Equipment: Combo 2, throwing Senkos and spinnerbaits for bass

The majority of my time on Leech Lake is devoted to walleye fishing. However, I do enjoy pursuing other species of fish on occasion, including perch, crappie, muskie and bass.

When I decide to go bass fishing, I usually employ one of two primary methods, although I do use other techniques as well.

One way I fish for bass is by Texas-rigging a 5" Senko on a 3/0 offset hook. This a particularly deadly bait, especially when bass are schooled up in the weeds and are in a neutral to negative feeding mood. I once caught more than 20 bass on consectutive casts with the 5" Senko. And it's been my experience that almost any color is effective, so I keep a wide variety of colors in my tackle box.

I've used a variety of different hooks when fishing Senkos, but the one that seems to work best for me is the 3/0 Gamakatsu G-Lock worm hook, which is available at most well-stocked bait and tackle shops, or online at Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops. I like the way shank of the hook near the eye is "offset" which enables me to put the Senko on the hook easily, leaving it straight and weedless.

While many bass fisherman will use 15-, 17-, 20- or even 30-pound test superline when fishing in the weeds, I prefer to use the more sporting 12 lb. test Berkley Fireline. I tie the line directly to the 3/0 hook which allows me to feel every little tick and bump as the Senko slowly sinks into the weeds. It also enables me to feel the exact moment when a bass takes the Senko into its mouth. For this type of fishing, I'll never go back to using monofilament line.

For my rod and reel set up I use a Shimano Stradic ST2500FI spinning reel and a St. Croix Premier PS66MLF 6-f00t, 6-inch spinning rod with medium-light action. The Stradic provides plenty of power for pulling a 5-lb Leech Lake bass out of heavy cover, while the medium-light St. Croix Premier spinning rod is stout enough to handle the battle, but light enough to make catching even a small bass a heart-pounding adventure.

I have caught literally hundreds of Leech Lake bass on this combo so I know it works.

When I want to cover more water in search of actively feeding bass, I switch to a spinnerbait set up. For that I use a Shimano Calcutta 150 baitcasting reel and a 6-foot medium-power St. Croix Triumph TRC60MF baitcasting rod with medium-fast action.

I've got the Calcutta 150 spooled with 8 lb. test Berkley Fireline in chartreuse color. I like the bright chartreuse color because if my spinnerbait gets hung up on a weed, or breaks off entirely, I can usually find it because of the bright line color. Again, most bass fishermen will use a heavier pound test line for throwing spinnerbaits, but I like the feel and castability of the lighter line.

I use a number of different kinds of spinnerbaits, but the ones I use the most often are the Terminator T-1 titanium spinnerbaits with two blades and in a variety of colors, and the Northland Fishing Tackle Reed-Runner spinnerbaits, again with tandem blades and in variety of colors.

I especially like the fact that the Northland Reed-Runner spinnerbaits have an "eye" at the bend of the safety pin shape which allows me to tie on the lure using my favorite knot, the Palomar. The Palomar knot is not only easy to tie, but it's one of the strongest knots you can use for tying superlines, braided lines, florocarbons and monofilament.

The North American Fishing Club has a segment on its TV show called "Knot Wars" where they test the strength of dozens of different knots. In 2008, the winner after seven weeks of competition was the Palomar knot. Here's a link to that show.

My Shimano Calcutta 150 reel, St. Croix Triumph rod, Berkley Fireline 8 lb. test line and Northland Reed-Runner spinnerbait has proven time and again to be an outstanding set up for catching lunker bass on Leech Lake.

In my next "equipment" post, I'll take a look at my favorite rod and reel combo for jig fishing for walleye. Until then, may your lines stay tight.

<*)))><