SOFTBAIT

Magrdaft Freestyle

This May CHANGE the Way You Fish the Magdraft Freestyle

Megabass Product Specialist, Justin Perelli will change the way you fish the Magdraft. Hop on board with Justin as he breaks down the vast depth zones and features of large glacial lakes with the Magdraft Freestyle in ways that you may not have thought of. – Products used: Magdraft Freestyle: https://megabass.fish/MagdraftFreesty… OrochiXX Perfect Pitch: https://megabass.fish/PerfectPitchYT

Sleeper Gill – Enter the Bluegill’s World

SLEEPER GILL targets areas where other swimbaits fear to swim. Featuring a patent-pending adaptation of the dorsal fin weed guard pioneered by the Dark Sleeper, the SLEEPER GILL navigates through intricate cover areas with uncompromising action and impressive agility. Semi-hollow body construction allows for devastatingly effective hooksets to bring your newfound trophy home. Hop in …

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Neko Rigging for Pressured Bass

When challenged with calm, sunny conditions, Elite Series pro Chris Zaldain’s first choice is to pick up a Neko Rigged soft plastic. Neko rigging for pressured bass is one of the most natural ways to present a soft plastic. His “go-to” Neko rig bait is the 4in bottle shrimp thanks to its subtle action and …

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Finesse Swim Baiting

Breaking down Finesse Swim Baiting with The Megabass Spark Shad and Hazedong Shad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92FQBUNuFJ8 Chris Zaldain is breaking down finesse swim baiting with the Megabass Spark shad and Hazedong Shad. More specifically, he shares when to utilize a ball head method with a Spark Shad or the drop swimming method with the Hazedong. -Start with the ball headed Spark Shad, looking for more aggressive fish in an area …

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Jig Fishing with the Dark Sleeper Swimbait

Chris Zaldain gives the scoop on the swimbait that quickly filled a needed spot in his arsenal. Here’s how Jig fishing with the Dark Sleeper Swimbait can help put more fish in the boat on your next outing. – What makes the Dark Sleeper unique? – Type of areas and structure it thrives in – …

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Magdraft Swimbait

How to catch Big Bass on a MAGDRAFT Swimbait

With frontal conditions on the forecast, the rain will be falling, the boats will be running, and the bass will be hungry! Step onto the boat to fish with Megabass pro, Chris Zaldain, as he breaks down strategies for catching big bass on the Magdraft swimbait! Big fish hunting can make for some of the …

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Megabass Okashira Screwhead

Zaldain’s Soft Spybait Secrets

The Japanese technique known as “spybaiting” has gained widespread acclaim for its ability to draw strikes from clear-water bass, particularly suspended smallmouths. However, according to veteran pro Chris Zaldain, “it’s a well-known fact that you’re going to lose a lot of fish on it. No matter what hooks you use, 30 to 40 percent of …

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Flipping & Pitching Isolated Mats

  Chris Zaldain always has a 1oz + flipping/pitching rig ready to go when working shorelines.  – Target isolated mats and windblown grass patches– Don’t “texpose” your hook point– Make extra flips to the key points of each cover area– Hold your line for extra finesse, sensitivity, and old-school flipping! Bait: Bottle Shrimp 4″ Rod: Orochi …

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Belly Hook Swimbaits

The birth of bass fishing swimbaits began in California decades ago. This was a closely guarded secret for many years, but slowly, tournament anglers began using swimbaits in events back east. Once the word got out, swimbaits spread like wildfire, and for a period, these California-produced baits were nearly impossible to get. Anglers were at …

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Magdraft Freestyle Rigging Techniques

Magdraft Freestyle Rigging Techniques

How do you fish and rig a FREESTYLE swimbait? Professional Angler Chris Zaldain has been wildly successful with Megabass swimbaits on Bassmaster Elite tournament trail, notching multiple top-finishes and heavy bags. Take a seat in Chris’ boat as he breaks down the Magdraft 6” and its new sibling, the MAGDRAFT FREESTYLE. Chris shares two of …

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Chris Zaldain Bassmaster Classic 2019

Chris Zaldain Bass Master Classic 2019

ZALDAIN GOES AGAINST THE CURRENT FOR A CLASSIC-BEST LIMIT Faced with an 11-pound gap to make up after Day One of the Bassmaster Classic, Chris Zaldain was amazed by the 20 pounds that Ott DeFoe brought to the scales. He’d followed a “false clue” on Day One that led him down an errant path to …

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Zaldain Goes Deep for Swimbait Spots

Zaldain Goes Deep for Swimbait Spots

As Chris Zaldain left Palatka, Florida for the seven-hour drive to Lake Lanier, he experienced a bit of déjà vu. The road took him through Atlanta, up into the Georgia foothills, and he felt himself being transported “back to Northern California.” That told him much of what he needed to know and informed the choices …

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Target Fall Bass with the Spark Shad Swimbait

Professional bass angler Chris Zaldain nails it when he says new school grubbing is a finesse swimbait rigged on a ball head jig. Unlike grubs, anatomically accurate baits like the Megabass Spark Shad closely mirror baitfish in appearance and motion while allowing anglers to cover the water column with speed and efficiency. Although they work …

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The Importance of Motion

When most anglers pick up a lure off the shelf or from the tackle store pegboard, they’re looking at limited clues about its effectiveness. Does it have a paint scheme that resembles the local forage or otherwise triggers reactions? Does it share the general profile of their quarry’s favorite meals? Some will even shake the …

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How to Fish Swimbaits on the Bottom

A good portion of bass feeding activity takes place on or near the bottom; crawfish and all sorts of baitfish make use of the lower water column for cover, shade, cool water and feeding opportunities. A jig and swimbait are two lure categories that produce big-time results in this zone. California native Chris Zaldain has …

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Casting Big Baits with Oliver Ngy

With more and more anglers casting big swimbaits, mechanics can be key to success. Come along as Oliver Ngy breaks down his casting mechanics when throwing big swimbaits. He covers the overhead “bomb” cast, the “roll” cast and also touches on skipping these big swimbaits under docks and structure. Suggested Setups: F10-711X ONAGER Baits: MAGDRAFT …

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180515 Zaldain - Megabass Magdraft

How to Fish the Magdraft Swimbait

Professional angler Chris Zaldain has turned to the Magdraft swimbait in 6″ and even 8″ sizes to bring some serious weight to the scales throughout his tournament career. Find out why–and how–Chris fishes this unique swimbait for key bites in various situations, including the areas and cast angles he targets to elicit bites in community …

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Dark-Sleeper

Targeting Transitions with the Dark Sleeper

The compact profile and boot-tail design of the Dark Sleeper swimbait make it ideal for bottom contact applications. But unlike many swimbaits, the Dark Sleeper’s unique dorsal-fin shields the hook-point, making this presentation virtually weedless–perfect for targeting transitions where bass hide! Megabass Pro Edwin Evers shares a few of his favorite ways to fish the …

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Megabass Zaldain Drop Swim

Drop-Swimming: Use Swimbaits to Elevate Your Drop Shot Game!

If all else fails, you’ve always got the drop-shot…but sometimes they just don’t want that traditional vertical presentation. In those cases, the Hazedong Shad in 3″ and 4.2″ is a limit-saver. Not only can you work the spot with a traditional vertical line-shake, you can also employ a slow, dragging approach to swim through the …

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Megabass Dark Sleeper - Edwin Evers Slider

Jig Fishing with Swimbaits

Edwin Evers, the 2016 Bassmaster Classic champion, hails from Oklahoma, which is decidedly jig country, and about 1,400 miles east of swimbait central. Nevertheless, he’s experimented extensively as swimbaiting culture has vaulted into the mainstream of the tournament scene, and while the big “tennis shoe” sized baits don’t consistently play a big role in everyday …

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Megabass Dropshot Swimbait Zaldain

A Swimbait Solution to Dropshotting

Thin, wiggly worms, soft stickbaits and little goby imitators are the workhorses of the dropshotting world, but when California pro Chris Zaldain heads north in the summertime to chase big brown bass, his number one tool on the end of his spinning rod is a small swimbait. There are times when he’ll fish them horizontally …

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Thoughts on the Spawning Cycle

One of the valuable byproducts of the passage of time is the fact that fishing myths are dispelled on a regular basis. Two of the biggest myths in fishing that have been proven incorrect are the belief that fish get inactive and won’t bite very well in the winter, and the idea that spawning bass …

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Understanding Late Pre-Spawn Patterns

Without a doubt, April is one of the favorite months for bass anglers throughout most of the country. The fish are moving shallow in large numbers and therefore tend to be easier to catch this time of year than at just about any other time. Depending upon which area of the country you live in, …

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Top Hook Swimbait Modification for Big Bass

When your big bass targets are holding in shallow weeds, vegetation, or relating to bottom structure, sometimes you need to get rid of that belly treble in order to reduce snags and hangups. Follow along as Oliver Ngy shares his top-hook modifications for the Magslowl 9″ and Magdraft 8″, turning these deadly open-water swimbaits into versatile …

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Targeting Grass Flats & Points with Swimbaits

Chris Zaldain shares a few key tips to maximize your productivity with the Magdraft swimbait! Head-thumping action (in addition to tail kick) is key 15lb Fluorocarbon line Realism is key, especially in clearer waters Target windblown banks and points Pair with F7-72XX Perfect Pitch or Levante F7-72C To see how Zaldain used the Magdraft 6″ to …

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How to Fish the Bottle Shrimp

Bassmaster Elite pro-Chris Zaldain shares his tips on how to rig and fish the Bottle Shrimp, a craw imitation softbait perfect for Texas rigs, jig trailers, and punching applications! Made with the finest Hon-Jikomi material, BOTTLE SHRIMP’s salt-impregnated flavor compound features baitfish and shellfish powders in a proprietary blend, for unmatched taste and key bites.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_4Qwu2c-xc

How to Fish the Spark Shad 5″ Swimbait

B.A.S.S. Elite pro angler Chris Zaldain shares tips and techniques to help you get the most out of larger 5″ swimbaits like the SPARK SHAD. Covering everything from rigging, rod/reel setup, line type, and target areas and retrieves, Chris shows you why this is such a deadly presentation throughout the country!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHaYrIo2pt8

MAGDRAFT UNDERWATER VIDEO

The Magdraft is designed for a hard tail-kick, and vigorous head-shaking action, for a natural presentation that moves a surprising amount of water. There is a specific retrieve speed to achieve this unique action, and we recommend a 5.3:1 or lower ratio reel, with a medium-slow retrieve. Your Magdraft will tell you if you are reeling too …

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MAGSLOWL SWIMBAIT – UNDERWATER ACTION

The MAGSLOWL is a swimbait that was designed to kick at a crawl. With a thinner body and tail section than the MAGDRAFT, the MAGSLOWL will deliver a seductive tail-kick at the first crank of your reel, for effortlessly naturalistic action. Perfect for clearer waters that require a more subtle presence!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qx4sUh8xMk

Zaldain’s Sight Fishing Approach

Megabass Pro Chris Zaldain shares his sight fishing tips for big bass with Tyler Brinks of Westernbass.com. Chris shares insights gained through competition on the B.A.S.S. Elite circuit to maximize catch rates throughout the spawn period.   Key tips include: Techniques: drop shot, Texas rig, and swimbait Key products: Bottle Shrimp, Magdraft 6″ 45 minutes max …

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