Swim, swim, swim baits!

Hey Hooks! It's time for another fishing tip! Above you will see a pic of the glorious swim bait! Below you will find fishing instructions for the swim bait.

Lets talk about your rod choice first. Go with a longer rod like a 7'4" in medium action. This allows you to sling the swim bait longer with less work. For a reel, choose one with a lower gear ratio. This ensures that you can retrieve the baits slower keeping them in the fish zone. Your line should be a heavy floro. This assists with keeping the bait lower in the water. Fish the bait slow. This allows the bass to get an "easy" meal. Also reeling too fast prevents the bait from swimming with the action it was designed with. When you feel the bass hit the swim bait, don't set the hook to quick. You'll snatch the bait away from the fish. Let the rod load a bit and then set the hook with a sweeping set.


You can rig the swim bait with weighted hooks or jig heads. I find that belly weighted hooks alter the swim of the bait. Hooks with weights near the eyes work better. However I prefer heavier jig heads. It makes the swim bait almost weedless and adds enough weight to the front of the bait allowing the tail to really swim. Match the hook with the size of the swim bait.


Now for the most important part. Match the size and color of your swim bait to the natural bait fish in your waters. They only exception I make to this rule is water clarity. In stained or dark water I use swim baits with chartreuse, yellow, orange, or even red colors. Also time of year dictates size of the swim bait. During the summer to fall, I use bigger baits.


You can fish the swim bait in open water, in and around cover, shallow or deep. You can use spinning or bait cast reels. Just remember the golden rule: fish it slow!!!


Now get ready for the late summer swim bait slam!!

- JD

Rebel Yell

Okay Southern Hooks, I'm going to change things up with this drink recipe. For my bourbon loving friends...I present the Rebel Yell!

2 oz of bourbon (Wild Turkey...duh)
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1 oz lemon juice
1 egg white

Combine all if these in a shaker filled half way with ice. Shake well and pour into your favorite glass. Garnish with an orange slice.

Now back up. Take a drink. Yell like crazy!!!

- JD

The Bigger the Bait The Bigger the Fish

     It's no big secret that I love fishing. And it's no big secret that I prefer salt water to fresh water fishing. The reason is the variety and size of the fish. You never truly know the size of a fish until you see it. You have an idea based on it pulling the line, the bow of your rod and the drag screaming.  You still never know. But the size of your fish is often determined by the size of your bait. The bigger the bait, the bigger the fish. That's a lesson I learned with my Brother in Fishing, Captain Jack.


     We were out fishing in the gulf one gorgeous late May day. There was a bridge span that had been dumped years before in the gulf to make an artificial reef and we had never fished it. So we decided to venture out to it. We loaded up with cigar minnows and the plan was to tight line the cigar minnows around the span. Now cigar minnows are the length of... well cigars. Fairly big baits in their own right. We arrived and began hooking up the minnows and letting them do their thing.



     After a few hours of fishing and catching only what we call trash fish, mostly trigger fish, I'd just about had enough. Apparently throughout my complaining, Jack had formulated a lesson for me. I had just brought up another trigger fish and Jack said, "Hand me that." I handed him the fish and watched him proceed to cut a huge piece out if the fish and hook it on what looked like a grappling hook. I shook my head and said incredulously, "What ARE you doing?" Jack looked at me through his Costas and said only this, "The bigger the bait, the bigger the fish." I laughed and watched as Jack settled onto the platform on the bow of the boat like a bear sitting in a box. He simply smiled up at me and said, "Good luck."


     Around 45 minutes later, and several more trigger fish later for me, I heard the unthinkable. Jack's drag was screaming...no I mean really screaming! I stood up and watched mesmerized. He stood there holding a bowed over rod under one arm all the while smiling at me. I felt a shiver of dread creep into my bones. Time slowed. The Sun stopped in the sky. My breathing was shallow and weak. I was being schooled.


     Thirty minutes later Jack stood there holding a red snapper that had to have been 50 pounds! The red shimmering scales burned my eyes. This fish was so big it looked as though Jonah was going to climb out of the cavernous mouth and wave at me. I could do nothing but stand there in awe. As Jack walked passed me to fill the cooler with the monster he said, "You ready?" All I could do was squeak out affirmation. The lines were brought back in, the anchor was pulled up and we motored back to the marina.


     Upon arrival at the marina nothing was said for a long time. Everything was stowed and we walked from the pier to the parking lot where we firmed up our plans for the next day of fishing. On the drive back to my house I kept trying to recall the event in some kind of light other than mystical. I arrived home, opened my front door and sat in my recliner. Almost instantly my phone rang. I answered with a defeated hello. The voice on the other end replied with a hushed, "The bigger the bait, the bigger the fish." I heard a soft chuckle and then the line went dead.


- JD

My Southern Hooks All Star

With the start of the college football season approaching, I grow more and more excited. What's not to get excited about? The feel of a stadium full of people cheering, screaming and celebrating. The smell of roasted peanuts and popcorn in the air. The crunch of pads crushing into pads. I just love everything. However as much as I love college football, my favorite player isn't in college. He stands a towering 4'6". He weighs a massive 117 pounds. He is my youngest son Caid.


We in the South have a history rich in college football. The home of the SEC, the South is truly the land of college football. Whether we are Bulldogs, part of The Tide, a Bayou Bengal or others, we love College football! So when Caid wanted to play, I felt my soul leap and my eyes watered.


Caid was signed up and our adventure started. He was suited up in pads and a helmet and I'd never seen a better looking player. What a great Southern Warrior! I eagerly awaited practices and games. When the little ones suit up to learn the game they are given both offensive and defensive positions to play. Iron Man football at its finest! I was anxious to see where Caid's talents lay. He was finally settled into tight end and nose guard. After a few games I asked Caid which he liked better and why. He looked at me without hesitation and said, "Nose because I get to hit people!" I had to look away and wipe a tear.


Two years later Caid is still in love with football and still loves playing Nose Guard. While on the small side he is explosive, dynamic, and fearless. To watch him play our great Southern sport is indescribable to me. There is such sweet joy in seeing OUR name on HIS jersey. He his my youngest Southern Hook son and I am his biggest fan.






Oh... He wants to play for LSU.


- JD

Fishing with Frogs

It occurred to me that we've talked about frying frogs and catching frogs, but we haven't talked about my favorite use of frogs, well fake frogs anyway; using them to catch big bucket mouth bass.  You know... the kind of largemouth bass that when he opens his mouth it looks like a bucket you put fried chicken in!  I've asked around about using frogs and people either love them or hate them.  When I find someone who hates them I ask why and the response is usually, "Because I don't know how to fish them."  Soooooooo.... I present some frog fishing tips to our readers.
1.  You can retrieve the frog in two ways.  You can burn in across the water back to you.  This works well with heavy frogs like Rage Tails.  The idea is to throw up a lot of water like a buzz bait.  The second way is to retrieve it a little and then let it fall.  If you are using a heavy frog it will slowly sink on it's own.  If the frog is light, simply Texas rig it.
2.  Don't be afraid to throw it into cover.   When the frog is rigged as in the above picture it is virtually weed proof.  Just bury the tip of the hook into the "flesh" on the back of the frog.  Throw it into lily pads or heavy grass.  When fishing in "junk"  mimic real frogs.  Bring it up and let it fall into the grass.  Hop it onto the pads and let it sit a few seconds then jerk it into the water and let it fall just like a real frog.
3.  When retrieving the frog, don't give up on it once it's out of the "junk."  Often times a bass will follow it out into the open and hit it.
4.  When the bass does hit the frog DO NOT set the hook immediately.  Often times the bass will "hit" the frog in an attempt to stun it and then will come back on the fall.  So when you feel the bump, drop your rod tip and wait for the real bump.  Of course if the line starts to move to one side or the other set the hook.
5.  Frogs come in all kinds of cover.  I tend to stay with the colors that look natural.   You may have other preferences and that's why they sell so many colors. 
6.  If you prefer to use frogs with skirts instead of legs, use a frog with two "leg" skirts.  It has a more natural look.  I'm a firm believer in "natural" looking lures and baits.  Sure you might get a reaction strike from an unusual looking lure, but those aren't very predictable. 
7.  Don't give up if you haven't had a strike within the first couple of casts.  You might be where there just aren't any fish.  Stick with it.
8.  I fish frogs in the late afternoon.  I start using them in July and will use them well into October.  I'm no scientist or a fish, but when I hear the frogs start chirping and croaking I go to my artificial frogs because I swear I think the bass can hear the real frogs cutting up.
Hope this helps.  Now get out there and catch a bucket mouth!
- JD

Sunday Morning Apple Dumplings

I thought I'd share one of my favorite Sunday Morning ( or anytime for that matter) treats!


Sunday Morning Apple Dumplings

2 Granny Smith apples
2 pkg. crescent rolls
1 1/4 c. Sugar
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 stick butter
1 1/2 c. Mt. Dew

Peel apples. Cut into eighths. Separate your crescents and wrap each slice in a crescent. Melt butter. Add sugar and cinnamon and mix with butter. Place crescents in a 13x9 dish. Spoon butter mixture over each crescent. Pour Mountain Dew over your crescents. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Wonderful served warm with a dip of vanilla ice cream.

Okay...I know it's not the healthiest breakfast, but hey... you can't eat right all the time!


- JD