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Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! 🦃
The five presentation tactics that work year round in various conditions 🐟
A little something something that you may want to incorporate into your Thanksgiving dinner next year 🍽️

The Forever Five: Tactics for Any Water

The gear in your truck changes with the seasons, but fish psychology remains surprisingly constant. Whether you’re breaking ice in February or sweating through a muggy July dawn, the way you move the bait can sometimes matter more than the bait itself.

Here are five presentation mechanics that trigger strikes 365 days a year:

The Cover Deflect: Don't fear the snag—aim for it. Whether it’s a squarebill on a stump or a jig on a rock pile, the reaction strike happens the moment your lure careens off a hard object. The Move: Reel fast, hit the wood, and pause for exactly one second.
The Pendulum Fall: Most strikes happen on the drop. Instead of letting your soft plastic free-fall on a slack line, keep your bail closed and the line semi-tight. This swings the bait toward you naturally and lets you detect the subtle "tick" of a bite before it hits the bottom.
The Parallel Path: Stop casting perpendicular to the bank. Fish hunt along edges, not across them. Position your boat or walk the shore so you can cast parallel to the weed line or drop-off. This keeps your lure in the strike zone for 30 feet instead of 3.
The Deadstick: Sometimes, the best action is no action. If you know fish are there but they aren’t biting, let a Ned rig or drop shot sit perfectly still on the bottom for 10-15 seconds. Let the current do the work.
The Burn-and-Kill: Fish are predators; they are programmed to chase. Reel a spinnerbait or swimmer aggressively fast, then stop abruptly. That sudden pause mimics a dying baitfish and forces a follower to commit.

💡 Pro Tips

Small adjustments the other guys aren't making.

The Rod Butt Tap: When fishing finesse plastics (like a drop shot) in cold water, don't shake the rod tip. Instead, gently tap the butt of your rod with your free hand. This sends a subtle vibration down the line that shivers the bait without moving it forward—deadly for pressured fish.
Feather Your Spool: On every cast, use your thumb (baitcaster) or index finger (spinning) to "feather" the line right before the lure hits the water. This straightens the leader out before it lands, preventing the hook from fouling on the line and ensuring a silent, splash-free entry.

🎣 IN THE FIELD

Talk about a birthday fishing trip gone sideways - four anglers, including a 90-year-old, spent 20 hours stranded 26 miles off Clearwater clinging to their capsized boat, "Money Well Wasted" - a pricey reminder that a VHF radio and a life jacket are the two most important things you'll ever reel in.
After a year of beating up fishing shirts from Africa to Alaska, one angler swears by two brands: HUK for staying cool and protected in brutal heat, and Poncho for a versatile look that works just as well on the river as it does in a restaurant. His advice for your next gear investment is to focus on practical, performance-driven features - like high UPF ratings, quick-drying fabric, and built-in lens cloths - which are what truly make a comfortable day on the water.
A quick watch on tactics to night fish for bass: