Fishing Top Water Stickbaits

Article Written By: Jon Simmons
Tennessee Bass Guides.com

People all over the world have sources of great excitement and enjoyment to get them going. That heart pounding, pulse racing moment that we all love to enjoy. For some folks it's sports such as NASCAR racing, bull riding, football and other extreme activities. I am guilty as well, I love all those things mentioned above, but the thing that gets my blood pumping the most is watching a bass become completely unaware and go crashing into a hard top water stickbait! That is why I fish patiently throughout the other nine months of the year just waiting for the small window in time when the upper most water columns come to life, bass are spawning and prowling the shallows for forage. This time of the year when trips are not measured in numbers, but rather the size of the predator and the vicious manner in which they attack their pray. All fishermen have their favorite choices around this late spring early summer time occurrence, but to me the best of the best is the A.C. Shiner.

 What Is A A.C. Shiner?

The A.C. Shiner is a hard jerk bait still made out of balsa wood. Each bait is still handcrafted and tank checked before you receive them in the store. It is a hard jerk bait that has a very erratic motion when twitched across the water. Anytime the lure is moved the deep lip design causes it to dive under the surface and the buoyancy of the wood brings it right back up to the surface. This enables the fisherman several different options for developing what I will call a "Cadence" of the lure. The Shiner comes in an assortment of colors and each has it's own are of success I'm sure. But for my money, they only make one color and that is Silver and Black (see picture) I know this seems a little narrow minded, but it comes from years of experience fishing this bait. I was fortunate to have been taught by the "Best" as far as I'm concerned and that was my grandfather. My grandfather  became deadly on Center Hill and the Great Falls lake in the spring with this lure. He and my father would "Make Fish Bite" by just aggravating them into a point of rage. This is still one of the best search baits for bedding females and post spawn feeders available. The wounded bait appearance and brightly painted sides give off an irresistible appeal to a bass.

 Equipment And Approach

To begin to fish the A.C. Shiner you must first have the right type of equipment. I suggest a 6-6 ½ light to medium action rod. You want to have what I call a "Buggy Whip" tip on the rod. Look for rods that have strength in the back bone of the rod, but yet has a very sensitive and limber last 1/3 of the rod. I have one that I just use for this technique. I keep it stored every year until spring and then it is always in my boat. Once you have the lures and rod, almost any spinning reel will work. I always use 12 pound test line and sometimes heavier if fishing flooded brush. Heavier, higher diameter lines seem to make the lure work best on the surface. I would go to a smaller, thinner line if the fish are hitting the lure on the retrieve. That is what you need to get started, make sure that you have an assortment of sizes in your tackle boxes. From the smallest #202-375 all the way to the massive #475. There are uses for each size. I use the smaller, two hook version, in calm water and then increase in size as I need to keep up with the wind and surface turbulence. Cloudy days also tend to bring the out the larger sizes of the Shiner.

 How Do I Fish It?

I cast the lure toward any flooded or wooded cover. I tend to try to find shallow areas with deeper ledges nearby with cover of some kind and work these areas very deliberately. Let the ripples from the cast fade away from the lure. With a sort section of slack line at the water, begging jerking the lure once or twice. The trick is to "NOT MOVE" the lure back toward you. The slack allows the bait to submerge, put off a thunderous splash and chugging sound and then return to the surface close to it's original location. The design of the bait, when worked correctly, automatically sends the lure up with it's side turned toward you. This is a great time to give it one more jerk and then let the bait sit motionless on top of the water. This is where you develop the correct cadence or rhythm of jerks and pauses for the conditions you are fishing. In calm clear water I use less violent jerks and space them further apart. Murkier water may require more and harder splashes of the lure to gain interest of a bass nearby. Bass will also grab these lure on the retrieve back to the boat. The tight wobble and bright sides cause create many strikes on the retrieve. The also make super shallow crank baits since they run less than a foot under the water.

 Final Thoughts And Tips

Don't get discouraged with these lures in the beginning. My dad always says you catch 1 for every 6 bass that blow up on the Shiner. You have to be patient on the hook set. Don't jerk at the explosion, wait for tension and the bass to tighten you your slack out of your line. If a fish misses the bait quickly throw back, many times you will have a second chance at the same fish. Experiment until you get the right speed for the day and the hang on. Always keep a throwback bait handy such as a fluke or floating worm for those that can't zero in on the Shiner.

 I hope you experience just a little of the excitement and eye popping surface strikes that I have seen within this lure. One strike on top is worth 10 under the water for me. I love to see those fish float up under the lure, look at it, retreat out of sight and then explode on it like there is no tomorrow.

Good luck, go out and enjoy some great top water experiences with an A.C. Shiner. You will never forget the experience.

God Bless you and hope this helps.
Jon