by Art Simms
Mister Twister® Pro Staff
The air temperature was crisp, like most spring mornings but the cool water of the shallow bay I was fishing was quickly being warmed by the rising June sun. With each degree of warmth there was an increase in activity.
I made a long cast with a weightless Comida and let it sink slowly to the bottom. Right away my line began to move. I quickly set the hook and reeled in a chunky three pound largemouth.
The Comida is a soft plastic stickbait that is quickly making a name for itself because of its ability to catch bass in many situations. As the name implies, this 5” stick- shaped bait has no appendages of any kind. It can be fished shallow or deep, and rigged many different ways, but the Comida really shines when fished weightless in shallow water. It has a very enticing wobble as it sinks.
In addition, the Comida is available in many proven colors. Some of my favorites include pumpkin pepper for clear water situations, Christmas tree for stained water and black with red flake for dark water. Rigged Texas style with no weight, this bait is deadly on spring largemouth.
Generally, in the spring, water is clear, so I will use a natural color like pumpkin pepper. I also like watermelon seed. Because the water is clear, long casts with light, or fluorocarbon line are necessary to keep from spooking the bass.
Shallow bays or flats with emerging weeds are typical spring largemouth haunts. Work these areas well. Make long casts. The Comida will wobble slowly to the bottom. Stay alert as the lure drops. Because it will attract bass while sinking either line movement or a telltale tap is your signal to set the hook. If no bite is detected on the fall let the Comida rest motionless for a few seconds, give it a couple of short hops and let it sink again. If there are still no takers, reel in and cast to another likely spot. When a fish does strike, be sure to make note of whether the bass hit on the fall, while hopping the Comida or while it was motionless. Then, Duplicate that presentation.
Almost any time of the year bass can be found hanging out under and around docks. I’ve had great luck fishing a black/red flake Comida under docks. I Texas rig this with a 1/8 ounce bullet weight and skip it under the dock. Work the shadiest and most inaccessible areas, as these are the places the lunkers hang out. You may want to use a heavier line so you can get the fish out from under the dock before it tangles around the pilings.
You can also Texas rig the Comida with a 1/4-ounce bullet sinker. This set-up allows you to fish deep weed lines or holes in thick weeds or milfoil. It can also be Carolina rigged to fish deep rock piles, or attached to a mushroom-head jig and fished with the hook exposed. Spring, summer or fall, under all conditions, you can always find a way to catch bass on the Comida.
Scott McCain with a trophy largemouth he caught on a Comida.
