Bass fishermen are among the world’s greatest scientists. Like weekend hot rodders prepping their small blocks for test and tune night at the local strip, bass anglers have been known to perform countless experiments – both radical and mild – on tackle and gear in hopes of coming up with the right combination to add a little boost to cast/catch ratios come Saturday morning.

I believe trick stuff will always have a place in the rapidly expanding sport. But when the bite slows to a crawl, as it so often does under the rash heat of summer, I’ve found that one of the very best ways to catch bass involves no clever tricks at all. The key is to simply scale down in lure and line size.

Back when I was a kid growing up, about the only places we fished were old farm ponds and small lakes. We always fished with spinning gear, small baits and pretty light line, too. It just seemed like we could get more bites that way. I rarely get the opportunity to fish stock ponds much anymore.

What really opened eyes to it was a trip I made a few years ago to Table Rock Lake. It’s a real clear mountain lake. Lightweight stuff works real well up there. And that made me wonder why it wouldn’t work just as good back in Texas. Since that time I’ve found that it works just as well down here, if not better.

Now, don’t be mislead, here. Going after bass with spinning gear and small baits is nothing new, particularly in the professional tournament fishing arena. It’s most popular during the spawning phase, when bass are up shallow tending beds in clear water that’s four-feet deep and less.

Sight fishermen cruise the shallows and use polarized sunglasses to aid them in spotting bass on the beds. When a fish is located, they toss the artificial into the nest and attempt to get aggravate the fish into striking.

The idea behind using spinning gear as opposed to conventional tackle is it allows for better castability with small lures, which naturally are more subtle and less likely to spook a spawning lunker.

Spinning gear also works best in combination with light line, which is less visible to the bass. In addition, small diameter mono places very little restriction on the bait’s action, therefore making the lure tougher to resist. Those same attributes can work to the angler’s advantage during the summer months as well, particularly on impoundments that don’t contain an abundance of vegetation. A few East Texas lakes that fit that bill are Murvaul, Jacksonville and Palestine.

All three of those have lots of boat docks. Small baits worked on a spinning rig can be deadly in that type of situation, particularly if you’ve got fairly decent water clarity. It will work to a degree in muddy water, but when it really tends to shine is when the water is clear.

Another situation where going light or “finesse fishing” can be deadly is when fishing on an impoundment that receives an abundance of pressure. When pounded in rapid fire, bass will grow wary of jigs, topwaters, spinnerbaits and other conventional lures in a hurry. There are times when you’ve just got to do something different to catch fish. Finesse fishing is much more natural. Sure, it’ll catch a lot of small fish, but it’ll also catch big bass if you get it in front of one. The trick then is landing him.

Texas Rigging

One of my favorite ways to go after bass with spinning gear is with a lightweight Texas-rigged worm. I rig my worm with a 1/8-ounce slip sinker and 2/0 offset hook with a very fine point. The fine point is critical because it pierces the bass’ mouth with ease and makes for a more solid hookset.

An equally small bait completes the microlight system. My favorite soft plastics are a Zoom Trick Worm, Finesse Worm, 4-inch Berkley Power Worm, 4-inch lizard, Zoom Baby Brush Hawg and centipede. Best colors are yellow, sour grape, watermelon, junebug and redbug.

In addition to boat houses and other shoreline structures, I like to fish the lightweight Texas-rig in relation to scattered clumps of hydrilla, duck weed, lily pads and stump fields. I’ve gotten the best results using a semi-steady shaking retrieve as opposed to the hopping approach more commonly associated with Texas rigs.

Mojo Rig

Another deadly way to go light for bass is with a set-up called the Mojo-rig. At first glance the Mojo gives the appearance of a miniature Carolina-rig. But there is a major difference. The leader is not separate from the main line.

The heart of the Mojo-rig is a tiny cylinder-shaped weight that’s designed so it can be slid up and down the main line above a 2/0 hook. The hollow cylinder houses a couple of rubber strips to prevent the line from getting crimped and subsequently weakened.

The sliding weight also gives the angler the ability to lengthen or shorten the leader in a matter of seconds, which at times can make a big difference in the number of strikes you’ll get.

I’ve found the Mojo-rig to be most effective just prior to and after the spawn. I like to fish it in combination with a 1/16-ounce weight, particularly if I find an attractive grassbed submerged 2-4 feet beneath the surface. What I’ll do then is swim the bait right over the top of the grassbed.

The Right Gear

Three essential ingredients must be employed to get heavyweight results with lightweight rigs.

• Line – The line is the only link between you and the fish, so always go with a quality made mono. Lines in the 8-10 pound test range work best. I prefer a line with a green tint so it blends into the water and is harder for the fish to see. For additional strength when fishing around heavy brush or weeds you might even consider one of the small diameter braids.
• Rod – I like a six or 6 1/2-foot medium action spinning rod with a fairly flexible tip. The medium action provides some backbone for playing big fish, while the flexible tip provides the bait a good launch.
• Reel – No spinning rig is complete without a good reel. Again, stick with a name brand such as Shimono, Garcia or Zebco.

Key features to look for are a good drag system, high speed gear ratio and a “back reel” switch that will enable the spool to turn freely in either direction. I utilize the back reel mechanism every time I stick a good fish. A good fish will invariably make a couple of real hard runs whenever it gets up next to the boat. That’s why I like the back reel feature. It helps you avoid the risk of the fish smoking your drag and breaking off.

Going light is one of many ways anglers have devised over the years to catch fish when conventional methods fail. By no means is that to say the plan is infallible. But it will produce banner results in certain situations.

Plus, it’s quite a challenge. Set back on a four-pounder with eight-pound line and you’ve got a fight on your hands. Hook a 10-pounder and you’d better pray it heads to open water.