The Culprit Water Dragon may be just one bait, but combined with different rigging techniques, this bait can get all the action you need in April. The Water Dragon is available in 6-inch and 7-inch sizes. The 6-inch is best used during fronts and heavy fishing pressure, smaller fish lakes, or clearer water.
1. Carolina rig. The Water Dragon is deadly on the old C-rig for pre-spawn fish. Target staging areas that fish will come to before going to spawn. Secondary points are creeks, near spawning pockets, channel bends near shallow flats, and the deeper edges of flats. Remember depth is relative. If the fish are going to spawn in two feet, then five feet may be considered deep. In clearer lakes, some fish may spawn in 5-10 feet of water and the C-rig will actually do a good job catching those. Fish this rig with a 3/8- to 1-oz. weight, keeping off depth and conditions. A good rule of thumb for leader length is about 2.5 feet. Fish it on a 4/0 hook.
2. Texas rig. It is so hard to beat the Water Dragon pitched to shallow heavy cover in April. Something about its profile and big back legs make bass want to kill it in the spring. Target protected pockets and any shallow heavy cover you can find. It is also effective pitching holes in grass flats. I prefer a 3/8-oz. weight and 4/0 offset hook, but definitely adjust for conditions.
3. Best for covering shallow water in a hurry is to use a belly-weighted swimbait hook. This method is very untraditional, but extremely effective. You can swim it around areas of sparse cover or those in-between spots like between docks, then skip it under the dock and just let it slowly fall. They eat this thing up! Adjust the weight to how fast you want to fish.
Use these three methods to have some fun this spring!
Fish the 6- and 7-inch Culprit Water Dragon now . . .
