A few weeks ago I was online looking for some new finesse baits to add to my bass fishing arsenal, when I came across the name Don Iovino in a bass fishing article. If you've never heard of Don Iovino, let me tell you that he was and still is one of the nations top bass fishermen and soft bait designers and has won virtually every fishing tournament both here in America and abroad. He is a charter member of the International Fishing Hall of Fame and is considered by many to be the father of finesse fishing in the United States. Now that we've established Don Iovino's background........ I came across a video on You Tube showing this young man fishing one of Don Iovino's 6"Reaper baits and catching a fabulous 6lb bass on his first cast. This intrigued me to investigate his baits further, because I remembered that I had fished with one of Don's small Reaper designs on a Drop Shot rig at Lake Casitas in Southern California the year before. That Reaper Drop Shot bait was given to me to use by a Tournament Bass Pro there. This Pro's Reaper was his secret drop shot bait he had made for him in a special proprietary color by RoboWorm, makers of fabulous hand poured worms in Southern California and the go-to plastic used by most tournament Bass Pro's.Later that night I found his email address and sent Don an email asking him to recommend what size Reapers and what colors did he think would work best in my area here in Arizona fishing local urban lakes, Bartlett Lake and Lake Pleasant?
Before I continue on with my story, you've got to be asking yourself the question, "Hey Dave, what the heck is a Reaper"? I'm glad you asked. The Reaper Don invented would kind of remind you of a giant or in the case of his Drop Shot Reapers; not so giant....... Leech looking soft plastic bait.
The next morning when I checked my computer, I had an email from Don asking me to give him a call at his office, which I promptly did. Don, I might add at this point, is really a nice guy who is now in his 70's, but still fishing and making his famous Reapers. We talked for about 45 minutes on the phone and he said, "Tell you what Dave, let me put together some product for you that will work in your area on the lakes you fish." He said he knew what would work in my area, because he had fished tournaments on those lakes in the past. Before we hung up the phone he said to me, "Once you get my baits and fish them, I know you'll be calling me back soon to order more, I can guarantee it." I agreed to let him select some baits for me and received his baits a few days later. After opening the package and seeing these beautiful baits, I could hardly wait until the next day to try them out. In the package he had sent me a few styles of his Reapers in different color combinations for the gin clear water of Lake Pleasant to the stained water of Bartlett Lake. He suggested that I use the 6"version for the Shakey Head technique, 4" for Carolina, Shakey Head and Split Shot rigs and the 3" versions for Drop Shotting.The next day I headed out to one of the urban lakes not far from my house to try them out. I rigged the 6" Reaper he sent me in his "Liver" color on an 1/8oz Shakey Jig head called a Spot Remover Pro by Buckeye Lures. I also rigged up one of his 4" Reapers on a Luck "E" Strike Bass Magic Shakey Head jig too just for kicks and giggles.
If you don't know how how to fish a Shakey Head, you need to read my article on "Flick Shaking, The Hottest New Bass Technique." posted on my blog site below.....because the way you work a Shakey Head is based on the same technique as Japanese Flick Shaking.
Cast the Shakey Head lure on your spinning tackle rigged with 6lb Fluorocarbon fishing line. I use Seaguar Invisix because I think that it's one of the softest fluorocarbon lines and it's made by the people who invented Fluorocarbon fishing line. You can use anyones line, I just prefer Seaguar.
Now, once you've cast your lure let it sink to the bottom. Take out most of the slack and leave a bow in your line. You're leaving the bow in the line because your going to start shaking the slack that this bow creates in a constant rhythm. The tempo of this rhythm is to the song "Jingle Bells"we all grew up singing. That's the speed of the shaking. Now shake this slack because under the water, this Reaper is going to be doing it's undulating dance, sending out vibrations and wiggling like a snake under the water. If you're not hit immediately after the fall and after shaking for about 30 to 40 seconds, continue the rhythm and as you keep shaking the line, turn your spinning reel a 1/2 crank as you move the bait back towards you. Every 30 or so seconds turn the crank again making sure to leave slack in your line. You can occasionally make a couple of upward pops with your rod tip to make the bait jump forward a few inches but don't go crazy.....just keep shaking the slack the whole time. When Mr. Bass hits your lure, it isn't going to be earth shattering....its' going to be similar to a Drop Shot bite. You're going to feel a slight pressure and the pressure will continue building as you let the rod tip start bending and loading the rod up. Watch your line, because you're going to start seeing it moving sideways as your tip bends and the rod loads up. Now, just like the Drop Shot bite, don't yank, but instead lift your rod tip and start cranking and the bass will hook it'self. Once Mr. Bass starts feeling the resistant pressure in his mouth as he swims away, he instinctively clamps down on the bait to keep it from escaping......So, when you pull the rod tip up and start cranking your reel quickly, Mr. Bass winds up hooking himself and the fight is on. Keep the pressure on him as you reel because he's more than likely going to surface and try and throw the jig out of his mouth. Don't let him and he's yours to bring in.
I think one of the keys to fishing Urban Lakes that have seen everything known to man thrown at them and as the fish are caught by the same ole baits that everyone throws, it becomes harder and harder to catch them. Once they've been caught on a specific bait and been traumatized by the experience, you'll have a hard time catching them again with that same bait. That's why you need to show them something they've never seen before. That's the key to catching them over and over again. Don't think you just have to throw Senko's or Flukes at them. That's why the Reaper is a Keeper.....and Thank You, Mr. Don Iovino for creating them for us.
You can order Reapers from Don Iovino directly at www.iovino.com or at www.tacklewarehouse.com.
