Exploring the Versatility of the Dark Sleeper with Chris Zaldain
Hop in the boat as Chris Zaldain dives in-depth on the versatility and effectiveness of the Dark Sleeper swimbait.
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Vision Oneten FX Jerkbait Tactics
Tune in as Megabass Pro, Chris Zaldain breaks down his Vision Oneten FX jerkbait tactics for highly pressured clear water smallmouth.
Elevate Your Popper Game
Tune in with Elite series pro Chris Zaldain as he explains how poppers can be some of the most versatile weapons in your topwater arsenal when
Topwater Fishing with the DOG-X DIAMANTE
We were able to dig into our archives to find elite series pro, Chris Zaldain sharing how the DOG-X DIAMANTE excels even in wind-blown conditions thanks to its high buoyancy and face-up posture. Covered in the video: – Why the DIAMANTE excels in choppy water – Correct rod length/taper for optimal efficiency – Picking the …
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 …
How to Improve Your Frog Fishing with The Megabass Big Gabot Frog
Chris Zaldain takes to the topwater game with tips and tricks on how to improve your frog fishing with the Megabass Big Gabot. Whether you pop it or walk it, the Big Gabot’s Catamaran Mouth shatters expectations and attracts even the biggest predators.
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 …
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 …
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 …
Megabass I-Wing 135 | Chris Zaldain
Trophy bass anglers rely on plus-sized lures to attract and trigger the biggest bass in any given system — this mentality extends beyond the swimbait category and into the topwater arena as well. Chris Zaldain demonstrates how to fish big and aggressive topwater baits to trigger pressured bass on a popular Texas fishery. Product featured …
3 Ways Spinning Gear Excels for Jerkbait Fishing
While most enthusiast bass anglers prefer casting gear over spinning, the latter has some definite advantages when fishing jerkbaits. Megabass Product Manager, Kenichi Iida, shares 3 practical reasons a spinning combo enhances jerkbait fishing under certain circumstances. He expands on the importance of casting distance, flexibility with cadence and the angle the rod can be …
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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 …
The Right Equipment for Throwing Big Swimbaits
Heavy baits need to be fished on rods rated for heavy lure weights, but with a taper that allows for imparting fish-triggering moves. The rod needs to be mated with a reel up to the tasks of quick line pickup and robust gearing for maximum winching torque. Line choice can vary between heavy monofilament, fluorocarbon, …
Targeting Deep Bass with the DEEP-SIX Crankbait
Large schools of bass move offshore during the Post-Spawn and Fall patterns. One of the most effective ways to target these fish is to throw a deep diving crankbait like the Deep-SIX. In this video, Bassmaster Elite Angler Chris Zaldain talks about boat positioning and approach when targeting offshore bass.
Fishing the Dark Sleeper Swimbait like a Jig
Bass anglers often use jigs for pitching, flipping and casting to shallow cover. Kenichi Iida demonstrates how to employ a standard jigging technique with a swimbait, that seamlessly transitions in a horizontal swim retrieve using the versatile Megabass Dark Sleeper.
Kanata Jerkbait Down & Dirty
Take a closer look at the Kanata Jerkbait with Edwin Evers. Watch as he breaks down some of the features of this bait, including when he likes to fish it, and what type of rod and reel setup he prefers.
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 …
Shallow Squarebill Crankbait Fishing
The square bill can be one of the most effective baits in the spring for big bass. Megabass pro-Edwin Evers breaks down how he fishes the S-Crank square bill crankbait and the key areas he targets. Edwin Evers also covers S-Crank size selection, as well as some of his favorite colors for clear water.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBDrR4bQdSo
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 …
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 …
Shiner-Style Jerkbaits
Megabass Pro Edwin Evers shares his insight on the X-80 Trick Darter and ITO Shiner, two sleeper jerkbaits that are go-to’s in the warmer months, and when targeting aggressive feeders. Both lures feature taller backs and shiner-like profiles that allow them to dart even harder than the Vision 110! Find out when and where pro’s …
LARGE JERKBAITS FOR FALL & WINTER BASS
“When bass go on the feed before and after cold winters, a bigger jerkbait can make for much better and bigger bass fishing! Kyle shares his best tips for upsizing your jerkbaits in these feed zones. Perhaps as important as the upsize, is the ability to cast these jerkbaits farther than others due to the …
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 …
3-Retrieves for Trophy Bass
Sure, we all see on instagram that big baits catch big fish…but how do they do it? Trophy Bass Hunter Oliver Ngy shares the three primary retrieve styles he employs on the way to double-digit monsters, utilizing the Megabass I-Slide 262T. When do you use a straight retrieve? When do you employ reel action (sharp …
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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Jerkbaits: When Silence is Golden
Even after 20 years of fishing professionally, there are still nuances to be learned in jerkbait fishing. The role of sound is one, and Bassmaster Elite angler and Megabass Pro Edwin Evers shares a few lessons learned fishing the Vision Oneten for the past decade, and introduces viewers to the brand new Vision Oneten Silent–including …
Swimbait Tips for Big Smallmouth Bass
Chris Zaldain shares his finesse jighead approach on Minnesota’s Mille Lacs, where his Spark Shad 3″ and Orochi XX Shaky Head powered him to a five-fish limit of 26lbs of smallmouth bass!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dprZXYYcbaQ
GARUDA – ACTION VIDEO
Wide, powerful lip stiff-arms gnarly timber and submerged structure, allowing GARUDA to be deployed where other big baits so often foul. With rod tip held high and a slow retrieve, GARUDA is a monster wake bait ready to challenge the biggest fish in your waters. Drop your tip and speed up your retrieve, and GARUDA …
DARK SLEEPER – UNDERWATER ACTION
The Dark Sleeper is built for contact, delivering key bites with its bottom-bouncing, snag-less design, and alluring tail-kick. Supple paddle-tail design kicks into gear even at slow, crawling retrieve speeds Tall top fins hide the hook point to camouflage and limit snags, yet is soft enough to absorb strikes and allow for decisive hookset Weighting and bottom fin …
VATALION – UNDERWATER ACTION
The Vatalion is a combination big vibration bait and glide bait. Slow retrieves will show off its rolling, snaking action. Pause the retrieve, and Vatalion harnesses its 1-3/8oz weight to power a sudden slide out to the left or right, triggering key follow-bites. Speed up the retrieve, and Vatalion’s action tightens up, behaving more like a traditional …
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 …
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 …
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO GLIDEBAIT FISHING
Bassmaster Elite Pro Chris Zaldain shares his approach to glide bait fishing. From his background in California to bodies of water across the country, Chris shares a few key tips to help you get the most out of your glide bait setup. Good luck and good fishing, and be sure to tag @megabassamerica in your fish catches …
Four Seasons of Jerkbait Fishing
While it’s true that jerkbaits are the dominant prespawn lure throughout much of the country, subtle and not so subtle variations in design make them consistent year-round producers for all species of bass. Elite Series pro Chris Zaldain has a Megabass jerkbait tied on at every event across the country, and attributes the lure category …
KANATA: ACTION VIDEO
The Kanata is a large, slim-profiled jerkbait, perfect for those predators targeting larger forage. With a Triple Tungsten Moving-Balancer System (PAT.), the Kanata is capable of tremendous casting distance and exhibits the industry-leading action anglers have come to expect of Megabass jerkbaits.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcDlfOhmXVY
Fishing the Dot Crawler
Chris Zaldain shares his favorite ways to rig the Dot Crawler 4.8″ and Dot Crawler 5.8″ soft plastic stick bait! From rigging shaky heads with some slack so that the bait can absorb bites better, to the ideal rod/reel pairings, Chris’s tips will help you become a better softbait angler, regardless of what you throw …