by Dustin Wilks
September brings about the first cooler nights after a long hot summer and bass begin to get a little more active. One of my favorite baits this time of year is the Culprit Incredi-Bug, which I fish in three ways.
First, I use this bait in a very untraditional manner that is under the radar. I call it buggin’ with a swimbait hook. This is a way to present this bluegill-profile bait quickly to a lot of fish, covering a lot of water. I use a 5/0 hook with 1/4-oz. weighted swimbait hook and fish it around shallow ambush points similar to fishing a swim-jig. This shows them something different this time of year after they have seen every bait in the book. The good thing about the Incredi-Bug is the kicking legs are not overly aggressive, it is much more natural like a flying bluegill. My favorite color is Molting Craw which is basically watermelon with pearl belly. This color fished fast presents that flash of pearl that gets lots of reaction bites. Use a heavy action rod and 50- or 65-lb. braided line.
Second, I have one rigged on a 1.25-oz. Eco Pro Tungsten flipping weight if the lake I’m on has matted vegetation. Since the water is still warm, I want a big profile bait and again one that looks like the profile of a bluegill. I’m looking to use this method mid-day on the deeper edges of flats and points. My favorite color here is Okeechobee.
Finally, if I’m fishing rivers, a good old fashioned Texas rig with a 3/8-oz. weight gets the job done. I use a 5/0 hook here and 20- to 25-lb. fluorocarbon line. I’m looking for areas with back flow or cover that the current directly goes into. The Incredible-Bug is very dangerous to fish in those spots. I prefer the Sapphire Blue or Bama Bug colors if the water is stained, and Black or Black Neon if muddy. The great thing about this bait is the thick profile allows it to be much more weedless than other creature baits.
Have fun and go to buggin’ this September.