By Dobyns Rods Pro Staffer Steven Latino

Credit where credit is due: my old man taught me a few things about fishing. From the days of fishing carp and catfish on 2lb and 4lb test to being different than the rest…these lessons still stick with me. While my dad was never a tournament angler, his skills were far beyond where mine are at today. I want to talk about these two lessons above, as they have driven success on my local lakes.

Let’s start this story about 5,721 miles to my west (the approximate distance from Diamond Valley Lake in Southern California to Lake Biwa in Japan) with a technique that I was introduced to in 2014. The technique, known as I-Motion, was developed to have natural, minimal motions from the bait to trick fish into thinking it was unsuspecting prey. This technique, which was brought to the US in 2010 by Jackall with its Seira Minnow, is almost counter intuitive to us anglers here in the United States. Instead of imparting action on the bait, we want the bait to do as little as possible.

So what’s different? Well, first off, these baits are generally less than 3 inches and weigh as little as 1/8 ounce. Casting can be a little nightmarish, but don’t you worry, as Dobyns has you covered….in a little less traditional way. My arsenal for throwing these finesse baits actually steps out of the “bass” realm and welcomes in the new Sierra Trout and Panfish Series rods. When I am out throwing these baits, we are generally using a 0 to 1 power rod, like the STP 700SF or STP 740SF. I have recently added an STP 791SF to try to get a little more distance out of my casts…and every once in a while will go up to the Champion Extreme DX 741SF when throwing some of the larger baits. As you can see, light is the name of the game. These rods are paired with a 1000 or 2500 series reel, 5lb braid and a 4lb leader to maximize casting distance, along with fooling these fish with a more natural presentation.

I know what you are thinking…did he say 5lb braid and 4lb leader? Yes, that’s right. Normally, I am known to whip a chatterbait during a tournament on 20lb, but sometimes these finicky fish call for extreme measures. This technique shined through in our December tournament of 2021. The water was clear, the air was calm and the fish were being stingy. We pulled out the finesse gear and went to work, ultimately landing second place using this technique.

I will caution, this is not for the faint of heart out there, as the fish that generally eat this bait are large and know how to use local cover to break your light line. The other challenge lies with the bass and their ability to commit. Many days, the fish will follow your bait and never actually eat; however, fishing small wind currents or shade can help overcome this shyness. Another thing that is unique, the fish truly do not want the bait to have action. As you fish this bait, long casts and a slow and steady retrieves are paramount. It is not unusual to look at your bait and have two to four large fish in pursuit just behind or under your offering. Our natural thought as an angler is to change cadence or direction, but this is not what you want to do. I have tried many things, and here are the results: Stop the bait…the fish will swim away. Twitch the bait…the fish will swim away. Speed the bait up…the fish will swim away. All you can do is keep pace and hope they change their mind.

So the next time you are faced with clear to lightly stained water, and tough conditions, don’t hesitate to pick up that panfish rod or trout rod and make some adjustments. The Sierra Trout and Panfish Series have a place in the bass fishing world!

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Seeing a child's pride and excitement when they hook that first jig fish...Priceless!

Congratulations to this young angler, the smile says it all!