-Rap Shad by Rapala, Shaky Worm from Berkley, Strike King tubes and the Ribbit Frog from Stanley. Bass anglers are also purchasing one-eighth ounce jigs and sinkers made of tungsten rather than lead.
Lasecki said the tungsten sinkers are half the size of lead but they weigh the same.
“Everything seems to be going smaller this year. Maybe it’s because we’re in the North and we have smaller bass,” he said. “When it’s cold, they’re not growing. Down South they grow all year.”
Scavone said anything in a watermelon or pumpkin seed color should work early in the season because the water is clear. Later in the summer, he recommended switching to lures in chartreuse and white.
Scented baits are also a good choice, Scavone added. Anglers fishing for smallmouth bass on the Susquehanna River have reported success using 3-inch Powerbait tubes in watermelon, pumpkin, black or purple.
Scavone said medium and large shiners and nightcrawlers are also good choices for bass.
As far as locations, just about any lake, river or decent size farm pond will likely hold bass. Locally, Scavone said anglers have seen some large bass spawning along the edges of Moon Lake and Lake Frances.
Previously published in the Times Leader, June 10, 2007.
